YELLOWSTONE – As part of the spring opening ritual, Yellowstone National Park officials will begin opening entrances and roads to the public on April 18, the National Park Service announced in a press release Thursday.
But until that time, the public can ride bicycles along a 49-mile section of Yellowstone National Park roads between the West Entrance at West Yellowstone, Montana, and the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana.
Bicycling through Yellowstone before the park opens for public vehicle travel is a unique way to experience Yellowstone without the crowds and experience the park’s gradual transition from winter to spring, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported.
Although Yellowstone is open all year, most of the entrances and roads close during the winter, when the park is covered in snow and only accessible by snowcoach tour, snowmobile, skis or snowshoes.
Normally, only the road between Yellowstone’s North Entrance at Gardiner, and the Northeast Entrance near Cooke City, Montana, are open all year to vehicles.
But with the arrival of spring – weather permitting – Yellowstone crews will open the West Entrance located at West Yellowstone to the public on April 18.
Beginning that day, the public will be able to use either the North Entrance or the West Entrance to drive to several of Yellowstone’s features and landmarks, including Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, the Lamar Valley, Norris Geyser Basin and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Yellowstone officials said.
‘Hardly anybody there’: How to bicycle through Yellowstone National Park without cars
In celebration of National Park Week, all Yellowstone entrance fees will be waived April 19, the National Park Service said.
Additional roads and entrances will open as weather allows in May, park officials said.
Many services in Yellowstone National Park are not yet available for the summer season. Park officials encouraged everyone planning to visit the park to first check the online park roads and current conditions listing. Visitors should be prepared for sudden snow and extremely cold weather and know that many trails and boardwalks are still covered in snow.
Visitors who plan to bicycle through Yellowstone before the park opens should take additional cold weather precautions, ride single file on the right-hand side of the road, pack in and pack out all food and trash and be prepared to navigate in and out of the park on their own without access to any cell phone service or park amenities.
Additional information about bicycling in Yellowstone is available online.
Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America’s first national park. Most of Yellowstone is located in Wyoming, with portions extending into Montana. A small, 50-square-mile slice of Yellowstone that is not accessible by car is situated in Idaho.
Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.