Federal officials say most of Yellowstone National Park should re-open within the next two weeks — much faster than originally expected.
Snow capped mountains stand in the background as a detour sign directs traffic off a damaged road from severe flooding in Fishtail, Mont., Friday, June 17, 2022. – Most of Yellowstone National Park should re-open within the next two weeks — much faster than originally expected after record floods pounded the Yellowstone region last week and knocked out major roads, federal officials said Sunday.
Yellowstone will partially reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday, more than a week after more than 10,000 visitors were forced out of the park when the Yellowstone and other rivers went over their banks after being swelled by melting snow and several inches of rainfall.Only portions of the park that can be accessed along its “southern loop” of roads will be opened initially and access to the park’s scenic backcountry will be for day hikers only.
It will take much longer — possibly years — to fully restore two badly-damaged stretches of road that link the park with Gardiner to the north and Cooke City to the northeast.During a tour of damaged areas on Sunday, park officials showed reporters one of six sections of road near Gardiner where the raging floodwaters obliterated most of the roadway.
“We've gotten a lot more done than we thought we would a week ago,” Sholly said. “It's going to be a summer of adjustments.” Elected officials who showed up to tour the damage in Red Lodge and Gardiner — Montana tourist towns that serve as gateways to Yellowstone — haven’t made it to Fromberg to see its devastation. O'Brien said the lack of attention is no surprise given the town's location away from major tourist routes.
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