News Release
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Contact: Morgan Warthin, (307) 344-2015
View more up-to-date information about flood recovery efforts, park operations, and FAQ's about planning a visit to Yellowstone at go.nps.gov/YELLflood
UPDATE: Oct. 30, 2022
Yellowstone National Park’s North Entrance and road to Mammoth Hot Springs opens TODAY, Oct. 30
Yellowstone to waive all entrance fees Oct. 30 and Oct. 31
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Effective immediately, Yellowstone National Park’s North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, and road between the North Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs (Old Gardiner Road) is open to regular visitor traffic. Contractors completed striping yesterday, Oct. 29.
The public should keep the following details in mind when driving the road:
- Yellowstone reminds the public of everyone’s responsibility to use the road carefully to avoid accidents.
- Steep grades and sharp curves exist. Drive slowly and with caution.
- Speed limits range between 15-25 mph.
- There are no length or weight restrictions on the road (see exceptions), however, oversized vehicles and vehicles with trailers must use caution in curves to maintain lanes.
- Minor road construction work will continue with one-way traffic control and short delays in certain locations on the road.
Today, Oct 30., and Oct. 31 the park will waive all entrance fees. Travel safely and enjoy the improved road!
UPDATE: Oct. 28, 2022
Yellowstone National Park’s North Entrance and road to Mammoth Hot Springs to open Nov. 1
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Yellowstone National Park’s North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, and road between the North Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs (Old Gardiner Road) will open to regular visitor traffic Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 8 a.m.
Visitors should keep the following details in mind when driving the road:
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Yellowstone reminds the public of everyone’s responsibility to use the road carefully to avoid accidents.
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Steep grades and sharp curves exist and speed limits range between 15-25 mph.
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There are no length or weight restrictions on the road (see exceptions), however, oversized vehicles and vehicles with trailers must use caution in curves to maintain lanes.
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After opening to the public, the road will continue to be an active construction zone. Drivers will need to use caution and watch for crews and heavy equipment.
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During inclement winter weather, short-term (30 minute) closures may occur to allow for plowing.
- Clean-up efforts will continue beyond Nov. 1 for as long as weather permits.
“We’re pleased to be reopening the North Entrance and reconnecting Yellowstone to Gardiner, Montana,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “We want to thank the outstanding support and work of the Federal Highway Administration and HK Contractors, INC for getting this road built in just four months.”
“It’s thanks to the strong partnership between Yellowstone National Park, the Western Federal Lands Division of the Federal Highway Administration and the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service that we were able to rapidly respond to this event and re-establish access for Yellowstone visitors, employees and gateway communities,” said FHWA Associate Administrator of Federal Lands Timothy Hess. “The multi-agency response team includes dozens of men and women who have worked tirelessly to plan and execute the repairs needed to open these roads before winter sets in. We’re proud to be part of this effort and will continue to support ongoing work to ensure continued access to one of our nation’s most beloved parks.”
Access between Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs has been limited since the historic flood event in June that resulted in significant damage to approximately five sections of the North Entrance Road. The park closed the North Entrance Road and immediately began to focus considerable time and funding to improve the Old Gardiner Road, the best and only option to quickly reconnect Yellowstone National Park to Gardiner.
Over the last four months crews modernized the historic Old Gardiner Road. Traffic-safety improvements include:
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Turning the 1880’s single-lane dirt road into two lanes,
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Paving and striping the entire road (4 miles),
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Installing over 5,000 feet of guardrail for traffic safety,
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Expanding road widths,
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Creating new pullouts,
- Building a new ¼ -mile approach road into Mammoth Hot Springs to avoid a 12-15% steep grade on the original road. The new approach required additional engineering and design to provide a safe road base to handle the 2,000-3,000 vehicles per day that enter the park from the North Entrance.
This project is being completed with support from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and funded largely by FHWA Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO). HK Contractors, INC is the primary construction company under contract to complete this project.
Visitors are reminded that nearly all other roads in the park will be closed Nov. 1. Yellowstone annually closes roads at this time of year to prepare them for the winter season and snowmobile and snowcoach travel, which will begin Dec. 15.
Stay informed
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Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
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Visit Park Roads.
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Receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
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Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
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UPDATE: Oct. 13, 2022
Northeast Entrance Road in Yellowstone National Park to open Oct. 15
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Yellowstone National Park’s Northeast Entrance Road (Tower Junction to the Northeast Entrance in Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) will open to regular visitor vehicle traffic Saturday, Oct.15 at 8 a.m.
Visitors should keep the following details in mind when driving the road:
- All flood damaged sections on the Northeast Entrance Road will be paved by Oct.15, except for the section of road near the popular trailhead to Trout Lake, which will be paved in the upcoming 10 days. Traffic will be permitted on this segment of road while repairs continue. Anticipate traffic control in the area and short delays to facilitate one-way traffic through this section.
- A short section of road in Lamar Canyon will remain a paved, single lane through the winter season. A temporary stop light will be in place for traffic control and delays will be minimal.
- There will be no restrictions on the Northeast Entrance Road.
- After opening to the public, this road will continue to be an active construction zone. Drivers will need to use caution and watch for crews and heavy equipment.
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Repair efforts will continue beyond Oct. 15 for as long as weather permits. Additional repairs and clean-up will continue in the spring.
“We are very pleased to be restoring public access to the northeast corridor just four months after the June flood event,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “I commend the collective efforts of the National Park Service, the Federal Highway Administration and Oftedal Construction, Inc. to complete this monumental task in such a short amount of time.”
The Northeast Entrance Road has been closed since the historic flood event in June which caused significant damage to approximately five sections of the road. Reopening this section effectively opens 99% of the park’s roads.
This project is being completed with support from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and funded largely by FHWA Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO). Oftedal Construction, Inc. is the primary construction company under contract to complete this project.
Crews are completing extensive work on the Old Gardiner Road (a limited-access road between Gardiner, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs). Paving is currently being completed over the entire 4-mile road and over 5,000 feet of guardrail is being installed. This road remains closed to regular traffic and will open no later than Nov. 1.
For details, including up-to-date photos, about the June flood and ongoing recovery, visit go.nps.gov/YELLflood.
Stay informed
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Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
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Visit Park Roads.
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Receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
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Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
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UPDATE: Oct. 4, 2022
Yellowstone National Park moves Old Gardiner Road opening to no later than Nov. 1, 2022
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY - Yellowstone National Park in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration has determined that the Old Gardiner Road (a limited-access road between Gardiner, Montana and Mammoth Hot Springs) will open to regular traffic no later than Nov. 1, 2022. The two-lane project will be extended up to two weeks to ensure over 5,000 feet of guardrail are properly installed for traffic safety. Additionally, Yellowstone asked the Federal Highway Administration to build a new ¼-mile approach road into Mammoth Hot Springs after the project was underway to avoid a 12-15% steep grade on the original road. This new approach has required additional engineering and design to provide a safe road base to handle the 2,000-3,000 vehicles per day that enter the park from the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana. Yellowstone has also asked the Federal Highway Administration to expand road widths in certain sections of the Old Gardiner Road to prevent restrictions.
"We have set incredibly aggressive time frames for these repairs and our contractors have worked at lightning speed to get this road safely reopened," said Superintendent Cam Sholly. "It's essential that we do not cut corners and we ensure the road meets required safety standards prior to opening. It's also essential that we finish the job correctly, so we avoid any problems going into next year."
