Do I need reservations to enter Yellowstone?

Reservations are not required to enter Yellowstone. While there has been talk of limiting access to Yellowstone, as it is limited to Yosemite at times in the summer, Yellowstone is still open to all comers, While you do not need reservations to enter the park, it is a good idea to make lodging or campground reservations before you arive. Top

Unfortunately, most of the park is closed in November and March. Only the road from Gardiner Montana through Mammoth and on to Silver Gate and Cooke City Montana is open all year to wheeled vehicles. (In the winter the road beyond Cooke City is closed.) The other roads in the park close the first week of November and don't start reopening until mid-April and early-May. Between mid-December and mid-March, snow vehicles are allowed in the park. Between the time that the roads close and the snow vehicles are allowed access in the Fall and vice-versa in the Spring the central portions of the park are closed. At these times, your only access is from Gardiner to Cooke City. Although there are some great wildlife viewing possibilities along this road, you will not be able to see the major attractions. Top

This depends on your interests. Late May and Early June is a good time to go to see the large animals and their new born young. Unfortunately, the weather can be bad, most backcountry trails are still snow covered and some park services have yet to open for the season. September is probably my favorite time to go to the park. the crowds are much smaller than in the summer, the weather is usually nice, the backcountry trails are open and dry (the mosquitoes are dead), the park services are still open and the wildlife is moving down from the mountains and into the areas near the roads. Even better the animals are in peak breeding form. Top

The crowds are the worst from about the last week of June through the third week of August. At this time expect slow traffic and a lot of people. Try to do your driving in the morning and evening when the roads are less congested and when you will have a better chance of seeing wildlife. Interestingly, the summer crowds are the worst on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday and are somewhat smaller on Saturday and Sunday. In the Spring and Fall the crowds are largest on the weekends. April and October crowds are almost nonexistent but the weather can be bad. Late May, early June and September have crowds but they are much smaller than the summer crowds. Also, the weather can be nice during these months. Memorial Day weekend (the last weekend of May) crowds can be as bad as those in late July. Top

Yes, but you and your dog may not like the restrictions. Dogs are allowed on the roads in the parking lots and in the campgrounds but they must be restrained at all times. In other words they must be locked in your vehicle or on a leash. Dogs are not allowed where wildlife is present, on any backcountry trail, on any boardwalk or in any thermal area. I have seen too many wild animals disturbed by dogs and too many pictures of dead dogs in hot pools to take the restrictions lightly. Consider leaving your dog at home or finding a kennel in one of the gateway communities. Yellowstone is not a place for dogs. Top

The restrictions, listed in the answer above above, apply to all pets. Top

YES! In fact, I recommend it. Over 80% of the campsites in Yellowstone take reservations. A reservation will allow you to arrive at the campground at your leisure instead of having to get there in the morning and hope that someone will vacate a campsite so you can take it over. Top

If you want to stay in the park, yes. Outside the park in the gateway communities you may or may not need reservations. In West Yellowstone I have always been able to find a vacancy in the morning for that night but you may not want to take the risks that I do. Top

That depends on when you are planning to travel to the park and where you want to stay. AmFac Parks and Resorts, the concessionaire that runs the park lodging (through Yellowstone National Park Lodges), will take reservations up to a year in advance. For the really busy times and popular locations I find that sometime around the first of the year is soon enough. If I don't care where in the park I stay, then I can wait until a few months before my trip. When the time of my trip gets close, I can sometimes call and find a cancelation but that only seems to work about half the time. Top

The closest airport to Yellowstone with commercial flights is at West Yellowstone. Small commuter planes fly into West Yellowstone in the Summer. This is an expensive option. Not only is the commuter flight expensive but renting a car can also be expensive. Jackson Hole has the nearest airport with year around jet service. Jackson is a resort town and the airline and rental car prices reflect this. Other airports to consider include, Billings MT, Bozeman MT and Pocatello ID. Probably the least expensive option is to fly into Salt Lake City and rent a car there. It is a six hour drive from Salt Lake to Yellowstone but the roads are good and most of the distance is along the Interstate. You can also vary your route to take you through the Grand Tetons on your way to Yellowstone. Salt Lake City is a large city and a main airline hub so you should be able to get good rates on the airline tickets and the car rental. Top

There is no point to point bus service in the park. Various park concessionaires do provide bus tours of the park but these do not allow you to decide when to get off and on. Of the various tour operators, I recommend Yellowstone National Park Lodges, not because I particularly like them but because their tour guides seem to be the most knowledgeable and lead the best tours. Top

The simple answer to that is that most of it will be under snow. Most of the backcountry is usually closed due to snow until at least mid-June, although, the northern areas of the park especially along the Yellowstone River do open up earlier. Another problem once the snow melts are impassable steam fords. Talk to a ranger about the stream conditions before you start. Personally, I like August and September best for the backcountry. The weather is nice, the streams are fordable and the bugs are tolerable. Early in the season, the mosquitoes and deer flies can be ferocious in the backcountry. Top

You do not need a permit if you only plan to day hike into the backcountry but you do need a permit if you plan to camp. Top

Yellowstone has recently started taking reservations for some backcountry campsites. Top

Comments and Questions are Welcome.

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