Yellowstone's East Entrance Opens Friday

The East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park opens to automobile travel for the season at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 4.

With repairs completed on a section of road temporarily closed south of Canyon Junction, this allows all park visitors early spring access between the East Entrance, Fishing Bridge, and Canyon.

The road from the park's North and West Entrances to Madison, Canyon and Old Faithful opened as scheduled on April 20.

Roads from the Lake area and from Old Faithful south to West Thumb/Grant Village and the park's South Entrance are scheduled to open May 11.

The road from Gardiner, Montana, through the park's North Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs and Cooke City, Montana, is open to automobiles all year, weather permitting.

Earlier this week, crews from Yellowstone National Park began the spring clearing of US-212 east of Cooke City, Montana. The section of road linking the park's Northeast Entrance with WY-296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, is now open to auto travel. Plow crews from both the park and the Montana Department of Transportation are working to open the road from the junction of WY-296 over the Beartooth Pass to Red Lodge, Montana, by May 25.

Park crews are also making progress clearing snow from the road linking Canyon and Tower Fall over Dunraven Pass. It is also scheduled to open to travel on May 25.

Limited visitor services are available at this time of year, but some facilities are currently open at Old Faithful, Canyon, and Mammoth. For information on facility opening dates, please visit http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/open_closedates.htm.

Visitors should be aware that spring in Yellowstone is very unpredictable and often brings cold temperatures, high winds and falling snow. Even cleared sections of roads can be narrow and covered with a layer of snow, ice and debris. Drivers should use extreme caution as road clearing operations can be ongoing at any time throughout the park. In the case of extreme weather conditions, temporary road closures are also possible with little or no advance warning.

Updated Yellowstone National Park road information is available 24 hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.

For information on roads outside of the park from Cooke City over Colter Pass to the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, travelers in Wyoming may dial 511; those outside of Wyoming may call 1-888-996-7623, or visit the Wyoming Department of Transportation website at http://www.wyoroad.info/.

For information on the Beartooth Highway to Red Lodge, Montana, travelers in Montana may dial 511; those outside Montana may call 1-800-226-7623, or visit the Montana Department of Transportation website at http://mdt511.com/.