A wolf pack discusses strategy
Photo © Corel

Each year, some three million visitors stream into Yellowstone, America's most venerable national park, to get a glimpse of wildlife in its element. And this ancient geothermal canvas rarely disappoints: some 2,500 bison roam the grasslands, around 35,000 elk wander the glades, nearly 400 grizzlies lord it over the backcountry, and an estimated 162 gray wolves form the prowling vanguard of one of conservation's most celebrated species reintroduction programs.

But get this: nearly half those three million eager wildlife buffs arrive in the summer months; in February, meanwhile, visitors are down to the tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands. Beyond the very obvious seasonal fluctuations in tourist traffic, there's one other telling stat to explain the paucity of wintertime visitors. It's cold. Very cold, with temps pegged mostly at zero degrees Fahrenheit—in daytime.

But for some—most of those 50,000 or so who visit in February—the cold and the snow are the best conditions for showcasing Yellowstone at its most elementally perfect: a frozen landscape sheathed under a blanket of snow; a stillness only disturbed by the rummaging of a huffing bison or the howl of a hunting wolf pack; an emptiness that won't be disturbed by a chugging RV or posse of sneaker-clad tourists.

The nonprofit Yellowstone Association Institute (307-344-2293, www.yellowstoneassociation.org) offers a fascinating year-round series of field seminars to showcase the park's ecosystem in all its macro and micro glory. Best among these are a number of multi-day winter courses that will take you beyond the daytripping, bite-sized Yellowstone and into a rewarding world of wintery revelation. Try the esoterically pleasing "Winter Nature Journaling in Wonderland" (February 4-6, $160) or the intriguing "Red Fox: Yellowstone's Secretive Little Dog" (February 11-13, $160) for a window into Yellowstone's best-kept seasonal secrets. In addition, the Institute organizes the ever-popular Wolf Watching and Snow Tracking seminars to assuage the budding naturalist in all of us.

RELATED GORP LINKS
Yellowstone Guide
GORP Wildlife
GORP National Parks