# Yellowstone Northeast Entrance: this week

> Week of Nov 9–15, 2026 · Yellowstone National Park · Cooke City & Silver Gate, MT · Status: **Open to cars, reached via Gardiner**. Facts fetched Nov 12, 2026 from official NPS and NWS sources.

HTML version: https://parks.goes.health/parks/yellowstone/northeast-entrance.html

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.

## This week at the Northeast Entrance (official conditions)

- **Open:** Open year-round for wheeled vehicles between the North and Northeast entrances, through Lamar Valley. 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)
- **Closed:** Beartooth Highway (US-212, Cooke City to Red Lodge): closed for the season. Sources: [Yellowstone Park Roads (updated Nov 3, 2026)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm)
- **Heads-up:** Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296): in winter, 9 miles between Cooke City and Pilot Creek close to wheeled vehicles (oversnow only). That segment is normally open to cars mid-May through early November — check WYDOT before relying on it. Sources: [Yellowstone Park Roads (updated Nov 3, 2026)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm)
- **Closed:** Campgrounds near this entrance are closed: Slough Creek (seasonal) and Pebble Creek (closed until further notice for flood recovery). Tower-Roosevelt services are closed for the winter. Sources: [Yellowstone operating dates (updated Nov 9, 2026)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hours.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)

## Forecast near the Northeast Entrance

| Period | Temp | Forecast | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonight | 27°F | Partly Cloudy | 1 mph |
| Thursday | 65°F | Partly Sunny | 0 to 3 mph |
| Thursday Night | 28°F | Partly Cloudy | 2 mph |
| Friday | 58°F | Partly Sunny | 1 to 7 mph |
| Friday Night | 28°F | Partly Cloudy | 3 mph |
| Saturday | 55°F | Partly Sunny then Chance Snow Showers | 1 to 5 mph |
| Saturday Night | 26°F | Chance Snow Showers then Mostly Cloudy | 5 mph |
| Sunday | 46°F | Mostly Sunny | 2 to 7 mph |

Snapshot from the National Weather Service, fetched Nov 12, 2026. Live forecast: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=45.004&lon=-110.005

## What actually matters here this season

The goal is a good trip, not a scary one. These are the hazards NPS highlights for this area and season, and what to do about each.

- **Lamar Valley wildlife: bison, wolves, bears.** Use pullouts, stay in or near your vehicle, keep 100 yards from wolves and bears and 25 yards from bison. Don't stop in the travel lane. 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
- **Bear country right up to town.** Hike in a group of 3+, make noise, carry bear spray, and if you find a carcass, leave by the way you came and report it. 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
- **Remote, cold and far from help.** This week's NWS forecast near Silver Gate: lows in the upper 20s, and a chance of snow showers Saturday. Services in the northeast corner are closed for the winter; the nearest year-round park facilities are back at Mammoth. Sources: [National Weather Service point forecasts (api.weather.gov, fetched Nov 12)](https://www.weather.gov/); [Yellowstone operating dates (updated Nov 9, 2026)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hours.htm)
  - In GOES: Environmental Health: hypothermia and frostbite assessments

## Checklist for the Northeast Entrance

- [ ] **Plan an out-and-back trip** — With Beartooth closed, Cooke City is reached through the park from Gardiner.
- [ ] **Fuel, food and water for the whole drive** — Tower-Roosevelt services are closed.
- [ ] **Bear spray, traction and warm layers** — Lamar Valley pullouts get icy and cold at dawn and dusk.
- [ ] **Download GOES + offline maps in Gardiner** — Expect no signal on much of the route.

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

## Yellowstone park-wide

- **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

## All 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)

## Get the GOES app before the gate

**When signal drops, GOES steps in.** Wolves, bison and grizzlies in Lamar Valley, sub-freezing nights and closed services. Get GOES before you lose signal so its offline assessment and prevention tips are there if something goes wrong.

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.

## Other Yellowstone entrances

- [North Entrance](https://parks.goes.health/parks/yellowstone/north-entrance.md): Open to cars (year-round road)
- [Yellowstone overview, closures and park-wide risks](https://parks.goes.health/parks/yellowstone/index.md)

## Sources

Fetched Thu Nov 12, 2026 (JST), which is Wed Nov 11 evening in US time zones. We don't publish wait times, wildlife sightings or conditions we can't source.

- [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)
- [Yellowstone operating dates (updated Nov 9, 2026)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hours.htm)
- [Yellowstone safety: thermal areas, wildlife, bears](https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/safety.htm)
- [National Weather Service point forecasts (api.weather.gov, fetched Nov 12)](https://www.weather.gov/)
- [News release: Most Yellowstone roads and entrances close Nov. 1, 2026 (Oct 21)](https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/26026.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 Yellowstone National Park](https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.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