Beartooth Highway Among Memorial Day Weekend Routes Still Closed

Beartooth Highway Among Memorial Day Weekend Routes Still Closed
Holiday Travelers Should Prepare For Sun, Rain, or Snow

A season of unusually heavy snowfall is making access to Yellowstone more challenging than normal this Memorial Day holiday weekend.

For the first time since 2005, the Beartooth Highway will not open in time for the holiday weekend.

Each year, Yellowstone crews plow 31 miles of the famed, scenic highway linking the communities of Cooke City and Red Lodge, Montana. But this year the road was buried under more than 25 feet of snow in some spots, pushing back the plowing schedule as crews worked to open other park entrances on schedule. Crews are working to open the road to travel on Friday, June 3.

Unstable snow conditions and the threat of snow slides also continue to limit travel on the East Entrance road through Sylvan Pass to between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.

The clearing of Dunraven Pass has been pushed back two weeks. The road between Canyon Village and Tower Fall is now expected to open Friday, June 10, weather permitting.

All other entrances and interior roads in Yellowstone National Park are open for the season, including the road that connects the Northeast Entrance to the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and Cody, Wyoming.

A short delay may be encountered at Sedge Bay on the road between Fishing Bridge and the East Entrance. Park crews are also monitoring a section of road south of Canyon Village, where erosion has prompted some temporary closures in recent days. Drivers should exercise caution in these areas and follow marked lane closure signs. The road between Old Faithful and West Thumb over Craig Pass remains subject to temporary closures due to snow. There are no delays due to park road work or road construction. Updated Yellowstone National Park road information is available 24 hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.

Many seasonal visitor services are open for the Memorial Day weekend. Details and current conditions are available online at http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit, by consulting the park newspaper handed out at entrance stations, or by asking the staff at visitor centers and information stations in and near the park.