THE GOVERNMENT NEWS DESKPERMANENT NPS STORY ARCHIVE
Organized by publication date and destination. Each story retains its permanent State & Nation address and official NPS source.
The National Park Service (NPS) signed a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and associated Wetlands/Floodplains Statement of Findings (SOF) to reconstruct the North Entrance Road between Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, and Gardiner, Montana, in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 856,467 recreation visits in August 2026, down 3% from August 2025 (881,936 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
The Department of the Interior today announced that Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cameron “Cam” Sholly will conclude nearly three decades of federal service and almost eight years leading America’s first national park.
Official NPS source
Effective Friday, Sept. 4, the remaining fishing restrictions on the Firehole, Madison and Gibbon (downstream of Norris Campground) rivers and all associated tributaries will be lifted due to cooling weather and water temperatures. Anglers will be able to fish these rivers, in addition to most other park rivers, streams and lakes, daily from sunrise to sunset as specified in the 2026 Fishing Regulations booklet.
Official NPS source
Beginning Aug. 31, Yellowstone National Park will temporarily close Buffalo Creek, a tributary of Slough Creek in the northern part of the park, for treatment to remove invasive fish as part of ongoing conservation efforts to preserve native species. It will reopen to the public on Sept. 7.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 958,706 recreation visits in July 2026, down 2% from July 2025 (975,109 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
Beginning Saturday, Aug. 1, people may apply to the 2026-2027 winter lottery for permits to snowmobile in Yellowstone National Park without a commercial guide.
Official NPS source
The parkwide fire danger level for Yellowstone is now HIGH.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 903,025 recreation visits in June 2026, down 3% from June 2025 (928,250 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
Yellowstone has lifted the remaining temporary trail, backcountry campsite and fishing closures near Old Faithful that were put in place after a May 4 bear incident in which two hikers were injured by an adult female grizzly bear with cubs.
Official NPS source
A 12-year-old visitor was injured by a bison in Yellowstone National Park on June 26 at approximately 9:15 a.m.
Official NPS source
If you plan to visit Yellowstone National Park this Fourth of July, plan ahead to protect yourself and this wild and awe-inspiring place. Summer is the busiest time in the park, so please pack your patience. Expect crowds at popular areas and lines at entrance stations, construction areas, and roadside wildlife sightings.
Official NPS source
On the morning of June 8, occupants of a vessel on Yellowstone Lake discovered the body of a 41-year-old male, Brandon Rhea of Denver, Colorado, floating in the water near Rock Point on the northwest shore of the lake near Bridge Bay.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 570,272 recreation visits in May 2026, up 1% from May 2025 (566,363 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
The Beartooth Highway (US-212) from Red Lodge to Cooke City, Montana, is now open for the season.
Official NPS source
This summer, visitors to Yellowstone National Park are being urged to plan ahead – both to stay safe and to help protect one of America’s most iconic wild landscapes.
Official NPS source
As part of ongoing monitoring efforts to document recovery of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with Yellowstone National Park, is working to inform the public that pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within Yellowstone National Park. Agency biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin the field captures May 1 and continue through Oct. 15.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone entrances and roads scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Friday, April 17 will instead open at noon due to a significant winter storm with heavy snow, low temperatures and strong winds.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park reminds boaters and anglers to clean, drain and dry all boats, trailers and equipment prior to arriving in the park to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into park waters. In 2026, boating season begins May 23 and extends through Oct. 31.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park welcomed 4,762,988 recreation visits in 2025.
Official NPS source
On March 9, Yellowstone biologists working in the northern part of the park reported seeing the first grizzly bear of the spring season. The bear was observed in the backcountry scavenging on a bull bison carcass.
Official NPS source
Starting this year, Yellowstone National Park will extend the fishing season on three rivers in the park.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is seeking public input on an environmental assessment (EA) for the reconstruction of the new permanent North Entrance Road in Yellowstone National Park. Goals for the new road alignment include continuing to provide year-round access between Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana, improving the road’s safety, and ensuring long-term visitor access while protecting natural and cultural resources.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park’s winter season begins Monday, Dec. 15.
