Billings Area Attractions

Winter Photo Festival To Be Held In West Yellowstone

Photographers are invited to share their favorite winter photos of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem during the Second Annual Winter Photo Festival in early March in West Yellowstone.

The festival is sponsored by the National Park Service and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. It will be at the West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center on Thursday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m.

Photographers are asked to take digital photos on a thumb drive or photo CD so they can display and narrate their photos.

Interested photographers should contact Rich Jehle at 307-344-2840 or by email at rich_jehle@nps.gov for more information. Participants must register by Monday, March 8.

Yellowstone National Park Record Numbers Visited in 2009

In 2009 Yellowstone National Park hosted a record number of visitors in 2009. Nearly 3.3 million people visited the world’s first national park last year, up 7.5 percent from 2008 and up 4.6 percent from the previous record of 3.15 million visitors set in 2007.

All park entrances recorded annual visitation increases compared to 2008 levels. Double-digit percentage increases were recorded through the Northeast and East Entrances.The West Entrance continues to be the park’s busiest, which recorded over 1.3 million recreational visitors in 2009.

Yellowstone National Park Annual Recreational Visitors

Rank Year Visitation

1 2009 3,295,187

2 2007 3,151,343

3 1992 3,144,405

4 1999 3,131,381

5 1995 3,125,285

6 1998 3,120,830

7 2008 3,066,570

8 1994 3,046,145

9 2003 3,019,375

10 1996 3,102,171

Visitation to Yellowstone National Park for the month of December was up 10.8 percent compared to 2008. Of the 18,107 visitors to Yellowstone in December, 9,483 came by automobile, RV, or bus; 4,740 were passengers on snowcoaches; and 4,512 entered the park on guided snowmobile tours. Access to the interior of the park is restricted to oversnow travel from Dec. 15 through March 15.

The North Entrance and the road from Gardiner, Montana, through Mammoth Hot Springs on to Cooke City, outside the park’s Northeast Entrance, is open to wheeled vehicle travel all year.

Snowmobile and

Snowcoach Visitation

Snowmobiles–Daily Average

Dec 2009: 183

Dec 2008: 233

Dec 2007: 365

Snowmobiles–Peak Day

Dec 2009: 284 (12/29)

Dec 2008: 426 (12/29)

Dec 2007: 557 (12/28)

Snowcoaches–Daily Average

Dec 2009: 32

Dec 2008: 39

Dec 2007: 45

Snowcoaches–Peak Day

Dec 2009: 56 (12/27)

Dec 2008: 53 (12/27)

Dec 2007: 60 (12/26)

An average of 183 snowmobiles and 32 snowcoaches a day entered the park from the Dec. 15 start of winter season to the end of the month. Both numbers are down compared to the same period in 2008 and 2007. The peak day for snowmobiles was Dec. 29 when 284 snowmobiles were in the park. The peak day for snowcoaches was Dec. 27, when there were 56 snowcoaches operating in Yellowstone. Up to 318 snowmobiles and 78 snowcoaches are allowed per day this season. Additional visitation information is available online at http://www.nature.nps.gov/stats/.

Pictograph Cave State Park Announces Winter Hours

Pictograph Cave State Park is in its first open winter season since the new visitor center opened. The snow and beautiful winter light is something new for park visitors.

The park is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The visitor center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. those days and all merchandise in the gift store will be discounted 15 percent. The park is closed each Monday and Tuesday during the winter months.

The park will close Dec. 24 and 25 for the Christmas holiday and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for the New Year holiday. The park will be open both weekends following the holidays.

To reach Pictograph Cave State Park, turn south onto Coburn Road from U.S. 87 immediately east of the I-90 exit to Lockwood. The park is 5 miles south of Billings at the end of Coburn Road.

Admission to Pictograph Cave State Park is free for Montana residents but park fees apply to non-residents. For more information, call Pictograph Cave State Park at (406) 245-0227 or the Region 5 Fish, Wildlife and Parks office in Billings at (406) 247-2940.Pictograph Cave State Park is one of 50 state parks in Montana.

With numerous parks spread throughout the diverse terrain of the state, residents can experience Real Montana without leaving their backyard. For more information about Montana State Parks, please visit fwp.mt.gov/parks.

The communities on the routes to Yellowstone National Park and at the Park entrances are wonderful hosts to travelers. Each community has its own identity, but all are praised as “friendly.”

