Read More: NOAA Forecast Warns of Tough Montana Ski SeasonPhoto by Federico Di Dio photography on Unsplash brown and black wolf on snow covered groundThe permit lottery opens August 1. Beginning Saturday, August 1, Yellowstone National Park will open its annual lottery for the 2026-27 Non-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program. The lottery runs through August 31, allowing adventurous riders to score one of the coveted permits to explore the park during the winter season. Every snowmobile operator needs a valid driver's license and must complete Yellowstone's free online Snowmobile Education Certification course before entering the park. Yellowstone Wildfire of 1988 The fires in 1988 burned 793,800 acres, 39% of Yellowstone's 2.2 million acres.