Yellowstone sets May visitation record as road decision nears

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Yellowstone National Park is entering the summer travel season with record-breaking May visitation and an expected decision soon on a permanent north entrance road. 

The park said in a press release that May 2026 was its busiest May on record with more than 570,000 visits. That was more than May of last year and 20 percent higher than May 2021, the park's busiest year. 

An important anniversary is also approaching this weekend with the third anniversary of the Yellowstone River flood on June 13. 

The flooding forced the park to evacuate after parts of the north and northeast entrance roads washed out. The damage also shut down business in gateway towns for the summer. 

After the flood, the park and the Park and Federal Highway Administration rebuilt the north entrance on an old stagecoach route. That road was only meant to be temporary, according to the park. 

In January, officials released several new proposals for a permanent road. The park said it preferred what they call the "center alignment" proposal, a hybrid of the pre-flood road and new sections. 

That option would include two new bridges and is estimated to take about five construction seasons to build. 

The park accepted public comment after announcing the possible routes along with an environmental report and releasing video showing the center alignment route. Officials were reviewing those comments and preparing a final decision and plan throughout the spring. 

A project timeline said the decision on a final plan was expected in the spring or early summer. 

NonStop Local reached out to the park for an update on how that timeline is going.