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When a snowmobiler hears the phrase “dream snowmobile vacation,” they are most likely thinking West Yellowstone, Montana.
Year after year, major snowmobile magazine readers cast their votes for this tiny Montana community as the place where snowmobile dreams begin and end. West Yellowstone has it all. Here, you'll find enough excitement to send first timers and even seasoned veterans into adrenaline overload.
West Yellowstone is the hub of a network of legendary snowmobile trails that stretch hundreds of miles into Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. These well-marked trails provide magnificent scenery and plenty of variety. Expert riders find challenges on higher, steeper trails like the Lionhead Loop, while “snowmobile newbies” flock to the many miles of flatter, gentler terrain where wildlife frequently share the trail. Critters always have the right of way. The nation's first designated snowmobile trail, Two Top, begins just west of town, and winds its way up the mountainside, past numerous play areas to the backbone of North America: the Continental Divide. From here, on a clear day, you can gaze down at three states and two National Parks. If the view doesn't take your breath away, the altitude just might.
The Lionhead Loop, a ten-mile trail into some of the steepest terrain in the region, is a magnet for the more experienced riders. Lionhead's steep mountainsides and wind-driven snow make this trail very tricky. Be avalanche aware when you take this spectacular ride. If you've grown weary of rugged adventure and extreme exhilaration, take a slow relaxing ride around the Madison Arm Loop, a jaunt up South Plateau or Horse Butte Trail. But don't confuse “tame” with “uninspiring.” On these trails there are incredible vistas around every corner. Wildlife abounds here where gentler slopes make winter survival a bit easier for moose, bison, and elk. You might catch a glimpse of a coyote, or if you're really lucky, one of those inhabitants so recently returned to the Yellowstone ecosystem – a gray wolf.
No winter vacation to West Yellowstone would be complete without a trip into Yellowstone National Park. Snowmobiling is still the most popular way of touring the park in winter. Take a day to ride the lower loop road from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful, over the mountains to West Thumb, and north along Yellowstone Lake to the spectacular Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Visit Norris Geyser Basin, then ride home along the scenic Gibbon River.
Remember, as you ride along the groomed roads, please obey the rules. Snowmobiling in the park is a privilege we want to preserve for generations to come. And remember, too, this is the animals' year-round home. We are only guests in their country.
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