The Old Gardiner Road was determined to be the best and only option to quickly reconnect Mammoth Hot Springs to Gardiner, Montana, after the floods in mid-June. Originally established as an 1880’s stagecoach route, the single-lane dirt road has been expanded to two lanes over its entire 4-mile length. The new approach road coming into Mammoth Hot Springs is under construction. Paving is expected to begin the week of Oct. 1 and nearly 1 mile of guardrail will be installed between Oct. 10 and Oct. 20. If the Old Gardiner Road is completed prior to Nov. 1, the park will open it to public travel sooner.
The Northeast Entrance Road (Tower Junction to the Northeast Entrance in Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) is expected to open as planned on Oct. 15 to regular traffic.
Yellowstone is coordinating with Montana and Wyoming and a 7-mile section of road between Cooke City and the Pilot Creek Trailhead (known locally as the plug) will be plowed, if necessary, until the Old Gardiner Road is completed. This will ensure continued access to the communities of Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana.
For details, including up-to-date photos, about the June 2022 floods in the park and ongoing recovery, visit go.nps.gov/YELLflood.
UPDATE: Sept. 1, 2022
Yellowstone releases new videos and photos of ongoing road repairs to reconnect Gardiner, Montana, at North Entrance to Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana, at Northeast Entrance with the park
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Yellowstone National Park released new videos and photos of the ongoing road repairs on the North and Northeast entrance roads following damage caused by the historic flood event in June. Visit Yellowstone’s Flickr albums for Old Gardiner Road and Northeast Entrance Road to view photos and videos of recent construction progress on these road corridors.
Reconnecting the park to the communities of Gardiner, Montana (North Entrance), and Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana (Northeast Entrance), remains Yellowstone’s highest flood recovery priority.
“Efforts to reconnect to these communities are on schedule and exceeding expectations,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “We will continue to update the public on progress as we move into fall but fully expect that regular vehicle access will be restored by mid-October with additional work occurring afterwards as long as weather permits.”
While permanent reconstruction of both the North and Northeast entrance road corridors will be multi-year efforts, the park has been working on substantial temporary solutions to reconnect these areas before the upcoming winter season:
- North Entrance Road (Mammoth Hot Springs to the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana): Efforts to two-lane the temporary road (Old Gardiner Road) that connects Mammoth Hot Springs to the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, are expected to be passable for regular traffic by Oct. 15, with additional improvements continuing beyond that date, weather permitting. This temporary road will allow for regular vehicle access to travel between Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner going into the winter season.
- Northeast Entrance Road (Tower Junction to the Northeast Entrance in Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana): Efforts to repair approximately five damaged sections of the Northeast Entrance Road are underway and expected to be passable for regular traffic by Oct. 15, with additional improvements continuing beyond that date, weather permitting. These temporary repairs will allow for regular vehicle access to travel between Tower Junction and Cooke City/Silver Gate.
- Learn more about the temporary and long-term reconstruction timelines for these entrances in the Aug. 3 flood recovery update.
Yellowstone will continue to communicate with the public and stakeholders should timelines change going into the fall due to early winter weather or other unforeseen events.
UPDATE: Aug. 31, 2022
Yellowstone to suspend Tower Junction to Slough Creek visitor vehicle day-use tickets
It's critical that visitors traveling to the park stay informed about what's open and closed
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Beginning Sept. 8, Yellowstone National Park will no longer require visitors to obtain a day-use ticket to drive the 6-mile road corridor between Tower Junction and Slough Creek. The park piloted the day-use program Aug. 3 to expand access to this impacted area in the northern part of Yellowstone following the historic flood event in June. After closely monitoring use in the area, the park found the corridor could safely maintain an increase in day-use capacity.
This road corridor is essentially a dead-end, and people driving large vehicles (buses, long towing units etc.) are asked to be aware that turnaround areas along the Slough Creek Campground Road are limited.
The only section of the Northeast Entrance Road open is from Tower Junction to Slough Creek. The remainder of the Northeast Entrance Road (Lamar Valley east to the barrier near Warm Creek) is closed to all traffic due to significant flood damage. The North (Gardiner, Montana) and Northeast (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) entrances are closed with limited access (see below) due to significant flood damage. Visitors wanting to drive the Tower Junction to Slough Creek road corridor will need to enter the park through the West, South or East entrances.
Additional information
Tower Junction to Slough Creek open to public
- Some trails and backcountry campsites in the northern range of the park near this road corridor are closed due to flood damage. Know before you go! Visit Yellowstone’s Backcountry Situation Report for the most up-to-date details.
- Slough Creek Campground is closed for the season.
Lamar Valley closed to public
- The Northeast Entrance Road between Lamar Valley and the barrier near Warm Creek (2 miles from the Northeast Entrance), is closed to all vehicle, bicycle and foot traffic while major construction repairs are made. This section of road is an active construction zone, and the closure is expected to stay in place until Oct. 15 to allow contractors to complete work prior to winter.
North and Northeast entrances closed to visitor vehicular traffic
- Yellowstone’s North and Northeast entrances remain closed to visitor vehicular traffic; however, access is available by approved commercial tours, bicycle (on paved roadways) and foot through the North (Gardiner, Montana) and Northeast (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) entrances to fish and hike in areas not identified as closed.
- From the North Entrance, visitors can travel 1 mile to the Rescue Creek Trailhead.
- From the Northeast Entrance, visitors can travel 2 miles to the barrier near the Warm Creek area.
- The temporary road (Old Gardiner Road) that connects Gardiner, Montana, to Mammoth Hot Springs is an active construction zone and closed until Oct. 15 to allow contractors to complete work prior to winter. At this time, ONLY approved personnel and commercial tours are allowed on the Old Gardiner Road in specific traffic windows.
Stay informed
- Visitors traveling to the park must stay informed about what is OPEN and CLOSED throughout the park. Visit Operating Hours and Seasons for more info.
- Monitor the park website and social media for updates.
- Visit Camp in Backcountry for details about backcountry permits.
- Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
- Visit Park Roads.
- Receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
- Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
UPDATE: Aug. 15, 2022
Yellowstone National Park’s North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, to close Aug.16-17 to foot and bicycle traffic
- A 1-mile stretch of road currently open only to foot and bicycle traffic at Yellowstone National Park’s North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, will close Aug.16-17 as crews remove a piece of heavy equipment currently in Gardner Canyon.
- This closure will include a quarter mile on either side of the roadway and a section of the Gardner River.
- Anglers who want to fish the Gardner River may do so from the confluence with the Yellowstone River to the section of the Gardner River located directly east of the North Entrance station.
- On Aug.18, access will be available again by bicycle (on paved roadways) and foot through the North Entrance to fish and hike in areas not identified as closed.
- The closure may be lifted earlier if the work is completed ahead of schedule.
- Visitors are reminded that the North Entrance Road that connects Gardiner, Montana, to Mammoth Hot Springs is closed and not drivable due to several washed-out road segments from the historic flood event in June.
UPDATE: Aug. 3, 2022
Yellowstone National Park timelines for North Entrance and Northeast Entrance roads
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Yellowstone National Park continues to make major progress with short- and long-term efforts to reconnect the park to Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana.
In mid-June, Yellowstone experienced a 500-year flood event that caused severe damage to roads, water and wastewater systems, power lines and other critical park infrastructure. The most significant damage severed access to the park via the North Entrance and Northeast Entrance roads. One month after the historic event and the park closing temporarily, 93% of park roadways were reopened.
