From Park Lookout
Park guides
Our own plain-language guides to seasons, closures and planning, written by Park Lookout. Every fact in a guide comes from an official source, mostly nps.gov, the NPS Data API, the National Weather Service and Recreation.gov, and each guide lists its sources and the date we last checked them. Looking for official announcements instead? See park news, which links to NPS news releases.
Winter road closures in the national parks: what's posted for 2026
Yellowstone's roads close Nov. 1. Glacier and Rocky Mountain have already shut their high roads. Here's what the parks have posted so far, and how to check before you go.
Visiting Mammoth Cave this fall and winter: what's open
Cave tours run every day but Christmas, but the tour list gets shorter, two campgrounds close Dec. 1 and the Green River Ferry is out of service for now.
Big South Fork and Cumberland Gap: Kentucky's other big national park sites
Two free-entry parks in southeastern Kentucky, with a coal-town outdoor museum, a three-state overlook and winter camping options. Here's what's open as the season turns.
How to check if a national park is open before you drive
A five-minute routine using official sources: the park's alerts, its conditions page, the weather forecast, your tickets, and the park's own road line.
Best hikes and photo spots at Mammoth Cave, Big South Fork and Cumberland Gap
Overlooks, waterfalls, arches and a three-state summit in Kentucky's three big national park sites, with the trail lengths and closures NPS has posted.