Yellowstone: Last chance by car as most roads close on Nov. 1

The driving season is ending in the world's oldest national park: from Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, most roads in Yellowstone National Park and the West, South and East entrances close to regular vehicle traffic. The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) announced the closures on Oct. 21. That makes Saturday, Oct. 31, the last day visitors can drive most of the park's roads in 2026. The road from Tower Fall to Canyon Junction over Dunraven Pass also stays open only until then, weather permitting.

The road between the North Entrance at Gardiner and the Northeast Entrance at Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana, remains open year-round, weather permitting. It passes Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction and the Lamar Valley, known for wildlife viewing. The winter season with snowmobile and snowcoach travel begins on Dec. 15. Communities around the park stay open all year, but the park warns of limited services and possible temporary closures without notice.

Yellowstone was established in 1872 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978. According to UNESCO, the park covers nearly 9,000 square kilometers and lies 96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho. The park service says it has 200 to 250 active geysers and perhaps 10,000 thermal features. UNESCO notes that Yellowstone contains half of all the world's known geothermal features.