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Portions of Yellowstone National Park will gradually reopen over the next two weeks, officials announced Monday, reversing previous predictions that the park would remain closed for the rest of the summer.
The National Park Service will pour $50 million into recovery efforts for Yellowstone, which closed early last week after record-breaking floods wreaked havoc on the park. The park’s southern loop will reopen by Wednesday, and the northern loop is expected to reopen in the next two weeks, regaining access to approximately 80% of the park by July 4.
YELLOWSTONE FLOOD KNOCKS OUT MONTANA TOWN’S WATER TREATMENT PLANT
The news comes as cleanup crews continue to clear out debris from homes and washed-out bridges after the park was hit with several inches of rain and snowmelt across the Absaroka and Beartooth mountain ranges. The rain led to downed trees, collapsed bridges, and damaged homes in nearby communities, driving more than 10,000 visitors from the park.
The initial $50 million will be used to restore temporary access to Gardiner, Montana, and Cooke City, as well as other sites surrounding the park. Officials are also finalizing plans to improve a roadway between Yellowstone and Gardiner, using materials that were already in the park for another project to go toward reopening efforts.
NPS officials initially anticipated that the northern part of Yellowstone would remain closed through the end of the summer because many portions of the roadway in the northern areas of the park were “completely gone” and would require “substantial time” to repair, the agency said last week. However, the southern loop sustained less damage, clearing the way for an earlier reopening on Wednesday.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The reopening comes at a crucial time for Yellowstone because the summer months usually see a peak in visitors.
In 2021, visitation at the park was highest in the months of May, June, July, August, and September. A record-breaking 1 million people visited Yellowstone last July, the first time the park has seen such a number in a single calendar month.