Official NPS sourceThe parkwide fire danger level for Yellowstone is now HIGH and Stage 1 fire restrictions that went into effect August 12 have been lifted.
Official NPS source
On the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 16, a male, age 29, sustained injuries from a bear while hiking on the Turbid Lake Trail, located northeast of Mary Bay in Yellowstone Lake.
Official NPS source
Effective immediately, select rivers and streams that were partially closed to fishing due to warm water temperatures and low flows are now open without restrictions. There are currently no temperature-related restrictions in place parkwide.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 881,936 recreation visits in August 2025, up 2% from August 2024 (868,259 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
As part of ongoing monitoring efforts to document recovery of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with Yellowstone National Park, is working to inform the public that pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within Yellowstone National Park. Agency biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin the field captures Sept. 1 and continue through Oct. 15.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 975,109 recreation visits in July 2025, down 2% from July 2024 (992,352 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
Stage 1 fire restrictions will go into effect Aug. 12 in Yellowstone National Park due to the VERY HIGH fire danger level.
Official NPS source
On the afternoon of July 30, Yellowstone helitack crews detected the Ash Fire in the Bechler area located in the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
On Monday morning, July 28, a 17-year-old male suffered significant thermal burns to his foot and ankle area in the vicinity of Lone Star Geyser near Old Faithful.
Official NPS source
Beginning Friday, Aug. 1, people may apply to the 2025-2026 winter lottery for permits to snowmobile in Yellowstone National Park without a commercial guide. Authorized in 2013, the Non-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program allows permit holders to enter the park for up to three days with a group of up to five snowmobilers.
Official NPS source
At approximately 5 p.m. July 11, Yellowstone National Park staff lethally removed an adult female black bear following a series of concerning incidents at a backcountry campsite located in the Blacktail Deer Creek drainage in the northern part of the park.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 928,250 recreation visits in June 2025, up 1% from June 2024 (914,612 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
Leave fireworks at home – it's wildfire season! If you will visit Yellowstone National Park this Fourth of July, plan ahead to protect yourself and this wild and awe-inspiring place. Summer is the busiest time in the park, so please pack your patience. Expect crowds at popular areas and lines at entrance stations, construction areas, and roadside wildlife sightings. Follow our tips enjoy your visit and protect the park for generations to come.
Official NPS source
Effective Thursday, June 19, 2025, select Yellowstone National Park rivers and streams will close to fishing daily from 2 p.m. to sunrise the following day due to warm water temperatures and low river flows.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 566,363 recreation visits in May 2025, up 8% from May 2024 (522,450 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
On June 10, a 30-year-old man from Randolph, New Jersey, was injured by a bison in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
On Monday May 26, the first confirmed wildland fire of the season in Yellowstone National Park was detected by hikers on the Bighorn Pass Trail.
Official NPS source
If you plan to travel to Yellowstone National Park this summer, plan ahead to protect yourself and this wild and awe-inspiring place.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park staff trapped and killed an 11-year-old male grizzly bear on May 14 after the bear repeatedly sought out human food sources in developed areas of the park.
Official NPS sourceOn May 4, 2025, a 47-year-old man from Cape Coral, Florida, was injured by a bison in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
Beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, April 18, 2025, select entrances and roads in Yellowstone National Park will open for the summer season, weather permitting, as part of the annual spring opening.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park’s winter season begins Sunday, Dec. 15. Annually from mid-December until mid-March, visitors can travel most of the park’s roads from the West, South, East and North entrances by approved commercially guided snowmobiles and snowcoaches and via the non-commercially guided snowmobile access program.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 346,025 recreation visits in October 2024. This is a 16% increase from October 2023 (299,127 recreational visits). This October’s visitation showed a 9% increase from October 2021 (316,662 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
The National Park Service, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, seeks public comment on a proposal to significantly improve 27 miles of the Northeast Entrance Road between Tower Junction and Yellowstone National Park’s Northeast Entrance.
Official NPS source
The last day for visitors to drive most of Yellowstone National Park’s roads will be Thursday, Oct. 31. The West, South and East entrances and nearly all roads will be closed to regular vehicle traffic Nov. 1. The park annually closes roads at this time of year to prepare them for the winter season and snowmobile and snowcoach travel, which will begin Dec. 15.
