An historic route into Yellowstone is serving park visitors again.
Yellowstone National Park’s North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, and the road between the North Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs known as the Old Gardiner Road is finally open to regular visitor traffic.
Drivers should keep in mind that steep grades and sharp curves exist and speed limits range between 15-25 mph.
Oversized vehicles and vehicles with trailers must use caution in curves to maintain lanes.
After opening, the road it will continue to be an active construction zone with work crews and heavy equipment.
Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said he was pleased to be reopening the North Entrance and reconnecting Yellowstone to Gardiner, Montana.
He thanked the Federal Highway Administration and HK Contractors for getting the road built in just four months.
Access between Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs has been limited since the historic flooding in June.
Crews turned the 1880’s era single-lane dirt road into two lanes, paving and striping the entire 4 miles, and installing over 5,000 feet of guardrail for traffic safety.
They expanded road widths, created new pullouts,
and built a new ¼ -mile approach road into Mammoth Hot Springs to avoid a steep 15% grade on the original road.
Visitors are reminded that nearly all other roads in the park will be closed November 1st. Yellowstone 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.
Stay informed about up-to-date road conditions in Yellowstone on their website (https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm), or receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777 .
You can also call (307) 344-2117 for a recorded message.
