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Yellowstone National Park will close most of its roads to vehicles on Friday as part of its annual winter season closures.
The popular national park will close its West, South, and East entrances to regular vehicle traffic starting Nov. 1, according to the National Park Service. The closures give park officials time to prepare roads for snowmobiles and snowcoaches, which will be permitted starting Dec. 15.
Not all roads will close, however, and travelers who want to brave the wintry conditions can drive into the park between the North entrance in Gardiner, Montana, and the Northeast entrance in Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana. Travelers who do decide to drive should anticipate icy and snowy conditions and possible weather-dependent road closures.
Park visitors can also check the park’s live road map for up-to-date conditions or sign up for road alerts by texting “82190” to 888-777.
The NPS also noted the communities around Yellowstone, which straddles Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, “are open year-round, with local businesses offering a wide range of fall and winter recreation opportunities.”
Yellowstone turns into a wintry wonderland each year as the weather gets colder with plenty of fun activities available from cross-country skiing and snowshoeing to snowmobiling, watching Old Faithful erupt surrounded by a blanket of snow, and more. Winter is also a much less crowded time to visit and a great time to spot wildlife like wolves and bighorn sheep.
That said, travelers who go to Yellowstone in the winter should note that many facilities do close, including stores, restaurants, and campgrounds. The NPS recommends travelers check specific winter operating dates online to confirm which are open.
The park also operates several warming huts, which feature restrooms and may even have light snacks.
Yellowstone isn’t the only park to close roads to vehicle traffic in winter. Glacier National Park similarly closes sections of its famous Going-to-the-Sun Road to vehicles in the winter, but opens them to cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.