Official NPS source
Crews finished repairs to the boardwalks ahead of schedule, and Artists Paintpots are now open.
Official NPS source
The last day for visitors to drive the Beartooth Highway (US-212) between Red Lodge, Montana, and Yellowstone National Park’s Northeast Entrance near Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana, is Monday, Oct. 14.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 852,435 recreation visits in September 2024. This is a 2% increase from September 2023 (838,458 recreational visits). This September’s visitation showed an 3% decrease from September 2021 (882,078 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
After 11 days of searching, Yellowstone National Park will scale back efforts to locate Austin King in the vicinity of Eagle Peak and transition from a rescue to recovery today, Oct. 2.
Official NPS sourceAs part of the National Park Service’s established protocol regarding officer-involved shootings, Yellowstone National Park has released body worn camera footage from a July 4, 2024, officer-involved shooting at Canyon Village.
Official NPS source
On Monday afternoon, Sept. 16, 2024, a 60-year-old woman visiting Yellowstone National Park from Windsor, New Hampshire, reportedly suffered second and third-degree burns to her lower leg while walking in a thermal area near Mallard Lake Trailhead at Old Faithful.
Official NPS source
Effective immediately, the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park is now open to fly fishing from sunrise to sunset. The park has lifted the partial fishing closure on this river and its associated tributaries due to cooler water temperatures.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 871,163 recreation visits in August 2024, up 3% from August 2023 (846,389 recreation visits). This August’s visitation showed an 5% decrease from August 2021 (921,844 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
A new National Park Service report shows that 4.5 million visitors to Yellowstone National Park in 2023 spent $623 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 8,560 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $828 million.
Official NPS source
The elk mating season, commonly referred to as the rut, has begun in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 992,352 recreation visits in July 2024, up 2% from July 2023 (969,692 recreation visits). This July’s visitation showed an 8% decrease from July 2021 (1,080,767 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
The parkwide fire danger level for Yellowstone is now VERY HIGH, and Stage 1 fire restrictions will go into effect Saturday, July 27.
Official NPS source
This is an update on the hydrothermal explosion that occurred just before 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, in Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
Today, July 24, the National Park Service (NPS) announced a decision about the future management of bison at Yellowstone National Park. The Record of Decision, a culmination of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and National Environmental Policy Act process that began in 2022, will allow the NPS to manage bison based on new scientific information and circumstances that have changed since the previous EIS, completed in 2000.
Official NPS source
Beginning Thursday, Aug. 1, people may apply to the 2024-2025 winter lottery for permits to snowmobile in Yellowstone National Park without a commercial guide. Authorized in 2013, the Non-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program allows permit-holders to enter the park for up to three days with a group of up to five snowmobilers.
Official NPS source
The park hosted 914,612 recreation visits in June 2024, up 8% from June 2023 (847,864 recreation visits). This June’s visitation showed a 3% decrease from June 2021 (938,845 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
On Thursday, July 11 at about 10:40 a.m. a car with five occupants inadvertently drove off the roadway and into the Semi-Centennial Geyser thermal feature near Roaring Mountain between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Junction in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
Effective Monday, July 15, 2024, select Yellowstone National Park rivers will close to fishing due to warm water temperatures and low river flows. This closure will protect the park’s native and wild trout fisheries and remain in effect until conditions improve
Official NPS sourceThe parkwide fire danger level for Yellowstone is now HIGH.
Official NPS sourceOn the morning of July 4, Yellowstone National Park law enforcement rangers confronted an individual shooting a semi-automatic rifle toward a dining facility at Canyon Village located in the central part of the park. The shooter has been identified by the Park County, Wyoming coroner as Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner, 28, of Milton, Florida. Fussner died after an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement. The investigation into this incident, including the actions of the National Park Service (NPS) law enforcement rangers, is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and will be reviewed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.
