Montana Town - Gardiner

Begin your adventure in Gardiner, Montana, which is the gateway to Yellowstone’s winter wonderland. Our snow capped mountains, abundant wildlife, quaint storefronts and friendly locals are just the beginning of your journey the only four-season gateway to Yellowstone National Park. We invite you to explore our town and learn more about what this wonderful area, nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, has to offer!

6-8 a.m.  Wake up/arrive to a Yellowstone morning at the only four-season Gateway to Yellowstone National Park — Gardiner, MT. If you stayed the night and plan to stay again, let the front desk staff of your lodging know of your plans and expected return time. If you stayed at one of our local Bed and Breakfasts, your breakfast will be provided. If you chose one of our Vacation Home Rentals you can prepare your own yummy favorites. If you are just arriving to town or stayed at one of the hotels, for a little TLC, pancakes and a cuppa joe, choose from the Yellowstone Mine, Town Café, Two Bit Saloon, Tumbleweed Café and Bookstore (the Tumbleweed also offers box lunches for you to take with you), or the Mammoth Hot Springs dining room (opening times vary between 7-8 a.m.).

8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Visit the North Entrance Food Farm (open at 7 a.m.) to stock up on food, drinks, hand and foot warmers, and last-minute items for your day in Yellowstone or the Gallatin. Remember to bring plenty of water. Stop at the Kremer’s Cenex to top off the gas tank of your car.

Head outdoors! 

Depending on what you have decided — either skiing or snowshoeing in the Gallatin — drive up the Jardine road to the Bear Creak Winter Recreation Area for your choice of skiing or snowshoeing at Bear Creek, Little Trail Creek, Pine Creek Trail, Schultz, Rollercoaster, Lobo, and Lobo Cutacross trails. 

Or, if today’s adventure is in the Park, drive through historic Roosevelt Arch and into Yellowstone. Head up the hill towards Mammoth Hot Springs. From here you have several choices, depending on what your plans are — skiing/snowshoeing or wildlife watching/photography. 

The road along the Northern Range of Yellowstone is the only one open for year-round access to wheeled vehicles in the Park. Turn left across from the Mammoth hotel to take the road to the famed Lamar Valley — America’s Serengeti.

Keep your camera ready for wildlife as you drive. Once you are in the heart of the Lamar Valley you may see others pulled over at the turnouts scoping for elk, wolves, and bison. The occasional fox or more plentiful coyotes can be seen jumping through the snow, hunting for a meal. Don’t forget to look up, as owls and other birds of prey can frequently be seen soaring the skies. Please be sure to use pullouts for stops or be well off the roadway in order not to create a dangerous traffic situation.

If skiing or snowshoeing the Lamar Valley is today’s objective, be sure to inquire at the Albright Visitor’s Center at Mammoth before heading out, so as to not be disappointed. 

3-4 p.m.  Before dark you will want to head back down the hill from Mammoth Hot Springs to Gardiner so that you can stop at the Boiling River access 2.5 miles from Gardiner for a relaxing soak on sore muscles or just to enjoy a hot spring the way nature intended. From the parking area it is ¼ mile walk/snow shoe/ski, depending on snow levels when you visit, to the spring area. Brrrr…be sure to have a towel and dry clothes/socks to put on before heading back to your car.

5 p.m.  Return to Gardiner and establish a comfortable camp at one of the many locally owned eateries like Cowboys Lodge and Grille, Outlaws Pizza, the Town Café, the Yellowstone Mine, or the Two Bit Saloon to share stories from the day, feed your well-earned appetite, and perhaps partake in a cocktail at the Rusty Rail. 

7 p.m.  Take a casual walk around historic Gardiner and enjoy the original entrance to Yellowstone.  Grab a hot chocolate at the Gardiner Pharmacy and Yellowstone Perk and peek in the gallery windows, such as ELK Inc., Kellem’s Montana Saddlery, Goldstrike Gifts,  Yellowstone Gifts and Sweets,  or Yellowstone gallery and frameworks to see if there’s something that piques your interest, while sharing the evening with the local deer or elk that wander the downtown.

7-9 p.m.  Either depart our little town (with return plans in mind), or amble back to your accommodations to settle in and get some rest while visions of the day’s adventures and the promise of tomorrow’s surprises play in your head.

Contact Gardiner Chamber of Commerce for lodging, dining and activity information. 

www.gardinerchamber.com

Let them help you plan your trip. They are open Monday – Thursday 9-5, and you can call them at (406) 848-7971. 

Travel Tips:

Buy the ANNUAL Park Pass at Entry to Yellowstone  — $50 Bucks to play…and you are supporting Yellowstone Park.

Ski or Snowshoe? Contact Xanterra, the park concessionaire, to inquire about snow shuttles. Call ahead 307-344-7311.

Local Guide Services Include Wildside Tours and Treks, Yellowstone Year-round Adventures, or The Yellowstone Association. 

Checking out the Gallatin Forest for trailheads and conditions?  Contact the Gallatin Ranger District Office at (406) 848-7375. 

Gear Rentals from spotting scopes to snowshoes are available in Gardiner at Yellowstone Gallery and Frameworks, Park’s Fly Shop, or the Mammoth Springs Hotel.

Pack a winter travel kit in your car: flashlight, flares, tire-chains, appropriate winter gear, blankets, food, water, layered clothing etc. For experienced backcountry skiers planning a more arduous journey bring a topo map and compass too. And, don’t forget spotting scopes, binoculars and cameras.

In 1903, President Roosevelt laid the arch cornerstone for the world’s first national park (image #8). A carving above the arch reads:  “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.”

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