Park Roads

Yellowstone Road Status Map

The map below shows the current status of park roads and road construction. Click on a road segment or icon for more information. Conditions can change quickly, so check back often. Short-term road closures and delays may not be shown.

 

 

FIND OUT MORE

• Current Conditions
• Webcams
• Grand Teton Roads Status
• Winter Driving Safety Flyer

The only road generally open year-round to automobiles is from the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana through the park to Cooke City, Montana (via Tower Junction). Most park roads are closed to regular vehicles from early November to late-April, and are open to limited oversnow travel (snowmobiles and snowcoaches) from mid-December to mid-March. When open, roads are not gated at night and people may enter/exit the park 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Yellowstone has five entrance stations, and it takes several hours to drive between them. Anticipate possible road closures, and check the road status of the entrance you intend to use before traveling.

 

Road & Entrance Status

For up-to-date information, check out the live road status map (above), call [phone] for recorded information, or sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting 82190 to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions). Before traveling, it's also a good idea to:

• Check road conditions outside of Yellowstone in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Grand Teton National Park.
• View the park webcams to see current traffic conditions at the North and West entrances to Yellowstone.

 

2023-2024 Road Opening & Closing Dates (Projected)

Click on the arrows below to expand the selection and find out projected road dates. All dates are subject to change depending on weather conditions.

Regular Vehicle Travel Dates

Roads will open to regular vehicles on the listed dates (conditions permitting) at 8 a.m. Roads will close to regular vehicles on the listed dates at 9 p.m.

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Open year-round: North Entrance to Northeast Entrance
Open April 21 - November 1, 2023: West Entrance to Madison Junction, Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful, Norris to Canyon
Open May 5 - November 1, 2023: East Entrance to Lake Village (Sylvan Pass), Canyon to Lake Village
Open May 12 - November 1, 2023: South Entrance to West Thumb, West Thumb to Old Faithful (Craig Pass), West Thumb to Lake Village, Tower-Roosevelt to Tower Fall
Open May 26 - November 1, 2023: Canyon to Tower Fall (Dunraven Pass)
TBD: Beartooth Highway (US-212), Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296)*

*See below for more information on these roads outside of the park's Northeast Entrance.

Oversnow Vehicle (Snowmobile & Snowcoach) Travel Dates

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Roads will open to oversnow travel by snowmobile and snowcoach on the listed dates (conditions permitting) at 8 a.m. Roads will close to oversnow travel by snowmobile and snowcoach on the listed dates at 9 p.m.

Open year-round: North Entrance to Northeast Entrance
Open December 15, 2023 - March 5, 2024: Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris
Open December 15, 2023 - March 7, 2024: Norris to Madison, Norris to Canyon
Open December 15, 2023 - March 12, 2024: Canyon to Fishing Bridge
Open December 15, 2023 - March 15, 2024: West, South, and East entrances, and all remaining groomed roads
 

 

Traffic Delays

It's important to be aware of all planned road improvement projects, as they can cause major traffic delays throughout the park. Drive slowly through construction zones and be alert to workers, heavy equipment, wildlife, and other hazards. There will be four major road improvement projects in Yellowstone in 2023 that will cause major delays:

Old Faithful to West Thumb

Location: Grand Loop Road between Old Faithful and West Thumb

Access: Beginning summer 2023 until fall 2023, expect up to 30-minute delays between May–Oct. 31.

Improvements: This project includes the rehabilitation of 22 miles of the Grand Loop Road between Old Faithful and West Thumb, one of the most heavily traveled road corridors in the park. Construction will include repaving the roadway and replacing guardrails, culverts, and other drainage structures.

Yellowstone River Bridge

Location: Near Tower Junction along the Northeast Entrance Road

Access: Beginning summer 2023 until fall 2026, traffic delays will occur in this area year-round.

Improvements: This project includes the replacement of the structurally deficient Yellowstone River Bridge. A new bridge upstream will replace the existing 604-foot-long bridge to preserve year-round access to/from the Northeast Entrance and communities of Silver Gate/Cooke City, Montana. Additionally, construction will include new pullouts and paved parking areas, and the Yellowstone River Picnic Area will be expanded.

Northeast Entrance Road (Flood Recovery)

Location: East of Tower Junction between Lamar Canyon and the Northeast Entrance

Access: Beginning early summer 2023 until fall 2023, expect up to 30-minute delays.

Improvements: This project includes the completion of work to address flood-damaged areas of the Northeast Entrance Road. Construction will include completion of a two-lane realignment in Lamar Canyon, paving a second lift north of the Trout Lake Trailhead, stabilization of streambanks adjacent to the road, and work in the Pebble Creek Campground and Warm Creek Picnic Area. Additionally, some guardrails, culverts, and other drainage structures will be replaced.

Lewis River Bridge

Location: Nearly 10 miles north of the South Entrance on the South Entrance Road

Access: Beginning summer 2023 until fall 2024, expect up to 20-minute delays between May–Oct. 31. Additionally, there may be overnight closures before June 30 (check the Yellowstone road status map above).

Improvements: This project includes the removal and replacement of the Lewis River Bridge. The existing bridge will be removed, and a new bridge will be constructed immediately downstream, with additional parking and viewing opportunities.

 

Additionally, chip sealing occurs every summer and preserves Yellowstone's roads. Check the park's live road map (above) to see where chip sealing is scheduled to occur and plan for delays of up to 30 minutes. Drive slowly and maintain the recommended speed limit on chip seal pavement to reduce the risk of loose gravel damaging cars or windshields.

Find out more about road and infrastructure improvement projects and the park's plan to address the deferred maintenance backlog.

 

Roads Outside the Northeast Entrance

After initial opening, weather causes occasional closures. Please check locally or at WY DOT and MT DOT before traveling.

Beartooth Highway

US-212, Cooke City to Red Lodge, Montana

• Open the Friday of Memorial Day weekend to mid-October. Closed for the season.

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway

WY-296, Cooke City, Montana, to Cody, Wyoming, or Laurel, Montana

• Open year-round to from WY-120 to Pilot Creek Parking Lot (4 miles toward Cooke City from the junction of WY-296/US-212). In winter, 9 miles of road are closed to wheeled vehicles (oversnow travel only) from Cooke City to Pilot Creek. This segment of road is open to wheeled vehicles mid-May through early November. Please check locally or at WY DOT.