About Community of West Yellowstone, MT
COMMUNITY PROFILE
WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA
West Yellowstone, Montana serves as the main entrance to our country's first national park, Yellowstone National Park. Located in the southwestern corner of the Montana with Wyoming less than 2 miles to the east and Idaho 8 miles to the west at Targhee Pass, the Continental Divide. Bozeman, Montana our county's seat is 90 miles north on US Highway 191 and Idaho Falls, Idaho is 110 miles south on US Highway 20.
Yellowstone National Park is open to wheeled travelers April into November closing for snow fall, reopening in December for snow travelers until March. Many West Yellowstone shops, restaurants and motel/hotels are open year round to accommodate visitors into the park. RV parks, camping and bus tours are operating during the warm spring, summer and fall season while winter season brings snowmobile rentals, snow coach and cross country ski businesses into full operation. Annually Yellowstone National Park sees millions of visitors. West Yellowstone is the most active year round entrance.
Yellowstone National Park Annual Visitation Statistics:
2003 - 3,019,376 2004 - 2,868,316 2005 - 2,835,649 2006 - 2,870,295 2007 - 3,151,343 2008 - 3,066,570
2009 - 3,295,187; Up 7.5% over 2008 and up 4.6% from previous record set in 2007.
2010 - Yellowstone Park Summer visitation continues to break records with a new monthly record of more than 957,000 people in July. That's almost 60,000 more than last July. July is typically the park's peak visitation month, followed by August, June, September and May.
Nestled in the Hebgen Lake basin, West Yellowstone resident population peaks at about 2,500 in the summer and decreases to about 1,000 in the winter. Due to the 6,666-foot elevation, our area has warm summer days in the 70's with cool nights and winter highs averaging in the 20's dipping to colder temperatures at night.
Average Maximum Temp. (Degrees F):
Jan. - 23.4 Feb. - 30.8 March - 36.8 April - 46.4 May - 58.5 June - 68.8
July - 79.4 Aug. - 76.2 Sept. - 65.6 Oct. - 52.8 Nov. - 34.4 Dec. - 25.0
Average Minimum Temp. (Degrees F):
Jan - 0.1 Feb. - 3.2 March - 7.3 April - 19.3 May - 29.1 June - 36.1
July - 40.8 Aug. - 38.6 Sept. - 30.2 Oct. - 22.1 Nov. - 10.6 Dec. - 1.9
Average Precipitation:
Jan. - 2.39 Feb. - 1.67 March - 1.74 April - 1.51 May - 2.17 June 2.62
July - 1.38 Aug. - 1.63 Sept - 1.54 Oct. - 1.42 Nov. - 1.90 Dec. - 2.37
Snowfall (inches):
Jan. - 30.1 Feb. - 23.4 March - 22.6 April - 9.6 May - 4.1 June - 0.9
July - trace Aug. - 0.1 Sept. - 1.4 Oct. - 6.6 Nov. - 18.4 Dec. - 26.1
RECREATION AND FESTIVALS:
West Yellowstone is the hub of Yellowstone Country and offers world class outdoor recreation. Bordered by Yellowstone National Park and the Gallatin National Forest, West Yellowstone is minutes away from great fly fishing, boating, horse, bicycle and hiking trails in the summer, snowmobiling and cross country skiing in the winter - anything an outdoor loving person could ever want to do. Yellowstone National Park and its wild life are literally at your doorstep.
For local activity, there are museums, live theater, fine taverns with live music, poker games, stagecoach rides, I-MAX Theater and a world class sanctuary for Grizzly Bears and Wolves. There is an annual Christmas Stroll and tree lighting ceremony in mid-December, Yellowstone Rendezvous Great American Ski Chase and West Yellowstone World Snowmobile Expo in March.
Summer months: Hiking trails can be located at the South West edge of town and several locations in town rent bicycles or book a guided horseback ride with several ranch locations just outside of town. For the fisherman there are world class rivers and streams for trout fishing, several locations in town provide fishing services and licensing.
Winter months: Groomed Cross country ski trails can be accessed at the South West edge of town or ski trails into Yellowstone Park on the east. Hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails out of park bounties are accessible in all directions, on a rental sled or bring your own. Guided snow coach and snowmobile tours are available for booking at several locations in town for a trip through Yellowstone National Park in winter.
VISITOR LODGING:
Many lodging options are offered for visitors over night lodging needs. West Yellowstone's August 2007 hotel/motel room's number is estimated at 2033 in the summer months; 1813 rooms in town & 220 rooms for the surrounding area. Winter months the estimated available rooms are 1363. These estimated room numbers do not include the recently completed Wyndom Resort. Through out the local area there are nightly cabin and condo rentals available on a year round basis. As well visitors will find several seasonal campgrounds and cabins open during the warmer months for more of the outdoor experience. The estimated RV sites in town are 343 with 1466 estimated for the area with in 25 miles of town including Madison Junction campground in Yellowstone National Park.
DINING:
Town offers a variety of dining options from fast food to fine dining, many open on a year round basis. Available restaurant seating is estimated at 2135 in town and 243 for the surrounding area. Visitors can also find several corner coffee huts.
