YNP Updates
- With our region open and welcoming visitors, and as impacted communities continue recovery efforts from recent flooding, please stay informed about the latest travel updates in Montana’s Yellowstone Country.
- As of July 2, 2022, the north loop of Yellowstone National Park is reopen to visitors. Visitors in Montana will be able to access the park on foot for outdoor recreation in areas that are open through the North Entrance Road (Gardiner to Mammoth Hot Springs) and through the Northeast Entrance Road (Cooke City/Silver Gate to Tower-Roosevelt). These entrances are still closed to vehicle traffic while the park continues work on temporary repairs. For more information about the reopening, visit the latest from Yellowstone National Park: LINK
- On Wednesday, June 22, the southern loop of Yellowstone National Park reopened using an interim entry system, the Alternating License Plate System (APLS). This system is no longer be in place as of July 2. For detailed information about the entry system, visit: LINK
There’s More To Do In Montana’s Yellowstone Country
There’s still so much for visitors to do outside the Park in Montana’s Yellowstone Country.
All our communities are currently welcoming visitors, though not all accommodations may be available at this time. Please visit our page where visitors and residents can find information about where else to go and what more to do in this part of Montana. Find that resource here: HERE
Community Updates
For the latest information about what’s happening in each of our communities, please visit:
- • Belgrade
Chamber of Commerce | Convention and Visitors Bureau - • Bozeman
Chamber of Commerce
Convention and Visitors Bureau - • Big Sky
Chamber of Commerce
Convention and Visitors Bureau - • Cooke City
Chamber of Commerce - • Gardiner
Chamber of Commerce | Convention and Visitors Bureau - • Livingston
Chamber of Commerce
Convention and Visitors Bureau - • Manhattan
Chamber of Commerce - • Stillwater County
Chamber of Commerce - • Sweet Grass County
Chamber of Commerce - • Red Lodge
Chamber of Commerce
Convention and Visitors Bureau - • Three Forks
Chamber of Commerce - • West Yellowstone
Chamber of Commerce | Convention and Visitors Bureau - • Yellowstone National Park
National Park Service
Statewide Partner Updates
For places to visit in the rest of our vast state, check our tourism partner pages:
- • Visit Montana
- • Central Montana
- • Glacier Country Montana
- • Missouri River Country
- • Southeast Montana
- • Southwest Montana
A Note To Visitors
As our communities are again welcoming visitors, we encourage you to bring your patience and be sure to “know before you go.” Right now that means:
- • Heed road closures, recreation alerts, signs, and weather safety warnings
- • Make sure to check websites and social media pages for businesses and events, and call before you go
- • Be flexible, and be prepared for plans to change
- • Be aware of cancellation policies for activities and lodging
- • Consider trip insurance
- • Make the best of the situation! It may not be the vacation you planned, but it will be unique and memorable
- • Be kind to workers and locals. Many have lost more than just a vacation
To speak with someone over the phone, please call our Call Center: 800.736.5276.
Travel Resources
- • Call 511 for continual updates about weather-related road conditions, road work, commercial vehicle restrictions, road closures, chain requirements and other travel information via the phone or Internet.
- • Road conditions: LINK
- • Flood Resources: LINK
- • Yellowstone National Park: LINK
- • Stillwater County: LINK
- • Carbon County: LINK
- • Park County: LINK
- • Gallatin County: LINK
Recreation Alerts and Restrictions:
- • Custer Gallatin National Forest: LINK
- • Beartooth Ranger District: (406) 446-2103
- • Bozeman Ranger District: (406) 587-6701
- • Gardiner Ranger District: (406) 848-7375
- • Hebgen Lake Ranger District: (406) 823-6961
- • Yellowstone (Livingston) Ranger District: (406) 222-1892
- • Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks: LINK
- • Bureau of Land Management Montana/Dakotas: LINK
- • Montana Department of Transportation: LINK
- • Federal reservation system for recreation sites in the U.S., including camping, lodging, tours, permits and passes: LINK
To sign up for text alerts for the following areas, please consider the following resources:
- • Yellowstone National Park: LINK or Text “82190” to 888-7777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
- • Carbon County: LINK
- • Stillwater County: LINK
- • Park County: LINK
Follow local news for additional updates:
Lodging
- For alternate lodging options outside Yellowstone National Park, please visit our page on Places to Stay
Disaster assistance resources for affected businesses:
- • Disaster Assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
- • SBA Business Recovery Center:
- Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
- 303 East Park St.
- Livingston, MT 59047
- Open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. MDT starting July 7
- • Fund Request Form for Southwest Montana Flood Relief Fund—serving Park County and Southwest Montana
How to Help
If you’re interested in supporting flood-impacted communities in Yellowstone Country, please find places to donate and volunteer on our page on How to Support Impacted Communities.
Updates from Yellowstone National Park
View more up-to-date information about flood recovery efforts and park operations, including a list of FAQ's about planning a visit to Yellowstone at go.nps.gov/YELLflood.
September 6, 2022
VERY HIGH fire danger in Yellowstone National Park
- The parkwide fire danger level for Yellowstone is now VERY HIGH.
- There have been three wildland fires in the park this year, and all have been declared out or controlled. Stay informed about current fire activity in Yellowstone.
- Currently, there are no fire restrictions in place or planned in the park.
- Campfires are only permitted within established fire rings in campgrounds and some backcountry campsites.
- Campfires must always be attended and cold to the touch before abandoning. Soak, stir, feel, repeat.
- The Greater Yellowstone area is a fire-adapted ecosystem. Fire plays an important role in maintaining the health of this area’s wildlife habitat and vegetation.
August 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 Seasonsfor 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.
- www.nps.gov/yell -
AUGUST 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.
- CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
JULY 29, 2022
Yellowstone flood recovery update: 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.
- CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
JULY 20, 2022
- It’s critical that visitors traveling to the park in the coming weeks stay informed about what’s open and closed.
- MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Yellowstone National Park today announced 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 which will be online by Aug. 1, allowing reservation holders day-use access with their vehicles.
- CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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). - CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
JUNE 20, 2022
National Park Service announces $50 million in emergency funding; expedited plans to reopen 80 percent of Yellowstone
Park also making progress to identify expedient temporary options to restore access to Gardiner and Cooke City, Montana
- During a visit to Yellowstone National Park and Gardiner, Montana, on Sunday, June 19, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams with Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly announced $50 million to kick-start recovery efforts from record breaking floods.
- CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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.
- CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
JUNE 17, 2022 AT 9:45 A.M.
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
- Yellowstone continues major flood recovery efforts in the north while repairing damage and preparing for reopening in the south.
- All five park entrances remain closed temporarily, however, West, South, and East entrances are targeted for reopening as early as next week.
- Water levels remain high but have gone down substantially over the past 24 hours.
- Weather patterns and potential for additional flooding events are being monitored with the assistance of NOAA and USGS personnel.
- 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.
- Teams are in the park assessing damage and assisting with short and long-term recovery planning.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.”
JUNE 14, 2022 AT 6:38 P.M.
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
- 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.
- CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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
- 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.
- CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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 Interior, National Park Service and the Montana and Wyoming governors."
Yellowstone will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available.
JUNE 13, 2022 AT 11:10 A.M.
UPDATE: ALL ENTRANCES TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK CLOSED TEMPORARILY DUE TO HEAVY FLOODING, ROCKSLIDES, EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS; STAY INFORMED ABOUT ROAD STATUS AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
- 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.
- CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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
- 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.
- CLICK HERE TO READ MORE