How to bike through Yellowstone National Park without cars

April 15, 2023

Another first– our first winter bike adventure at Yellowstone National Park. I know, April seems like it shouldn’t qualify as “winter”, but in Montana, snow is still on the ground in these early spring months. Weather is pretty inclement and changes rapidly in Yellowstone. There’s a brief window in mid April where the Grand Loop Road is closed to cars, but open for bikes-you just have to be willing to brave the elements. The road is closed to cars November 1 to April 21 and opens for bikers only 2 weeks in April. Dates are dependent on the amount of snow and plowing progress.  

Parking at the West Entrance is available at the visitor information building half block away from the gates with bathrooms. West Yellowstone is quiet in the offseason, but there is a small town with restaurants and souvenir shops. Across the street from the parking lot is Free Heel and Wheel which is a bike (and ski) rental shop open year round with gear and snacks. Dismount your bike at the entrance gate and go around the gate barrier on the far left edge and be prepared for snow on the trail. There is no entrance fee needed to access the park at this time of year.

49 total miles are available for riding from the West Entrance in West Yellowstone to Madison Junction (14 miles) to Norris (14 miles) to Mammoth Hot Springs (21 miles) at the North Entrance in Gardiner. Ideally to finish the entire 49 mile, one way trip, you’d have two groups start from opposite ends, meet halfway to exchange keys. Since we didn’t have that option we made it 39 miles total from West Yellowstone to Gibbon Falls. The road from West to Madison Junction was gradual uphill/flat while past Madison had more rolling hills. There is quite a steep climb to the Gibbon Falls Overlook and sadly wasn’t worth the view. The tall snow banks on the side of the road obstructed the view of the falls and the trails to better view points were inaccessible. I’m one who likes to have an end destination, so it did serve as a good turning point.

Not gonna lie, the way back was brutal. Though it was slightly downhill for the majority of the miles, the headwind made it feel uphill the entire ride. I have never been so happy to see the entrance gates. We had to stop every couple of miles or so and reward ourselves with a jellybean just to stay motivated!

There’s a very high chance of seeing wildlife either right next to the road or actually on the road. The snow banks make it difficult for animals to get around so often they choose to walk along the road. We saw a bunch of bison herds near the road and got stopped behind an infamous YNP bison traffic jam on the way back. Half a dozen giant bison blocked our path for about 20 minutes before they finally went off road down towards the river. Unlike being in a car, there’s really nothing for you to do other than wait for them to leave. Remember to always stay at least 25 feet away from all wildlife! It was both nerve wracking and exciting at the same time.

The park is closed in the winter so no services are available. Be sure to bring your own snack, water, lunch and repair kit. Dressing for the elements is crucial. I highly recommend gloves, windbreaker with layers underneath, waterproof shoes and a headband under the helmet was key. Wind proof pants and handlebar mittens were lifesavers as well.

I highly recommend experiencing a national park by bike instead of car…even in the winter! It offers unique views of scenery, wildlife and photo opportunities you’d miss out on in a car. The best part of all? Way easier to get great photos without cars or people in them! The winter biking was intimidating at first, but definitely doable. As always, the scenery in a national park is fantastic and Yellowstone was no exception, especially with the wildlife thrown in. Since we were biking on the main road, the trail condition was perfect and very easy to navigate–no maps needed. Without the headwind this would have been a fairly easy ride, but adverse weather conditions is the risk you have to take for a deserted road.