Yellowstone is remote. No interstate highway reaches it, no train serves it, and there is no public transport inside the park. Most visitors fly into one of the regional airports around it, rent a car and drive in through one of five entrances.
At a glance
- Most flights and car-rental choice: Bozeman Yellowstone International (BZN), about 1.5–2 hours from the West and North entrances.
- For Grand Teton too: Jackson Hole (JAC), inside Grand Teton, about an hour from the South Entrance.
- Closest of all: Yellowstone Airport (WYS) in West Yellowstone — summer-only flights, limited seats.
- Alternatives: Cody (COD) for the East Entrance, Idaho Falls (IDA) for the West Entrance, or a road trip from Salt Lake City.
- Inside the park: drive yourself or take a guided tour; there are no public buses.
The airports
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), Montana
The busiest airport in the region, with year-round flights from major US hubs and extra seasonal routes in summer. The big car-rental companies are at the terminal. From Bozeman it is about 90 miles (145 km) to West Yellowstone via the Gallatin Canyon (US 191), or about 80 miles (130 km) to Gardiner and the North Entrance via Livingston and Paradise Valley. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours either way.
Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), Wyoming
The only commercial airport inside a US national park — it sits in Grand Teton, with the peaks outside the windows. From here it is roughly 50 miles (80 km) through Grand Teton to Yellowstone’s South Entrance, about an hour, and another hour or so on to Old Faithful. Fares and car rental tend to be expensive, but it is perfect if you want to give both parks time.
Yellowstone Airport (WYS), West Yellowstone, Montana
A small airport just north of West Yellowstone, a few minutes from the West Entrance. It has scheduled flights only in the summer season, usually connecting to Salt Lake City; a few rental cars are available. Convenient if the timing works, but seats are limited.
Yellowstone Regional Airport (COD), Cody, Wyoming
Cody’s airport has year-round connections, typically via Denver, and is about 52 miles (84 km) from the East Entrance, roughly an hour’s drive through the Wapiti Valley. Note that the East Entrance road over Sylvan Pass opens later in spring than the west and north.
Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA), Idaho
About 110 miles (175 km) from West Yellowstone, around two hours via US 20 and Island Park. Sometimes cheaper than Bozeman or Jackson, and a good choice if you are also visiting eastern Idaho.
| From | To | Distance (approx.) | Driving time (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman (BZN) | West Entrance | 90 mi / 145 km | 1 h 30 – 1 h 45 |
| Bozeman (BZN) | North Entrance (Gardiner) | 80 mi / 130 km | 1 h 30 |
| Jackson (JAC) | South Entrance | 50–60 mi / 80–95 km | 1 h – 1 h 15 |
| Cody (COD) | East Entrance | 52 mi / 84 km | 1 h |
| Idaho Falls (IDA) | West Entrance | 110 mi / 175 km | 2 h |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | West Entrance | 320 mi / 515 km | 5 h – 5 h 30 |
| Denver (DEN) | East or South Entrance | 500–550 mi / 800–880 km | 8 – 9 h |
Small-group day tour from €385 West Yellowstone: Yellowstone Day Tour Including Entry Fee for US Residents
The most-booked day tour from the gateway town closest to the geyser basins, with hundreds of reviews. A guide drives the big sights of the lower loop — Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the wildlife of Hayden Valley — so you can watch for animals instead of the road. Read the listing for what the entrance fee covers for visitors from abroad.
- Old Faithful, the canyon waterfalls and Hayden Valley
- Park entry included for US residents — check the listing if you are not
- Starts minutes from the West Entrance
Full-day guided tour from €385 From Jackson: Yellowstone Day Tour Including Entry Fees for U.S. Residents
A local guide takes you from Jackson into the world’s first national park for Old Faithful, the waterfalls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and other geyser areas, watching for bison, elk, bears and wolves on the way. Highly rated, with hundreds of reviews. Visitors from outside the US should check the fee terms.
- Old Faithful and other geyser areas
- Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone waterfalls
- Entry fee included for US residents
Full-day guided tour from €279 Full-Day Yellowstone National Park Tour from Cody, WY
From Cody the road into the park climbs over Sylvan Pass and along Yellowstone Lake. This tour covers the historic Fishing Bridge, the bubbling Mud Volcano, Hayden Valley, Artist Point and Old Faithful in one day — a lot of ground, which is exactly why it helps to let someone else drive.
- Fishing Bridge and Mud Volcano
- Hayden Valley and Artist Point
- Old Faithful
Small-group day trip from €399 From Bozeman: Express Yellowstone Tour (1 Day)
A small-group day trip from Bozeman covering Fountain Paint Pot, Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake and Artist Point. Bozeman is a long way from the park, so it is a full 13-hour day — but it solves the problem of not having a car.
- Fountain Paint Pot and Grand Prismatic Spring
- Old Faithful and Yellowstone Lake
- Artist Point and the canyon falls
Times are for good conditions without stops; add time for road works, weather and wildlife.
The five entrances
- West Entrance (West Yellowstone, MT): the busiest; closest to the geyser basins. Expect queues at the gate in summer mornings.
- North Entrance (Gardiner, MT): the historic entrance under the Roosevelt Arch; five miles from Mammoth. The only entrance open to cars all year.
- Northeast Entrance (Silver Gate / Cooke City, MT): the quietest, at the end of Lamar Valley; in summer linked to the Beartooth Highway. Reachable from Gardiner in winter.
- East Entrance (from Cody, WY): over Sylvan Pass to Yellowstone Lake.
- South Entrance (from Grand Teton and Jackson, WY): past Lewis Lake to West Thumb.
Most roads inside the park close to cars from early November until spring, opening in stages from mid-April to late May. Opening dates are set each year and can be delayed by snow or construction — check the park’s road status before you travel, and see when to visit.
Entrance fees and passes
The park sells a seven-day private vehicle permit (long priced at $35), a motorcycle permit and a per-person permit for walkers and cyclists; an America the Beautiful annual pass covers all national parks. From 2026 the National Park Service charges visitors who are not US residents an additional per-person fee at Yellowstone and other busy parks, and a higher price for the annual pass. Fees and rules change, so check nps.gov before you travel. Grand Teton charges its own entrance fee.
Getting around inside the park
- Car: the practical choice. The Grand Loop Road is about 142 miles (229 km); speed limits are 45 mph (70 km/h) or lower, and wildlife jams are common.
- Fuel: there are gas stations at several villages inside the park in season, but fill up when you can.
- No public transport: there is no shuttle bus system inside Yellowstone. Without a car, use guided day tours from a gateway town.
- RVs and trailers: allowed on most roads, but some short scenic drives and parking areas are restricted, and many turnouts are tight.
- Cycling: possible on the main roads, which are narrow with little shoulder; in spring there is a short car-free cycling window on some roads before they open to traffic.
- Mobile signal: patchy and absent in many areas — download offline maps and the official NPS app before you arrive.
Driving times inside the park
Approximate distances between the main junctions: Old Faithful–Madison 16 miles; Madison–Norris 14; Norris–Mammoth 21; Norris–Canyon 12; Canyon–Lake 16; Lake–West Thumb 21; West Thumb–Old Faithful 17; Mammoth–Tower 18; Tower–Canyon 19 (over Dunraven Pass). At park speeds, plus stops, each leg takes longer than you would expect.
