High Altitude Tips

You are visiting one of the premier areas in the Rockies, and we hope you enjoy every minute of your stay. But some of the very features which make these mountains so spectacular can cause problems unless you know how to prevent them. The following are some suggestions.

Altitude

Elevations in the park range to more than 9,000 feet, the air is thinner and there is less oxygen available. You may already have noticed that you are breathing deeper or faster and feel a bit short of breath at times.

This is one of the body’s first reactions to the altitude. Your heart probably beats faster. These are normal, helpful responses. You may have a headache, a touch of nausea, or feel tired. About 15 percent of all vacationers have such symptoms, which usually disappear 24 to 36 hours after arrival.

If these symptoms should grow worse or if you are worried, please get help. Doctors here are familiar with altitude illness and may ease your discomfort during the adjustment period.

To aid in your acclimation, drink plenty of liquids. The altitude and arid conditions cause you to dehydrate much faster than you are probably used to.

Sun and Temperature

The sun has more power in this thin air and a bad sunburn can spoil your stay; use sunscreen with a high SPF. It also gets very chilly at night, so take extra warm clothes if you might be caught outside after dark.

Hypothermia (low body temperature) can occur in summer or winter, if you are wet or chilled by even a light breeze. It can also occur when you’re tired and haven’t eaten properly. Clumsiness, trouble thinking or talking clearly, and overwhelming tiredness are warning signs. Keep an eye on your companions. If these warning signs appear, stop, warm up, eat, take a hot drink, and if necessary, send at once for help.

In winter, most people wear enough warm clothes, but be sure your boots and gloves aren’t wet or too tight. If you lose sensation in fingers, toes, cheeks, ears or nose, stop, look for frostbite (white, cold, numb skin) and take time to warm up.

Snow blindness from snow glare and ultraviolet rays from bright summer sunlight are real hazards, so wear dark glasses, even on a cloudy day.

Due to this high, arid climate, you can become dehydrated quickly. Please consume more water than you normally would to avoid dehydration.

Injuries

Accidents can happen at any time to anyone, but they are more common when you’re cold, tired or hungry. Whether you are skiing, hiking, bike riding, or playing golf or tennis, give your body plenty of food and water and keep your muscles warm so they function efficiently. Don’t keep going when you’re very tired; quit while you’re ahead!

Area Map

Town Map

Summer in West Yellowstone

Perfectly situated between the upper and lower loops of Yellowstone National Park, West Yellowstone, Montana is the ideal spot for your family vacation. The area is filled with watchable wildlife, breathtaking views and activities for people of all ages. Within the world’s first National Park, ten thousand thermal features and 2½ million acres of nature’s best offer days of exploration, adventure and learning. Restored gold mining towns, the fascinating 1959 earthquake area, as well as the Gallatin and Targhee National Forests provide the backdrop for even more fun. A multitude of places to stay, attractions, restaurants, shops and events add the remaining ingredients that make West Yellowstone a great destination in any season.

Summer

Make West Yellowstone your headquarters for touring the Yellowstone area. When it comes to summertime activities, the West Yellowstone area is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. The long summer days provide visitors unlimited access to explore and play in the splendor of the high country. In addition to the regal Yellowstone National Park, you can fish blue ribbon streams, hike the pristine wilderness, experience real western horseback riding, go whitewater rafting or mountain bike on hundreds of miles of single track and forest service roads. Museums, theaters, visitor centers, and other cultural attractions offer information about the history and ecology of the area. Most of all, you can just relax and enjoy Montana’s legendary hospitality surrounded by scenery that will make you wish you had more time to spend here. Whatever you choose to do, you never run out of things to do in West Yellowstone.

Here is just a partial checklist of all the things to do!
•   Take a van tour of Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Parks.
•   Visit the Yellowstone Historical Museum Center.
•   Hike or mountain bike on the 35-kilometer Rendezvous Ski Trail.
•   Visit the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.
•   Take a free tour of the 1903 Executive Rail Car inside the Holiday Inn Conference Hotel (just down the street).
•   Experience a horseback trail ride in our neighboring National Forests.
•   White water rafting on the Gallatin River.

Winter in West Yellowstone

Snowmobile – West Yellowstone, billed as the “Snowmobile Capital of the World,” lives up to its name. Trails begin in town, where cars and sleds share the city streets. West Yellowstone has every reason to consider itself the “Best of the Best” for snowmobiling. The nearly 200 miles of groomed trails within Yellowstone National Park provide opportunities to see our first National Park in its best season. Still to be explored are the hundreds of miles of trails groomed by West Yellowstone and the state of Idaho in the surrounding National Forests. Don’t forget all the acres of wide open spaces for the powder hounds to challenge. The season runs from mid-December through March.

Snowcoach – No visit to West Yellowstone in the winter is complete without a snowcoach tour into Yellowstone National Park. Experienced guides will share their knowledge of the park’s rich history, the flora and fauna and the geothermal features that make Yellowstone such a special place. You’ll see geysers explode into the sky, breaking the winter calm. Bald eagles, bison, elk, pronghorn antelope and trumpeter swans are common sights. If you are fortunate, you might spot some bighorn sheep or a lone wolf.

Exploring Yellowstone National Park in winter is not to be missed. Snowcoach and snowvan tours offer the distinct advantage of driver/guides who are experts in all facets of Yellowstone. You can sit back, relax and watch a winter world filled with wonder unfold before your eyes. General tours to Old Faithful or the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, tours that specialize in wildlife viewing, and ones that include cross-country skiing in remote areas deep in the park’s interior, are all available from West Yellowstone. Charters are also available.

Cross-Country Skiing – For cross-country skiers, the West Yellowstone area is nothing short of a free heeler’s Mecca. From manicured groomed track to off-piste deep powder, skiers of all abilities will find an endless array of trails backcountry adventures. One of the highlights of the area is the world-renowned Rendezvous Ski Trail. The 35-kilometer trail is impeccably groomed daily and is within walking distance from virtually any location in town. With a super long ski season (at least November through April) and every conceivable amenity available, West Yellowstone is the perfect cross-country ski destination.

Downhill Skiing – Just 45 minutes north of West Yellowstone is one of the best ski spots in North America. Known for its lack of lift lines, amazing steppes, and the biggest ski area anywhere with 3,812 acres of downhill skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoe trails. The new Big Sky-Moonlight Basin interconnect offers a shared pass between two ski hills and the longest downhill run in America.