Official NPS source
"Voices of Yellowstone: First Peoples Celebration" will take place Aug. 4-10, 2024, in Gardiner, Montana. This week-long event, hosted by Yellowstone Forever in partnership with Yellowstone National Park and in collaboration with the Pretty Shield Foundation, Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, and Gardiner Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, aims to honor and celebrate the diverse cultures of the Indigenous Peoples of Yellowstone—past, present, and future.
Official NPS source
At this time, Yellowstone National Park can confirm, based on multiple creditable sightings, that a white bison calf was born in Lamar Valley on June 4, 2024.
Official NPS source
If you will visit Yellowstone National Park this Fourth of July, plan ahead to protect yourself and this wild and awe-inspiring place. Follow the top things to know to enjoy your visit and protect the park for generations to come!
Official NPS source
The park hosted 522,450 recreation visits in May 2024, up 15% from May 2023 (454,262 recreation visits). This May’s visitation showed a 10% increase from May 2021 (473,799 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration today announced a $22 million grant to the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service to modernize and reconstruct a 0.7-mile segment of the Norris to Golden Gate roadway in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
Viktor Pyshniuk, 21 of Lynwood, Washington, was sentenced to seven days in jail for thermal trespass at Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). In addition, he was placed on two years of unsupervised release and received a two-year ban from YNP for a closure violation. The court also ordered Pyshniuk to pay a $1,500 fine, $30 mandatory court processing fee and $20 special assessment.
Official NPS source
The parkwide fire danger level for Yellowstone is now MODERATE.
Official NPS sourceOn June 9, the first confirmed wildland fire of the season in Yellowstone National Park was detected by a motorist driving on Highway 191, located on the west side of the park.
Official NPS source
Today, June 6, the National Park Service (NPS) released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for a Bison Management Plan at Yellowstone National Park. The FEIS presents a broad range of actions for managing bison inside the park. This plan allows the NPS to manage bison based on new scientific information and changed circumstances, explore ways to increase the transfer of bison to American Indian Tribes, and continue working closely with Tribal Nations and agency partners in management.
Official NPS source
On June 1, a bison gored an 83-year-old woman from Greenville, South Carolina, near the Storm Point Trail at Yellowstone Lake.
Official NPS source
The Beartooth Highway (US-212) from Red Lodge to Cooke City, Montana, is now open.
Official NPS source
Weather-permitting, the Beartooth Highway (US-212), located east of the park’s Northeast Entrance between Red Lodge, Montana, and Cooke City, Montana, is projected to open in its entirety Saturday, June 1. Currently, the highway is partially open for 19 miles from Red Lodge, Montana, to Vista Point.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park is honored to host for a third year Yellowstone Revealed, a collaborative effort with Mountain Time Arts. The theme for this year’s experience is How the Land Remembers Us: Tribal Tipi Lodge and Buffalo Stories.
Official NPS source
If you plan to travel to Yellowstone National Park this summer, plan ahead to protect yourself and this wild and awe-inspiring place. Within the park’s 2.2 million acres, visitors have unparalleled opportunities to observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, explore geothermal areas that contain half the world’s active geysers and view geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.
Official NPS source
The opening of the Beartooth Highway (US-212), located east of the park’s Northeast Entrance between Red Lodge, Montana, and Cooke City, Montana, is delayed. The highway was scheduled to open on Friday, May 24, but will remain closed through the weekend due to winter weather conditions, significant snowfall and hazardous driving conditions.
Official NPS sourceDue to current and anticipated winter weather conditions and significant snowfall, some roads in Yellowstone National Park are, or will be, temporarily closed due to hazardous driving conditions.
Official NPS source
On Sept. 3-5, 2024, the 16th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem will take place in Big Sky, Montana. This year’s conference will focus on advancing conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Sponsored by Yellowstone Forever, the conference will highlight scientific study in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the efforts of the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC).
Official NPS source
On Monday, May 20, 2024, the Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center opens to the public for the season. Located in the Old Faithful area, the Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center is a space where Indigenous artists, scholars and presenters from the 27 associated Tribes of Yellowstone National Park directly engage with visitors through demonstrations and discussions. Now in its third year, the center is a partnership between the National Park Service and Yellowstone Forever, with Tribal consultation.
