Yellowstone trip planner: seasons and road closures, regions, itineraries and wildlife safety

Yellowstone had 4,762,988 recreation visits in 2025. The NPS says the drive between entrances "takes several hours." Planning a trip here comes down to geography: you pick which part of the Grand Loop to see each day and where to sleep, and you watch the calendar, because most of the park's roads close to cars for the winter. Everything below comes from National Park Service pages, checked on Oct. 26, 2026. They're listed at the end.

Seasons and roads decide your trip

• Peak (about late May to September): all roads are usually open by Memorial Day weekend, if the weather cooperates. Every campground is open by mid-June. July is the warmest month, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms and sometimes wildfire smoke.
• Fall (September and October): campgrounds and lake boating start closing. Elk rut at Mammoth Hot Springs and Grant Village, and bears come down to roadside meadows. Dunraven Pass, between Canyon and Tower Fall, was projected to close Oct. 12. The Beartooth Highway outside the Northeast Entrance is closed for the season.
• 2026 closing dates: the NPS projects Oct. 31 for most roads to regular vehicles. That includes the West, South and East entrance roads and the routes to Old Faithful, Norris, Canyon and the lake. Dates depend on the weather. Roads that stay open aren't gated at night.
• Winter (Dec. 15, 2026, to mid-March 2027): groomed roads open only to commercially guided snowmobiles and snowcoaches. The North-to-Northeast road stays open to cars for Mammoth and Lamar Valley.
• Spring 2026, for reference: the West Entrance to Old Faithful and Canyon opened April 17. The East and South entrance roads opened May 1 and May 8. Dunraven Pass opened May 22.
• Services: the NPS says few facilities are open year-round, and services are limited from early November through late April. Mammoth Hot Springs has the most services open all year.

Live road status: the NPS road map, recorded line (307) 344-2117, or text 82190 to 888-777 for road alerts. The NPS warns that GPS apps may not show current closures.

Getting there and getting around

• Five entrances: North (Gardiner, Mont.), Northeast (Cooke City, Mont.), East (toward Cody, Wyo.), South (from Grand Teton) and West (West Yellowstone, Mont.).
• Airports with year-round flights: Bozeman and Billings, Mont.; Cody and Jackson, Wyo.; and Idaho Falls, Idaho. West Yellowstone's airport has flights from Salt Lake City from early May to mid-October.
• You'll need a car or a tour. There's no public transportation in the park, so you'll need a vehicle or a commercial tour. Buses run from Bozeman to West Yellowstone all year.
• Fuel: gas stations at Canyon, Fishing Bridge, Grant Village, Mammoth, Old Faithful and Tower Junction take credit cards 24 hours a day, all year.
• Cell service is "extremely limited." Towers at Mammoth, West Yellowstone, Old Faithful, Grant, Lake Village and Mount Washburn cover most developed areas. Download the NPS App and offline maps before you go.
• Delays: road construction delays are common in season; current ones are listed in the alerts on our Yellowstone page.

Which region, for what

• Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin: Old Faithful is one of six geysers rangers predict. You can get the next predicted eruption at the visitor center, at the lodges and in the NPS App. The NPS says predictions aren't available when the visitor center is closed, usually early November to mid-December and mid-March to mid-April. More than 150 hydrothermal features sit within one square mile, and Black Sand Basin is a short drive or walk away.
• Midway Geyser Basin: Grand Prismatic Spring, the park's largest hot spring, is 370 feet across. Next to it is Excelsior Geyser Crater, which pours more than 4,000 gallons a minute into the Firehole River.
• Norris Geyser Basin: the hottest, oldest and most changeable thermal area in the park. Porcelain Basin is a ¾-mile loop of boardwalk and bare ground. Back Basin is more wooded. Nearby are Roaring Mountain's fumaroles and the 84-foot Gibbon Falls.
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (Canyon Village): the 109-foot Upper Falls and the 308-foot Lower Falls. North Rim Drive leads to Brink of the Lower Falls, Lookout, Grand View and Inspiration points. South Rim Drive leads to the Upper Falls Viewpoints and Artist Point. Allow 1 to 2 hours.
• Hayden Valley: between Canyon and the lake. The NPS calls it one of the best places to see wildlife: bison, coyotes and waterfowl, and in spring and early summer, grizzlies hunting newborn calves.
• Lamar Valley (northeast): summer range for bison and elk, which draws wolves and grizzlies. Its road is open to cars all year.
• Mammoth Hot Springs (north): travertine terraces that change daily, plus historic Fort Yellowstone and the Albright Visitor Center. Elk are common here.
• Yellowstone Lake and West Thumb: West Thumb Geyser Basin is a 30- to 60-minute lakeshore boardwalk. Storm Point is a 1- to 2-hour walk to the lakeshore, where you can watch for marmots.

Sample itineraries

Drive times add up quickly. The NPS puts Old Faithful and the canyon about 50 miles apart, and summer traffic stops for wildlife.

