Roads

Current Road Status

  • Most park roads have closed for the season. The road from the North Entrance (Gardiner) to the Northeast Entrance (Cooke City) is open year- round but may close temporarily due to inclement weather and other reasons. Consult map below or call (307) 344-2117 for up-to-date information.
  • Open roads are not gated at night: people may enter/exit the park 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Check our webcams to see current traffic conditions at the North and West entrances.
  • Check road conditions in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Grand Teton National Park before traveling.
  • Chief Joseph Scenic Highway (US-296): open for the season.
  • Beartooth Highway (US-212): closed for the season.

2018 Spring Opening Dates

Conditions permitting, roads will open at 8:00 am on the following dates:

  • April 20: West Entrance to Madison, Mammoth to Old Faithful, Norris to Canyon.
  • May 4: East Entrance to Lake (Sylvan Pass), Canyon Junction to Lake.
  • May 11: South Entrance to West Thumb, Lake to West Thumb, West Thumb to Old Faithful (Craig Pass), Tower Junction to Tower Fall.
  • May 25: Tower Fall to Canyon Junction (Dunraven Pass)
  • May 25: Beartooth Highway

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.

All Dates are Subject to Change

  • Call 307-344-2117 or check locally for road updates.

2018 Construction

Norris to Mammoth (Roaring Mountain to Apollinaris Spring area)

  • 2018 season: expect 30-minute delays beginning April 20, 2018 (excluding holiday weekends*). Norris and Indian Creek campgrounds will not be affected by this work.
  • June 1 to October 8: additional nightly closures from 10 pm to 7 am (excluding Saturday nights and holiday weekends*).

Canyon Village Area
2018 season: some destinations unavailable as part of the Canyon Overlooks and Trails Restoration Project.

Fishing Bridge to Indian Pond (East Entrance Road)

  • 2018 season: expect delays along the East Entrance Road between Fishing Bridge and Indian Pond (excluding holiday weekends*).
  • October 15 to November 5: full closure of Fishing Bridge over the Yellowstone River. East Entrance Road will remain open to the point of construction on the east side of the bridge. However, people needing to travel through Yellowstone to Cody, Wyoming and beyond will need to use the Northeast Entrance during this closure.

*Holidays include Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekends.

 

2018 Fall Closing Dates

  • October 9: Tower Fall to Canyon (Dunraven Pass), Beartooth Highway (US 212 to Red Lodge, Montana).
  • October 15: full closure of Fishing Bridge over the Yellowstone River. East Entrance Road will remain open as far as Sedge Bay.However, people needing to travel through Yellowstone to Cody, Wyoming and beyond will need to use the Northeast Entrance during this closure.
  • November 5: All roads close at 8 am except the road between the North Entrance and the Northeast Entrance.

2018-2019 Winter Opening Dates

Conditions permitting, roads will open to oversnow travel by snowmobile and snowcoach at 8 am on the following dates:

  • December 15: West Entrance to Old Faithful, Mammoth to Old Faithful, Canyon to Norris, Canyon to Lake, Old Faithful to West Thumb, South Entrance to Lake, Lake to Lake Butte Overlook.
  • December 22: East Entrance to Lake Butte Overlook (Sylvan Pass)

Spring Plowing


If you’ve ever wondered why it takes us so long to transition from oversnow travel to wheeled vehicles, grab a front row seat to the park’s plowing operations and watch the spring plowing video.
Plowing park roads is a monumental challenge each year. Unpredictable spring snow storms or other events can slow plowing progress. It is not uncommon for plowing crews to re-plow sections of roads when weather events happen. Each spring, road crews clear snow and ice from 198 miles from main roads, 124 miles from secondary roads and 125 acres of parking lots inside the park as well as 31 miles of the Beartooth Highway outside the park’s Northeast Entrance to prepare for the summer season.

We recommend that visitors check the following resources before traveling:

Related Yellowstone Net Pages