Some of Yellowstone National Park could reopen in a week or so, but northern sections of the park that sustained most of the damage from “catastrophic” flooding this week could take much longer, park officials said Tuesday.
All entrances to Yellowstone National Park have closed again Tuesday, a day after heavy rain caused flooding, mudslides, and rockslides that wiped out roads and bridges. Park Superintendent Cam Sholly called it a “thousand-year event.” “The million-dollar question is, what’s the damage?” Sholly said Tuesday. “The answer is, we don’t know exactly yet.”
The worst of the damage was in the northern part of the park, between the towns of Gardiner and Cooke City, Montana. The road between Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs was particularly hard-hit. Inside the park, the northern area includes Mammoth Hot Springs, the Tower Falls area, and the Lamar Valley.
The lower loop of the park – along with the west, south and east entrances – could reopen within a week, if it’s safe to do so, with a timed-entry or reservation system. That would be necessary to reduce visitation with only half the park open. The lower loop includes Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake, and Canyon Village.
The upper loop will take much longer to reopen, Sholly said.Power was out in multiple places, and water and wastewater systems were damaged. Once the water recedes, teams will assess damage to park roads and other infrastructure. It’s possible that the park’s north entrance from Gardiner won’t open again this season, he said.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte declared a statewide disaster over the flooding that turned Gardiner and other areas into islands between washed-out bridges and highways
“The road damage is probably the biggest concern,” Darr said. “From Mammoth to Gardiner, which is probably about a thousand feet elevation difference, coming down that canyon there, it’s a total loss.”
Desperate tourists asking for help took to social media. One person said they had a heart condition and weren’t comfortable staying in the tiny town. Another shared information on how to contact a local charter airline company.
Mitch Edwards, a pilot for Ridgeline Aviation in Gardiner, told weather.com he received about 25 calls in 30 minutes Tuesday morning from people wanting to fly out of the area.
The national park will remain closed for at least five more days and some concession facilities in the Mammoth and Roosevelt areas might not reopen for the rest of the year, the Billings Gazette reported, citing a news release from park officials.
