Yellowstone Reopens a Key Gateway After Devastating June Flooding
Posted on April 27, 2018
When the massive flooding and landslides hit Yellowstone National Park in June, it was the second time in eight years that the National Park Service and local partners had to reopen the park to visitors. With the park’s iconic geyser basins at Lower Geyser Basin and Upper Geyser Basin largely closed, park leaders, state and federal authorities worked together to reopen the park and provide visitor access to areas that were severely impacted.
The flooding and landslides destroyed a large portion of the park’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, bridges to parking lots and bridges to campgrounds. To get back to normal, the park partnered with contractors, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials and private industry to restore and maintain roads, bridges, parking lots, bridges to tent sites, campgrounds and other infrastructure.
“The park is open, and we expect the crowds will be back in November,” said David Hayes, Yellowstone’s superintendent. “This doesn’t mean the park is safe. The park will always be open and will never be perfect, but it will never be without challenge.”
On Wednesday, the park reopened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the lower and upper geyser basins, visitor centers and Upper Geyser Basin Campground.
“The goal is to get back to normal as quickly and safely as possible. We are getting there,” Hayes said.
The reopening ceremony also included a video montage and a concert by popular Colorado musician James McMurtry.
The park reopened in mid-September. At that time, the park reopened the Lower Geyser Basin Road, Lower Geyser Basin Road Bridge, Lower Geyser Basin Bridge, Lower Geyser Basin Bridge to parking lot, Lower Geyser Basin Park and Lower Geyser Basin Boat Ramp to the geyser basins.
On Monday, Oct. 14, Lower Geyser Basin Road was reopened to the Geyser Basin and Upper Geyser Basin Trail. Lower Geyser Basin Road Bridge, Lower