Last Weekend To Drive To Old Faithful And Canyon Until Spring

Roads into the interior of Yellowstone National Park close to automobile traffic at eight o’clock Monday morning, November second. After that date, there will be no auto travel to places like Old Faithful, Canyon, and Fishing Bridge until the deep winter snowpack is cleared from the roads in the spring.

This seasonal closure allows the park to make preparations to reopen for snowmobile and snowcoach travel beginning December 15, 2009.

The road over Dunraven Pass between Canyon Junction and Tower Fall has already closed for the season. The road through Gibbon Canyon linking Norris and Madison has been closed since August 17 due to major road construction.

Outside the park, US Highway 212 is closed east of Cooke City, ending travel for the season over the Beartooth Highway to Red Lodge and over the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway to Cody.

The road from Gardiner, Montana through Mammoth Hot Springs on to Cooke City is open to wheeled vehicle travel all year. This provides access to a wide range of recreational opportunities including wildlife viewing, fall hiking, and cross country skiing, and snowshoeing in the winter.

Visitors planning to take a fall or winter automobile trip into the park need to have flexible travel plans and be prepared for changing winter weather conditions, which can temporarily close some park roads at any time. Snow tires or tire chains may be required. Recorded information on road conditions is available 24 hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.

The Yellowstone General Store, clinic, campground, and Albright Visitor Center in Mammoth Hot Springs are open all year.

All communities near and on the way to Yellowstone are open all year, with local businesses offering a wide range of fall and winter recreation opportunities depending on the weather, including hiking, fishing, hunting, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. Information on fall and winter lodging, camping, services, and activities near the park in the Montana communities of Gardiner, West Yellowstone, and Cooke City, is available by contacting their respective Chambers of Commerce or from Travel Montana at 800-847-4868 or http://visitmt.com/. Information on visiting the Wyoming communities of Cody and Jackson this fall and winter is available from their Chambers or Commerce, or by contacting Wyoming Travel and Tourism at 800-225-5996 or http://www.wyomingtourism.org.

Xanterra Parks &Resorts provides lodging, food service, and guided winter recreation opportunities inside Yellowstone National Park. Details are available online at htp://www.travelyellowstone.com or by calling 866-GEYSERLAND.