Plan to spend a day or night in the gateway towns to kick up your heels at a real western dance hall, to eat ribs and beans, or Indian tacos on fry bread. Have a big slice of apple pie, and then head out on the trails. Some folks take to the hiking trails and some to the shopping trails. Each has its rewards.

Cooke City, Montana (gps 45 00 12.09 Lat -110 00 04.62 Long) Located at the northeast entrance to the park, Cooke City is the smallest and quietest of the five gateway communities. Take the Highway 212 Beartooth Pass, dubbed “The most beautiful roadway in America” — by Charles Kuralt, from Billings to Red Lodge to Cooke City. Or take Columbus exit 408 and travel Highway 78 from Columbus to Absarokee to Roscoe to Red Lodge and over the pass for a fantastic scenic byway tour.

Cody, Wyoming (gps 44 29 18.42 Lat -110 00 13.80 Long) is the east entrance. Allow yourself at least one day and night in Cody, famous for its nightly rodeo, tours, shopping, and the world famous Buffalo Bill Historical Museum. From Cody the entrance gate is 53 miles through US Highway 14-16-20, the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway. It follows the North Fork of the Shoshone River through the scenic East Yellowstone Valley (Wapiti Valley) to the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

West Yellowstone, Montana (gps 44 39 30.27 Lat -111 05 49.87 Long) at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, is the largest town adjacent to the park entrance. The main highways of arrival are Highway 191 from Bozeman, Montana and Highway 20 from Idaho Falls, Idaho. West Yellowstone is the closest town to Old Faithful and the famous geyser basins.

Gardiner, Montana (gps 45 01 46.39 Lat -110 42 31.32 Long) located at the north entrance to the park, is open year round. Just inside this entrance is the park headquarters, Mammoth Hot Springs. President Theodore Roosevelt dedicated the arch at the park’s first entrance in 1903. This is a good entrance summer and winter for wildlife watching all year and cross country skiing in winter. The road access is from Livingston and Bozeman, Montana

Jackson, Wyoming (gps 44 07 56.97 Lat -110 39 52.83 Long) - is the south entrance to the park. The actual town of Jackson is 57 miles and another 22 miles from the entrance. Majestic Grand Teton National Park is the pathway to the south entrance.

The entrance fee is $25 for a private, noncommercial vehicle; $20 for each snowmobile or motorcycle; or $12 for each visitor 16 and older entering by foot, bike, ski, etc. This fee provides the visitor with a 7-day entrance permit for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Remember to keep your admission receipt in order to re-enter the parks.

Park Annual Pass, The $50 park annual pass provides entrance to pass holder and accompanying passengers in a single private non-commercial vehicle at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Pass is valid for 12 months from date of purchase. Purchase your pass at one of the park’s entrances.

Interagency Annual Pass. The $80 Interagency Annual Pass provides entrance or access to pass holder and accompanying passengers in a single, private non-commercial vehicle at most federal recreation sites across the country. Pass is valid for 12 months from date of purchase. The pass is not valid for Expanded Amenity fees such as camping or parking at Mt Rushmore. Purchase your pass at one of Yellowstone’s entrance stations or online at http:// store.usgs.gov/pass Interagency Senior Pass The $10 Interagency Senior Pass (62 and older) is a lifetime pass available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Pass is available only in-person at entrances or visitor centers.

Interagency Access Pass Free lifetime pass available to citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. who have been determined to be blind or permanently disabled. Pass is available only in-person at entrances or visitor centers. The above passes replace the Golden Eagle, Golden Age and Golden Access Passports as well as the National Parks Pass. These passes will remain valid until they expire or are lost or stolen.

Commercial bus tours are subject to a separate fee schedule based upon the seating capacity of the bus.

Campsite Reservations

Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates campgrounds at Bridge Bay, Canyon, Fishing Bridge RV Park, Grant Village, and Madison.

Same-day reservations can be made by calling: 307-344-7901.

Future reservations can be made by calling: 307-344-7311 or 1-866-GEYSERLAND (439-7375), or by writing: Yellowstone National Park Lodges, PO Box 165, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. Fishing Bridge RV Park is the only campground offering water, sewer, and electrical hookups, and it is for hard-sided vehicles only (no tents or tent-trailers are allowed).