Yellowstone National Park officials are asking for public input to weigh plans to rebuild the park’s North Entrance Road, a critical year-round access route that was heavily damaged during historic flooding in 2022.
The National Park Service, working with the Federal Highway Administration, has released an environmental assessment outlining options for a new permanent road alignment between Gardiner, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs in the park. The assessment outlines the environmental consequences of each option, including the potential effect on wildlife. The alternative reconstruction plans are now open for public comment through February 4, 2026.
In a January 5 press release, park officials said the project aims to improve safety, ensure long-term visitor access, and protect natural and cultural resources while maintaining year-round travel between Gardiner and Cooke City–Silver Gate, Montana. The North Entrance and Northeast Entrance roads provide the only winter vehicle access in and out of the park’s northern range.
The reconstruction effort stems from a catastrophic flood on June 13, 2022, described by officials as a “500-year event.” Rapidly melting snow and up to 9.5 inches of rainfall over a 24-hour period caused rivers in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin to swell over their banks. Floodwaters washed out several sections of road in Yellowstone’s northern region, forcing the closure of the North Entrance and disrupting travel for visitors, residents and park employees. It also wiped out numerous homes, commercial buildings and other structures. According to a study by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation at the University of Montana, the flood resulted in a $95 million loss in visitor spending and had a $128 million overall impact on the region’s economy.
In response, crews built a temporary road between Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs that opened in October 2022. While the temporary route restored access, park officials have emphasized that it wasn’t designed to serve as a long-term solution due to slow-moving geologic slides and poor soils, and because it wasn’t built to the standards of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
To gather public feedback, Yellowstone will host two informational meetings next week. An in-person 90-minute meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 4 p.m. at the Yellowstone Forever Institute Conference Room in Gardiner. A virtual meeting will follow on Wednesday, January 14, at 1 p.m.
During the meetings, NPS and FHA staff will present three road-alignment alternatives, plus a “no-action” alternative, including a video flyover of the preferred option, which is to create a new alignment using some segments of the Old North Entrance Road canyon alignment, redesign the Old Gardiner Road as a multi-use trail and reclaim sections of the Old North Entrance Road canyon.
According to the environmental assessment, the wastewater line that ran beneath the road prior to the flood event also needs to be replaced to provide reliable wastewater service for the Mammoth Hot Springs area.
A question-and-answer session will follow each presentation. The same information will be shared at both meetings, and the virtual session will be recorded and posted online. Members of the public can review the environmental assessment and related materials online and submit comments through the park’s planning website or by mail.
According to NPS, all comments received during the comment period will be analyzed before a final decision is made this spring.
