Snowmobile visits to Yellowstone decline

Snowmobile visits to Yellowstone National Park were down slightly this winter, which the National Park Service (NPS) attributes to limited snowpack at the beginning and end of the winter season.

According to the NPS, Yellowstone was host to 22,228 snowmobile visitors this winter (December through March), a slight decline from last winter’s 23,417 and considerably lower than two seasons ago when 31,420 snowmobile visitors came to the park.

The lower snowmobile numbers were offset by slightly higher snowcoach visitors. This past winter 20,388 people visited the park on snowcoaches, compared to 18,963 the previous winter.

Yellowstone is currently operating under a temporary winter use plan, allowing for up to 318 commercially guided, best available technology (BAT) snowmobiles and 78 commercial snowcoaches a day in the park. This winter season saw an average of 187 snowmobiles visit the park each day, down from 205 a year ago and 294 two years ago. The peak day saw 293 snowmobiles enter the park.

The park will operate under the temporary plan again for the winter 2010-2011 season. Public scoping has just concluded on a new Winter Use Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. A draft is expected to be released a year from now, with a final plan in place for the 2011-2012 winter season. More information on the winter use plan is available here.

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