Yellowstone

Yellowstone closing to over-snow travel for season

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Two people share a snowmobile during a January 2012 trip into Yellowstone National Park.

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY - Roads in Yellowstone National Park will begin to close to oversnow travel March 7. Spring plowing will start as road segments close. All oversnow travel will end for the season March 15 at 9 p.m. Weather-permitting, some park roads will reopen to automobile travel April 16 at 8 a.m.

Road closure dates (gates close at 9 p.m.)

March 7, Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris
March 9, Norris to Madison, Norris to Canyon Village
March 14, Canyon Village to Fishing Bridge
March 15, all remaining groomed roads

Visitor services closure dates

At Mammoth Hot Springs, the hotel and cabins, Gift Shop, Ski Shop, and food services will close March 1. The Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone General Store, Post Office, Medical Clinic, and self-serve fuel pumps stay open all year. At Old Faithful, the Bear Den Gift Shop and Geyser Grill will close March 15. Warming hut closure dates range between March 1 and March 15. Continue Reading →

Yellowstone

Yellowstone switches 3 campgrounds to reservation system

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MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. – Beginning March 24, 2021, visitors will be able to make advance reservations at three additional campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park. Campgrounds that will change from first-come, first-served to the advance reservation system are Mammoth, Slough Creek and a portion of Pebble Creek. Reservations will go live on Recreation.gov starting March 24 at 8 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. Visitors will be able to book campsites up to six months in advance. Continue Reading →

Grand Teton

Grand Teton Hosts 3.3 Million Visits in Pandemic Year

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MOOSE, Wyo.- Grand Teton National Park hosted 3,289,639 recreation visits in 2020, the fourth highest number of recreation visits for one year in the park’s history. During 2020 the park was closed for almost two months, March 24-May 18, due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to 2019, total recreation visits decreased by only 3.4%, despite the pandemic, according to figures released by the park’s public affairs office.  
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins said, “National parks and public lands were extremely important to everyone this past year, providing fresh air, open space and respite from the pandemic. We anticipate that we will see continued high interest in visiting Grand Teton National Park.” Continue Reading →

Gateway Towns

Hundreds gather in Cody to protest racism, excessive force

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Approximately 300 people attended a rally at City Park in Cody on Sunday to protest against racism and also against excessive use of force by law enforcement. Attendees, most of whom were wearing protective masks, took a knee and observed 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence during the event, noting the time listed in a second-degree murder complaint filed against Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin. Charging documents stated Chauvin pressed his knee into the neck of George Floyd for nearly 9 minutes during an arrest that resulted in Floyd’s death and has sparked nationwide protests. Sunday’s event in Cody was peaceful and without incident. Among the speakers was Cody Police Chief Chuck Baker, who criticized Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. Continue Reading →

Plan Your Visit

Yellowstone to open Montana entrances June 1

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All roads through Yellowstone National Park will be open June 1, except for a segment from Tower to Canyon, which is under construciton.

Yellowstone National Park will open its Montana entrances on Monday, June 1 at 10 a.m. The Montana entrances include West Entrance (near West Yellowstone), North Entrance (near Gardiner), and Northeast Entrance (near Cooke City). The opening of Montana’s entrances coincides with Montana’s lifting of out-of-state travel restrictions, and will provide visitor access to all five entrances of Yellowstone National Park (the Wyoming entrances opened on May 18). The entire Grand Loop Road will be accessible for day use, the National Park Service said Thursday in a statement released by Yellowstone’s public affairs office, excluding the segment between Canyon and Tower, which is closed for road construction. On June 1, in line with the park’s three-phased reopening plan, visitors will be able to access Phase 1 services/facilities (including restrooms, self-service gas stations, trails/boardwalks, limited stores, entrance stations, medical clinics, approved tours) and a few services/facilities as outlined in Phase 2 (including takeout food service, boating, and fishing). The park will remain day-use only. Continue Reading →

Wildlife

Woman injured by bison in Yellowstone

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A woman in Yellowstone National Park was injured by a bison Wednesday afternoon, but declined to be taken for additional medical care. Park officials did not release full details of the incident, but said the woman approached too close to the bison, within 25 yards, somewhere in the Upper Geyser Basin, which is home to Old Faithful. The incident remains under investigation, and is the first bison-related injury of the year. Yellowstone opened Monday for the season, offering only restrooms and self-service gasoline, with no overnight accommodations. Park emergency medical providers responded to the incident immediately, according to a statement released by the park’s public affairs office. Continue Reading →

Early visitors eager to make Yellowstone pilgrimage

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OLD FAITHFUL, WYO. — Grand Prismatic Spring is a favorite attraction in Yellowstone National Park. The largest hot spring in the U.S., its rainbow colors are a natural wonder that draws such large summer crowds that the parking lot overflows onto the road, and tourists stand three rows deep along the boardwalk, straining for a glimpse. On Tuesday morning, Jeremiah and Ashley Meyer had Grand Prismatic Spring all to themselves. The Star Valley, Wyo. Continue Reading →

Gateway Towns

Yellowstone to open South, East gates May 18 in phased reopening

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https://www.yellowstonegate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Opening-COVID-19-Map-2020.jpg

 
CODY, WYO. — Yellowstone National Park is set to reopen at noon on Monday, May 18, but only through the south and east entrances located in Wyoming. The park’s other three entrances, all in Montana, will open later, at a date to be determined in cooperation with Montana officials. Early park visitors expecting to catch a glimpse of grizzly bears or Old Faithful Geyser should pack a lunch, as self-serve gas stations and public restrooms are the only services available during what the National Park Service is calling Phase 1 of what will be a phased reopening. Superintendent Cam Sholly said he wants to follow a slow and cautious approach Wednesday, speaking on a conference call with business leaders and elected officials in gateway communities that rely on park visitors for a large portion of their local economies. Continue Reading →

Gateway Towns

Yellowstone to see staged opening with limited services

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The usual spring opening for Yellowstone National Park has been delayed to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. (Ruffin Prevost/Yellowstone Gate)

CODY, WYO. — The first Friday in May has traditionally marked the opening of the East Gate to Yellowstone National Park, drawing a mix of locals and hearty travelers anxious to experience spring in a park still thawing out from a long winter. But with Yellowstone still closed to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, tourism industry insiders are grappling with a plan for what summer might look like in the park and the gateway towns that rely on a steady stream of visitors to fill restaurants, hotels and attractions. Park manages still haven’t announced an opening date. But they have said that Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks will see staged openings that start small and rely on fewer seasonal employees, with reduced services and a focus on visitor and worker safety. Continue Reading →

Gateway Towns

Yellowstone lodging concessioner delays operations until June 15

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CODY, WYO. — Yellowstone National Park’s primary lodging concessioner announced in an email to employees on Tuesday that it will not begin summer operations until June 15. Xanterra Travel Collection—which operates several hotels, campgrounds and tour activities in Yellowstone—told employees that the company is “waiting for directives from the National Park Service” as it revises its timeline for summer operations. Xanterra is the country’s largest park concessioner, operating in state parks and five national parks, in addition to Yellowstone. It relies heavily on seasonal employees who are housed in dormitories, cabins and other housing inside Yellowstone and other park properties. Continue Reading →