Yellowstone Winter Photography Workshop and Tour - 2027
Fox Photo 29
National Geographic Contributor & Cover Photographer · Ken Burns PBS Emmy Series · NPS & BLM Authorized Permittee · Former Gallery Owner · Annenberg Space for Photography
January 17–23, 2027 · Confirmed to run
Route: Bozeman, Montana → West Yellowstone → Yellowstone interior by private snowcoach → Gardiner, Montana → Lamar Valley → Bozeman
Group size: Maximum of 8 photographers, four per guide
Tour price: $6,995 per person, shared room. Single room: add $750.
To reserve: A $1,500 deposit holds your place and is credited toward your tour price. The $1,500 shown at checkout is the deposit, not the full price.
Included: Lodging, all ground transportation from Bozeman, private snowcoach in Yellowstone, guiding, and field instruction
In deep winter the interior of Yellowstone belongs to the animals. Snow lies on the geyser basins, steam hangs in the cold air, and bison walk out of the mist with frost on their faces. Wolves and other predators work the river valleys where the prey concentrates, and the people are few. This is the trip built around that season: seven days, a heated private snowcoach, and no more than eight photographers.
Every animal on this tour is wild, in country where they are living their own lives and we are guests. No captive or controlled settings, ever.
Day by Day
January 16 · Arrive in Bozeman
Plan to arrive in Bozeman the day before the tour begins so we can start on time the next morning.
January 17–19 (Days 1–3) · Bozeman, West Yellowstone, and the park interior
We pick you up in Bozeman in a 4WD SUV, with three other photographers per vehicle. Day 1 opens with a brief introduction, an equipment check and a skill assessment, so the instruction fits you from the start. We drive through the greater Yellowstone ecosystem to West Yellowstone, then go into the park in a heated private snowcoach. Stops include Norris Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Hayden Valley, working for bison, wolves, steaming geysers and hot springs, frozen waterfalls and snowy landscapes.
January 20–23 (Days 4–7) · Gardiner and Lamar Valley
We move to Gardiner, Montana, just across the river from the park, and switch to a full-size SUV. From there we work the Madison River Valley for elk, the ranchland of Paradise Valley, and the long, open Lamar Valley, where bison, wolves, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, foxes, coyotes, pronghorn, trumpeter swans and eagles all share the winter range. We also search for the secretive predators, including bobcats, foxes and mountain lions, and we work hard to put them in front of your lens.
January 23 · Return to Bozeman
We return to Bozeman airport around noon on the final day, so book your flight home for 1:30 pm or later.
What to Expect
No wildlife sighting is ever guaranteed, and the secretive predators in particular are never on a schedule. What I can promise is that you will be in the right places, at the right hours, in the right season, with a guide who has spent decades reading this country, and with a daily update from the local contacts who keep us ahead of where the animals are moving. Bison, elk, bighorn sheep and the winter landscapes are the backbone of the trip. The wolves, bobcats and lions are the reason we stay out until dark.
Small Group, Real Instruction
Jess Lee is a National Geographic cover photographer and an NPS and BLM Authorized Permittee, one of a limited number of photographers licensed for commercial operations inside Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, with fifty years of field knowledge, having first photographed Yellowstone professionally in 1976. Knowing exactly where to stand, which hour of light matters, and which morning in which season produces the image is an access no permit can replace.
With four photographers per guide and never more than eight in the group, you get help with settings, positioning and fieldcraft while the animals are in front of you, and room to actually shoot. See the kind of images made on these trips in the wildlife photography gallery.
What's Included and What's Not
Included
- Lodging for the tour (shared rooms)
- All ground transportation from Bozeman and back to Bozeman airport, including the private snowcoach in Yellowstone
- Guiding and photographic instruction
- Some meals and refreshments, with details in your pre-trip packet
Not included
- Airfare to and from Bozeman
- National park entrance fees
- Alcoholic beverages
- Single-room supplement ($750)
Questions Photographers Ask
Is this tour really running?
Yes. The January 17–23, 2027 departure is confirmed. Space is limited to eight photographers.
What skill level do I need?
All levels are welcome. Day 1 includes a quick equipment check and skill assessment so the guides can tailor their help to you. You should be comfortable operating your own camera.
What lenses should I bring?
