# Yellowstone National Park this week

> Week of Nov 9–15, 2026 · WY · MT · ID · Winter shoulder season: only the North ↔ Northeast road is open to cars. Facts fetched Nov 12, 2026 from official NPS and NWS sources.

HTML version: https://parks.goes.health/parks/yellowstone/

Yellowstone closed its West, South and East entrances and nearly all roads to regular vehicles on Nov. 1. Until snowmobile and snowcoach season starts Dec. 15, the only way to drive into the park is the road between the North Entrance (Gardiner, MT) and the Northeast Entrance (Cooke City/Silver Gate, MT), through Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction and Lamar Valley. Sources: [News release: Most Yellowstone roads and entrances close Nov. 1, 2026 (Oct 21)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/26026.htm); [Yellowstone Park Roads (updated Nov 3, 2026)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm); [NPS Yellowstone alerts (NPS Data API, fetched Nov 12)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/conditions.htm)

## Entrances open this week

- [North Entrance](https://parks.goes.health/parks/yellowstone/north-entrance.md) (Gardiner, MT): **Open to cars (year-round road)**. The North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana is the only Yellowstone entrance open to wheeled vehicles all year, and right now it's one of only two ways to drive in. From here the road climbs to Mammoth Hot Springs and continues east through Tower Junction and Lamar Valley to the Northeast Entrance.
- [Northeast Entrance](https://parks.goes.health/parks/yellowstone/northeast-entrance.md) (Cooke City & Silver Gate, MT): **Open to cars, reached via Gardiner**. The Northeast Entrance near Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana sits at the far end of Yellowstone's only winter road. With the Beartooth Highway closed for the season, the way to Cooke City in winter is through the park from Gardiner and Lamar Valley.

## Closed or limited this week

- **West Entrance (West Yellowstone, MT).** Closed to cars Nov 1 – Dec 14 (shoulder season). Opens to commercially guided snowmobiles and snowcoaches Dec 15. Sources: [News release: Most Yellowstone roads and entrances close Nov. 1, 2026 (Oct 21)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/26026.htm); [NPS Data API (parks, operating hours, fees)](https://www.nps.gov/subjects/developer/api-documentation.htm)
- **South Entrance (from Grand Teton).** Closed to cars Nov 1 – Dec 14. Opens to oversnow travel Dec 15. Sources: [News release: Most Yellowstone roads and entrances close Nov. 1, 2026 (Oct 21)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/26026.htm); [NPS Data API (parks, operating hours, fees)](https://www.nps.gov/subjects/developer/api-documentation.htm)
- **East Entrance (from Cody, WY).** Closed to cars Nov 1 – Dec 14. Oversnow dates differ between NPS pages (Park Roads lists Dec 15; operating hours list Dec 22) — confirm before planning. Sources: [Yellowstone Park Roads (updated Nov 3, 2026)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm); [NPS Data API (parks, operating hours, fees)](https://www.nps.gov/subjects/developer/api-documentation.htm)

**Entrance fee:** Private vehicle $35. Non-US residents 16+ pay an additional $100 nonresident fee unless entering with an annual / America the Beautiful pass. Sources: [NPS Yellowstone fees & passes](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fees.htm); [NPS Data API (parks, operating hours, fees)](https://www.nps.gov/subjects/developer/api-documentation.htm)

## What matters in Yellowstone right now

- **Thermal areas (scald burns).** Burns from thermal features are a common cause of serious injury and death in Yellowstone. Ground that looks solid can be a thin crust over superheated water. Stay on boardwalks, keep kids close, and never touch runoff. More than 20 people have died after entering or falling into hot springs. Biscuit Basin (near Old Faithful) remains closed after the July 2024 hydrothermal explosion. Sources: [Yellowstone safety: thermal areas, wildlife, bears](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/safety.htm); [NPS Yellowstone alerts (NPS Data API, fetched Nov 12)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/conditions.htm)
  - In GOES: Offline interactive health assessment + 50+ visual how-to guides
- **Bears.** All of Yellowstone is grizzly and black bear country. Stay at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, carry bear spray where you can reach it, hike in groups of 3+, make noise, and avoid carcasses. Since 1970, 91% of people injured by bears in Yellowstone were hiking alone or with one partner. Sources: [Yellowstone safety: thermal areas, wildlife, bears](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/safety.htm)
  - In GOES: Wildlife Encounters: location-specific risk indicators for bears and other dangerous animals
- **Bison, elk and other wildlife.** Stay at least 25 yards from bison, elk and all other animals (100 yards from bears, wolves and cougars). The safest view is usually from inside your car. Sources: [Yellowstone safety: thermal areas, wildlife, bears](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/safety.htm)
  - In GOES: Wildlife Encounters: location-specific risk indicators for dangerous animals
- **Winter driving and cold.** NPS asks fall and winter drivers to watch the weather, keep plans flexible, expect limited services and closures without notice, pack blankets and cold-weather essentials, and keep a full tank. Sources: [News release: Most Yellowstone roads and entrances close Nov. 1, 2026 (Oct 21)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/26026.htm)
  - In GOES: Environmental Health: hypothermia and frostbite assessments

