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

The only road generally open year-round to regular vehicles 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 (commercially-guided 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.

 

2025 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.

2025 Regular Vehicle Travel Dates

Open year-round: North Entrance to Northeast Entrance
Open April 18 - October 31, 2025: West Entrance to Madison, Madison to Old Faithful, Madison to Norris, Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris, Norris to Canyon Village
Open May 2 - October 31, 2025: East Entrance to Lake Village (Sylvan Pass), Canyon Village to Lake Village
Open May 9 - October 31, 2025: South Entrance to West Thumb, West Thumb to Old Faithful (Craig Pass), West Thumb to Lake Village, Tower-Roosevelt to Tower Fall
Open May 23 - October 31, 2025: Canyon Village to Tower Fall (Dunraven Pass). This is a high elevation pass that generally experiences winter weather earlier than other roads in the park — as with all other roads, the closing date is subject to change.
To Be Determined: 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.

2025-2026 Oversnow Vehicle (Snowmobile & Snowcoach) Travel Dates

Open year-round: North Entrance to Northeast Entrance
Open December 15, 2025 - March 1, 2026: Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris
Open December 15, 2025 - March 3, 2026: Norris to Madison, Norris to Canyon Village, Canyon Village to Washburn Hot Springs Overlook
Open December 15, 2025 - March 8, 2026: Canyon Village to Fishing Bridge
Open December 15, 2025 - March 15, 2026: West, South, and East entrances, and all remaining groomed roads
*All dates are subject to change due to weather or other circumstances.
 

 

2025 Anticipated 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. In addition to the projects listed below, other unscheduled work may occur. The following road improvement projects in Yellowstone will cause traffic delays:

Bridge Bay Bridge (Bridge Bay)

Location: south of Lake Village, along Grand Loop Road
Access: expect up to 15-minute delays while crews work beginning in fall 2025.
Improvements: bridge preservation work includes: repairing erosion and undermining, sealing cracks, replacing unsound concrete, and repaving approaches, among other repairs.

Chip Sealing (Parkwide)

Location: various locations throughout the park.
Access: expect up to 30-minute delays while crews work throughout 2025
Improvements: chip sealing occurs every year and preserves Yellowstone's roads by sealing small cracks and extending pavement life.

Drive slowly and maintain the recommended speed limit on chip seal pavement to reduce the risk of loose gravel damaging cars or windshields.

Gibbon River Bridge #5 (Madison Junction)

Location: just south of Madison Junction, along Grand Loop Road
Access: expect up to 30-minute delays while crews work beginning in fall 2025.
Improvements: realigning and reattaching sections of the west-side railing with new connection bolts, as well as cleaning and painting the entire railing system.

Lewis River Bridge (South Entrance Road)

Location: about 10 miles north of the South Entrance on the South Entrance Road
Access: Expect up to 20-minute delays throughout 2025. Nearby pullouts and the trail to Lewis River Falls will be closed during construction.
Improvements: the existing Lewis River Bridge was removed, and a new bridge is being constructed immediately downstream. The project will also include additional parking and viewing opportunities.

Old Faithful Interchange Approaches (Old Faithful)

Location: interchange approaches at Old Faithful
Access: expect up to 15-minute delays while crews work beginning in fall 2025.
Improvements: installing a new drainage structure on the southwest side of the overpass and improving or replacing the existing drainage system on the southeast side.

Yellowstone River Bridge (Northeast Entrance Road)

Location: near Tower Junction, along the Northeast Entrance Road
Access: expect up to 30-minute delays while crews work throughout 2025. Hiking trails in the area may close temporarily during the duration of the project.
Improvements: replacement of the structurally deficient Yellowstone River Bridge originally built in 1961. A new 1,285-foot-long, 175-foot-high steel girder 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 and Cooke City, Montana. New pullouts, paved parking areas, and dedicated route across the new bridge will increase access to trails, fishing, and viewpoints. Additionally, the Yellowstone River Picnic Area will be enlarged to accommodate increase visitor use.

 

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 (Open for season)

US-212, Cooke City to Red Lodge, Montana

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

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway

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

• Open year-round 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.