Yellowstone’s North Entrance will get a permanent road again. On September 17, 2026, the National Park Service approved the plan to rebuild the route between Gardiner, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs, replacing the temporary road visitors have used since the 2022 flood.
The park announced that the NPS signed a Finding of No Significant Impact and a Wetlands and Floodplains Statement of Findings, selecting Alternative 2, the Center Alignment. The decision clears the environmental review, but the release gives no construction start date, so trips through Gardiner this fall and winter still run on the temporary road. For the wider trip picture, our Yellowstone National Park guide covers the entrances, seasons and the loop roads beyond Mammoth.
- Decision: Finding of No Significant Impact signed, announced September 17, 2026.
- Route: North Entrance Road between Gardiner, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming.
- Selected plan: Alternative 2, Center Alignment.
- Old Gardiner Road: becomes a multi use recreation trail once the new road opens.
- Not yet announced: a construction start date or schedule.
A Temporary Road Built on a Wagon Trail
A 500 year flood on June 13, 2022 destroyed several sections of the North Entrance Road in the Gardner Canyon, along with segments of the Northeast Entrance Road between Tower Junction and Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana. The park closed briefly to regular visitor traffic.
Crews then built a temporary North Entrance Road on the historic Old Gardiner Road, a wagon trail between Mammoth and Gardiner. It opened to the public on October 30, 2022. The NPS says the route has provided visitor access successfully but was not engineered for the long term.
Mountain Journal reported in January that park officials cited slow moving geologic slides and poor soils, and that the temporary road was not built to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials standards.
The Plan the Park Selected
Under the selected alternative, the Old Gardiner Road will be turned into a multi use recreation trail, and most of the damaged road in the Gardner Canyon will be reclaimed. Mountain Journal described the preferred option as a new alignment that reuses some segments of the old canyon route.
The NPS prepared the environmental assessment in January 2026 with the Federal Highway Administration’s Western Federal Lands division. The public comment period ran from January 5 to February 4, 2026, and the park presented three alignment alternatives, plus a no action option, at meetings in Gardiner and online.
According to the assessment, as summarized by Mountain Journal, the wastewater line that ran beneath the old road also needs to be replaced to restore reliable service to the Mammoth Hot Springs area. The FONSI and project documents are posted on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment site.
A Winter Lifeline, Not Just a Summer Gateway
The North Entrance matters more than its summer traffic suggests. The NPS notes that the North Entrance Road and the Northeast Entrance Road are both open year round and are the only winter vehicle access into and out of the park.
That makes the rebuild a question of reliable access for visitors, park staff, emergency responders, commercial operators and residents of gateway towns, which is how the park framed its purpose. A University of Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation study, cited by Mountain Journal, put the flood’s cost at 95 million dollars in lost visitor spending and a 128 million dollar overall hit to the regional economy.
Driving the North Entrance Until Work Begins
Nothing changes at the gate yet. The temporary road stays in service, and the park has not published when construction will start, how long it will run, or whether it will bring closures or delays.
Plan for the conditions that already apply. Summer bridge work over the Gardner River has been slowing North Entrance trips, as we reported in our update on the High Bridge delays. If you are choosing a base, our comparison of where to stay in Yellowstone weighs Gardiner against the other gateways.
Watch for the construction schedule before booking a future winter trip that depends on driving in from Gardiner. Major road work on the only winter route in from the north is the kind of change that can reshape a visit, and the release does not yet say how traffic will be handled.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Are driving in from Gardiner this fall | Use the temporary road as normal and allow for existing bridge work delays. |
| Plan a winter trip to Mammoth or Lamar Valley | The North Entrance remains your winter route; check park road status before you go. |
| Are booking a Gardiner base for a future year | Watch for the construction schedule before locking in dates. |
| Hike or bike near Mammoth | The Old Gardiner Road is slated to become a multi use trail once the new road opens. |
| Want the full documents | Read the FONSI on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment site. |
Approved, not scheduled. The review is done; construction dates are not out.
The temporary road stays in use until the permanent route is built.
Winter access runs through here. Watch the schedule before winter trips.
Is Yellowstone’s North Entrance open?
Yes. Visitors use the temporary road between Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs that opened on October 30, 2022.
What did the park decide?
The NPS signed a Finding of No Significant Impact selecting Alternative 2, the Center Alignment, for a permanent North Entrance Road.
When will construction start?
The park has not announced a start date or schedule.
What happens to the Old Gardiner Road?
It will become a multi use recreation trail, and most of the damaged canyon road will be reclaimed.
Why does the North Entrance matter in winter?
The North and Northeast Entrance roads are the only winter vehicle access into and out of Yellowstone.