The park asks the public to understand the differences in timelines between short-term construction solutions that will reopen the North Entrance and Northeast Entrance roads to the public later this year, and the long-term reconstruction efforts that will take place over the upcoming years.
North Entrance Road (Mammoth Hot Springs to the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana)
Short-term Reconnection (Completion expected in October 2022)
Efforts to two-lane the Old Gardiner Road have continued accelerating with approximately 1.5 miles of the 4-mile road already at two lanes. Substantial culvert work, slope stabilization and retainment has occurred. This road is expected to be passable for regular traffic by Oct. 15, 2022, however, additional improvements will continue beyond that date weather permitting. Once completed, this temporary road will allow for regular vehicle access, including visitors, to travel between Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner going into the winter season. This road will be used as the primary access route until a permanent reconstruction option is completed in upcoming years. This project is being completed with support from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and funded largely by FHWA Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO). HK Contractors Inc. is the primary construction company under contract to complete this project.
Long-term Reconstruction (Estimated Multi-Year)
The National Park Service (NPS) is working closely with the FHWA to prepare and analyze a range of long-term alternatives for permanent reconstruction of the primary road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner. This road is closed and not drivable due to several washed out road segments. The criteria for selection will focus largely on alternatives that are least environmentally impacting, least visually impacting, most resilient to future natural disasters, most expeditious and cost effective, and take advantage of unimpacted existing road infrastructure if possible. Timelines for long-term reconstruction will be predicated on which alternative is selected. The public will have ample opportunities to comment as this planning process proceeds.
Northeast Entrance Road (Completion expected in October 2022)
Efforts to repair approximately five damaged sections of the Northeast Entrance Road (between Slough Creek and Barronette Meadows) are underway and will be accelerating substantially in the upcoming weeks. Plans and designs have been completed for each damaged section. This project is expected to be passable for regular traffic by Oct. 15, 2022, however, additional improvements will continue beyond that date weather permitting. Once completed, these temporary repairs will allow for regular vehicle access, including visitors, to travel between Tower Junction and Cooke City/Silver Gate. This project is being completed with support from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and funded largely by FHWA Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO). Oftedal Contractors Inc. is the primary construction company under contract to complete this project.
Long-term Reconstruction (Estimated Multi-Year)
The NPS is working closely with the FHWA to prepare and analyze a range of long-term alternatives for permanent reconstruction of the Northeast Entrance Road. Similar to the North Entrance Road, the criteria for selection will focus largely on alternatives that are least environmentally impacting, least visually impacting, most resilient to future natural disasters, most expeditious and cost effective, and take advantage of unimpacted existing road infrastructure if possible. Timelines for long-term reconstruction will be predicated on which alternative is selected. The public will have ample opportunity to comment as this planning process proceeds.
Repairs for the North and Northeast Entrance roads are extensive (see damage on Yellowstone Flickr) and being done as quickly as possible. Should timelines change going into the fall due to early winter weather or other events, Yellowstone will communicate with the public and stakeholders.
Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate remain open with access to the park via foot, bicycles, and horseback in approved areas (see map).
Approximately 94% of the Yellowstone backcountry is open. View the Backcountry Situation Report for details.
As the park recovers, it's critical that visitors traveling to the park in the coming weeks stay informed about what's open and closed.
Commemorate 150 Years of Yellowstone
Visit go.nps.gov/Yellowstone150 and follow #Yellowstone150 frequently in 2022 to stay current on commemoration information.
UPDATE: Aug. 2, 2022
Yellowstone National Park flood recovery: Change to access from the Northeast Entrance into the park
It’s critical that visitors traveling to the park stay informed about what’s open and closed
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Major construction repairs will begin substantially on Tuesday, Aug. 2. Contractors will be working on all damaged sections of the park’s Northeast Entrance Road near Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana. This requires alterations to the closures on the road.
The road had previously been open to bicyclists and pedestrian traffic to Barronette Meadow. Due to significant work beginning on the road this week, the road will be closed near the Warm Creek Trailhead and picnic area. This will still afford access to visitors and residents but will provide room for construction work to begin, including staging of equipment and materials needed to make repairs. It is estimated that repairs will be completed by Oct. 15, facilitating traffic between the park and Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana.
New changes to foot and bicycle access on Northeast Entrance Road
- Northeast Entrance Road (via Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana):
- Visitors can now travel 2 miles to Warm Creek Trailhead on bicycle (on paved roadways) and by foot for fishing and hiking in areas not identified as closed.
- Previously, recreators could travel 6 miles into the park through the Northeast Entrance. To promote safe access within the active construction zone, the park is moving the barrier closer to the entrance to reduce potential conflicts between construction equipment and those on foot/bicycle.
Safety Precautions
- Stay alert: Individuals using the roadway by foot or bicycle should be extremely cautious and expect heavy equipment on the roadways. Roadway shoulders are narrow and several curves along the roadway limit visibility. The park will also advise Oftedal Construction Inc. to be aware of bicyclists and pedestrians as they continue mobilizing.
Stay Informed
- Visitors traveling to the park should stay informed about what is OPEN and CLOSED throughout the park.
- Visit Operating Hours and Seasons for more info.
- Monitor the park website and social media for updates.
- Visit Camp in Backcountry for details about backcountry permits.
- Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
- Visit Park Roads.
- To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
- Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
UPDATE: July 29, 2022
Yellowstone National Park flood recovery: Visitors with a day-use ticket can drive the Tower Junction to Slough Creek road corridor starting Aug. 3
It's critical that visitors traveling to the park stay informed about what's open and closed
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – In the park’s continuing efforts to expand visitor access, effective Aug. 3 through Oct. 31, 2022, visitors with a day-use ticket will be able to drive the road corridor from Tower Junction to Slough Creek to park and hike, fish and watch wildlife. This section of road in the northern portion of the park has been closed to visitor vehicular traffic since the park closed in June immediately following a historic flood event. Yellowstone has rapidly reopened areas when safe to do so. Approximately 93% of paved roads and 94% of Yellowstone’s backcountry is open.
Beginning Aug.1 at 8 a.m. MDT, visitors wanting to tour the Tower Junction to Slough Creek road corridor on Aug. 3 can book a day-use ticket here: Recreation.gov. Tickets are only available at Recreation.gov.
Visitors with a ticket will only be able to enter this road corridor from Tower Junction. Visitors cannot access the area from the Northeast Entrance (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana). That road segment is closed to visitor vehicular traffic because of significant flood damage on the road.
This pilot day-use access program was initiated in response to the flood damage and provides the park an opportunity to safely reopen this impacted area to more visitation. Since the road essentially is a dead-end, the park will continue to monitor use along the road corridor and determine if expanded day-use capacity can occur at a later date.
Tower Junction to Slough Creek road corridor vehicle day-use ticket
- Tickets will be available for morning and afternoon windows.
- Visitors booking the 8 a.m. window may enter between 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Visitors booking the 12 p.m. window may enter between 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
- All day-use visitors with a ticket during either time window may exit at any time that same day by 4:30 p.m.
- Visitors must print or screenshot their ticket prior to arriving in the park as there is no cell service or connectivity at Tower Junction.
- A ticket is valid for one vehicle for one day.
- Visitors may purchase up to three tickets on a transaction.
- Tickets can be reserved two days in advance.
- Approved stock outfitters, guides with a commercial use authorization, and backcountry overnight permit holders do not need a ticket to access the road corridor. The road has been open for them to provide public access by vehicle since July 13.
