Yellowstone Announces Lottery for Non-Guided Snowmobiling

Yellowstone National Park had announced a lottery for its new Non-commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program.

The Non-commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program was authorized in the 2013 final Winter Use Rule. The program allows one non-commercially guided group per day to enter Yellowstone from each of its four winter entrances.

Applications are being accepted online through October 3, 2014 for those interested in obtaining a permit to take a non-commercially guided snowmobile trip into Yellowstone National Park this winter.

If there are multiple applications for the same entrance for the same time period, one application will be selected by chance and awarded the permit. After the conclusion of the lottery, any remaining or cancelled permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis through the same webpage starting in November, 2014.

Trips can range in length from one to three days. A maximum of five snowmobiles is permitted in each group and all snowmobiles must meet the Best Available Technology standard in effect at the time of entry.

Permit holders are considered guides and must be at least 18 years old by the first day of the trip. All snowmobile operators in a non-commercially guided trip must possess a state-issued driver’s license and have successfully completed the online Yellowstone Snowmobile Education Certification program, which will be available starting in November 2014.

Additional details regarding the program can be found here.