Directions to Yellowstone National Park

Winter scene in Yellowstone

Winter scene in Yellowstone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Directions to Yellowstone National Park depend largely on where your starting point is, but there is something else which is very important for you to consider before you set off on your journey, the weather. The weather around Yellowstone National Park is very unpredictable and can change in the blink of an eye, be prepared for everything the weather can throw at you, particularly during the winter time. For more information on plowed roads and snow related problems you should call (307) 344-2117. Right, now that’s been sorted out, let’s look at where Yellowstone National Park actually is, and how you can get there.

 

 Map of Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park – North Entrance – this is the only entrance to Yellowstone National Park which is open for wheeled vehicles throughout the whole year. Between November and April it provides the only access for Cooke City, MT, because US Hwy 212 which is east of Cooke City is closed for those months. The road which runs from Norris and Mammoth is only open for wheeled vehicles between the 3rd Friday of April and the 1st Sunday of November, although tracked oversnow vehicles have access from the 3rd Monday in December until the first Monday in March. The closest airline service to the Yellowstone National Park North Entrance is at Bozeman, MT.

Yellowstone National Park – West Entrance – the West entrance is adjacent to West Yellowstone, MT, and is open for wheeled vehicles from the 3rd Friday of April until the 1st Sunday in November, although tracked snow vehicles can have access between the 3rd Monday in December and the Monday in the 2nd week of March. The closest airline to the Yellowstone National Park West Entrance is at West Yellowstone, MT, Bozeman, MT, Salt Lake City, UT or Idaho Falls, ID.

They seemed to find plenty of animals on their visit!

Yellowstone National Park – South & East Entrances – these entrances are open to wheeled vehicles from the 2nd Friday in May through to the 1st Sunday of November, but tracked oversnow vehicles can have access from the 3rd Monday in December through to the Monday in the 2nd full week of March. There are limited services available close to the south and east entrances to Yellowstone National Park. The closest airline service is to Jackson, WY or Cody, WY for the east entrance.

Yellowstone National Park – Northeast Entrance – this is close to the gateway communities of Cooke City, MT and Silver Gate. Wheeled vehicle access is open all year, although on the roads east of Cooke City access does vary depending on the weather. The Beartooth Highway opens from the end of May/early June (depending on the weather) through until around the middle of October, but even when the Beartooth Highway is open, it may be closed due to storms. The closest airline service to the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone National Park is Billings, MT.

 

Yellowstone wolf running in snow in Crystal Cr...

Yellowstone wolf running in snow in Crystal Creek pen (Original text: A newly released and collared wolf in Yellowstone National Park crashes through the snow.) http://www.montanapbs.org/Terra/episode101/pressroom/ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yellowstone National Park by Air

I’ve already shared this information with you once, but I am a generous soul so will share it with you again, maybe a little more clearly this time. There are commercial airline services to the following airports, close to Yellowstone National Park, all year;

  • Jackson and Cody, WY
  • Billings and Bozeman, MT
  • Idaho Falls, ID
  • There is also an air service to The West Yellowstone, MT, from early June through to early September from Salt Lake City, UT.

Yellowstone National Park by Bus

There is a bus service available all year from Bozeman, MT to West Yellowstone, MT along Highway 191. Some other bus services are limited to the summer months, like the direct service from Idaho to West Yellowstone, although commercial transportation is available in both the summer and the winter season from Bozeman, MT to Gardiner, MT. There is also commercial transportation in the summer months from Cody and Jackson, WY.

Yellowstone National Park by Train

The closest train stations to Yellowstone National Park are at southeast Idaho, Salt Lake City, UT and northern Montana.

More glorious footage of the fantastic Yellowstone National Park.