- The Tower Junction to Slough Creek corridor is a popular fishing area; fishing permits are required in Yellowstone. Visitors with fishing permits must additionally obtain a day-use ticket.
- Some trails and campsites in the northern range of the park south and east of the road corridor are closed due to flood damage. Know before you go. Visit Yellowstone’s Backcountry Situation Report for details.
- Interested visitors are advised to create a Recreation.gov account before Aug. 1 and log in to the account prior to making a reservation.
Additional Information
Slough Creek
- This new day-use reservation system will only allow visitors to enter this corridor with their vehicles. No day-use reservation is needed for visitors wanting to park at Tower Junction and bicycle, hike and fish between Tower Junction and Slough Creek.
- Visitors riding bicycles or hiking near the roadway should be cautious and understand that construction traffic east of Tower Junction will be heavy at times. They should also be cautious of wildlife on or near roadways, especially as the bison rut begins.
- Slough Creek Campground is closed for the season.
North and Northeast entrances closed to visitor vehicular traffic
- Visitors are reminded that the park’s North and Northeast entrances remain closed to visitor vehicular traffic, however access is available by bicycle (on paved roadways) and foot through the North (Gardiner, Montana) and Northeast (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) entrances to fish and hike in areas not identified as closed.
- From the North Entrance, recreators can travel 1 mile to the Rescue Creek Trailhead.
- From the Northeast Entrance, recreators can travel 6 miles to barrier near the Barronette Meadows area.
North Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs
Primary road is closed. Temporary road has limited access.
- The North Entrance Road that connects Gardiner, Montana, to Mammoth Hot Springs is closed and not drivable due to several washed out road segments from the historic flood event in June.
- A temporary and limited access road (Old Gardiner Road) between the North Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs is currently an active construction zone and being converted to two lanes before winter.
- At this time, ONLY approved personnel and approved commercial use authorization holders are allowed on the Old Gardiner Road in approved traffic windows.
Northeast Entrance Road
- The Northeast Entrance Road between the Slough Creek Campground Road, Lamar Valley and the barrier near Barronette Meadows (6 miles from the Northeast Entrance) is closed to all vehicle, bicycle and foot traffic while major construction repairs are being made. This closure is expected to stay in place for the upcoming months allowing contractors to complete work prior to winter.
- This section of road is an active construction zone.
Stay informed
- Visitors traveling to the park must stay informed about what is OPEN and CLOSED throughout the park. Visit Operating Hours and Seasons for more info.
- Monitor the park website and social media for updates.
- Visit Camp in Backcountry for details about backcountry permits.
- Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
- Visit Park Roads.
- To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
- Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
About Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov is a one-stop-shop for trip planning and reservations to explore and discover America’s outdoor and cultural destinations. Visitors can use the website or the Recreation.gov mobile app to make campsite reservations, secure permits, schedule tours, purchase passes and more for all federal lands and waters throughout the country. Find incredible places and experiences that help you bring home a story through Recreation.gov.
UPDATE: July 20, 2022
Yellowstone National Park flood recovery: Bicycles, hiking and fishing access between Tower Junction and Slough Creek starts July 21; Slough Creek reopens to limited day use; Day-use visitor reservation system pending for limited visitor vehicle traffic to Slough Creek
It's critical that visitors traveling to the park in the coming weeks stay informed about what's open and closed
Yellowstone National Park announced today that visitors will be able to park at Tower Junction and bicycle, hike and fish between Tower Junction and Slough Creek starting Thursday, July 21. The road between Tower Junction and Slough Creek is also open for commercial tour authorization holders, commercial tour operators and stock outfitters to provide public access by vehicle. The park is finalizing a day-use reservation system for visitor vehicle access for Tower Junction to Slough Creek which will be online by Aug. 1, allowing reservation holders day-use access with their vehicles.
The park closed immediately following a historic flood event in June and has rapidly reopened areas when safe to do so. Approximately 93% of paved roads and 94% of Yellowstone's backcountry is open.
New access
Tower Junction to Slough Creek
- Starting July 21, visitors will be able to bicycle, hike and fish on a segment of the Northeast Entrance Road between Tower Junction and Slough Creek.
- Visitors are asked to park vehicles appropriately in the Tower Junction area and not block public or emergency access.
- Visitors riding bikes or hiking near the roadway are reminded that construction traffic east of Tower Junction on the Northeast Entrance Road will be heavy at times.
Backcountry: Slough Creek
- The park provided limited public day-use access at Slough Creek to approved commercial operators, overnight backcountry permit holders and stock outfitters on July 16.
- Visit the Backcountry Situation Report for details.
Beartooth Highway
- The Beartooth Highway is anticipated to reopen Friday, July 22, at 5 p.m.
- Yellowstone reopened a 23-mile segment of the Beartooth Highway (from US-212/WY-296 junction to the ski hill parking lot) on June 28.
- Nighttime closures are in effect at the Pilot Index Overlook east to Beartooth Lake Campground. Due to ongoing construction on the Beartooth, the following closures apply:
- Closures will be in effect from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Thursday. There will be no closures Friday through Sunday.
- This is a hard closure and traffic will not be allowed to pass through during these times.
- Closures will be in effect through mid-October and are necessary to allow for ongoing highway construction.
- Check the Montana and Wyoming departments of transportation websites for road updates and status throughout the summer.
Current access
Backcountry
Parkwide
- Currently 94% of Yellowstone’s backcountry is open to overnight and day-use.
- Crews are continuing to evaluate damage and make repairs throughout the park.
- Visit Camp in Backcountry for details.
Slough Creek
- Overnight backcountry permit holders, including stock outfitters and approved commercial guides, have had access to Slough Creek since July 13.
North and Northeast entrances
- Visitors can access the park on bicycles and by foot through the North (Gardiner, Montana) and Northeast (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) entrances to fish and hike in areas not identified as closed.
- From the North Entrance, recreators can travel 1 mile to the Rescue Creek Trailhead.
- From the Northeast Entrance, recreators can travel 6 miles to the Barronette Meadows area.
- Any visitors accessing these areas should understand the dangers and risks of travel within these corridors.
- Approved guides and outfitters are being granted as much access as possible to opened sections of the park through the North and Northeast Entrance roads.
- The communities of Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate are open with access to the park as described above.
North Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs: Temporary and extremely limited access
- A temporary and extremely limited access road (Old Gardiner Road) between the North Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs is currently an active construction zone and being converted to two lanes before winter.
- At this time, ONLY approved personnel and approved commercial use authorization holders are allowed on the road.
- Visitors may access the park through the Old Gardiner Road with an approved commercial use authorization holder (guide).
Closed access
North Entrance Road
- The Old Gardiner Road remains closed to general visitor vehicular traffic, bicycles, pedestrians and horses while road improvements are being completed.
- It is an active construction zone.
Northeast Entrance Road
- The Northeast Entrance Road (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana, to Tower Junction) remains closed to visitor vehicular traffic while temporary repairs are completed.
- It is an active construction zone.
- The Northeast Entrance Road between the Slough Creek Campground Road, Lamar Valley and the barrier near Barronette Meadows is closed to vehicle and foot traffic while major construction repairs are being made. This closure is expected to stay in place for the upcoming months allowing contractors to complete work.
Backcountry
- Sections of the Lamar River Corridor and Miller Creek will likely not reopen this year due to extensive damage.
- Visit the Backcountry Situation Report for details.