Official NPS source
Elk calving season has begun in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
The road from Canyon Village to Tower Fall (Dunraven Pass) opens today, May 16, to public motor vehicle traffic.
Official NPS source
Weather-permitting, the following roads in Yellowstone National Park will open 8 a.m. Friday, May 10 to public motor vehicle traffic: South Entrance to West Thumb; West Thumb to Old Faithful (Craig Pass); West Thumb to Lake Village; Tower-Roosevelt to Tower Fall.
Official NPS source
Weather-permitting, the road from the East Entrance (near Cody, Wyoming) to Lake Village (via Sylvan Pass and Fishing Bridge Junction), and Canyon Village to Lake Village, will open Friday, May 3 at 8 a.m. to public motor vehicle traffic.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park will implement new measures to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into park waters. The restrictions include a 30-day mandatory dry time for sailboats and some types of motorized boats before entering park waters and the prohibition of watercraft previously fouled by mussels regardless of dry time.
Official NPS source
A 40-year-old male, Clarence Yoder, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, approached a bison too closely (within 25 yards) on the afternoon of April 21, 2024, and was injured by the bison.
Official NPS source
As part of ongoing grizzly bear and black bear research and management efforts and as required under the Endangered Species Act to monitor the population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with the National Park Service, is working to inform the public that scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
There will be two major road improvement projects in Yellowstone National Park in 2024. The Lewis River Bridge and Yellowstone River Bridge projects will cause traffic delays. It’s important that visitors plan accordingly for these delays located along the park’s southern and northern road corridors.
Official NPS source
Beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, April 19, 2024, select roads in Yellowstone National Park will open to the public, weather permitting. Roads begin to open annually this time of year for the summer season.
Official NPS sourceBeginning Nov. 1, 2024, Yellowstone National Park will expand fishing access by allowing for year-round fishing opportunities at two locations in the park.
Official NPS source
Beginning Tuesday, April 2, bicyclists willing to brave the unpredictable weather of spring in Yellowstone National Park can ride 49 miles between the West Entrance in West Yellowstone, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs.
Official NPS source
American Forests has recognized Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly as its 2023 Forest Resilience Champion Award recipient.
Official NPS source
Pierce Brosnan, 70, of Malibu, California, was fined $500, and required to pay a $1,000 community service payment to the Yellowstone Forever Geological Fund, a $30 court processing fee, and a $10 special assessment. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on March 14, in Mammoth, Wyoming.
Official NPS sourceTo protect bears and increase visitor safety, Yellowstone National Park will create a new bear management area (BMA) in Hayden Valley, which will prohibit off-trail travel July 15-Sept. 15. The park also decommissioned an existing BMA in the Firehole River area. Additionally, skiers observed the first grizzly bear of 2024 on March 3.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park seeks public comment on proposed measures to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into park waters. The proposals include a 30-day mandatory dry time for some types of motorized boats and sailboats before entering park waters and the prohibition of watercraft previously fouled by mussels regardless of dry time.
Official NPS source
The National Park Foundation (NPF) and National Park Service (NPS) today announced a $40 million gift to expand and improve NPS employee housing at Yellowstone, America’s first national park. The new investment made possible by donors who wish to remain anonymous will fund more than 70 new modular units to address the critical shortage of employee housing at the park.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park’s winter season wraps up early March as roads begin to close to snowmobile and snowcoach travel. By March 16, most visitor services and park roads will be closed including the South, West and East entrances. The park annually closes most roads at this time of year to prepare them for a spring opening for the public.
Official NPS source
On Feb. 22, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million recreation visits in 2023, an increase of 13 million or 4% over 2022. Yellowstone National Park hosted 4,501,382 recreation visits in 2023, up 37% over 2022 (3,290,242 recreation visits). Lower visitation numbers in 2022 were likely due to an historic flood event that closed the park from June 13 through June 21. Three entrances opened June 22 and two remained closed until October.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is considering construction of a new permanent North Entrance Road in Yellowstone National Park. Goals for the new road include providing year-round access between Gardiner, Montana, and Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana, natural hazard resiliency and the protection of natural and cultural resources.