SHOPPING:
Many local businesses are open on a year round basis. The two local grocery stores are competitive in pricing and offer a good selection of produce and groceries. The town has gift shops, retail clothing, home interiors, a bakery, hardware and building supplies, bookstores, and a wide range of service and supply businesses.
RADIO AND TELEVISION:
Cable is provided in town with the four major networks and cable television stations such as CNN, ESPN, HBO, ECT. Out of town several satellite providers are available. KWYS 920 AM is the local radio station featuring a verity of music with updates of weather, community events; local and national news as well as broadcasting live the local High school varsity football and basketball games.
NEWSPAPERS:
The West Yellowstone News, a weekly publication, informs the reader about the local area and Yellowstone Park events. Daily newspapers, including the Billings Gazette, USA Today and The Bozeman Chronicle are also available.
SCHOOLS:
School District #69 provides education in grades K through 12. Approximately 200 students are housed in one facility governed by a five member board of Trustees. Student to teacher ratio is very good with the class average of 16 students per grade. The school offers a wide range of academic, fine arts, industrial arts, athletic and elective programs. Visit their website at westyellowstone.k12.mt.us. The nearest University/College is Montana State University in Bozeman.
The West Yellowstone Summer Recreation Program offers an 8-9 week summer day camp for children age 6-12. There is a day care center offering care to the younger children year round.
MEDICAL FACILITIES:
A Medical Doctor staffs The Yellowstone Family Medical Clinic and it is open five days a week. A volunteer ambulance service is staffed with Emergency Medical Technicians and has a Search-and-Rescue unit. There is a practicing Chiropractor in town. The closest hospitals in Montana are Ennis and Bozeman or in Idaho Rexburg and Idaho Falls.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:
West Yellowstone has two full service banks, a veterinary service two days per week, beauty salons, lawyers, accountants, plumbers, electricians, building contractors, HVAC/appliance repair and locksmith.
TRANSPORTATION:
Bozeman, Montana and Idaho Falls, Idaho have airports with year round commercial air lines providing several flights daily.
West Yellowstone has a seasonal airport for private planes. Sky West provides seasonal commercial shuttle flights to and from Salt Lake City.
Several locations in town provide rental vehicles. A shuttle bus, the Galavan, is available two days a week for trips to and from Bozeman.
REALTORS:
Montana Territorial Land Company is located in the Madison Crossing Building at 121 Madison Avenue. This is a full service agency with recreational, residential and commercial investment opportunities. Montana Territorial Land Company cooperates with the other two real estate agencies located in West Yellowstone.
HUMAN SERVICES:
A wide range of social services, including employment counseling and other job services as well as crisis counseling, information and referral services for aid are available at the West Yellowstone Social Services Center.
SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS:
The community has a potpourri of volunteer organizations, including Chamber of Commerce, United Women, Rendezvous Ski Race Organization Committee, Snowmobile Club, Boy and Girl Scouts, VFW, School Booster Club and PTSA. A very active Senior Citizen group meets two days a week for lunch at the newly completed Povah Center on Yellowstone Avenue.
CHURCHES:
There are five denominations represented in West Yellowstone - Baptist Church, Church of Christ, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Community Protestant Church, and Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church. Many of the churches offer study and social activities for adults and children.
LIBRARY:
The West Yellowstone Library has over 60,000 books and is open on part time basis year round. The library participates in a leasing plan that allows the library to stock many of the current popular fiction and non-fiction titles. Located near mid-town on Dunraven the library also offers internet access, young children's story hour, a book exchange along with other activities through out the year.
MUSEUMS:
The Museum of the Yellowstone is open May through October and offers exhibits on wildlife, natural history, the bears, the fires of 1988, a collection of fly fishing memorabilia, and Plains Indians. Located in the heart of towns historic districted, the Museum is housed in the original train depot which welcomed thousand of visitors to Yellowstone National Park during the height of the train era. It houses a small theater, historic walking tours, sponsors seminars on Yellowstone related topics, and other events.
LAW ENFORCEMENT:
The West Yellowstone Police Department has an excellent permanent and auxiliary force along with 24 hour emergency dispatch service including 911 emergency dialing. Also providing law enforcement are the Gallatin County Sheriff's Department, the Montana Highway Patrol and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
FIRE PROTECTION:
An excellent and well-equipped volunteer department within the city limits provides fire protection. There is an organized rural fire district for the Hebgen Lake area. The original town site, the Madison Addition and the Grizzly Park Addition have fire hydrants and abundant water supply.
PUBLIC UTILITIES:
Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative supplies electric power from their home office in Ashton, Idaho. This is an electric co-op and membership is required to obtain service. Qwest is the local telephone provider and long distance telephone service can be obtained from several different companies. The city provides metered water and central sewer service. Propane is available by several different propane providers and fuel oil is supplied by two local service stations. Natural gas is available throughout the entire community.
GOVERNMENT:
West Yellowstone incorporated in September of 1966, and is governed by a town council/mayor system. The town has a building inspector and construction is per the uniform building code, city maintenance department, city offices, city court, along with other entities.
01/14/2019
P.O. Box 245 * 121 Madison Ave. * West Yellowstone, MT 59758
Phone (406) 646-7145 * FAX (406) 646-9453 * Toll Free 1-800-646-7145
Website: www.montanaterritorial.com