When to Visit
When to visit Togwotee is a question best answered by asking yourself what you like to do. Winter and summer are the two opposite poles of life in Yellowstone Park and surrounding areas.
Winter
In winter Yellowstone has a magic all its own. Snow-covered landscapes, frosty trees and steamy geysers create a wondrous landscape. Yellowstone’s geyser-fed rivers remain unfrozen, creating a natural winter refuge for thousands of waterfowl, including majestic trumpeter swans. Snowmobilers and cross-country skiers explore the millions of acres of public lands, while nearby downhill ski resorts give visitors a variety of thrills and challenges.
Annual snow accumulations in Yellowstone Park can range as high as 400 inches at 10,000 feet to over 200 inches on the valley floor. These are just a few of the reasons why people from all over the world seek out Yellowstone Country for wintertime recreation.
Spring
Spring is snow-melt season. Temperatures and weather conditions waver between warm and summery to cool and wintry. Until mid-May when the highway into Yellowstone opens, this is a quiet time of the year. Rivers begin to fill with snow runoff from the higher peaks (great for whitewater enthusiasts). In the valley, wildflowers begin to dot the landscape. Trout are hungry, flowers poke through the snow, birds return from winter habitats. By Memorial Day, temperatures have usually improved and winter is but a distant memory.
Summer
Summer is the time of the year when people in Yellowstone Country spend even more time out of doors than usual. Rivers run full and fast, then later slow and clear. Trails into the mountains open. Lake temperatures rise to a level where the brave can swim or waterski. The length of the day expands to help us all fit in more hiking, biking, camping, kayaking, climbing, fishing, golfing, or whatever summertime pursuit we prefer. The weather usually settles into a delightful pattern of dry, mild days and evenings just cool enough for a pleasant night's sleep.
Fall
To escape the hubbub, autumn in Yellowstone is the right time to visit. Hunting season attracts sportsmen of a different sort on the periphery of Yellowstone, and locals, who have been working double shifts all summer long, now have time to unwind and chat. Fall has increasingly become a time of visitation as many people become aware of the consistent and agreeable weather usually found during September and much of October. The end of October brings the season to an end when Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park close to automobile traffic and the valley gradually slips away to winter as the snow level descends to the valley floor.