Get to Know Your Neighbors
West Yellowstone, Montana
Adjacent to the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, the West Yellowstone area is a multi-faceted playground. In addition to exploring the Park, families, and outdoor enthusiasts have an additional 200 miles of trails for snowmobiling in the winter and ATV rides in the summer. Other activities, including time on the lakes and rivers for trout fishing and family-oriented fun at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Playmill Theater, and the Zipline Adventure Park, are worth adding to your itinerary. During the summer, weekly rodeos, a free concert series, Music in the Park, and the Smoking Waters Mountain Man Rendezvous add to the entertainment options.
Fun Facts!
- The town of West Yellowstone is considered a subarctic climate, sitting at 7,000 feet above sea level, almost exactly halfway between the equator and the North Pole.
- Access to Yellowstone improved drastically in 1907 when railroad tracks were laid from St. Anthony, Idaho. In 1908, the Yellowstone Special made its first voyage and subsequently made daily trips from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone National Park.
- The town was first named Riverside, then changed to Yellowstone in 1910. After much confusion, the name was again changed to West Yellowstone in 1920.
- The U.S. Forest Service originally owned most of the land in West Yellowstone, and anyone wanting to reside or do business in the town had to get permission from the federal agency.
- For many years, the train would cease operation for the winter in mid-September, and many residents would leave. Those who “wintered” in West Yellowstone would stock up on food and firewood since the only means to travel to and from the area was a dog sled or skis. In 1936, the road to Bozeman opened and was kept plowed, giving residents and visitors year-round access.
- The record low temperature at West Yellowstone was recorded on February 9, 1933, at -66 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The town consistently receives over 150 inches of annual snowfall.