The south loop is accessed from the East (Cody), West (West Yellowstone), and South (Grand Teton/Jackson). Areas accessible include Madison, Old Faithful, Grant Village, Lake Village, Canyon Village, and Norris (map). As part of reopening planning, park staff have engaged over 1,000 business owners, park partners, commercial operators, and residents in surrounding gateway communities to determine how to manage summer visitation. At the same time, the north loop remains closed due to flood damage.

The interim plan, referred to as the Alternating License Plate System (ALPS), was suggested as a solution by gateway communities during a major public engagement with the park this past week. Park managers and partners have agreed this system is the best interim solution to ensuring the south loop does not become overwhelmed by visitors.

The National Park Service will actively monitor the license plate system and is concurrently building a new reservation system ready for implementation if needed.

Courtesy National Park Service & Jacob W. Frank

Park managers and staff will monitor the license plate system and its impacts on resources, infrastructure, operations, and staffing. They may adjust or implement a reservation or timed entry system, if necessary, after three to four weeks.

“Less than six days ago, Yellowstone National Park was hit with devastating floods,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our teams and partners, we are prepared to reopen the south loop of Yellowstone. It is impossible to reopen only one loop in the summer without implementing some type of system to manage visitation. My thanks to our gateway partners and others for helping us work out an acceptable temporary solution for the south loop while we continue our efforts to reopen the north loop. As we go through the reopening process, we will monitor the system’s effectiveness and work together to make adjustments that may be necessary. We will also reopen new sections of the park as repairs continue to be made. It is critical for visitors to stay informed about this interim system as we evaluate its effectiveness. They should plan ahead and be patient with us as we are still managing significant recovery while moving into this operational phase.”

Visit Operating Hours and Seasons for details about what is OPEN and CLOSED throughout the park.

Park managers are evaluating plans to reopen roads connecting Canyon Village, Tower Junction, Mammoth Hot Spring, and Norris. However, this will not happen initially.

The park is also working to reconnect Mammoth Hot Springs to Gardiner and Cooke City/Silver Gate as soon as possible with temporary solutions while long-term reconstruction is planned.

Visitors should continue to monitor the park website and social media for additional updates.

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P.O. Box 1210, Cody, WY 82414 1949 Mountain View Dr., Cody, WY 82414