Capturing Yellowstone In Winter: February 2025 7-Day Photo Workshop Trip Report
There is a reason that winter is the time of year that draws more photographers to Yellowstone than any other. Winter is a time of extremes, when the landscape is covered in a calming blanket of white and all of the wildlife is pushed to the limits of survival. Winter is drama, and trying to capture the essence of this drama in the format of a still photograph is a wonderfully exciting challenge. We set off on this year’s seven-day winter photography trip to do just that.
We started the first day with an afternoon in the park after picking everyone up in Bozeman in the morning, and we didn’t waste any time. Our first stop was a small group of bighorn sheep ewes and youngsters, and we watched as they pawed through the snow to find grass underneath. Usually, they have a relatively easy time in this northern part of the park near Gardiner since the comparatively low elevation of this area equates to less snow. But this winter, even the lowlands have enough snow to make them work for every bite.
A bighorn sheep ewe grazes in the snow near Yellowstone’s north entrance. Photo by Rob Harwood
Continuing up to Mammoth Hot Springs, we decided to alter the original plan of exploring the terraces since the light wasn’t right for landscape photos. Instead, we headed east toward the Blacktail Plateau. We encountered a herd of bison dealing with substantially more snow than the bighorns down by Gardiner.
Bison are experts at finding the most efficient way through snow-covered terrain, often sticking to exposed hillsides where the constant wind prevents the snow from piling too deep. But this can take some trial and error, as a group of four bison discovered the hard way. Coming over the ridge, they plunged belly-deep into a dense, crusty stretch of thick snow. They quickly realized the futility of their route and turned back the way they came from. We were able to take some rather dramatic images of their struggle through the snow as the wind howled across the plateau.
These bison had a rough time trying to escape from multiple feet of snow after they wandered into a particularly deep spot. Photo by Rob Harwood
We spent the next two days on Yellowstone’s North Range, where an assortment of moose, bighorn ram, and fox sightings stole the show. Mid to late winter is usually when a small bachelor group of male bighorn sheep shows up near the confluence of the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek. During warmer times of the year, I often see these sheep much higher up on the upper flanks of Druid Peak. But by February, the snows are getting deep and the struggles of winter finally push these animals down to lower elevations where there is less snow. Fortunately for us, that took them to a rocky hillside only 70 yards or so from the road, where we had great views for quite a while.
A bighorn ram pauses from his lunch to check out the group of photographers at the edge of the road watching him. Photo by Rob Harwood
Further west, we entered the steep narrows of Lamar Canyon and were surprised to find a fox near the ridgeline. It seemed as if it had been waiting for our arrival, for as soon as we parked in the nearest pullout and got set up, the fox stood up and started picking its way down the snowy hillside. We were all hoping to capture the classic photo sequence of a fox jumping into the air and diving head-first into the snow to pounce on a rodent beneath the surface. However, what we captured instead was an entirely different — yet equally dramatic — story. As the fox tentatively descended the steep hill, it occasionally sank to its armpits and faceplanted in the deep snowpack. Winter has its struggles even for these lightweight and agile predators who typically seem to almost “float” on top of the snow.
A fox tumbles through the snow as it tries to navigate down the steep hillside of Lamar Canyon. Photo by Rob Harwood
After two and a half days exploring the Northern Range, we had the luxury of two private snow coach charters to Yellowstone’s interior, which is inaccessible by private vehicles in the winter. The drama of winter only intensified as we headed deeper into the park. Moving several hundred feet further up in elevation directly translated to several more feet of snow on the ground, and the landscape was truly breathtaking. It is hard to imagine how any warm-blooded creature could survive in this extreme environment, but special physical and behavioral adaptations enable the animals to weather even the most brutal conditions.
In the geyser basins, we found plenty of bison taking advantage of snow-free patches of grazing land on top of the geothermally heated ground. A fortunate byproduct of their affinity for the geyser basins in winter—at least from the perspective of us photographers—is the abundance of hot spring steam that freezes to their fur and coats them in frost. It is a testament to how well-insulated these animals are that their escaping body heat doesn’t melt the frost.
Bison in Midway Geyser Basin seem perfectly fine with getting coated in frost from hot spring steam in exchange for not having to deal with as much snow on the ground. Photo by Rob Harwood
On both of our interior days, the fox sightings continued rolling in. We were able to enjoy several intimate fox sightings with no crowds of people, which is always such a treat. As we headed north back toward Gardiner on the second of the two snow coach days, we encountered a particularly focused fox patiently listening for any sounds of rodents moving beneath the snow. These incredible predators are well adapted to life in the winter, with large ears that act like satellite dishes, picking up the minutest hint of muffled rodent footsteps beneath several inches of snowpack. As we watched the fox listening intently for dinner, the light flurry of snow that had been falling started to pick up in intensity. Soon, heavy snowfall engulfed us, adding incredible magic to the scene and our photos.
This fox was listening intently for any signs of rodent activity beneath the snow. Photo by Rob Harwood
We enjoyed a final meal together on our last night in Gardiner (catered by the incomparable Karoline at Sagebrushers Café). We swapped stories of the memorable encounters we had seen that week. One of the best parts of these weeklong trips is the fantastic people you get to meet and share in this unique adventure.
I fully believe that everyone should experience Yellowstone in winter. The harsh conditions and charismatic wildlife set the stage for an extraordinary real-life drama; capturing that drama in photos is a tremendous challenge and thrill. After a week immersed in this wild landscape, we left for the airport with full hearts and even fuller memory cards!
Due to high demand, Yellowstone Wild and Rob have added a 2nd workshop for winter 2026. Dates are 1/26/26-1/31/26. There are still a few spots left! To learn more and book your spot HERE.
Trip Report text and photos compiled by Lead Naturalist/Photographer guide Rob Harwood.
To learn more about Rob, and the entire Yellowstone Wild team, check out our “About Us” page.