My DW and I were Yellowstone refugees being forced to leave Fishing Bridge CG on June 13th. After two and a half days of pouring rain, thunder, and lightning this was the best day, low to mid-40S sunny and windy. We left our campsite before 9 AM to continue to see the sights, stopping by a ranger information booth to get an update on conditions. We were told then that they would be closing the North Loop of the park, near Gardner, MT but to enjoy the lower loops sights. We drove the park road past Old Faithful etc. all the way up to the West Entrance/Exit towards West Yellowstone in Idaho. Backtracking and stopping at sights that were too crowded heading up we stopped at The Old Faithful Inn and Village to have something to eat, now about 315 PM. First, we tried the General Store to check out souvenirs and it was closed, then we tried the Snow Lodge, it was closed but there was a park employee telling everyone the park is closing and they are evacuating the whole park, campgrounds, lodges and day visitors. Fishing Bridge is 36 miles from O.F., we got caught in a bison herd roadblock, making it back to our RV at 440 PM. A note was posted on the door we had to leave the park, by then 80%-85% of the campground was empty. We pulled out of the CG by 457 PM, going to where? All we knew was to head to the West entrance, our next reservation was Lewis and Clark campground in Montana, and heading back towards Jackson, WY where we came from we knew there was very limited camping heading back South.
As we got within five cars from making a left turn to head out of YS NP at the West entrance, all traffic comes to a standstill for a medical in the intersection. A helicopter lands right in the intersection and shuts off its rotors. I knew then we'd be there a while. No one could tell if there was an accident or some other kind of emergency. Later it was reported on the news that a gentleman had a heart attack and died at the scene. We were delayed one hour and twenty minutes, heading close to 8PM. It's another 16 miles of beautiful road and scenery to exit the park, dumping into West Yellowstone. While driving we got alerts on our phones don't turn North US 191 towards Montana, the roads are washed out and traffic is at a stand still.
So the only real choice we had was to head due West along US 20 towards Idaho Falls, 100 miles away. Great road and straight into Idaho Falls, we made it to a Walmart by 1015 PM, bushed and starving.
We stayed a couple of days in I.Falls, a great community, altered our route to take into account the lost days in Montana and traveled across Idaho.