Future access
North and Northeast Entrances
- Extensive work continues to ensure the Old Gardiner Road, a single-lane dirt road, will be a two-lane, paved and safe-to-travel-on road before winter, allowing some limited and managed visitor traffic. Once completed, visitor traffic will be allowed to resume.
- Extensive work continues to ensure damage to multiple sections of the Northeast Entrance Road will be completed before winter. Once completed, general traffic will be allowed to access the communities of Cooke City/Silver Gate through the park.
- Park staff will continue to work with commercial guides and outfitters in Gardiner, Montana, and Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana, to further expand park access where possible.
- Reconnecting the park to Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate remains Yellowstone's highest flood recovery priority. These communities are open with access to the park as described above.
Stay informed
- Visitors traveling to the park must stay informed about what is OPEN and CLOSED throughout the park. Visit Operating Hours and Seasons for more info.
- Monitor the park website and social media for updates.
- Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
- Visit Park Roads.
- To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
- Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
UPDATE: July 12, 2022
Yellowstone National Park flood recovery: 93% of roadways, 88% of backcountry will be open July 13; Slough Creek will reopen to limited overnight backcountry use July 13; Bicycles allowed on limited portions of the North (Gardiner) and Northeast (Cooke City/Silver Gate) Entrance roads in addition to hiking and fishing access
It's critical that visitors traveling to the park in the coming weeks stay informed about what's open and closed
Yellowstone National Park announced today the reopening of Slough Creek to overnight backcountry use on July 13. Located in the northern portion of the park, Slough Creek is one of the park’s most visited backcountry areas. In addition, bicycles will be allowed to enter the North and Northeast Entrance roads for a limited distance. The park closed immediately following a historic flood event in June and has rapidly reopened areas when safe to do so. Approximately 93% of paved roads and 88% of Yellowstone’s backcountry will now be open.
Backcountry (Visit the Backcountry Situation Report for details)
Slough Creek
- Starting July 13, public access to Slough Creek from Tower Junction will be limited to overnight backcountry permit holders, stock outfitters and approved commercial guides and operators.
- See the map for area-specific details.
- Park staff will coordinate directly with current backcountry permit holders and commercial operators to allow them to enter and exit the area during daylight hours.
- At this time, outside of permit holders allowed into the corridor (as described above), visitors will not be allowed on the 6-mile segment of road from Tower Junction to the Slough Creek Campground Road until further notice. This is largely due to limited traffic capacity on this section of road, the road closure after Slough Creek, construction traffic and other factors that are being monitored as the road partially opens. The park will monitor use within this corridor and determine if expanded day-use can occur at a later date.
- The park is developing a new day-use permit system to potentially allow additional visitor access to Slough Creek at a later date. This is not being implemented at this time.
- The park will look to open a portion of the road to foot traffic from Tower Junction to the Yellowstone River to provide fishing access in the near future.
- The Slough Creek Campground will remain closed until further notice.
- Construction traffic on the Northeast Entrance Road will be heavy at times.
Parkwide
- Currently 88% of Yellowstone’s backcountry is open to overnight and day-use.
- Currently 88% of the 1,000 miles of park trails are open with 12% closed due to historic flooding. The majority of closed trails are in the northern portion of the park.
- Currently 88% of the 293 backcountry campsites in the park are open with 12% closed due to limited access, flood impacts and high water.
- Crews are continuing to evaluate damage and make repairs throughout the park.
- Sections of the Lamar River Corridor and Miller Creek will likely not reopen this year due to extensive damage.
- Visit Camp in Backcountry for details.
North and Northeast Entrances
- The North Entrance Road (Gardiner, Montana, to Mammoth Hot Springs) and Northeast Entrance Road (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana, to Tower-Roosevelt) remain closed to vehicular traffic while temporary repairs are completed.
- Visitors can now access the park on bicycles and by foot through these entrances.
- From the North Entrance, bicyclists can travel 1 mile to the Rescue Creek Trailhead.
- From the Northeast Entrance, bicyclists can travel 6 miles to the Barronette Meadows area.
- On June 30, the park announced that visitors can access the park on foot through these entrances to recreate (fish and hike) in areas not identified as closed. Any visitors accessing these areas should understand dangers and risks of travel within these corridors.
- Approved guides and outfitters are being granted as much access as possible to opened sections of the park through the North and Northeast Entrance Roads.
- Park staff will continue to work with commercial guides and outfitters in Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate to further expand park access where possible.
- Reconnecting the park to Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate remains Yellowstone's highest flood recovery priority. These communities are open with access to the park as described above.
Temporary and extremely limited access from the North Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs
- A temporary and extremely limited access road (Old Gardiner Road) between the North Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs is currently an active construction zone and being converted to two lanes before winter.
- At this time, ONLY approved personnel and limited commercial use authorization holders are allowed on the road.
- Normal visitor vehicular traffic, bicycles, pedestrians and horses are not allowed.
- Visitors may access the park through the North Entrance through approved guiding and outfitting services.
- The park is working diligently to ensure this single-lane dirt road will be a two-lane, paved and safe-to-travel-on road before winter, allowing some limited and managed visitor traffic.
Stay informed
- Visitors traveling to the park must stay informed about what is OPEN and CLOSED throughout the park. Visit Operating Hours and Seasons for more info.
- Monitor the park website and social media for updates.
- Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
- Visit Park Roads.
- To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
- Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
UPDATE: June 30, 2022
Yellowstone National Park to reopen north loop July 2 and suspend Alternating License Plate System, 93% of roadways will be open
Yellowstone National Park will reopen the north loop on Saturday, July 2, to all visitors. In addition to roads in the south loop, visitors will now be able to access:
- Norris Junction to Mammoth Hot Springs
- Mammoth Hot Springs to Tower-Roosevelt
- Tower-Roosevelt to Canyon Junction (Dunraven Pass)
Visitors can access the south and north loops via the East Entrance (Cody, Wyoming), West Entrance (West Yellowstone, Montana), and South Entrance (Grand Teton/Jackson, Wyoming).
“We're pleased to reopen the north loop of Yellowstone to the visiting public less than three weeks after this major flood event," said Superintendent Cam Sholly. "We have attempted to balance major recovery efforts while reopening as much of the park as possible. We have greatly appreciated the tremendous support of the Department of the Interior; National Park Service; Federal Highway Administration; and our congressional, community, county and state partners."
North loop
Federal Highway Administration engineers have completed final bridge and road safety inspections. Temporary repairs to the wastewater systems have been evaluated and will accommodate day use on the north loop.
The park cautions the public that high water remains in many waterways and to be aware of backcountry closures in the north loop due to hazardous conditions or damaged trails and bridges. Visit Yellowstone’s Backcountry Situation Report for details.
Services in the north loop will include general stores at Tower and Mammoth Hot Springs, and gasoline in both locations. Additional services may open in upcoming weeks. Visit Operating Hours and Seasons for details.
North and Northeast entrances
The North Entrance Road (Gardiner, Montana to Mammoth Hot Springs) and Northeast Entrance Road (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana to Tower-Roosevelt) remain closed to visitor vehicular traffic while temporary repairs are completed. Visitors may access the park on foot through these entrances in order to recreate (fish and hike) in areas not identified as closed. The park will evaluate authorizing bicycle use through these entrances up to damaged road sections in the near future.
Park staff are working with commercial guides and outfitters in Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate to further expand park access where possible. Yellowstone has reopened a 23-mile segment of the Beartooth Highway (from US-212/WY-296) junction to the ski hill parking lot), providing visitors access to this world-class scenic roadway.
