Yellowstone National Park will get a major lodging upgrade with the $70 million redesign of the largest accommodation complex in the park, Canyon Lodge and Cabins, with more than 500 rooms. Near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, five new sustainably built lodges, three of which will open in spring, will replace outdated cabins, and new walking and biking paths will link the village with the park’s North Rim Drive. If you’re heading to the park this winter, before those open, you can explore the frosty, untrafficked landscape with the nonprofit Yellowstone Association, which is offering two-day/three-night cross-country ski and wildlife-watching trips. And for the first time since 2003, park managers will allow self-guided snowmobile tours, by permit only. ELAINE GLUSAC

Picture of the day

Barely able to fit into his feeder and gently resting his foot on the side of the chair to keep his balance, this greedy squirrel tucks into his daily meal.