For most who celebrate Christmas, it’s a time to rejoice, reunite and reconnect. For families that want to augment that experience with atmosphere, there’s no better place for it than Yellowstone National Park.
While the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is always in a celebratory mood, several people spent months and years planning a more immersive Christmas experience deep inside the first national park.
To do this, they reserve a space at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, within sight of the world’s most famous geyser.
Yellowstone Yuletide is a unique phenomenon that seems inescapable when experienced.
Once someone’s spent Christmas in Yellowstone, surrounded by the outpouring of seasonal spirit and celebration, it’s hard to imagine spending it elsewhere.
O’er The Fields We Go
While it’s not exactly dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh, the steady drive of a Yellowstone snowcoach between Mammoth and Old Faithful builds the anticipation of spending Christmas surrounded by steam and snow in Yellowstone.
Tristan Plumber is one of Xanterra’s snow coach drivers. On Dec. 23, she drove “the MOM,” a same-day round-trip tour from Mammoth to Old Faithful and back to Mammoth.
Xanterra, the concessionaire operating all the lodging in Yellowstone, offers snow coach tours throughout the year, but Christmas sees more reunions and returns than any other time.
“We see many of the same people every year at Christmas,” she said. “People are having a better time than they would be at home. There’s no negativity or fighting with the families. Their joy is to be here.”
Plumber added whimsical sights and factoids to her tour along the Firehole River, pointing out the iconic Christmas Tree Rock and the Chocolate Pots. Meanwhile, the 13 occupants of the snow coach peppered her with questions and bantered with themselves about their holiday plans.
“We have a lot of returners, some people who only come in the winter, and others who've never been here before,” she said. “I like to gauge where they're at, so I can be sure to point out different things they might not have seen or heard of before.”
Looking A Lot Like Christmas
Soon, the tall roof of the Old Faithful Inn and several columns of steam emerged behind the lodgepole forests. The snow coaches pulled up to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, allowing the guests to unload and enter a charmingly festive atmosphere.
The Old Faithful Snow Lodge is the only hotel in Yellowstone open throughout the winter, aside from the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. However, the structure comes into its own during the holidays.
The pillars and railings are wrapped in Christmas garland, while hidden projectors had snowflakes dancing on the walls above the front desk. Lighted pathways guided guests to the main dining room or the elevators leading to their accommodations.
Comfortable sofas and chairs were placed throughout the lobby, where guests could sit and chat with each other or check their phones next to a roaring fireplace. Large windows faced toward the Old Faithful Visitor Center and a small outdoor ice rink, covered with lights and projections, adjacent to a firepit.
There wasn’t as much snow as Plumber and many others would’ve liked for Christmas, but there was no denying the Old Faithful Snow Lodge epitomized Yellowstone’s yuletide atmosphere.
“Those of us who love Yellowstone in winter keep coming back,” she said. “It can't keep us away.”
Winter And Never Again
One of the families enjoying a Yellowstone yuletide at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge were Anne and Chad, who had traveled to Wyoming from Florida with their two children and Annie’s parents, Tom and Deb.
“We’re from Ohio originally, but our kids are native Floridians,” said Annie, adding they go by their first names. “Seeing snow is a special treat for our kids.”
The family outing was Tom’s idea. He spent two years planning their first Yellowstone Christmas last year, making it much easier to plan and get excited about returning.
“I always want to come to a national park for Christmas,” he said. “That was my dream, so that's why we came here. I love Yellowstone.”
Tom described how he took his family to watch Old Faithful erupt one night during last year’s trip. While there are thousands of people on the boardwalk during the summer, they were the only people witnessing the winter eruption that night.
Winter is magical,” Tom said. “Everything's different. It’s quiet, and the whole ambiance of Christmas makes it nice.”
The family booked a five-night stay at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, which included several day trips with Xanterra's snow coach guides to places like the Firehole River and Norris Geyser Basin. The kids had already made a snowman, one of several standing on the Old Faithful boardwalk.
“Being with my parents in Yellowstone is an opportunity that we don't come upon that often,” Annie said. “It’s a memory our family will cherish for the rest of our lives.”
Yellowstone Yuletide is a gift that keeps on giving. As far as Chad is concerned, there’s no better time to visit Yellowstone.
“We've thought about coming in the summer, but we’ve heard the horror stories of traffic and all that,” he said. “This might be it for us in Yellowstone.”
Enjoying an evening in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge at Yellowstone National Park. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
The lighted exterior of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Zoey and Kevin Mueller of St. Louis, Missouri, enjoying a meal in the Obsidian Dining Room at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Musician Martha Colby plays "Good King Wenceslas" in the lobby of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. This is her 13th winter playing music for four hours a night, five nights a week, at the Yellowstone hotel. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
A firepit and skating rink right outside the door of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
The deserted boardwalk in front of Old Faithful during Christmas week. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
The lighted exterior of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
The Big Dipper over the steaming vent of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily)
Worth The Hike
Vito and Terry Quatraro endeavored to spend their afternoon with hiking poles to reach Observation Point, high above the Upper Geyser Basin. From there, they could see Old Faithful and the historic infrastructure surrounding it.
“This is what you call a gorgeous day,” Vito said as he descended from the scenic vista.
The Quatraros live in Bozeman, Montana, and decided to bring themselves to Yellowstone for Christmas after spending Thanksgiving with their children and grandchildren in Boise, Idaho.
