Now that Yellowstone National Park is open for the winter season, people from all over the country are booking trips that include an unforgettable snowmobile experience.

I was fortunate enough to cross this bucket list item off in the winter of 2013. My 11-year-old daughter and I joined my wife's family for what would become not only my first trip to Yellowstone, but my first time on a snowmobile. The video included with this post almost completely mirrors our experience, in that we too had to pull off and wait while about two dozen bison strolled right past us. It was an experience I will never forget.

According to a website that tracks the animal population in the park, there are approximately 5,000 of these magnificent creatures wondering throughout the park. In 2011, the number was estimated to be near 3,500, so it appears the bison population is flourishing in the region.

If you do get a chance to take a snowmobile trip through the park, just remember a couple of things if you do come across bison. Remember, they are wild animals, and the females will aggressively defend their calf if need be. The correct way to handle an encounter with bison is to pull off to the right if possible, shut your engines off and stand as still as you can, using your motorized vehicle as a barrier.

Enjoy the video. It's truly a thing of beauty.

 

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