Yellowstone’s East Entrance Open For 24-Hour Travel

Beginning Sunday, May 22, Yellowstone National Park’s East Entrance road through Sylvan Pass will be open between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.

Park avalanche forecasters extended the opening times based on a continuing trend of more stable snow conditions in Sylvan Pass. They have determined that the safest travel window across the pass is during the evening and early morning hours. Forecasting staff are closely monitoring weather, snowpack, moisture and all of the complex factors that go into determining the safety of the road for public travel.

During the closure periods, the section of road between the East Entrance and a point just west of Lake Butte will be closed.

The road has been operating on a limited schedule Since May 11 due to unstable snow conditions and avalanche activity in Sylvan Pass. There have been no significant slides over the road in recent days.

A limited travel window schedule is expected to remain in place until enough snow melts along and above the pass to eliminate the avalanche hazard to those traveling on the East Entrance road.

Changing weather conditions such as rain or warmer temperatures may result in conditions which may prompt changes to this schedule or may result in temporary, ‘round-the-clock closures. Travelers are encouraged to check the park’s 24-hour Road Report Hotline at 307-344-2117 for the latest updates.

Visitors may also travel between Yellowstone National Park and the community of Cody, Wyoming, through the park’s Northeast Entrance at Cooke City, Montana over US-212 to WY-296 to WY-120, which is open, weather permitting, 24 hours a day.

The latest forecasting by Yellowstone National Park snow experts indicates the snow pack above Sylvan Pass has stabilized, significantly reducing the risk of further avalanches this season.

As of 8:00 p.m. Sunday evening, June 5, the road between the park’s East Entrance and Fishing Bridge Junction over Sylvan Pass is open to travel 24-hours a day, subject to temporary closures due to weather.

This road section opened for the season as scheduled on Friday morning, May 6. However, unstable snow conditions and repeated avalanches across the road through Sylvan Pass resulted in a temporary closure of the road between May 11 and May 18, and limited travel over the road between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. from May 18 through June 5.

Sunny and warmer weekend weather were expected to soften a thick layer of ice uncovered last week as crews cleared the road between Tower Fall over Dunraven Pass to Canyon Village. This road is expected to open to travel for the summer early this week.

Plow crews also resumed work clearing snow from the last few miles of US-212, the Beartooth Highway. After clearing snowfall which has accumulated last week, they will finish opening the road between West Summit and the Montana-Wyoming State Line. Weather conditions permitting, this should allow the entire length of road between Red Lodge and Cooke City, Montana, to open to travelers by next weekend.

Information on park road conditions is available 24 hours a day by calling the park’s road information hotline at 307-344-2117.