2024 Road Info for Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park has five entrances: North, Northeast, East, South and West. The Park’s North Entrance in Gardiner is open year-round and is about 45 minutes from Livingston, Montana where Tierra Traveler’s van rental outfit is based. In the winter months, visitors can access Mammoth, Tower-Roosevelt Junction, the Lamar Valley and Cooke City / Silver Gate for xc skiing, wolf watching and steamy, bubbling thermal pots.
Yellowstone’s Five Points of Entry
Read on below for essential opening and closing dates for the park’s primary roadways. Stay informed and always check the road conditions on the park’s website before heading out on your adventure.
2024 Winter Closing Dates
Roads will close to oversnow travel by snowmobile and snowcoach at 9pm on the following dates:
March 3rd: Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris
March 5th: Norris to Madison and Norris to Canyon Village, Canyon Village to Washburn Hot Springs Overlook
March 10th: Canyon Village to Fishing Bridge
March 15th: All remaining groomed roads close
2024 Spring Opening Dates
Roads will open at 8am on the following dates (conditions permitting):
April 19th: West Entrance to Madison Junction, Madison to Old Faithful, Madison to Norris, Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris, and Norris to Canyon Village
May 3rd: East Entrance to Lake Village (Sylvan Pass), Canyon Village to Lake Village
May 10th: South Entrance to West Thumb, West Thumb to Old Faithful (Craig Pass), West Thumb to Lake Village, Tower-Roosevelt Junction to Tower Fall
May 24th: Canyon Village to Tower Fall (Dunraven Pass). Dunraven is a high elevation pass that generally experiences winter weather earlier than other roads in the park, thus the closing date is subject to change.
TBD: Beartooth Highway (US-212), Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296)*
Park roads will close for the 2024 Season on October 31st.
*Scroll to the bottom for more info on roads outside of the park’s Northeast Entrance (Silver Gate / Cooke City).
Roads Beyond the Northeast Entrance
Be sure to check local road conditions in the areas where you plan on traveling — Montana DOT and Wyoming DOT. Travel east of Cooke City, Montana, on US-212 to Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296) is possible until early November, weather dependent.
Beartooth Highway
US-212, Cooke City to Red Lodge, Montana
Opens the Friday of Memorial Day weekend to mid-October.
Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
WY-296, Cooke City, Montana, to Cody, Wyoming, or Laurel, Montana
Open year-round to from WY-120 to Pilot Creek Parking Lot (4 miles toward Cooke City from the junction of WY-296/US-212). In winter, 9 miles of road are closed to wheeled vehicles (oversnow travel only) from Cooke City to Pilot Creek. This segment of road is open to wheeled vehicles mid-May through early November. Please check local road conditions at Wyoming DOT.
Chief Joseph Scenic Byway between Cookie City, Montana and Cody, Wyoming
For a convenient travel experience, consider renting one of our sprinter camper vans for your Yellowstone road trip. Our vans are equipped with all the essential cooking, sleeping and camping equipment our guests might need during their stay.
