Is Yellowstone Already Opening Back Up After The Tragic Flooding?

Earlier this month, Yellowstone National Park experienced unprecedented amounts of rain.

This resulted in unbelievable amounts of destruction, as record floods, mudslides and rockslides absolutely devoured the park. 

Roads and bridges were destroyed, the landscapes of rivers and canyons were completely reshaped, there were power outages all over, and many parts of the park inaccessible. 

Because of this, Yellowstone shut down all entrances and immediately evacuated thousands of tourists.

Shortly after, superintendent Cam Sholly informed the public that until the water had subsided and the damage was assessed, they weren’t sure when the park would reopen. 

How bad is the damage?

As you can see from the pictures below, the damage was extensive. 

However, it was recently announced that parts of the park would reopen today, June 22. 

What is reopening?

As of this morning, visitors are allowed to access the south loop of the park, which includes the famous Old Faithful geyser, which has always been a popular tourist attraction. 

It was reported that there were hundreds of vehicles simply waiting to get inside, as the recent damage and uncertainty did not deter travels plans to see the park. 

It was also recently announced that the northern loop is expected to reopen in the next couple of weeks as well, following clean-up, repairs and inspections. 

This will open up visitor access to roughly eighty percent of the park, once it is also accessible. 

*However, there are several rules, exceptions and restrictions in place right now during this reopening, so for anyone hoping to visit the park any time soon, make sure to regularly check what those are. 

What does the future look like?

During a recent visit to Yellowstone, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams announced a $50 million kick-start for recovery efforts, to help rebuild what the flooding earlier this month destroyed. 

Details for what this money will be used for can be seen here. 

Although the damage was extensive, people have been working meticulously to clean up and repair Yellowstone, and hopefully sooner rather than later, our National Park can be restored to its former glory.