Winter oversnow travel restrictions at Yellowstone: what applies in 2026?

Exact conditions

Status

Required under the listed conditions

Applies to

vehicles

Place or corridor

All groomed interior park roads. The North Entrance to Northeast Entrance road stays open to regular cars year-round.

Effective dates

December 15, 2026 through March 15, 2027

Release model

unpublished

Release detail: Commercial snowcoach and snowmobile tours are booked with authorized concessioners; the NPS snowmobiling page does not publish a single release date or time.

Fee detail: Tour prices are set by concessioners and are not published by NPS. The entrance fee still applies ($30 for a snowmobile).

Exceptions and limits

• "Open year-round: North Entrance to Northeast Entrance" — the Gardiner-to-Cooke City road needs no oversnow arrangement.
• Segments close on staggered dates: Mammoth to Norris closes March 7, 2027; Norris to Madison / Norris to Canyon / Canyon to Washburn close March 9, 2027; Canyon to Fishing Bridge closes March 14, 2027; the West, South and East entrances and all remaining groomed roads close March 15, 2027.
• The Non-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program is the only way to ride without a commercial guide; it is covered by its own rule.