Official NPS source
During the week of Feb. 5, the National Park Service (NPS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) moved 116 Yellowstone National Park bison to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Poplar, Montana. The Bison Conservation Transfer Program continues to make history, having relocated the largest number of live Yellowstone bison to American Indian Tribes in the world.
Official NPS source
How would you like to work, learn, play, and grow in Yellowstone’s wonderland this summer? Yellowstone National Park is currently recruiting for the 2024 Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), a residential work-based education program for students between the ages of 15 and 18. Visit the YCC program webpage to apply. Completed application materials must be submitted by March 1, 2024.
Official NPS sourceYellowstone National Park’s winter season begins Friday, Dec. 15.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) recently confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the carcass of an adult mule deer buck found near Yellowstone Lake in the southeastern section of the park. This is the first confirmed positive detection of the disease in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 299,127 recreation visits in October 2023. This is a 26% increase from October 2022 (236,567 recreational visits). It is also a 75% increase from October 2019* (171,339 recreational visits) when several short-term, weather-related road closures likely impacted visitation.
Official NPS sourceTravel to and in Yellowstone National Park is not advised due to a significant winter storm.
Official NPS source
The West, South and East entrances and nearly all roads in Yellowstone National Park will be closed to regular vehicle traffic Nov. 1. The park annually closes roads at this time of year to prepare them for the winter season and snowmobile and snowcoach travel, which will begin Dec. 15. The last day for visitors to drive most park roads will be Tuesday, Oct. 31.
Official NPS source
ellowstone National Park hosted 838,458 recreation visits in September 2023. This is a 48% increase from September 2022 (567,587 recreational visits) and a 21% increase from September 2019* (693,118 recreational visits). So far in 2023, the park has hosted 4,161,602 recreation visits, up 38% from 2022 (3,005,194 recreation visits), and up 9% from 2019 (3,807,815 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
The Beartooth Highway (US-212) between Long Lake barricade, near Top of the World Store, and the Montana/Wyoming state line remains closed due to winter weather conditions.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS) and American Forests have signed a five-year agreement to help return threatened whitebark pine to its range in the western U.S. As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the partnership will support restoration activities in national parks where whitebark pine grows. Initial projects in Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton National Parks are part of $44 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate and conservation investment in history.
Official NPS source
Visitors to Yellowstone National Park should be aware that winter weather is expected in the park this evening, especially on high elevation passes. Weather can change quickly this time of year in the mountains. The weather forecast for Friday evening, Sept. 22 predicts 90% precipitation with possible 5-9 inches of snow accumulation on Sylvan Pass, located on the East Entrance Road.
Official NPS source
The Beartooth Highway (US-212) between Long Lake barricade, near Top of the World Store, and the Montana/Wyoming state line is closed due to winter weather conditions.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park released the draft Bison Management Environmental Impact Statement for public comment on Aug. 10. The public comment period, originally scheduled to close Sept. 25, has been extended by 15 additional days to allow the public a full 60 days to comment. All comments must be received by Oct.10, 2023.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 846,389 recreation visits in August 2023. This is a 45% increase from August 2022 (582,211 recreational visits) and a 3% increase from August 2019* (820,006 recreational visits).
Official NPS source
From 11 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11 to 4 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, the road between Tower Junction and Mammoth Hot Springs will close temporarily while crews extricate the final part of a cement truck.
Official NPS source
The elk mating season, commonly referred to as the rut, has begun in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
Flush toilets and running water are temporarily unavailable in the Madison area, located 14 miles east of the West Entrance, while teams repair the water system.
Official NPS source
Dan Stahler has been selected as the new leader of Yellowstone National Park’s Wolf Project. A 21-year veteran of the National Park Service (NPS), Stahler succeeds Doug Smith, who retired at the end of December 2022.
Official NPS source
A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 3.3 million visitors to Yellowstone in 2022* spent $452 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 6,234 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $600 million.
