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Whether you’re planning a single visit or coming back multiple times a year, enjoy the convenience of purchasing a Yellowstone National Park site-specific digital pass on Recreation.gov before you arrive. You have immediate access to your digital pass and can easily download it on your phone or tablet. Your pass will also be emailed as a PDF … Read more

The map below shows the current status of all park roads. Green roads indicate roads that are open to auto travel and red roads indicate roads that are closed to all travel. Temporary closures are always possible.

When lodging inside Yellowstone National Park is fully booked (which is common, especially during the peak summer months), your best option is to stay in one of the surrounding gateway towns in Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho. These towns offer a wide range of accommodation, dining, and gas options, but they will require more driving time … Read more

Each of the five entrances to Yellowstone is adjacent or near a gateway community. The various lodging options in the gateway communities run the gamut from relatively inexpensive to upscale and expensive, and include national chain lodging properties as well as unique, local accommodations. Your choice of lodging in a given gateway community will involve … Read more

If you wish to lodge inside of Yellowstone National Park, it is best to plan well ahead of time as most of the rooms inside the park fill a year ahead of time. The park is very large. When choosing a lodging option, one approach is to pick a hotel or lodge near attractions you … Read more

Although Yellowstone National Park is open year around, the park is fully accessible only from late May/early June to late October. The northern section of the park’s roadway, from the North entrance at Gardiner, Montana to the northeast entrance at Cooke City, Montana is the only portion open year around. Mid-December through early March is … Read more

The eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera (often called the Yellowstone supervolcano) would be a catastrophic event with local, national, and global consequences. The massive eruption that formed the caldera 640,000 years ago was one of the largest known volcanic events on Earth.   Geologists categorize a potential eruption into three main scenarios: steam explosions, lava … Read more

The northern section of Yellowstone, from the North entrance at Gardner, Montana to the Northeast entrance at Cooke City, Montana, is open to automobile traffic throughout the year. All roads in the Park are generally open from June through late October, depending upon weather conditions and/or road construction projects. Roads in the park in addition … Read more

Shoulder Seasons: Best for Mild Weather and Fewer Crowds The months just before and after the peak summer season are often considered the sweet spot: ☀️ Summer: Best for Accessibility and Warmest Weather ❄️ Winter: Best for Solitude and Unique Views