Yellowstone’s west entrance opens

Yellowstone will reopen its West Entrance to cars and other motorized traffic at 8 a.m. Friday, April 17, alongside the park’s North Entrance. (nps.gov) The April 17 opening also puts several west-side road segments back into service: West Entrance to Madison, Madison to Old Faithful, Madison to Norris, Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris, and Norris to Canyon Village. Visitors entering from West Yellowstone or Gardiner will be able to drive to Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley, Norris Geyser Basin, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the Northeast Entrance. (nps.gov) Yellowstone closes most roads to regular vehicles from early November to late April, then reopens them in stages as plowing and weather allow. The only road generally open year-round to regular vehicles is the route from the North Entrance at Gardiner to Cooke City through Tower Junction. (nps.gov) That makes the West Entrance reopening the first spring access point for travelers coming from West Yellowstone, Montana, and the park’s busiest geyser basin corridor. Yellowstone spans 2.2 million acres and contains about half the world’s active geysers, which is why routes to Old Faithful and Norris draw heavy early-season demand. (nps.gov; nps.gov) The opening does not mean full summer operations are in place. The National Park Service said many trails and boardwalks are still snow covered, services remain limited in spring, and temporary closures can happen at any time because of weather or dangerous driving conditions. (nps.gov) Park officials are also warning drivers to expect delays of up to 30 minutes from road improvement projects. They said ice, snow and gravel can still be on the pavement, and animals including bison, elk and bears often use the roads as travel corridors when snowbanks narrow their movement. (nps.gov) More roads are scheduled to open in May if conditions hold. Yellowstone’s current 2026 road plan lists the East Entrance to Fishing Bridge and Canyon Village to Bridge Bay for May 1, with the South Entrance and several southern interior roads set for May 8. (nps.gov) Facilities will lag behind the road openings. Yellowstone says few services operate year-round, and many summer facilities do not begin opening until late April, May or June, including campgrounds, lodges, stores and marinas in different parts of the park. (nps.gov) For Friday’s visitors, the practical message is simple: the west gate is back, but Yellowstone is still in shoulder season. The Park Service is telling travelers to check current road status before leaving, buy passes ahead of time to cut entrance waits, and keep flexible plans if spring weather shifts. (nps.gov; nps.gov)