Bring the longest lens you can shoot well. For most people a 100–400mm zoom or longer is the workhorse for wildlife. Add a wide or standard zoom for the geyser basins and landscapes, and extra batteries, because cold drains them quickly.
How cold will it be, and how much walking is there?
January in Yellowstone is genuinely cold, often well below freezing, so dress in layers. Much of the photography is done from the heated snowcoach and vehicles or a short distance from them, so no strenuous hiking is required. A clothing and gear list comes in your pre-trip packet.
What if weather or road conditions change?
Winter conditions decide where the animals are and which roads are open. We adjust the route and timing to put you where the wildlife is, and I reserve the right to substitute hotels or other arrangements as needed.
Which airport, and when?
Fly into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport on January 16, the day before the tour starts. We return you to the airport around noon on January 23, so book your flight home for noon or later.
Should I buy travel insurance?
Yes, I strongly recommend trip cancellation insurance. Your deposit is non-refundable, so it protects you if plans change.
When is the balance due?
Because we depart in under four months, the balance ($5,495 per person, or $6,245 with a single room) is due within 7 days of your deposit. After you reserve, you will receive hotel details, flight recommendations and a packing list.
Is there a December tour too?
Yes. If you prefer early winter, with moose still carrying antlers and elk moving onto the National Elk Refuge, see the December 11–18, 2026 Yellowstone and Grand Teton tour.
Have a question before you book? Contact Jess directly, or see all of Jess's photography tours and workshops.
Yellowstone National Park is a winter wonderland where you can capture spectacular photographs and learn about winter photography. You will photograph wintering wildlife, hunting predators, steaming geysers, boiling hot springs, frozen waterfalls, wonderful snow-covered winter landscapes. All in a small group of 8 with a ratio of one guide/instructor to 4 students.
Yellowstone Photography, winters lone tree by Jess Lee
This trip is the best winter, scenery and large mammal photo opportunity on the planet. The combination of the dramatic location, the iconic wildlife encounters with the knowledge and expertise of your guides makes this a special trip. We will put you in the best locations and show you how to bring home incredible images from the wonderland of Yellowstone.
With Jess's and his teams' vast knowledge, local contacts and years of experience in Yellowstone we will take you to the best places at the right time to help you to concentrate on capturing the essence of winter in the world's first National Park.
Day 1-3
When we pick you up in Bozeman Montana in one of our luxury 4 wheel drive SUV's you and three other students will be starting your photographic adventure as we travel through the Yellowstone eco_system on our way to West Yellowstone where our adventure into the depths of Yellowstone in Winter begins in earnest..
From pre dawn to after the last twilight, we will hunt for images of the beauty of this land in the grip of winter. We will visit the steaming geysers and thermal areas of Norris Geyser Basin and the interior of Yellowstone. You will photograph Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the winter wilderness of Hayden Valley. This will all be done from our warm, secure modern private snow coach where you can quickly escape the coldest extremes and warm and secure yourself and your equipment.
Day 4-7
For the second part of the trip. We will be based in Gardiner, Montana, surrounded by beautiful snow capped mountains where the wildlife is right outside your door, and you are across the Yellowstone River from the park itself. (tip: great photos can be captured from the parking lot). On our journey from West Yellowstone to Gardiner, we will photograph and travel through the Madison River Valley, were you may have the opportunity on of the largest wintering herds of elk in the West. There are also good photography opportunities a large herd of Big Horn Sheep. Of course we will also photograph the scenic ranch lands of Paradise Valley, Montana on our way to Yellowstone. On this short trip through the northern winter range of the world's first national park, you will have a chance to photograph winter Big Horn sheep, Pronghorn Antelope, Elk, Bald Eagle, Whitetail and Mule Deer and the valleys ranch lands in their scenic splendor. An area that is often overlooked by other workshops but gives a unique view of the Yellowstone eco system.
Yellowstone Bison or American Buffalo in Winter
Here you will be traveling in a full sized SUV. Lamar Valley is the wintering home of ice rimed Bison, Elk, Wolves, Moose, Fox, Coyotes, Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope, Trumpeter Swans, and Bald Eagles. Our quest will key on the master of all hunters, the charismatic wild wolf. Our hunting ground will be the wonderland of Yellowstone in winter with steaming thermal areas, frost covered wildlife, and pristine snow covered wildlands. If you have dreamed of photographing wild wolves, I feel this is your best chance. Bobcats, Foxes and Mountain Lions are here, and we work hard to have these predators in front of your lens also.
