Pick another park: Yellowstone closed for foreseeable future due to flooding
Marking its first closure in 34 years, Yellowstone National Park — which stretches to parts of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho — has barred visitors due to extreme flooding and subsequent road conditions from rain and snow that melted over the weekend.
All entrances to the park have been temporarily closed. The surrounding area is grappling with rockslides, mudslides and flooding on roads, according to visitors and the National Park Service, who also warned of additional flooding in the coming days.
"Effective immediately, there will be no inbound visitor traffic at any of the five entrances into Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 15, at a minimum," NPS said in a statement on Monday. More than 10,000 visitors had been evacuated as of the morning of June 14, Yellowstone's superintendent Cam Sholly said in a press briefing.
"I think the southern loop will be open and ready for access relatively soon, but the northern end is going to take a considerable amount of time to get that reopen," Sholly said.
Early next week, a team will assess the damage to various infrastructures throughout the park.
"We will likely not open the road between Gardiner and Cook City for the rest of the season looking at the damage," he said, referring to the north entrance. "Half the park cannot support all of the visitations."
The park's closure comes during the park's busiest season with millions of visitors expected each summer from June to August. To facilitate reopening, Sholly said the agency might implement a timed entry reservation system once the south loop is safe to open.
Flooding was sparked by two to three inches of rain, five to six inches of snow and warming temperatures, Sholly said. He noted that a 5-mile road between the gateway community of Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs suffered the most damage. The superintendent also warned of another flood event in the next four or five days.
Evacuation began on Monday, starting with the northern portion of the park in Montana. It was a coordinated effort between the NPS and U.S. Department of the Interior as well as the governors of Montana and Wyoming.
“Due to record flooding events in the park and more precipitation in the forecast, we have made the decision to close Yellowstone to all inbound visitation," Sholly said in a statement. "Our first priority has been to evacuate the northern section of the park where we have multiple road and bridge failures, mudslides and other issues."
Following the park, officials moved to help evacuate tourists in nearby towns, including Gardiner, Montana. Gardiner is home to less than 900 people, and this is where TPG reader and avid traveler Bre Revell had been stuck since Sunday evening.
Revell and her travel companion arrived in Montana ready to explore Yellowstone before heading south to Grand Teton. The two briefly entered Yellowstone when it had just started raining, and they observed some sliding rocks.
Even so, things appeared relatively normal until Monday morning. While grabbing breakfast at Mountain Tacos, their server warned them of flooding and roads being washed away in the park and north of town. They confirmed this information with a park ranger, who said the park would be closed for the foreseeable future.
"There are only two ways out of the town, one south through Yellowstone, where the road has washed away and the other to the north where there is 6 feet of water covering the road," Revell said via phone on Tuesday. "The roads into the park have disappeared."
Read more: The best campgrounds, hotels and lodges near Yellowstone National Park
Since the storm started, many residents have lost power and water. The town is currently under a Do Not Consume Water order, and visitors have been told to evacuate, in hopes of salvaging precious resources for residents.
"We like to think the highest of the water is behind us but we can say for sure," Bill Berg , a commissioner of Park County, Montana, told reporters yesterday.
Around 1 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Revell and her friend safely exited — while bypassing parts of U.S. Route 89 S that remain blocked — en route to the state's capital city.
"We had a lucky combination of clear spots to get us out," she told us.
As of June 14, the park remains closed for an unknown period of time, and Montana Governor Greg Gianforte declared a statewide disaster.
Related: These national parks require reservations in 2022
Beyond the physical damage, tourists like Revell can't help but consider all of the local employees and residents alike who rely on tourist business during peak season. She considers herself lucky and is relieved to be heading toward Bozeman. She plans to continue on to Salt Lake City, part of a road trip to see western national parks.
"As we left this morning, we passed trucks delivering supplies and the market still had some food and water, which is a good sign," she said. "We feel optimistic that we are almost to Bozeman and that we're able to get out."
Read more: How to plan your 1st visit to a national park
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.