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West Yellowstone Sights and Landmarks Guide, Montana

Of the millions of visitors that come every year in Yellowstone National Park, very few go back home without making at least one stop in West Yellowstone. “West”, or the “Capital”, as the locals call it, is a tiny mountain town, with a very rustic appearance and a buzzing live, especially in summer.

West Yellowstone Sights – A Gate to Yellowstone National Park

Between West Yellowstone sights, Yellowstone National Park is by far the greatest attraction, and West Yellowstone represents in fact the Western entrance into the park. Therefore, the most visited place in West Yellowstone is probably the Visitor Center, where park rangers offer helpful information for the newcomers and initiate the ones willing to listen into the wonders of the park. Just around the corner is the Wolf and Grizzly Center, where several rescued wolves and grizzly bears are offered shelter and can be observed in a natural habitat.

West Yellowstone Sights – Cultural and Natural Attractions

The Yellowstone Museum, located in the same building that was once the Union Pacific Depot, exhibits a number of artifacts focused around railroad history and the great fire in 1988. Other West Yellowstone sights worth mentioning are some historical buildings like the Eagle’s Store and the Madison Hotel, dating back to the early 1900s. For those who want to experience some culture, West Yellowstone has to offer two cinemas, the IMAX Theater and the Bear’s Den Cinema, as well as the Playmill Theatre, hosting musicals, plays and concerts from May to September.

West Yellowstone Sights – Outdoor Entertainment

If you are looking for nature but you’re not quite ready to adventure into the wilderness of YNP, Hebgen Lake and Henry’s Lake State Park are both very enjoyable destinations where you can just relax and have fun while hiking, boating, fishing or picnicking. There is also Big Sky Resort, one of Montana’s nicest ski resorts, at half distance between West and Bozeman. (Passionate skiers definitely know that only a few miles from the eastern entrance in YNP lies Jackson Hole, one of the biggest and most exquisite mountain resorts in North America.)

Due to the high altitude, most of the roads are closed in the Park during winter, but winter is when West Yellowstone becomes the snowmobiling capital of the world. A snowmobile tour in the national park is a royal treat, but apart from it, there are plenty of exciting activities that tourist can benefit from, starting with cross-country skiing and snow coach tours in winter, to the multitude of activities in summer: wildlife watching tours, hiking, climbing, fishing, canoeing, rafting, horse riding and many, many others.

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