MPPA Winter Photography Retreat in the Greater Yellowstone Area

Explore. Create. Connect.

Experience the Greater Yellowstone area at its wildest — together with other photographers. Winter in Yellowstone is absolutely magical.

January 29–31, 2027

Gardiner, Montana

Where the Wild Belongs — Winter in the greater Yellowstone area

Join fellow Montana Professional Photographers Association members and photography enthusiasts for a winter weekend of photography, exploration and connection in the Greater Yellowstone area. From frost-covered landscapes and steaming thermal features to the legendary wildlife of the Northern Range, this retreat is designed to provide both shared photographic experiences and the freedom to pursue your own creative vision.

This itinerary is subject to change based on winter weather conditions and road availability. Additionally, this is not an escorted experience – photographers attending may use this as a guide to explore the area or venture in small groups. This is a retreat format that is intended to be tailored by each photographer based on individual interests - this retreat will provide a friendly and welcoming environment and there is no formal instruction or programming in the field.

FRIDAY JANUARY 29

ARRIVAL • MAMMOTH • WINTER LANDSCAPES

12:00 PM — Arrive in Gardiner & lodging check-in

1:00 PM — MPPA Welcome & Photographer Briefing

Weekend overview, winter safety, wildlife etiquette, road conditions and photography opportunities.

1:30–5:00 PM — Mammoth & Northern Range Photography

• Explore Mammoth Hot Springs and surrounding areas for:
• Snow-covered thermal landscapes & rising steam
• Winter wildlife and environmental portraits
• Gardner River and mountain landscapes
• Frost, ice and intimate landscape details
• Golden hour and blue-hour opportunities
• Evening — Dinner on your own with an informal photographer social to follow at 7pm

SATURDAY JANUARY 30

LAMAR VALLEY | WILDLIFE |WINTER EXPEDITIONS

5:45 AM — Depart Gardiner for Yellowstone’s Northern Range

7:00–10:30 AM — Lamar Valley Wildlife Expedition

Photograph along the Slough Creek, Lamar Valley and Soda Butte corridor. Potential subjects include wolves, bison, coyotes, foxes, elk, bighorn sheep, eagles and Yellowstone’s spectacular winter landscape.

10:30 AM–12:30 PM — Choose Your Expedition

Continue with the group or pursue an individual photography experience that may include:

• Wildlife — Lamar Valley, Slough Creek & Soda Butte
• Landscape — Mountain layers, rivers, snow & expansive winter scenes
• Creative — Minimalist landscapes, ice, trees, details & visual storytelling

1:15–5:00 PM — Northern Range Photography

Follow the winter light and wildlife activity through Lamar Valley, Slough Creek, Tower Junction, Blacktail

Plateau and Mammoth.

6:30 PM — MPPA Team Dinner & Group Photo | Gardiner

Reconnect with fellow photographers, share stories from the day and celebrate the retreat experience.

SUNDAY | JANUARY 31 | SUNRISE | FINAL FRAMES | DEPARTURE

6:30 AM — Optional Sunrise Expedition

Destination will be selected based on weather, light and wildlife activity. Potential locations include Mammoth

Hot Springs, the Gardner River and the Northern Range.

7:00–9:15 AM — Sunrise & Morning Photography

9:15–11:30 AM — Yellowstone in Winter: Five-Frame Challenge

Capture five final images that tell your Yellowstone story: Wildlife • Landscape • Detail • Sense of Place •

Personal Favorite

By 12:00 PM — Retreat concludes & departure

Retreat Notes

The retreat will utilize Yellowstone’s year-round Northern Range road corridor from Gardiner → Mammoth → Tower Junction → Slough Creek → Lamar Valley → Soda Butte/Northeast Entrance. Additionally, there are abundant opportunities between Gardiner and Livingston in the Paradise Valley to fully enjoy Montana winter at its best.

Participants should arrive prepared for extreme winter temperatures and rapidly changing conditions. Bring warm layered clothing, winter footwear, traction devices, food/water for field excursions, extra camera batteries, memory cards, lens protection and appropriate wildlife/landscape photography equipment.

All destinations and departure times are flexible. Wildlife activity, weather, light and Yellowstone road conditions will determine the daily photography opportunities. And of course, each attendee can choose to explore the area independently as well.

Lodging Details

Host hotel accommodations available under MPPA (based on first-come availability) at Yellowstone

Gateway Inn; one bedroom suites that sleep up to 6 with pull-out sofas, etc; each suite has full kitchen.

Two nights of lodging available for $305 total; One or three nights of lodging is also available if you’d like to modify your stay. Call (406) 848-7100 now to reserve your room as winter availability fills quickly and the property is offering our block on a first come, first serve basis. Each attendee is responsible for reserving their own lodging and covering the costs of lodging.

Cost to Attend

The cost to enter Yellowstone National Park is the responsibility of each attendee.

MPPA members can attend the retreat at no cost.

Non-members of MPPA are welcome and invited to attend the retreat as well. The retreat and an annual MPPA membership is open to non-members for $125; (high school or collegiate) students can join the retreat and receive an annual student MPPA membership for a discounted rate of $98.

Please reach out to Jackie Muri, retreat coordinator, at (406) 853-8174 or email Jackie Muri here with any questions. We look forward to enjoying this experience with you!

PURCHASE RETREAT & NEW MEMBERSHIP COMBO BELOW