## Active Yellowstone NPS alerts

From the NPS Data API, fetched Nov 12, 2026. Live: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

- **[Park Closure] Most Park Roads Closed to All Vehicles.** Most roads are closed to prepare for commercially-guided snowcoach and snowmobile travel during the winter season, which will begin December 15 (weather depending). The road between the North and Northeast entrances is the only road open year-round to regular vehicles. (https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm)
- **[Information] Traffic Delays - Gardner River High Bridge.** Expect a single lane of traffic with up to 15-minute delays, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from April 1 through November 24, 2026. Oversized/overweight vehicles (8'6"+ wide, 75'+ long, 80,000 lbs+ gross vehicle weight) will not be able to cross the bridge during this time. (https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm)
- **[Park Closure] Biscuit Basin Closed Due to Hydrothermal Explosion.** The parking lot, boardwalk, and Firehole River at Biscuit Basin, located north of Old Faithful, is closed to all travel until further notice due to the possibility of another event at the site of a hydrothermal explosion that occurred July 23, 2024. (https://www.nps.gov/yell/images/Biscuit_Basin_Closure_Map_20250529_1.png)

Follow official NPS rules, posted closures and ranger instructions. They override anything on this page.

## Get the GOES app before the gate

**When signal drops, GOES steps in.** Grizzly and black bear country, thermal ground that can scald, bison and elk along the road, and a single winter road where you can't count on a signal. GOES keeps its injury assessment, how-to guides and prevention tips on your phone offline.

GOES — Outdoor Health & Safety is your outdoor safety companion: an offline interactive health assessment, 50+ visual how-to guides, 200+ prevention tips across 60+ medical topics, and location-specific risk indicators (wildlife, cold, heat, altitude, ticks, poisonous plants, UV, smoke). Built by wilderness medicine physicians: founded by Dr. Grant Lipman; Chief Medical Officer Dr. Colin Little, MD, FAWM.

- iOS (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/goes-outdoor-health-safety/id1576527901
- Android (Google Play): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goes.mobile
- About GOES: https://goes.health/platform

Free to download. Premium features need a monthly or annual subscription after a 7-day free trial. GOES provides guidance. It is not a substitute for professional medical care.

## Sources

- [News release: Most Yellowstone roads and entrances close Nov. 1, 2026 (Oct 21)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/26026.htm)
- [Yellowstone Park Roads (updated Nov 3, 2026)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm)
- [NPS Yellowstone alerts (NPS Data API, fetched Nov 12)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/conditions.htm)
- [NPS Yellowstone fees & passes](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fees.htm)
- [NPS Data API (parks, operating hours, fees)](https://www.nps.gov/subjects/developer/api-documentation.htm)
- [Yellowstone safety: thermal areas, wildlife, bears](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/safety.htm)
- [NPS Yellowstone National Park](https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm)
- [Yellowstone operating dates (updated Nov 9, 2026)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hours.htm)

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*GOES provides guidance. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. ParkReady Guides is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always follow official NPS rules, posted closures and ranger instructions. Conditions change quickly; check the linked NPS pages before you go. In an emergency, call 911.*

ParkReady Guides by GOES Health · Week of Nov 9–15, 2026 · facts fetched Nov 12, 2026 from NPS and NWS. Agent overview: https://parks.goes.health/llms.txt · Conditions feed (JSON): https://parks.goes.health/conditions.json