Official NPS source
Jason D. Wicks, age 49, of Hillman, Michigan, was arraigned in federal court on August 23, 2023, facing criminal charges of off-trail travel in a Yellowstone National Park thermal area and being under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the degree he was a danger to himself or others. Hillman pleaded not guilty to the charges. As part of the conditions for release, Hillman is banned from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks until these criminal charges are resolved. This incident remains under investigation. A trial date has not been set.
Official NPS source
As part of ongoing efforts required under the Endangered Species Act to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with the National Park Service, is working to inform the public that pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within Yellowstone National Park. Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin field captures on Aug. 28 and continue through Oct. 31. Capture operations can include a variety of activities, but all areas where work is being conducted will have primary access points marked with warning signs. It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park hosted 969,692 recreation visits in July 2023. This is a 63% increase from July 2022 (596,562 recreational visits) and a 4% increase from July 2019* (936,062 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
This year, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks received funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as part of a nationwide effort to restore natural habitats and address climate change impacts. In fiscal year 2023, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provided $52 million to the National Park Service to fund projects throughout the country related to ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs.
Official NPS sourceThe parkwide fire danger level in Yellowstone is now moderate.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park asks the public for comments on an Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes a proposal by Custer Gallatin National Forest and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks about native fish conservation.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park is honored to host for a second year Yellowstone Revealed, a collaborative effort with Mountain Time Arts. From Aug. 10-12 at Madison Junction, Yellowstone Revealed 2023 will present an interactive, self-guided experience that combines art and storytelling. The experience will take visitors on a thought-provoking Indigenous narrative journey about the shared past, present and future of teepee lodges sited where the Gibbon River joins the Firehole River to form the Madison River. Visitors to the park are invited to participate in this free experience.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park, in coordination with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and Custer Gallatin National Forest, will resume the Soda Butte Creek Native Fish Restoration Project near the Northeast Entrance Aug. 14-18 to remove newly discovered nonnative brook trout.
Official NPS source
A visitor to Yellowstone National Park spotted the remote Hitching Post Fire about 5.5 miles south of the park’s Northeast Entrance Road and .5 miles east of the Lamar River Trail in Lamar Valley. The fire was likely ignited by lightning on July 25.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park is honored to host for a second year the Lighting of Teepees, a collaborative effort with Pretty Shield Foundation and Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council. From Aug. 1-7, visitors to the park are invited to view the teepees at the Roosevelt Arch in Gardiner, Montana, and learn about the historic and continued presence of American Indian Tribes in the Yellowstone region.
Official NPS sourceBeginning Tuesday, Aug. 1, people may apply to the 2023-2024 winter lottery for permits to snowmobile in Yellowstone National Park without a commercial guide. Authorized in 2013, the Non-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program allows permit-holders to enter the park for up to three days with a group of up to five snowmobilers.
Official NPS sourceOn July 22, the first confirmed wildland fire of the season in Yellowstone National Park was detected by a visitor. The parkwide fire danger level for Yellowstone is now HIGH.
Official NPS source
The park hosted 847,864 recreation visits in June 2023. This is a 61% increase from June 2022, the month of the historic flood (525,363 recreational visits), and an 8% increase from June 2019* (781,853 recreation visits).
Official NPS source
On Wednesday, July 19, beginning at 6 a.m., West Thumb Geyser Basin in the southern part of Yellowstone National Park will close temporarily for road improvements.
Official NPS source
A 47-year-old female from Phoenix, Arizona, was gored by a bison near the Lake Lodge Cabins on the north shore of Lake Yellowstone the morning of July 17.
Official NPS source
On the evening of Saturday, May 13, Yellowstone law enforcement officers responded to an incident on Craig Pass, approximately 3 miles south of Old Faithful. Officers observed a single vehicle that had been driven into a snowbank, with a male standing outside. They located a deceased female inside the car.
Official NPS source
On Monday, July 3 in the early evening, a major windstorm and rain event impacted the southern portion of Yellowstone National Park, primarily in the Lake Village area.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park announced today the selection of Delaware North / DNC Parks and Resorts at Yellowstone, LLC as the concessioner for the new contract (CC-YELL002-24) to provide retail and food and beverage services in the park. This contract will be effective for 15 years from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2038.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park’s Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins will open July 1, 2023. The hotel closed immediately after the historic 2022 flood because of damage to the area’s wastewater system.