Reconnecting the park to Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate remains Yellowstone's highest flood recovery priority. These communities are open with access to the park as described above.
Alternating License Plate System suspended
Yellowstone implemented the Alternating License Plate System (ALPS) upon reopening the south loop June 22, 2022, to ensure visitor traffic did not overwhelm the south loop. The interim system worked very effectively at moderating traffic within the park, however, with the opening of the north loop and 93% of the road system open, ALPS will be suspended effective July 2. Visitor entrances from East, West, and South will return to normal entrance procedures. Park staff will continue monitoring visitor use data, traffic counts, and the condition of infrastructure over the upcoming months to ensure visitor usage is not overwhelming capacity. The ALPS may be reinstituted if this becomes the case.
Backcountry (Visit Backcountry Situation Report for details)
Most of Yellowstone's southern backcountry will open to overnight use on Friday, July 1, however some trails and campsites will remain closed for repairs due to flood impacts, high water and bear management closures.
A large portion of the backcountry in the north remains closed as damage assessments continue. Many northern trails have been severely damaged and bridges washed away. Additional backcountry in the northern part of the park will reopen as repairs and final damage assessments are completed.
Stay informed
Visitors traveling to the park must stay informed about the current situation, changes in visitor entry requirements, and road conditions. The public should also use extreme caution in areas of high water.
Visitors should regularly monitor updates from the park on new openings or closures as recovery efforts continue.
UPDATE: June 22, 2022
Yellowstone National Park’s south loop reopening update
Visitors traveling to park in coming weeks must stay informed about the new interim visitor entry system
Yellowstone National Park's south loop reopened this morning, June 22, at 8 a.m. As the park expected, traffic entering through only three entrances (South, West, East) did cause major backups initially, however, backups have cleared at each entrance. By 12:30 p.m. only 20 cars were in line at the West Entrance. Park staff have monitored traffic throughout the day and reported light to medium activity in most areas. Norris Geyser Basin, one of the busiest destinations in the park, reported light activity.
Less than 5,000 vehicles have entered the south loop today – normally it is 10,000 or more vehicles. Less than 1% of vehicles had to be turned around due to having the wrong license plate (see Flood Recovery and Operations for details about the license plate system). The park will monitor traffic and expects backups to be high in the mornings as day use visitors enter and should normalize mid-morning through mid-day. As a reminder, just like many times during normal years, traffic is backed up numerous miles at the West and South entrances.
"While it's too early to tell if the license plate system worked, it appears to have done its job by cutting our normal traffic counts by half," said Superintendent Cam Sholly. "As we've discussed with our community partners, we will monitor this together and make adjustments if necessary. We're happy to have visitors back in Yellowstone and appreciate the patience of the public and community partners as we continue working through this difficult situation."
View photos of the June 22 park reopening on our Flickr.
UPDATE: June 18, 2022
Yellowstone National Park’s south loop will reopen to the public on June 22
Visitors traveling to park in coming weeks must stay informed about the new interim visitor entry system
At 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 22, Yellowstone National Park will begin allowing visitors to access the south loop of the park. The south loop is accessed from the East (Cody), West (West Yellowstone), and South (Grand Teton/Jackson) entrances. Accessible areas include Madison, Old Faithful, Grant Village, Lake Village, Canyon Village and Norris. As part of reopening planning, park staff have engaged over 1,000 business owners, park partners, commercial operators and residents in surrounding gateway communities to determine how to manage summer visitation while the north loop remains closed due to flood damage.
To balance the demand for visitor access, park resource protection and economic interests of the communities, the park will institute an interim visitor access plan. The interim plan, referred to as the Alternating License Plate System (ALPS), was suggested as a solution by gateway communities during major public engagement with the park this past week. Park managers and partners have agreed this system is the best interim solution to ensuring the south loop does not become overwhelmed by visitors. The National Park Service will actively monitor the license plate system and is concurrently building a new reservation system that will be ready for implementation if needed.
Alternating License Plate System (ALPS)
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Public vehicle entry will be allowed based on whether the last numerical digit on a license plate is odd or even.
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Entrance will be granted based on odd/even days on the calendar.
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Odd-numbered last digits on license plates can enter on odd days of the month.
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Even-numbered last digits (including zero) on license plates can enter on even days of the month.
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Personalized plates (all letters, for example "YLWSTNE") will fall into the “odd” category for entrance purposes.
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Plates with a mix of letters and numbers but that end with a letter (for example "YELL4EVR") will still use the last numerical digit on the plate to determine entrance days.
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Entrance station staff will turn away vehicles attempting to enter the park when the odd/even numerical digits do not correspond to the odd/even calendar date for entrance.
Exceptions
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Current commercial use operators with active commercial use permits will be permitted to enter regardless of license plate number. This includes commercial tours and stock groups.
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Visitors with proof of overnight reservations in the park will be permitted to enter regardless of license plate number. This includes hotels, campgrounds, and backcountry reservations.
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Commercial motorcoaches will be permitted to enter regardless of license plate number.
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Motorcycle groups may enter on even dates only.
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Essential services like mail and deliver, employees and contractors may enter regardless of license plate number.
The interim license plate system will ensure that visitors have access to the park during this period of high demand. Park managers and staff will monitor the license plate system and impacts on resources, infrastructure, operations, and staffing, and may adjust or implement a reservation or timed entry system, if necessary, after three to four weeks.
“Less than six days ago, Yellowstone National Park was hit with devastating floods,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our teams and partners, we are prepared to reopen the south loop of Yellowstone. It is impossible to reopen only one loop in the summer without implementing some type of system to manage visitation. My thanks to our gateway partners and others for helping us work out an acceptable temporary solution for the south loop while we continue our efforts to reopen the north loop. As we go through the reopening process, we will monitor the system’s effectiveness and work together to make adjustments that may be necessary. We will also reopen new sections of the park as repairs continue to be made. It is critical for visitors to stay informed about this interim system as we evaluate its effectiveness. They should plan ahead and be patient with us as we are still managing significant recovery while moving into this operational phase.”
OPEN in the south loop as of June 22
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Backcountry areas accessible from roads open to the public will be available/restricted for day use only.
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Overnight use from trailheads in the south will open July 1.
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Visit Camp in Backcountry for details.
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Old Faithful, West Thumb, Grant Village, Bridge Bay, Fishing Bridge, Lake Village and Norris visitor services
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Canyon Village Visitor Education Center
CLOSED until further notice in the south loop
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Canyon Village Lodges and Cabins
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Canyon, Madison, Norris and Lewis Lake campgrounds
Visit Operating Hours and Seasons for details about what is OPEN and CLOSED throughout the park.
Yellowstone staff are working to determine what other potential sections of the park may be reopened prior to roads closing Nov. 1. Decisions will depend on extent of damage and the ability of park managers to safely open additional sections as the year progresses. Park managers are evaluating plans to reopen roads connecting Canyon Village, Tower Junction, Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris; however, this will not happen initially. The park is also working to reconnect Mammoth Hot Springs to Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate as soon as possible with temporary solutions, while long-term reconstruction is planned.
Visitors should continue to monitor the park website and social media for additional updates.
UPDATE: June 17, 2022
Yellowstone National Park continues efforts to recover from historic flooding; Limited reopening highly possible next week on park’s south loop with certain visitor entrance modifications
Visitors traveling to park in coming weeks must stay informed about current situation, changes in visitor entry requirements, and road and weather conditions
Key Information
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Yellowstone continues major flood recovery efforts in the north while repairing damage and preparing for reopening in the south.
