YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — Park officials set sights toward a recovery plan following the floods that have devastated roads, and the surrounding towns of Yellowstone. According to YNP Superintendent Cam Sholly, the park will adopt a reservation system or timed entry to prevent overloading the park’s southern loop to allow as many people as possible into the park once it reopens, tentatively scheduled for Monday.
According to the Cowboy State Daily, Sholly addressed Cody, WY residents on Wednesday and said “the park needs some way to control visitation to the park’s southern section to keep its infrastructure from becoming overwhelmed as people who planned to visit the park’s northern loop change their travel plans.”
“What we can’t have happen is so much visitation on one loop of the park that the wastewater treatment, the road infrastructure fails and then we end up having to close the southern end of the park for a long period of time like the north end will likely be” he said.
It may take three to four weeks to develop the system, and until it is in place, people will be allowed to enter through the park’s east, south, and west entrances without reservations, although some services may be limited.
Regular park services such as food and gasoline will be available by the time the park opens.
The park said in a press release, although access to Yellowstone National Park will be less than normal until further notice, there are still incredible opportunities for recreation, wildlife viewing, and great experiences in the park’s gateway communities (Gardiner, Montana; Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana; West Yellowstone, Montana; Cody, Wyoming; and Jackson, Wyoming), as well as surrounding areas in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. View a list of nearby cities, parks, public lands, and museums to help plan your visit.
