Yellowstone in winter is when there is an abundance of wildlife and scarcity of people - as travel should be. Having AJ, our driver, professional photographer, and guide made the experience worth every penny! Minutes into our journey we felt like old friends reuniting on a mini-road trip. He was informative and engaging - sharing stories about the tours, where the wildlife like to hide, giving the historical perspective. He was attentive to our needs offering to stop wherever and whenever for a picture, a bathroom break, a snack, or a drink. I loved that we didn't have to ask people to take our pictures because we had AJ and he knew all of the best spots and took all of the best shots.He promised us wildlife - and didn't fall short. We saw bison, wolves, white tail deer, big horn sheep, elk, and a variety of birds.
AJ's vibe is super chill, yet it radiates his passion for wildlife, travel, and our shared experience. This is an all day excursion and at no point did we grow tired or weary of our tour, AJ, or Yellowstone in winter. Quite the contrary, the sights, whether blue skies or snow squalls were spectacular. Seeing herds of wildlife never got old. Neither traffic nor tourists were a thing.
If you are looking for an experience where you don't have to watch the road while trying to observe the wildlife, where you don't have to wonder if you can pull over for a quick snapshot, or where you don't have to contend with the planning and research then this trip is for you. Was it cold? Der... it's Yellowstone in the winter, the only entrance to the park that is open to car traffic. So yeah, it was cold. Was it worth it? Absolutely! To not have to share a tour or tour guide with anyone else was worth every penny. To be able to sit back and take in the sights for the drive back to Bozeman was worth every penny!