Tour · Gallatin National Forest

Yellowstone in Winter

Run by Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris · 7 days · Up to 6 people · Jan–Feb

In season nowWildlifeOutside, 5.3 km from Gallatin National ForestUnverified

About

A seven-day winter photo safari from Bozeman and West Yellowstone travelling by private heated snowcoach through the Madison and Firehole valleys, Hayden Valley, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the geyser basins. Five shooting days, six participants plus leader.

What you can photograph

From this listing

What you can photograph at Yellowstone in Winter, by month
Subject	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Moose	Outside the window	Outside the window	Peak	Outside the window	Peak	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Peak	Peak

Open months

Yellowstone in Winter by month
Month	Presence
Jan	In season
Feb	In season
Mar	Peak
Apr	Outside the window
May	Peak
Jun	Outside the window
Jul	Outside the window
Aug	Outside the window
Sep	Outside the window
Oct	Outside the window
Nov	Peak
Dec	Peak

Light on 15 November

Clear sky

Light through the day, 15 November, local time, America/Denver
From	To	Light
00:00	07:04	Night
07:04	07:29	Blue hour
07:29	08:09	Golden hour
08:09	10:07	Soft
10:07	14:10	Medium
14:10	16:08	Soft
16:08	16:48	Golden hour
16:48	17:13	Blue hour
17:13	24:00	Night

5.2 hours of golden and soft light.

Light by month

Hours a day

Light mix by month, hours a day, under a clear sky
Month	Golden hour	Soft	Medium	Harsh
Jan (window)	1.4 h	4.4 h	3.2 h	0.0 h
Feb (window)	1.2 h	3.3 h	5.7 h	0.0 h
Mar	1.2 h	2.8 h	7.2 h	0.6 h
Apr	1.2 h	2.7 h	5.3 h	4.2 h
May	1.3 h	2.8 h	4.9 h	5.9 h
Jun	1.3 h	2.9 h	4.8 h	6.5 h
Jul	1.3 h	2.8 h	4.8 h	6.2 h
Aug	1.2 h	2.7 h	5.1 h	4.9 h
Sep	1.1 h	2.7 h	6.7 h	1.7 h
Oct	1.2 h	3.1 h	6.5 h	0.0 h
Nov (window)	1.3 h	4.0 h	4.0 h	0.0 h
Dec (window)	1.5 h	5.2 h	1.9 h	0.0 h

The trip

Length: 7 days
Group size: Up to 6 people
Led by: Jeff Vanuga and Eric Rock
Route: Starts and ends in Bozeman, Montana
Language: English

Route

West Yellowstone
Madison Valley
Firehole River
Hayden Valley
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Old Faithful

Moose — Jackson Hole Gros Ventre & Highway 89 sage flats — late November to mid December first snow

Shoot window

Moose: about an even chance of seeing it (Nov–Dec)

Moose by month
Month	Presence
Jan	Outside the window
Feb	Outside the window
Mar	Peak
Apr	Outside the window
May	Peak
Jun	Outside the window
Jul	Outside the window
Aug	Outside the window
Sep	Outside the window
Oct	Outside the window
Nov	Peak
Dec	Peak

Peak: Roughly Nov 20 to Dec 15: after snow reaches the valley floor but before most prime bulls drop antlers. NPS: bulls usually shed in late November or December; young bulls may keep antlers to March. The overlap between snow arrival and antler drop is not quantified and varies by year.
Days needed: 8 days
Behaviour: Migration / passage
Coat: Full winter coat
Habitat: Fresh snow
Crowds: Quiet
Also here: Elk and bighorn sheep at the National Elk Refuge (bighorn on Miller Butte), bison, trumpeter swans on Flat Creek, red fox, winter Teton landscapes.

Light: 43.6°N. Max solar altitude 24° on Dec 5 (computed), 9 h day, the sun never climbs high so the entire day is low sun. Jackson clear or partly cloudy only 45% of the time in December (WeatherSpark), so about 55% overcast; December averages 17 in of snow in town. Usable soft light: essentially all 9 h, source is low sun plus frequent overcast and falling snow. On clear days snow plus low sun is contrasty; on overcast days it goes high key. Exposure: dark animal on white needs +1.5 to 2 stops. Highway 89 and Gros Ventre Road open all day.
Weather risk: Snow / blizzard (asset)
Atmosphere: Falling snow, frost on muzzle and back, heavy breath vapour (December mean low about minus 14 °C), snow loaded willows as texture.
Permits: Teton Park Road and Moose Wilson Road closed to vehicles from Nov 1 (ski and snowshoe only). Winter wildlife closures Dec 15 to Mar 31 around the Snake River, Buffalo Fork and Kelly Warm Springs. Minimum 25 yards from moose; winter stress: NPS asks visitors to detour around wildlife. Drones prohibited.
Getting there: JAC airport. AWD or 4WD with winter tyres. Jackson lodging is cheaper late Nov to mid Dec, before the Christmas ski peak (not priced). Crowd level in this shoulder period is my inference, not sourced.

Who runs trips here: Self drive. Winter wildlife tours run out of Jackson; none verified as photography specific.

Confidence: medium · Last verified 22 Sept 2026

What the price covers

Included: Not stated

Prices are in the operator's currency. Conversions on the site are approximate and marked ≈. Enquiry form coming soon.

Ethics

Feeding Unverified
Baiting Unverified
Captive Animals Unverified

Green means ShutterAtlas has checked it. Yellow means it has not been checked yet. Red means it happens here.

Light and conditions

Loading today’s light and weather…

Light through the year

Golden hour is when the sun is low, between the horizon and 6° above it: soft, warm light. Times are for the 15th of each month, in Denver time (with summer time where it applies). In-season months are marked.

Light by month at Yellowstone in Winter, in Denver time
Month	Golden hour		Daylight	Sun at noon
Month	Morning golden hour	Evening golden hour	Daylight	Sun at noon
JanIn season	08:06–08:48	16:19–17:01	9h 6m9 h 6 min	23°
FebIn season	07:31–08:08	17:09–17:46	10h 25m10 h 25 min	32°
Mar	07:41–08:16	18:51–19:26	11h 54m11 h 54 min	42°
Apr	06:43–07:18	19:31–20:06	13h 33m13 h 33 min	54°
May	05:58–06:36	20:06–20:44	14h 56m14 h 56 min	63°
Jun	05:40–06:20	20:30–21:10	15h 41m15 h 41 min	68°
Jul	05:55–06:34	20:26–21:05	15h 21m15 h 21 min	66°
Aug	06:30–07:06	19:51–20:27	14h 7m14 h 7 min	58°
Sep	07:08–07:42	18:56–19:30	12h 32m12 h 32 min	47°
Oct	07:46–08:21	17:58–18:33	10h 57m10 h 57 min	36°
Nov	07:29–08:09	16:08–16:48	9h 29m9 h 29 min	26°
Dec	08:04–08:48	15:51–16:35	8h 42m8 h 42 min	21°

Getting there

Nearest airport: Unknown

Sources

Sources not statedMedium confidenceChecked Oct 2026

Imported listing, not yet claimed by the owner · last checked 28 Oct 2026