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All five park entrances remain closed temporarily, however, West, South, and East entrances are targeted for reopening as early as next week.
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Water levels remain high but have gone down substantially over the past 24 hours.
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Weather patterns and potential for additional flooding events are being monitored with the assistance of NOAA and USGS personnel.
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The National Park Service (NPS) has engaged over 1,000 partners in surrounding gateway communities, counties and states in the past 96 hours to brief on flood damage impacts and collaborate on reopening strategies.
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Teams are in the park assessing damage and assisting with short and long-term recovery planning.
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NPS is analyzing the carrying capacity of the south loop and working closely with partners to develop appropriate visitor management actions to safely accommodate visitors within that portion of the park.
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NPS is working to determine what other potential sections of the park may be reopened for the season. Decisions will depend on extent of damage and the ability of the NPS to safely open additional sections as the year progresses.
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Although access to Yellowstone National Park will be less than normal until further notice, there are still incredible opportunities for recreation, wildlife viewing, and great experiences in the park’s gateway communities (Gardiner, Montana; Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana; West Yellowstone, Montana; Cody, Wyoming; and Jackson, Wyoming), as well as surrounding areas in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. View a list of nearby cities, parks, public lands, and museums to help plan your visit.
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Visitors who have trips planned should continue to check the Yellowstone website, local chambers of commerce, and social media for updates to get the most up-to-date information.
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Because initial damage assessments are ongoing, the NPS does not yet have an estimate on when Yellowstone will fully reopen nor are preliminary costs for repairs and recovery available.
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To date, there have been no public or employee injuries reported due to the flood.
Message from the Superintendent
“We have made tremendous progress in a very short amount of time but have long way to go,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “All emergency and life safety objectives within the park have been accomplished or stabilized within the first 96 hours of the flood event, without major injury or death. We have an aggressive plan for recovery in the north and resumption of operations in the south. We appreciate the tremendous support from National Park Service and Department of the Interior leadership, in addition to our surrounding Congressional delegations, governors, counties, communities, and other partners. This first 96 hours has been critical to be able to focus on our life safety objectives and stabilizing emergency conditions while preparing plans for recovery.”
Objectives
North Loop (Primary Flood Recovery Zone)
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Ensure safety of employees, visitors, community residents and partners
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Restore and maintain basic services including, power, water, and wastewater
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Restore temporary and permanent access between Yellowstone and Gardiner
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Restore temporary and permanent road access through the Northeast Entrance Road
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Restore access to the Yellowstone backcountry
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Engage communities, local, state, and federal stakeholders, and media
South Loop (Operations Zone)
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Ensure safety of employees, visitors, and partners
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Repair damaged sections of roads and infrastructure in preparation of limited south loop reopening; inspect critical infrastructure (bridges, wastewater systems)
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Conduct extensive community outreach with gateways to identify and determine visitor use management actions necessary to host visitation on the south loop
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Develop reservation/timed entry system options for implementation with NPS visitor use experts
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Ensure internal business partners are prepared for visitor operations in the south loop
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Develop appropriate communications strategy on opening of south loop
General Updates
North Loop (Flood Recovery Zone)
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All employees continue to be safe and accounted for. Additional support programs are being established for employees impacted by the flood event.
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Employees who lost housing have been relocated to new housing units.
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Thanks to Montana Department of Transportation and Park County Montana, Highway 89 north from Gardiner was reopened on Wednesday to facilitate the exit of stranded visitors.
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Food and water supplies to Gardiner have resumed.
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Power has been restored to Yellowstone with the assistance of Northwestern Energy.
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Destroyed wastewater lines in Mammoth have been temporarily repaired with permanent repair options being planned.
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Extensive efforts have been made to improve the Old Gardiner Road to help facilitate connection of essential services and personnel from Mammoth to Gardiner. Park staff are assessing what level of improvements are needed to facilitate higher traffic levels.
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Plans and assessments of reconstruction of new the permanent road between Mammoth and Gardiner are underway. The new road will likely not be reconstructed in the same corridor as the previous road.
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Teams from Federal Highways and other agencies are in the park assisting with damage assessments and assisting the park in developing cost estimates and timeline for repair.
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Aerial 3D imaging flights have been conducted on the Northeast Entrance Road to Cooke City to help with damage assessments.
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Extensive assessments are occurring of damage to trails, bridges and infrastructure within the Yellowstone backcountry.
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Mud and rockslides have been cleared from Dunraven Pass and other sections of the northern and southern loops.
South Loop (Operations Zone)
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The park intends to reopen the south loop sometime next week with new visitor management measures instituted (more information will be released soon). Reopening is dependent on damaged infrastructure being repaired.
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On Thursday morning, June 16, a section of damaged road collapsed south of Canyon Village. Crews will begin major repairs on Friday, June 17 with an intent to complete repairs by Monday, June 20. This repair must be completed prior to opening the south loop.
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Park staff are inspecting all bridges and roadways for damage on the south loop to facilitate safe travel.
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To ensure the southern loop infrastructure is not overwhelmed, the park is working with gateway communities and NPS visitor use experts to determine the best way to facilitate access.
Known Damage and Issues
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Aerial assessments conducted Monday, June 13 by Yellowstone National Park show major damage to several park roads including:
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North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana) to Mammoth Hot Springs: road washed out in multiple places, significant rockslide in Gardner Canyon
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Tower Junction to Northeast Entrance: segment of road washed out near Soda Butte Picnic Area, mudslides, downed trees
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Tower-Roosevelt to Canyon Junction (Dunraven Pass): mudslide on road
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Canyon Junction to Fishing Bridge: Segment of road just south of Canyon Junction is compromised and collapsed overnight on June 15-16. Repairs are underway.
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Many sections of road in these areas are completely gone and will require substantial time and effort to reconstruct or relocate and build.
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In some cases, roads may not be able to be reconstructed in place and will need to be relocated.
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The NPS will make every effort to repair these roads as soon as possible.
Stay Informed
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Visitors planning to travel to Yellowstone in the upcoming weeks should stay informed about the current situation and pay close attention to the status of road and weather conditions.
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Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
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Visit Park Roads.
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To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
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Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
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Find updates about flood recovery efforts and park operations at go.nps.gov/YELLflood.
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Find new photos Flickr of this extremely hazardous situation in Yellowstone National Park.
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Yellowstone will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available.
UPDATE: June 14, 2022
Northern portion of Yellowstone National Park likely to remain closed for a substantial length of time due to severely damaged, impacted infrastructure
Visitors traveling to park in coming weeks must stay informed about current situation, road and weather conditions
Updates
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Aerial assessments conducted Monday, June 13, by Yellowstone National Park show major damage to multiple sections of road between the North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana), Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley and Cooke City, Montana, near the Northeast Entrance.
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Many sections of road in these areas are completely gone and will require substantial time and effort to reconstruct.
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The National Park Service will make every effort to repair these roads as soon as possible; however, it is probable that road sections in northern Yellowstone will not reopen this season due to the time required for repairs.
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To prevent visitors from being stranded in the park if conditions worsen, the park in coordination with Yellowstone National Park Lodges made the decision to have all visitors move out of overnight accommodations (lodging and campgrounds) and exit the park.
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All entrances to Yellowstone National Park remain temporarily CLOSED while the park waits for flood waters to recede and can conduct evaluations on roads, bridges and wastewater treatment facilities to ensure visitor and employee safety.