One day (from the West Entrance)

• Start early for the Firehole River corridor: Midway Geyser Basin for Grand Prismatic, then the Upper Geyser Basin. Check the predicted time for Old Faithful and walk the boardwalks until the eruption.
• In the afternoon, drive north to Norris for Porcelain Basin. If you have time left, continue to Canyon Village for Artist Point and Brink of the Lower Falls.

Two days

• Day 1: Old Faithful, Midway and Norris, as above.
• Day 2: the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone at both rims, then Hayden Valley, slowly, with binoculars. Finish at Yellowstone Lake (Storm Point or West Thumb).

Three to four days

• Add Mammoth and the northern range: Mammoth's terraces, Undine Falls, and the half-mile walk to Wraith Falls. Then drive to Lamar Valley at first light for wildlife.
• Add a longer hike: Mount Washburn (10,219 feet, open when Dunraven Pass is) or Ribbon Lake (3 to 4 hours, from the Upper Falls Viewpoints lot).

Late fall or winter by car

• Drive only the North-to-Northeast road: Mammoth, Blacktail Plateau and Lamar Valley. In winter, the interior is open only by guided snowcoach or snowmobile.

Wildlife: the rules that keep people alive

• Stay at least 100 yards (91 m) from bears, wolves and cougars, and 25 yards (23 m) from everything else, bison and elk included. The NPS says the safest view is often from inside your car. A telephoto lens of 300mm or more is recommended.
• If an animal moves closer to you, the NPS says to back away so you keep a safe distance.
• Bear country is everywhere, including the boardwalks and parking lots at Old Faithful.
• Carry bear spray where you can reach it fast, one can per person.
• Hike in groups of three or more. Since 1970, 91% of people hurt by bears were alone or with one partner.
• Make noise, stay on trails, and avoid dawn, dusk and night.
• If you find a carcass, leave by the way you came and report it.
• Bear spray: you can buy it in park stores, or rent it from the Bear Aware kiosks at the Canyon Visitor Education Center and the Old Faithful area. You can't fly with it. It can explode above 120°F, so don't leave it in a hot car.
• Never feed any animal, even birds or squirrels. Never leave food or coolers unattended. The NPS notes that ravens can open zippers.

Hot springs and geyser basins

• More than 20 people have died from burns in Yellowstone's hot springs. The ground can be a thin crust over scalding water, and even runoff can burn.
• Stay on boardwalks and marked trails, and don't let kids run on boardwalks. Swimming or soaking in any water that's entirely thermal is illegal. Never throw anything into a feature.
• Toxic gases can build up in some basins. Leave right away if you feel sick.

Where to stay and eat

• There are nine lodging areas in the park, run by Yellowstone National Park Lodges (book online or call 307-344-7311). The NPS says they fill quickly, so book "as early as possible." Mammoth has most services open year-round, except for a short closure in March and April.
• The park has 11 campgrounds and more than 2,000 sites. All must be reserved, except Mammoth Campground, which is first-come, first-served from Oct. 15 to April 1. Fishing Bridge RV Park is the only campground with hookups, and it takes hard-sided RVs only. Pebble Creek is closed until further notice for flood recovery.
• Outside the park, there's more lodging in the entrance towns, such as Gardiner at the North Entrance and West Yellowstone at the West Entrance.

Accessibility

• The NPS App lists current accessibility details for facilities and some trails. It includes audio-described self-guided tours of Fort Yellowstone and the Forces of the Northern Range.
• The films at the Canyon, Old Faithful and Grant visitor centers are captioned. Canyon and Old Faithful also have assistive listening devices and audio-described films.
• At the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, there's designated accessible parking on both rims and at every overlook, and parts of the North Rim Trail are accessible.
• Many buildings are historic and not fully accessible. Check the NPS accessibility page for each area before you go.

Pets

• Pets must stay within 100 feet of roads, parking areas and campgrounds, on a leash no longer than 6 feet, or in a car or crate.
• Pets are banned from boardwalks, trails, the backcountry and thermal areas, even if you carry them or put them in a stroller.
• There are no kennels in the park. Kennels are available in nearby towns.

Ranger programs and kids

• Ranger programs usually run from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The NPS App has self-guided tours that work all year.
• Rangers at the visitor centers, including Old Faithful and Albright, hand out Junior Ranger and Young Scientist booklets.

What to pack

• Layers and rain gear. Snow is possible at high elevations from spring through fall. The park sits at 6,000 feet or higher, and winter air dries you out.
• Bear spray in a holster, plus binoculars or a long lens.
• Offline maps and the NPS App with offline content, a full tank of gas, and food for long drives between villages.
• For backcountry trips, river-crossing sandals and trekking poles. The NPS warns that streams that are safe in the morning can be unsafe by the afternoon.

Common mistakes

• Trusting GPS for road status in shoulder seasons.
• Trying to "do" the whole loop in one day.
• Walking up to bison or elk for a photo.
• Stepping off the boardwalk, or bringing a dog onto one.
• Arriving at Old Faithful in the off-season, expecting posted eruption predictions.
• Carrying bear spray in a backpack, where you can't reach it.

We're an independent site, not the National Park Service. Conditions change fast, so confirm on nps.gov before you go.