For decades the Rocky Mountain ski resorts have been promoting themselves as having the greatest snow on earth. The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah introduced the world to the fabulous skiing in the area.

I’ve lived on the Wasatch Front for almost 60 years, yet I’ve only been downhill skiing twice. It wasn’t my cup of tea. However, I have spent lots of time enjoying the “Greatest Snow on Earth” – just not on skiis. This post will highlight some favorite winter playgrounds. Most of them, I have done multiple times. However, a few of these activities are still on my bucket list.

Snowmobiling

Box Y Ranch/Greys River Snow Machine Adventure; Alpine, Wyoming –

There are several places in the American West that offer spectacular snow adventures. But few places exist where you can truly experience wilderness adventure. Greys River is one such location.

Greys River Country sits between the Salt River Mountain Range to the west and the Wyoming Range to the east. It is remote. It is wild. And the snow is unforgettable. Ask a local and they’ll tell you to drop into the Box Y Guest Ranch for the best cheese burger and homemade chocolate chip cookie on the planet.

photo credit: Box Y Ranch

There are well over 100 miles of groomed snowmobile trails from the Smiths Fork, to Alpine, and Big Piney and La Barge. The groomed trail system serves as an excellent base route into the high country.

photo credit: Box Y Ranch

Because of the epic possibilities to test your skill and satisfy your need for delicious food to fuel your outdoor adventure – a ride in Greys River Country and a stop at the Box Y for lunch makes the “must do” winter list.

Yellowstone National Park

Winter in Yellowstone National Park is fascinating! The cold and snow transform the park into a harsh environment especially for the wildlife that makes Yellowstone their home.

photo credit: P. Patten

My fascination was two-fold:

1. Watching the buffalo use their head to burrow through the deep snow to get one bite of grass. I would think that for large animals it would be a negative calorie burn.
2. Seeing the thermal hot pots and geysers surrounded by the winter’s heavy blanket of snow and ice was undoubtedly the highlight of my winter adventure in the park.

Sapphire Pool-Yellowstone National Park, photo: R. Patten

Things you need to know:

1. Even if you own snowmobiles you should plan on renting them for your ride into Yellowstone National Park. There are a lot of restrictions that need to be in place on the machines before they are allowed in the park.
2. There’s no need to worry about the cold! The snowmobiles have heaters that blow on your hands and feet. You’ll also rent helmets, boots, gloves, and jumpsuits designed for extreme temperatures.
3. Maybe you’re still unsure about your ability to ride a snowmobile. Yet you really want to see Yellowstone in the winter. Boot your seat inside a heated snow coach, then seat back and enjoy the scenery and leave the driving to the professional.
4. If you are looking for a heart-pounding adrenaline rush ride on a snowmobile, this is not it. The summer’s posted speed limit is still enforced in the winter.

Firehole Falls, Yellowstone National Park

West Yellowstone, Montana

West Yellowstone, MT is the most snowmobile friendly city I know of. Only the main Highway in and out of town is cleared when it snows.

The rest of the streets are left covered, making it so you can ride your machine in, out of and through the city. You see snowmobiles in restaurants’ and grocery store parking lots. It’s the preferred mode of transportation in the winter.

Outside the park on hundreds of miles of groomed and ungroomed trails is where you’ll find your adrenaline high! My teenage kids loved our time on the snowmobiles outside the park. The views in Montana’s high county are truly spectacular!  It seems like you would never run out of new places to ride. Let the area pros help you plan out a route that fits both your riding skill level as well as the amount of time you want to be out.

Ice Fishing

Fish Lake, Utah

There’s a reason it’s called Fish Lake.  This high mountain lake  (8800 feet above sea level) is home to a variety of fish; Lake, Rainbow, and Brown Trout, Yellow Perch, and Largemouth Bass.

Each winter from late December to early April the whole area is quiet. The number of guests is quite small (even though the road to the lake is kept open all winter) providing you an with intimate winter break from life’s daily challenges.