Official NPS source
The park hosted 454,929 recreation visits in May 2023. This is a 13% decrease from May 2022 (523,680 recreation visits), which was Yellowstone National Park’s busiest May on record. This May’s visitation showed a 5% increase from May 2019* (434,385 recreation visits).
Official NPS sourceThe parkwide fire danger level for Yellowstone is now MODERATE. Currently, there are no active wildland fires in the park.
Official NPS source
Portions of Yellowstone’s Northeast Entrance Road in Lamar Canyon (between Tower Junction and Lamar Valley) were successfully blasted on June 5, 7 and 8. Additional blasting / road closure windows will now occur on June 14, from 7-9 p.m., and June 21 and June 22 from 7-9 p.m.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone provides millions of visitors one of the greatest wildlife viewing displays in North America. In recent days, some actions by visitors have led to the endangerment of people and wildlife and resulted in the death of wildlife. The park calls on visitors to protect wildlife by understanding how their actions can negatively impact wildlife.
Official NPS source
Clifford Walters of Hawaii pleaded guilty to one count of feeding, touching, teasing, frightening, or intentionally disturbing wildlife on May 31, 2023 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick. Walters was charged a $500 fine, a $500 Community Service payment to Yellowstone Forever Wildlife Protection Fund, a $30 special assessment, and a $10 processing fee.
Official NPS source
A short section of Yellowstone National Park’s Northeast Entrance Road in Lamar Canyon (between Tower Junction and Lamar Valley) will temporarily close from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 5, 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15.
Official NPS source
If you plan to travel to Yellowstone National Park this summer, plan ahead to protect yourself and this wild and awe-inspiring place.
Official NPS source
Weather-permitting, the Beartooth Highway (US-212), located east of the park’s Northeast Entrance between Red Lodge, Montana, and Cooke City, Montana, will open Friday, May 26 at 8 a.m.
Official NPS source
Weather-permitting, the road from Canyon Village to Tower Fall (Dunraven Pass) will open Friday, May 26 at 8 a.m. to public motor vehicle traffic.
Official NPS source
Elk calving season has begun in Yellowstone National Park.
Official NPS source
On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, the Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center opens to the public for the season. Located in the Old Faithful area, the Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center is a space where Indigenous artists, scholars and presenters from the 27 associated Tribes of Yellowstone National Park directly engage with visitors through demonstrations and discussions.
Official NPS source
On the evening of Saturday, May 13, Yellowstone rangers responded to an incident on Craig Pass, approximately 3 miles south of Old Faithful.
Official NPS source
Weather-permitting, additional roads in Yellowstone National Park will open Friday, May 12 at 8 a.m. to public motor vehicle traffic.
Official NPS source
Boating and fishing season begins in Yellowstone National Park on Saturday, May 27 and ends Oct. 31. Boaters and anglers can protect Yellowstone’s waters by following clean, drain and dry guidelines to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Official NPS source
Weather-permitting, the road from the East Entrance near Cody, Wyoming, to Fishing Bridge Junction (Sylvan Pass), and Canyon Village to Lake Village, will open Friday, May 5 at 8 a.m. to public motor vehicle traffic.
Official NPS source
Beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, April 21, 2023, select roads in Yellowstone National Park will open to the public, weather permitting. Roads routinely open this time of year and remain open until Nov.1, when they close in preparation for the winter season.
Official NPS source
Yellowstone National Park’s Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel spring 2023 opening has been delayed until the wastewater treatment system in the area is completed and operational. Due to the heavy winter and difficult construction conditions, the new system will not be operational by April 28 as originally planned, the scheduled Mammoth Hotel opening date. The park is working closely with contractors to complete the project as quickly as possible.
Official NPS source
Beginning Friday, April 7, bicyclists willing to brave the unpredictable weather of spring in Yellowstone National Park can ride 49 miles between the West Entrance in West Yellowstone, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs.
Official NPS source
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced yesterday that three national parks will receive $123,572,000 in grants as part of the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program.
Official NPS source