Yellowstone Insider Your Complete Guide to America's First National Park
The final services have ended and the 2019 summer season is in the books, as most of Yellowstone National Park closes for the season, as the transition to the winter season begins.
The West, South and East gates in Yellowstone are now closed for the season, as well as most of the Park roads. There is still a portion of Yellowstone still open: The road between the North and Northeast Entrance, serving Mammoth Hot Springs, the Lamar Valley, Silver Gate and Cooke City, is open year-round, as is the Albright Visitor Center (open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily).
Yellowstone National Park will be pretty quiet until Dec. 15, when Mammoth Hotel, Mammoth Gift Shop, Mammoth Map Room, Mammoth Ski Shop. Old Faithful Visitor Center and Snow Lodge Geyser Grill Fast Food/Bear Den Gift Shop opens. Old Faithful Snow Lodge Rooms, Cabins and Restaurant opens Dec. 16. You’ll be able to drive to Mammoth, but you’ll need to arrange snowcoach or snowmobile transport there on your own. Winter is one of our favorite times to visit Yellowstone: we’ll be prepping a winter guide to Yellowstone in the near future.
If you’re counting the days until the summer 2020 season, mark April 17 on your calendar, when the West Entrance to Madison Junction, Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful, and Norris to Canyon Village sections of the Grand Loop Road open. You can view the 2019-2020 schedule here.
Image of first snow of the season on October 1 by Jacob Frank, courtesy National Park Service.