The Fish Lake Lodge and Resort is open year around with cozy comfortable cabins where you can reminisce on your day’s adventure.  Keep in mind that you can snowshoe, snowmobile, and cross country ski on multiple trails in the Fish Lake Valley; making it an incredible winter destination.

Palisade Reservoir, Idaho

Palisade Reservoir is located between Swan Valley, Idaho and Alpine, Wyoming. Most of this reservoir’s 70 miles of shoreline are lined with beautiful, forest-covered hillsides that make their way up to the mountain tops of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The whole valley is a winter playground. It might be best known for its ice fishing. With multiple areas to choose from in winter, access is not a problem. The reservoir is loaded with a variety of fish including Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, Brown Trout, Lake Trout, and Kokanee.

Out-of-staters will find a number of anglers’ stores to assist you in both gear and fishing licenses.

Otter Creek Reservoir, Utah

Personally, I’ve never been ice fishing. So I needed to rely on experts and friends to write this section.

It started with a quick text to a cycling buddy Russ Banks who loves to ice fish. With no hesitation, he responded Otter Creek Reservoir State Park in central Utah’

Russ went on to explain that he’s been fishing there for years and loves how consistent it’s been in catching “football” fish. The marina at the State Park has all the necessities for a great day on the ice. He also tells me it’s perfect for teaching a newcomer how to ice fish.

Snowshoeing/Cross Country Skiing

Lander Cutoff Trail; Alpine, Wyoming

There’s a sound of the wilderness – something so rare that few people ever experience it. But once heard, a person will likely spend the rest of his or her life striving to get back to the places where they came across it. It is the sound of deep winter.

After a trek into the backcountry, traversing snowdrifts and peaks, there is absolute, complete, profound silence. There is no water running – it is frozen. There are no birds chirping or leaves rustling on the breeze. Insects and their commotion is absent. The world is still, asleep and silent – bone deep silent. There is nothing like the “sound” or lack thereof, of deep winter.

One place that lends itself to the symphony of deep winter is the Lander Trail. The Lander Trail was commissioned in 1857 and opened up a travel route to the West. Where once wagon trails and immigrants came by the thousands, now the trail presents an impressive solitude. Access the trail on either side of Star Valley, Wyoming (as the trail crosses the valley floor before moving into Idaho). Snowshoes or backcountry skiing are ideal ways to get a taste of history as well as enjoy the sound of winter’s silence.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

For me, there’s something almost magical each time I visit Bryce Canyon National Park in the winter. The red rock hoodoos look like they have been covered with a fresh layer of cream cheese frosting (my favorite).

The stark differences between the sparkling white snow and the multiple shades of red in the rock make winter a must-see for all outdoor enthusiasts.

Now picture buckling on a pair of snowshoes and working your way to the canyon floor while photographing Queen’s Garden and Thor’s Hammer. It creates the kind of memories that last a lifetime and ones you can’t wait to help others experience for themselves.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area; Dinosaurland, Utah

At the Vernal Ranger District in the Ashley National Forest, you can not only pick up backcountry maps showing their winter trail system, but you can also find information on three facilities commonly rented in winter from Dec 1st to March 31st; Grizzly Ridge Yurt, Limber Yurt, and Colton Guard Station.

Grizzly Ridge Yurt

They are available for rent on recreation.gov which also has quite a bit of information on prices, seasons, location, etc. These rental cabins are all accessed in the winter via our system of cross country ski/snowshoe trails (Colton also allows snowmobile access) and offer a rugged self-guided experience.

Limber Yurt

Colton Guard Station

The Eastern half of the Ashley National Forest on the Vernal and Flaming Gorge Ranger Districts has 9 designated winter trails offering a variety of challenge and scenery: Little Brush Creek Loop Trail, Bassett Springs Loop Trail, Grizzly Ridge Yurt Trail, Limber Flag Yurt Trail, Old Ski Tow Trail, Swett Ranch Loop Trail, Canyon Rim Trail, Lake Creek Loop Trail, Elk Park Trail, Dowd Mountain Trail.