Yellowstone Trip Planning FYI

[airestudiosmt]

This is just an FYI for those of you planning a trip to Yellowstone over the next few years. The park will be starting some substantial road/bridge replacement projects this year. A few of the projects are scheduled to last a few years - the park's website has the project areas and timelines listed. Delay time during the height of the season could be long. Throw in a buffalo and/or bear jam and you could be in your vehicle a long time. Use the restroom facilities whenever you can and pack extra food and drinks.

With the snowpack being low in the park this year, they have started to plow the roads. Maybe an early opening of the roads.

 

[MorganP]

It's like that every year the construction never stops.

 

[bleirer]

"Pavement ends" and they mean it every year.

 

[MartyD]

Thanks for pointing that out. I will be in Yellowstone in early June.

The Canyon to Tower-Roosevelt section of the Grand Loop Road will re-open the end of May this year. That stretch of road has been closed for the last two years and made navigating the park much more difficult. It will be nice to have that stretch of road open again.

The Yellowstone River bridge project on the Roosevelt to North East Entrance Road will be an interesting project to watch if you have ever been over that bridge. This is one I would check the construction schedule/road closure times and try to make the journey to/from the Lamar Valley before as early as possible and pay attention to overnight closure schedule. There is no easy way to get from the Lamar Valley back into any area of Yellowstone if you can't cross that bridge. Update...they have not announced any overnight closures for the project and it won't start until the fall fo 2022 but it will last until the fall of 2025.

The Lewis River bridge on the south end of the park is another area to be certain to check the construction schedule. The South Entrance is the only easy way from Grand Teton NP into Yellowstone. Update...they have announced occational night closures so check for udates.

 

[RikWriter]

The Yellowstone River bridge delay will be a pain, but I tend to get past that area before work would start and come back after it would be done for the day. The main concern I have is the Lewis River bridge construction because they're actually going to close the road until 9AM, which means if I go out the South entrance, I have to make sure it's after 9AM.