“Being at home alone on Christmas? Just the two of us? Boring. We love it up here,” Vito said. “I'm an outdoor guy, and I'd rather be in the woods than in any town.”
Terry was wearing a bison horn headband the Snow Lodge staff were handing out to Yellowstone Yuletide guests. Everyone was in the spirit of the season, wearing Santa hats, Christmas sweaters and other holiday attire as they traversed the trails and boardwalks of the Upper Geyser Basin.
“It's always Christmasy up here,” she said. “There's singing, the atmosphere, the decorations. They always do something special here, and it just feels more like Christmas at Old Faithful.”
The Quartraros were spending only one night at Old Faithful before heading north, so they were determined to make the most of it. They hadn’t encountered anyone on their hike to Observation Point, making it all the more unique and intimate for the couple.
“We like this time of year better than when we come in the summer,” Vito said. “I like getting in the mountains without a bunch of people.”
Wearing Horns On A Wolf Hunt
When stepping into the Obsidian Dining Room, the first thing one encounters is a roaring fireplace as they’re escorted to a table. All the servers wear their choice of Christmas attire as they chipperly bustled between tables.
Zoey Mueller and her father, Kevin, attracted the most attention with their flamboyant Christmas hats. They traveled from St. Louis, Missouri, to spend 10 days exploring Yellowstone.
“We’re trying to spot wolves in the park,” Zoey said. “We haven’t seen any yet, but that’s what we’ll do next week.”
This was the Mueller Family’s first Christmas in Yellowstone. They had visited during the summer and were amazed by how snow completely transforms the landscape.
“It’s really neat and very quiet,” Kevin said. “Old Faithful is packed in the summer, so having the unusual chance to be in Yellowstone during the winter has been fun.”
Zoey was all awkward smiles as several people in the Obsidian Dining Room asked to get pictures of the Mueller Family in their festive attire. She proudly placed her bison horns on her Santa hat, which hopefully wouldn’t hurt her chances of spotting wolves in the coming days.
“There’s a really fun energy here,” she said. “Even the staff seem to be enjoying it.”
The only people enjoying the Yellowstone Yuletide more than the guests at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge wasthe staff. Plumber said her colleagues all shared a similar desire to celebrate the holiday by working in the park.
“Everyone has a different take on it,” Plumber said. “I'm not a big holiday person. I'd rather get together with my family when it's not a prescribed holiday. For me, it's fun to be able to experience Yellowstone with people who are doing it for the first time. Some of us love being here in winter, regardless of when, and others like working the holidays.”
Winter Wassailing
Once everyone returned to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge after their daytime excursions, there were quiet Christmas moments spontaneously emerging in every nook and crevice of the hotel. Families and friends played card and board games in the lobby while reviewing the photos of their adventures.
The lobby's ambiance was augmented by the musical stylings of Martha Colby via piano, cello, and her own voice. She’s a familiar face and voice in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, playing four hours of music five nights a week for thirteen winters.
“We have a very tight-knit community here,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “Winters are usually pretty quiet and very snowy, so we have a lot of dances and stuff. It's a good time.”
Even for someone who spends most winter nights in the same spot of the lobby, Colby can’t help but get immersed in the Yellowstone Yuletide spirit. Her repertoire is all Christmas music from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. during the holidays.
Some people watch her while she performs, while others absorb the music while immersed in their activities.
“I try not to repeat anything during the week if I can help it,” she said. “Sometimes I’m solo, sometimes they sing with me. I love what I do, and most of it is the community here during Christmas.”
A snow grizzly sits on one of the benches on the Old Faithful boardwalk. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Families enjoy a holiday moment in one of the common areas of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Vito and Terry Quatraro of Bozeman, Montana, on their way to Observation Point above Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
A mailbox for North Pole postcard stands next to a lighted tree and the fireplace in the lobby of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
A fireplace in the lobby of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, decorated for Christmas. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
The chandeliers and Christmas decor in the Obsidian Dining Room at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
(Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily)
Silent Night
While everyone enjoys the lack of crowds during a Yellowstone winter, the Old Faithful Lodge is packed during the holidays. The lobby and common spaces perpetually buzz with excitement, conversation, and Christmas cheer in several different languages, but all with the same excitement and wonder.
There’s no crowd, the area transforming into a commune of friendship and magnanimity. Strangers laugh and gasp while recounting the experiences of the winter day to each other.
It’s easy enough to escape the Christmas cacophony by stepping out the door. The bustle of conservation and Christmas music gives way to the frigid silence of winter, with only the wind and the occasional outburst of excitement echoing through the Upper Geyser Basin.
Anyone taking a nighttime visit to the Old Faithful boardwalk might find it completely deserted, with a vast tapestry of stars hanging over the churning vent of Old Faithful. It’s much easier to hear the “life” of the famous geyser as it thunderously churns and splashes under its vent, sending steam into the stars.
There are no sleighbells in the distance, but the Yellowstone Yuletide evokes a celebratory spirit unlike anywhere else. Whether it’s once a year or once in a lifetime, Christmas in Yellowstone is the experience of any lifetime.
“Yellowstone’s always a magical place, but especially at Christmas,” Colby said. “I can remember the first time I came here. I always wanted to return, and now I’m here every year.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