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There will be no inbound visitor traffic at any of the five entrances into the park, including visitors with lodging and camping reservations, until conditions improve and park infrastructure is evaluated.
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The park’s southern loop appears to be less impacted than the northern roads and teams will assess damage to determine when opening of the southern loop is feasible. This closure will extend minimally through next weekend (June 19).
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Due to the northern loop being unavailable for visitors, the park is analyzing how many visitors can safely visit the southern loop once it’s safe to reopen. This will likely mean implementation of some type of temporary reservation system to prevent gridlock and reduce impacts on park infrastructure.
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At this time, there are no known injuries nor deaths to have occurred in the park as a result of the unprecedented flooding.
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Effective immediately, Yellowstone’s backcountry is temporarily closed while crews assist campers (five known groups in the northern range) and assess damage to backcountry campsites, trails and bridges.
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The National Park Service, surrounding counties and states of Montana and Wyoming are working with the park’s gateway communities to evaluate flooding impacts and provide immediate support to residents and visitors.
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Water levels are expected to recede today in the afternoon; however, additional flood events are possible through this weekend.
Known damage and issues
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Known damage (at this time) to some park roads includes:
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North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana) to Mammoth Hot Springs: road washed out in multiple places, significant rockslide at Gardner Canyon
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Tower Junction to Northeast Entrance: segment of road washed out near Soda Butte Picnic Area, mudslides, downed trees
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Tower-Roosevelt to Canyon Junction (Dunraven Pass): mudslide on road
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Canyon Junction to Fishing Bridge: Segment of road just south of Canyon Junction potentially compromised and closed for evaluation
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The power continues to be out in multiple locations in the park.
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Water and wastewater systems at Canyon Village and Mammoth Hot Springs are being impacted by flooding conditions and are being monitored.
Stay informed
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Visitors planning to travel to Yellowstone in the upcoming weeks should stay informed about the current situation and pay close attention to the status of road and weather conditions.
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Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
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Visit Park Roads.
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To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
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Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
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Find photos on Flickr of this extremely hazardous situation in Yellowstone National Park.
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Yellowstone will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available.
UPDATE: June 13, 2022 at 4:32 p.m.
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Please find a video just posted to Flickr that underscores the severity of the situation in Yellowstone National Park. The park’s helicopter manager recorded the video from the park’s helicopter of the Gardner River and portions of the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and the North Entrance through the Gardner Canyon. Segments of the paved road are eroded and washed out in several places due to high water levels.
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Yellowstone will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available.
UPDATE: June 13, 2022 at 2:15 p.m.
All entrances to Yellowstone National Park CLOSED temporarily due to heavy flooding, rockslides, extremely hazardous conditions
Stay informed about road status and weather conditions
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Effective immediately, there will be no inbound visitor traffic at any of the five entrances into Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 15, at a minimum.
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Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
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Visit Park Roads.
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To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
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Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
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Find photos and videos on Flickr of this extremely hazardous situation in Yellowstone National Park.
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Yellowstone will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available.
UPDATE: June 13, 2022 at 1:16 p.m.
Statement from superintendent Cam Sholly about all entrances in Yellowstone National Park CLOSED temporarily due to heavy flooding, rockslides, extremely hazardous conditions
“Due to record flooding events in the park and more precipitation in the forecast, we have made the decision to close Yellowstone to all inbound visitation," said Superintendent Cam Sholly. "Our first priority has been to evacuate the northern section of the park where we have multiple road and bridge failures, mudslides and other issues. The community of Gardiner is currently isolated, and we are working with the county and State of Montana to provide necessary support to residents, who are currently without water and power in some areas. Due to predictions of higher flood levels in areas of the park’s southern loop, in addition to concerns with water and wastewater systems, we will begin to move visitors in the southern loop out of the park later today in coordination with our in-park business partners. We will not know timing of the park’s reopening until flood waters subside and we're able to assess the damage throughout the park. It is likely that the northern loop will be closed for a substantial amount of time. I appreciate the efforts of the Yellowstone team and partners to safely evacuate areas of the park and of our gateway community partners who are helping us through this major event. We appreciate the support offered by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service and the Montana and Wyoming governors."
Yellowstone will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available.
UPDATE: June 13, 2022 at 11:10 a.m.
All entrances to Yellowstone National Park CLOSED temporarily due to heavy flooding, rockslides, extremely hazardous conditions
Stay informed about road status and weather conditions
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Effective immediately, all entrances to Yellowstone National Park are temporarily CLOSED due to substantial flooding, rockslides and mudslides on roadways from recent unprecedented amounts of rainfall and flooding.
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Effective immediately, no inbound visitor traffic will be allowed into the park until conditions stabilize and the park can assess damage to roads and bridges and other facilities. This includes visitors with lodging and camping reservations.
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Closed entrances include:
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North
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Northeast
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West
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South
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East
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The power is out in multiple locations in the park.
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Visitors planning on coming to Yellowstone in the upcoming weeks should pay close attention to the status of road conditions.
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Many park roads may remain closed for an extended period of time.
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Preliminary assessments show multiple sections of roads throughout the park have been either washed out or covered in mud or rocks, and multiple bridges may be affected.
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Multiple roads in the southern portion of the park are also on the verge of being flooded, further restricting access.
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With additional rainfall forecasted, the park does not want large numbers of day-use visitors stranded in the park.
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Strains on wastewater and water treatment facilities could become a factor and the park is taking precautions to ensure facilities are not failing.
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The National Park Service, surrounding counties and state of Montana and Wyoming will work with the gateway communities to evaluate flooding impacts and provide support to residents.
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Rainfall is expected to continue for the next several days. Flood levels measured on the Yellowstone River are beyond record levels.
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Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
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Visit Park Roads.
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To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
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Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
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Find photos on Flickr of this extremely hazardous situation in Yellowstone National Park.
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Yellowstone will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available.
June 13, 2022 at 9:21 a.m.
Roads in northern portion of Yellowstone National Park CLOSE temporarily due to heavy flooding, rockslides, extremely hazardous conditions
Stay informed about road status and weather conditions
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Effective immediately, roads in the northern portion of Yellowstone National Park are temporarily closed due to substantial flooding, rockslides and mudslides on roadways from recent unprecedented amounts of rainfall.
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The following roads are temporarily closed:
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North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana) to Mammoth Hot Springs
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Mammoth Hot Springs to Tower-Roosevelt
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Tower-Roosevelt to the Northeast Entrance
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Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris Junction
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Canyon Junction to Tower-Roosevelt
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Some of these roads may remain closed for an extended period of time.
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Preliminary assessments show multiple sections of road in the park have been washed out between Gardiner and Cooke City, Montana, and multiple bridges may be affected.
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Visitors currently in the northern portion of the park are being evacuated.
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US Highway 89 S is closed at Yankee Jim Canyon due to approximately 3 feet of water on the road. Check the Montana Department of Transportation for road updates.
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The National Park Service, Park County, Montana, and state will work with the communities of Gardiner, Silver Gate and Cooke City to evaluate flooding impacts and provide support to residents.
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Crews will begin to assess damage in the southern portion of the park soon. Rainfall is expected to continue for the next several days.
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Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone:
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Visit Park Roads.
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To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
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Call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
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Yellowstone will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available.
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Find photos on Flickr of this extremely hazardous situation in Yellowstone National Park.
More Information
Last updated: March 30, 2023