Frosted Cottonwood trees in Lamar Valley Yellowstone. A scene from -40. Photo Copyright © Jess Lee
Coyote Photos presented in Limited Edition of 250 Exclusive high-resolution Museum Quality Fine Art Prints.
Jess has been living, photographing, guiding, and instructing in the Yellowstone ecosystem for over 50 years. Jess has spent over a hundred days a year photographing Yellowstone and its wildlife. Thousands of his award winning Yellowstone photographs have appeared in publications such as National Wildlife, Sierra, Defenders of Wildlife, and Sports Afield. Jess's wild wolf images have appeared in prestigious publications such as covers on National Geographic, National Wildlife and Defenders of Wildlife, and many more wolf images have been used to promote the reintroduction of this critical species in publications such as Smithsonian and films including Ken Burns recent hit production " National Parks, Americas Best Idea". While most tour leaders come to Yellowstone for a few short weeks a year we are attuned to the local conditions and keep up to date on the wildlife activities by daily contact. In addition, we have a vast network of local friends who are constantly reporting to us on wildlife activities. This is your chance to learn from that vast base of experience.
Yellowstone Bobcat hunting in snow. Photos copyright © Jess Lee
$6995.Including Guiding, instruction, and snow coach, lodging, transportation to and from Bozeman, and one of the most unique small group photography experiences on the planet.
Single Supplement $750. $1500 non refundable deposit holds your place
For this trip, we recommend you arrive in Bozeman the Day before the start date of the trip. On the starting date, we will meet in Bozeman for a brief introduction, check your equipment, and get a feel of what instruction you may need during this beautiful trip to the Yellowstone ecosystem. You will be returned to the airport around noon on the final day of the trip for your return flight home.
Client video from Yellowstone winter 2021
Terms and Conditions
GROUP MINIMUM: Occasionally I am able to run a trip below our group minimum which is generally 3. In such instances, it may be necessary to apply a small group supplement. You would be contacted regarding such a situation but you would not be obligated to accept the new terms.RESERVATIONS: Your deposit is required to secure your place on any trip, with the balance due120 days prior to the departure date..Details of hotels, flight arrival recommendations, and other trip tips will be mailed when the tour is full. Deposits are non-refundable MEALS: Some meals and refreshments are included depending on the trip details, but not alcoholic beverages.ADMISSIONS: Access to public buildings and national parks etc. are not included in the land price.CANCELLATIONS: All cancellations must be confirmed in writing, and due to costs incurred by Jess Lee Photos in arranging a tour, deposits are non-refundable. Payment in full is required 120 days prior to departure. Cancellations after 120 days will receive a full refund ( except deposit) if your spot can be filled from a waiting list or if you can fill your spot.JessLeePhotos LLC strongly suggests that tour participants invest in trip cancellation insurance..CANCELED EXPEDITIONS: In the event of insufficient tour sign-ups, JessLeePhotos reserves the right to cancel any given trip. However, JessLeePhotos is not responsible for expenses incurred by its customers.LUGGAGE: JessLeePhotos request that tour participants limit their luggage to the equivalent of one suitcase, one flight bag, one camera bag, and tripod. We ask that group members bear in mind space and comfort in our vehicles. All personal luggage is the responsibility of the owner so please keep the weight to a limit you can handle and other restrictions can be met.SMOKERS: Smoking is not permitted at meals or on vans. It can be permitted at photo stops where local ordinances permit, photography, and photographers are not affected.RESPONSIBILITY: JessLeePhotos LLC and its agents act only as agents for the passenger in all matters relating to travel arrangements, and as such, do not assume responsibility for injury, accident, damage, loss, delay, or irregularity which may occur via defect of transportation or any other cause. JessLeePhotos reserves the right to substitute hotels, and other previously outlined arrangements as necessary, to either improve or equal the travel experience.JessLeePhotos reserves the right to pass on to tour members any additional and unplanned expenditures incurred during the tour, via events beyond JessLeePhotos' control.The right is reserved to accept or decline any person as a member of any tour. Payment of tour fees by trip participants constitutes their acceptance of all conditions contained herein including but not limited to injury, death, or other liability incurred during a trip.
