I went to Yellowstone in the winter in 2023 and loved it. But I went on my own and signed up for a variety of the Xanterra-operated tours (day and night) while staying at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.
For Winter 2025, I thought I’d join Eric Rock’s Yellowstone in Winter tour operated by Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris. Eric was my guide for Natural Habitat Adventures’ Alaska Ultimate Wildlife Photo Safari in 2015. On both my NatHab Greenland and Borneo trips, a fellow traveler had also been guided by Eric Rock and voluntarily gushed lavish praise on him. Rightfully so: he’s an above-and-beyond guide and a rare photographer who creates wonderful images and knows how to relate to people. Previous clients seek him out for future travel.
So I booked the tour. It’s based out of West Yellowstone, where Kenny Jones collected us and drove us into the park (Yellowstone) each day. On a winter tour of Yellowstone, you never know how the weather’s going to play out while you’re there, so you trust the guide and driver to take you to good locations at the right times.
We got some great coyotes, “chased” a bobcat, had some nice wolf sightings, and immersed ourselves in some ethereal snowy landscapes, some with dreamy diamond dust swirling in the air. We even practiced a bit of ICM (intentional camera movement).
A highlight was a “frosty bison.” The old bull was on his way to the infinite, losing his battle against the brutality that is deep winter in Yellowstone. But for the moment, he was standing his ground. And that’s how we will remember him.
Yellowstone is an entirely different park in the winter. Access to interior locations is limited to snowmobiles and snow coaches. There are no crowds.
This would be my last tour with the trusty Nikon D850s and associated S-mount lenses. Shortly after returning, I made the transition to mirrorless with the Nikon Z8. I had been waiting for Nikon to get its mirrorless bodies fully developed (the Z6 and Z7 were inauspicious starts) and for the lenses to blossom (long glass, especially).
I’ve posted a few shot and hope to get more of them up; the transition and other life events disrupted my progress on this trip’s post-process. I don’t know when I’ll properly finish this project.
