If you're planning to visit Yellowstone National Park in the coming days, you better hurry. On Monday all roads through the park's interior will be closed to wheeled vehicles. With the winter season scheduled to get under way December 15, the closing of the roads should allow -- if the snow gods are generous -- enough snow to cover them so the winter season can begin on schedule.
In other words, as of 8 a.m. Monday you won't be able to drive from West Yellowstone or Cody or Mammoth or the South Entrance to Old Faithful, Canyon, Lake, or West Thumb. You will, however, be able to drive from Mammoth to Tower Junction and on to Cooke City, as that road is always kept open in winter.
Already, the road over Dunraven Pass between Canyon Junction and Tower Fall has closed for the season. And 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 Yellowstone General Store, clinic, campground, and Albright Visitor Center in Mammoth Hot Springs are open all year.
Comments
It used to be Yellowstone and most other parks could virtually go to sleep in the winter. Not anymore.
The last couple of years there hasn't been much snow until Thanksgiving. I wish the Park Service would consider keeping these roads open another week or two. I was hiking yesterday in Pelican Valley and there wasn't more than a heavy dusting with many clear areas. At Canyon, way less than a foot. Roads clear everywhere. What a shame. I understand budgets and planning, etc., but I can dream!
I agree with the above posts - keep it open longer. We are spending three days at Jackson Hole, and drove to Yellowstone via the West Entrance this morning. The road from Old Faithful to West Thumb was already shut down, meaning you could only drive to Old Faithful or go back to the South Entrance and start over. Really disappointed that we missed out on Canyon and Mammoth, when there seems to be no real reason for the road to be closed.