Yellowstone keeps Old Faithful trail closed

Yellowstone National Park is still keeping a swath of trails and backcountry terrain closed near Old Faithful after a grizzly encounter earlier this month injured two hikers. The National Park Service said in a May 22 update that temporary trail, backcountry campsite and fishing closures remained in effect northwest of the Old Faithful area as the investigation continued. Park officials have not announced a reopening date. Geyser basin boardwalk areas remain open, according to Yellowstone. ### Which part of Yellowstone is still closed? The National Park Service said the closure covers trails, backcountry campsites and fishing areas in the western part of the park near Biscuit Basin. Yellowstone’s alerts page says the restrictions were first posted on May 4 and remain in place “until further notice” while officials investigate a bear-caused human injury. Yellowstone’s May 22 release said the affected area is northwest of Old Faithful. The park’s backcountry conditions page directs visitors to review its map and area condition details before traveling, and says the map includes current closures, restrictions and hazards. ### What happened on May 4? Yellowstone said two male hikers, ages 15 and 28, were injured on the afternoon of May 4 on the Mystic Falls Trail near Old Faithful. (nps.gov) Emergency responders, including law enforcement, emergency medical personnel and interagency partners, provided aid and transported both hikers from the area by helicopter, the park said. Park staff said evidence collected so far indicates a female grizzly bear with two or three cubs-of-the-year was involved in the encounter. (nps.gov) Yellowstone said the incident remains under investigation and that it had no further details to share. ### Has Yellowstone reopened anything? Yellowstone said on May 22 that it had lifted several closures near Old Faithful while keeping others in place. The park’s release was headlined as an update lifting several trail, backcountry campsite and fishing closures, but it also said temporary closures remained in effect as the investigation continued. (nps.gov) The same release said there were no known visitors within the closed backcountry areas and warned that entering closed areas could put both visitors and responders at risk. (nps.gov) Geyser basin boardwalk areas remain open, the park said. ### Why is the closure still listed on Yellowstone’s site? Yellowstone’s current conditions page still carries an active park-closure alert dated May 4 for “some trails, backcountry campsites, and fishing areas.” The alert says the closure is in place to allow for an investigation following a bear-caused human injury. (nps.gov) The park’s bear management page also displays the same active closure notice. Yellowstone says its bear management program is designed to protect natural grizzly and black bear populations while allowing visitors to use park resources safely. (nps.gov) ### What should visitors watch next? Yellowstone said visitors should follow all posted closures and check current conditions and backcountry updates before heading into the area. (nps.gov) The park has not published a reopening date for the remaining closed trails, campsites or fishing areas as of May 23. The next public updates are likely to appear on Yellowstone’s current conditions page, backcountry conditions page or in additional news releases from Yellowstone Public Affairs. (nps.gov) Those pages still showed the closure active on May 23. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)