Yellowstone National Park Closed due to Flooding. Evacuations Underway.

[Midwest Michael]

All of Yellowstone National Park is currently closed due to historic and widespread flooding. Evacuations are underway as much of the parks' infrastructure has been compromised, with many roads and bridges washed out, buildings damaged or destroyed, power lines down and the wells/water systems contaminated. Nearby towns, especially on the North edge of the park, like Gardiner and Cooke City are also effectively cut off and surrounded by flood waters.

The park will remain closed for at least the next few days, but the damage is extensive, especially in the northern half of the park. Anyone trying to visit Yellowstone in 2022 and possibly even 2023 will likely need to make adjustments to their plans. Park officials have already stated they expect the northern loop to be closed for a substantial amount of time.

[AZBuck]

Your best bet for the status of Yellowstone National Park over the next few days is the park's own website.

AZbuck

[Midwest Michael]

The latest update from the National Parks Service confirms that they do not expect roads the northern portion of Yellowstone National Park to reopen this year. Many of the roads are just gone and will have to be completely rebuilt.

Evacuations are ongoing, and all people staying at Lodges and Campgrounds inside the park are being required to leave.

The small bit of good news is that park officials say it appears the southern half of the park saw less damage, but they will still need until at least next weekend to evaluate and ensure that visitors can safely return to those areas.

Even when the southern portion of the park does reopen, there will likely be a reservation system put in place to limit the number of visitors and prevent the park from being overwhelmed by crowds.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Here is the map as of today:



Mark

[Midwest Michael]

The map Mark posted is correct, however, it doesn't take effect until 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 22, 2022. The park will remain closed until then.

When the park does reopen, there will be a new entry restriction called the Alternating License Plate System (ALPS) that is based on License Plate number. Cars will only be allowed into the park based on the last number of the license - Odd numbers on Odd days, even numbers on even days.

So for example, if your License Plate is 123-ABC, you will not be allowed to enter the park on June 22nd, because it is an even day, and the last number of your license plate (3) is an odd number.

License plates with no numbers will be treated as odd numbers. Motorcycles entering as a group will be allowed in on even days.

Visitors who have overnight reservations at a campground or lodge will still be allowed into the park irregardless of their license plate number, however that is just about the only exception to the odd/even rule for tourists. People attempted to enter Yellowstone if their plate doesn't match will be turned away by park rangers.

The License Plate system will be in place for at least 3-4 weeks. Park officials determined it was the easiest option to implement to quickly reopen the southern half of the park, while still managing the flow of guests. They are planning to review the effectiveness of this policy and in the coming weeks may make changes, or possibly institute a timed-entry/reservation system, similar to policies that have recently be implemented at other National Parks, like Yosemite and Rocky Mountain.

More details on ALPS and other park restrictions in place as Yellowstone continues to recover from the historic flooding can be found here.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Yes, my mistake on the timing of the map release.

We received a notice from the Wyoming Office of Tourism. Here is part of it:

WYOMING ROAD CONDITIONS:
Nearly all Wyoming roadways remain open, while only sections of Wyoming’s highways near Yellowstone have been temporarily closed. Visitors are encouraged to visit wyoroad.info to stay up-to-date on the latest road conditions.

SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES TO EXPLORE:
Wyoming gateway cities to the park and other towns and attractions around Wyoming remain open and unimpacted. There are countless experiences throughout the Cowboy State, here are a few to consider:
• Northeast and Northwest Wyoming: The communities of Cody, Powell, Lovell, Thermopolis, Greybull, Sheridan, and Gillette are brimming with historical sites and western accommodations, including the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Wyoming Dinosaur Center, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Bighorn National Forest and much more.
• Cody: Located 65 miles from the east entrance of Yellowstone, Buffalo Bill’s Cody is helping visitors rebook lodging by calling 307-586-1574 or 307-586-1571.
• Southwest Wyoming: The communities of Jackson, Dubois, Pinedale, Rock Springs, and Evanston provide abundant wildlife and outdoor recreation opportunities, including Grand Teton National Park, Shoshone National Forest, Fremont Lake, and Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. In Dubois, visit the recently opened National Museum of Military Vehicles.
• Central Wyoming: The communities of Lander, Riverton, Casper, and Rawlins offers some of the best culinary delights and cultural experiences in the state, including the Wind River Hotel and Casino, world-class fly-fishing on the North Platte River, Sinks Canyon State Park, and the Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum.
• Southeast Wyoming: The communities of Cheyenne, Laramie, Saratoga, Torrington, and Douglas are where history leads to adventure, with sites including natural hot springs, Oregon Trail Ruts, Vedauwoo National Recreation Area, Terry Bison Ranch, and much more.

Wyoming State Parks: Wyoming State Parks offer an abundance of outdoor recreation and camping opportunities across the state, including hiking, biking, fishing, paddle boarding, and much more. For a full list of state parks and to make a reservation, visit wyoparks.wyo.gov.

Wyoming Wonder Map: Explore one place to easily map out Wyoming adventures. With a few taps, visitors can populate this interactive map with the attractions, hiking trails, camping sites, and more. Find more at travelwyoming.com/map.

For more information on Wyoming’s attractions, outdoor spaces, and communities, visit TravelWyoming.com. WOT will continue to update its travel resources and advisory here as new information develops throughout the coming days and weeks.

Visitors are encouraged to stay up to date by visiting Yellowstone National Park’s alerts page frequently and signing up to receive Yellowstone road alerts by texting ‘82190’ to 888-777 or call 307-344-2117 for recorded information.

[Mark Sedenquist]

The good news is that as of July 2nd:
UPDATE: Yellowstone National Park to reopen north loop July 2 and suspend Alternating License Plate System, 93% of roadways will be open More updates on road closures here.

Reservations for hotel and camping is back online.

Roadtrippers planning to visit Yellowstone can receive current information by texting ‘82190’ to 888-777 or call 307-344-2117 for recorded information.

• 93 percent of all roads are open to visitor vehicular traffic, including the main park roads (upper and lower loop). All roads from Wyoming into the Park are open.
o Roads that remain closed include Mammoth Hot Springs to North Entrance and Tower-Roosevelt Junction to Northeast Entrance (both in Montana)
• Three entrances are currently open, including the East Entrance from Cody, Wyo.; South Entrance from Jackson, Wyo.; and West Entrance from West Yellowstone, Mont.
o The North and Northeast entrances from Mont. remain closed at this time.
• The primary natural features and highlights that make Yellowstone special – including wildlife, geyers, hot springs and scenery – remain available to the public.