JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Yellowstone National Park officials say visitor centers that are normally open during the winter season will reopen Sunday at 11am as the longest government shutdown in US history ends.
Facilities coming back online are the Albright Visitor Center, the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, the lobby of the Canyon Visitor Education Center, and the ranger-staffed desk at the West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center. As soon as visitor centers open, the public will again be able to obtain backcountry permits.
The park will also resume collecting entrance fees on Sunday, January 27.
A majority of furloughed staff will return and open the remaining park functions beginning with processing the backlog of applications for special use permits, film permits, commercial use authorizations, and research permits. By midday Monday, the public will also be able to obtain permits for the non-commercially-guided snowmobile access program. The public affairs office will reopen on Monday.
Visitors are asked to be patient as employees work to reopen facilities and operations in a manner that is safe for them and the public. There is a lot of snow removal needed around buildings and safety checks that must be completed.
Some services including trash collection, bathroom cleaning and snow removal at overlooks along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone continued during the shutdown.
The park extends a special thank you to the concessioners, especially Xanterra Travel Collection, who made donations during the shutdown enabling NPS staff to groom roads and allow oversnow access to continue. In addition, the park thanks local gateway communities and partners who provided incredible support over the last 35 days, not only for the park, but also for the NPS family.
