Yellowstone Closed All Gates - Flooding

Just a Thought

I think the very best I can do for those persons affected by this flooding, is to alter my plans to avoid the mess they will be dealing with.

They DO NOT need yet another lookie-loo driving around looking at the park and all the rest of it.

They will have PLENTY of those without me adding DW and I to the list.
 
From what I've seen it looks like the Park is going to be closed for some time. Road networks are completely destroyed. No telling how long it will take them to repair the roads and infrastructure. Denali NP has been closed at milepost 43 for months due to rock slides at Prettyrocks and Polychrome. They're saying it will take over a year to clean-up the rock slides. Park Service is predicting closure to extend through 2023.
 
I think the very best I can do for those persons affected by this flooding, is to alter my plans to avoid the mess they will be dealing with.

They DO NOT need yet another lookie-loo driving around looking at the park and all the rest of it.

They will have PLENTY of those without me adding DW and I to the list.
Douglas,

If the park opens, for your trip, after roads are made passable, you would be doing everyone there an economic and spiritual boost by your visit.

Since I have reservations in August at the KOA in west yellowstone I'll be looking at alternative sights to see in the area in case yellowstone is closed, heeding the advice of authorities when my time comes.

Chris

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From what I've seen it looks like the Park is going to be closed for some time. Road networks are completely destroyed. No telling how long it will take them to repair the roads and infrastructure. Denali NP has been closed at milepost 43 for months due to rock slides at Prettyrocks and Polychrome. They're saying it will take over a year to clean-up the rock slides. Park Service is predicting closure to extend through 2023.
Estimating "a long time" could be very accurate. When you look at National Parks overall they have a huge backlog of maintenance and repair projects already.

This mess in Yellowstone may well be just added to the list inless they can get more money from Congress.
 
The Gardiner entrance, and the north road from Gardiner to Mammoth, will be closed indefinitely because many sections of the road have completely washed away or have severe undercut. Not sure if the northeast entrance could open, with the road open to Tower Junction, from what I have seen so far with the damage reports.

With the severity of damage done so far, the possibilities of further flooding and damage from debris floating down river can lead to more damage and danger.

Here’s the YNP Flickr page showing some pictures and videos of the damage so far.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowstonenps/albums/72157668680150793

Edit: From the pictures, it looks like the NE Entrance Rd is washed out too, so the NE entrance will be closed indefinitely too.
 
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Douglas,

If the park opens, for your trip, after roads are made passable, you would be doing everyone there an economic and spiritual boost by your visit.

Since I have reservations in August at the KOA in west yellowstone I'll be looking at alternative sights to see in the area in case yellowstone is closed, heeding the advice of authorities when my time comes.

Chris

Sent from my SM-A505U1 using Forest River Forums mobile app


In the post after yours they posted and attachment from a local news agency. The Park Superintendent stated the park will likely be closed for the rest of this season.


Im going to take him at his word, bite the bullet, and go somewhere else. This trip was a replacement for the same trip planned for summer 2019. Im just SNAKE BIT for this trip!
 
It's b a d for everyone. Memories not made. Economies hurt.

Headed to West Yellowstone in early August, stop # 2 on a 3,400 mile trip.

Given that it's one of America's premier National Parks, I'd expect the Corp of Engineers or the like to make a massive effort to reopen the park as soon as possible.

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It's going to take a herculean effort to effect repairs. The COE will most likely bring in construction companies with massive amounts of earth moving equipment along with the workers. Amenities around the Park will be consumed by the workers. You probably won't be able to get near the Park proper for months while the infrastructure is being re-engineered and rebuilt. This will be a months long project.
 
The site team has removed a few posts that were pointing fingers at others
for "lack of compassion". Other posts were removed because they quoted the previous mentioned posts.

Let's keep this thread informative and on track please.
 
In the post after yours they posted and attachment from a local news agency. The Park Superintendent stated the park will likely be closed for the rest of this season.


Im going to take him at his word, bite the bullet, and go somewhere else. This trip was a replacement for the same trip planned for summer 2019. Im just SNAKE BIT for this trip!
Thanks Douglas. I'll stay tuned and develop alternate plans. My itinerary is set, going to GNP after YNP so maybe I'll look to the Tetons

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It's going to take a herculean effort to effect repairs. The COE will most likely bring in construction companies with massive amounts of earth moving equipment along with the workers. Amenities around the Park will be consumed by the workers. You probably won't be able to get near the Park proper for months while the infrastructure is being re-engineered and rebuilt. This will be a months long project.
Thanks D W. Agree on the effort. Will see what the plan is to fix. In the meantime will develop alternative plans for YNP destintanka.

Won't be in West Yellowstone until 2nd week in August..

But very very late for making changes or reservations. Most of my reservations made December 21 and January this year and pickings were slim.

Worse case as long as KOA is open in West Yellowstone I'll spend my 5 nights there maybe making day trips elsewhere (Tetons?)
I'll be alone for this trip just taking care of me.
Best case YNP is open, maybe restrictions, but who knows. Military can put down temporary bridges for tanks.
Many details for my trip made..
Coming from WI to Rapid City to YNP to GNP and back to WI.

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Thanks D W. Agree on the effort. Will see what the plan is to fix. In the meantime will develop alternative plans for YNP destintanka.

Won't be in West Yellowstone until 2nd week in August..

But very very late for making changes or reservations. Most of my reservations made December 21 and January this year and pickings were slim.

Worse case as long as KOA is open in West Yellowstone I'll spend my 5 nights there maybe making day trips elsewhere (Tetons?)
I'll be alone for this trip just taking care of me.
Best case YNP is open, maybe restrictions, but who knows. Military can put down temporary bridges for tanks.
Many details for my trip made..
Coming from WI to Rapid City to YNP to GNP and back to WI.

Sent from my SM-A505U1 using Forest River Forums mobile app
KOA Mountainside in West Yellowstone is a nice place, super friendly staff. We were there 3 weeks ago, it was snowing.
 
So... I went to Google Maps to see if I could trace the Yellowstone River. If you zoom in, you'll see three 'Southern Montana floods' and links to pictures. It's got 89, 212, and 310 flooded.
They had to evacuate 10,000 people from the park. :eek: Some towns have been inundated with water.
Looks like Grand Teton National Park is open, but all campgrounds filled in the area. They've opened the Teton County Fairgrounds to 'self contained' campers for the night. https://www.tetoncountywy.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1767
 
Currently at Glacier NP, was headed to Yellowstone on Friday. Now headed to Craters of the Moon in Idaho. And added a couple extra days at Teton NP Colter Bay RV park. Stuff happens, can’t control it, just adapt. Been raining here for two days nearly 2.5” so far after record heat and snow melt last week. Flathead River looks more the size of the northern Mississippi.
 
Yellowstone flooding forces 10,000 to leave national park

This is truly a massive disaster, and it comes at a terrible time for the park (150th anniversary) and its summer visitors.

[URL="https://apnews.com/article/floods-travel-montana-obituaries-evacuations-3753caa39435d9f3f45d8b582381a0c6[/URL]


More than 10,000 visitors were ordered out of Yellowstone as unprecedented flooding tore through the northern half of the nation's oldest national park, washing out bridges and roads and sweeping an employee bunkhouse miles downstream, officials said Tuesday. Remarkably, no one was reported injured or killed.

The only visitors left in the massive park straddling three states were a dozen campers still making their way out of the backcountry.

Yellowstone National Park, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, could remain closed as long as a week, and northern entrances may not reopen this summer, Superintendent Cam Sholly said.
 

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