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COVID-19 REOPENING PLAN

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK 
Table of Contents

Executive Summary 1

Reopening Priorities 2

Visitor Messaging 2

Summary of Mitigation Actions 2

Phased Reopening Details

Phase 1 3

Phase 2 4

Phase 3 5

Workforce Protection, Housing, & Staffing 6

Commercial Use Operators & Contractors 6

Surveillance & Monitoring 7

Contingency Planning 7

State/County Jurisdictional Considerations:

Alternative Opening Options 7

Appendix 1: Park Road Map

Reopening May 18, 2020 8

Appendix 2: Employee COVID-19 Guidebook

Table of Contents 9

Appendix 3: COVID-19 Employee Training Packet 10

Visitors on the West Thumb Geyser Basin boardwalks.
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Executive Summary

Background

Yellowstone has been closed to visitors since March 24, 2020 

due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to close was based 

largely on requests and recommendations from local health 

officers in surrounding counties, governors, and communities. 

Over the course of the closure, the park has maintained very 

close contact with these partners. The adjustments to certain 

COVID-19 restrictions in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho are 

indicators that the timing is appropriate to begin evaluating a 

phased reopening of Yellowstone. 

This plan articulates a phased reopening sequence that is 

focused on protecting the Yellowstone team, its partners, and 

the public. Visitor service operations will start conservatively 

with the ability to expand if conditions are favorable, or 

contract if necessary. 

Yellowstone sits in three states (WY, MT, ID), making decisions 

on reopening complicated, especially when certain states 

find themselves at different stages of virus transmission and 

recovery. While 96% of Yellowstone sits in Wyoming, three of 

the five entrance stations to the park reside in Montana, and a 

small portion of the southwest corner of the park is in Idaho. 

Partner Engagement

The decision to reopen the park is largely based on the opinions 

and recommendations provided by surrounding county 

health officers, leadership officials, and state governors. 

These professionals understand the transboundary nature 

of visitors traveling to Yellowstone and are best positioned 

to understand local and regional health concerns. This plan 

largely aligns with those opinions. 

In the last two weeks of April, the park held Q&A sessions 

for over 600 business leaders and stakeholders from 

surrounding states and counties as well as the park’s internal 

business partners. The park listened to these perspectives 

and considered them in the development of this phased 

approach. While the timing of the park’s temporary closure 

coincided with the shoulder season, the economic stress 

and impacts associated with the closure are continuing to 

grow substantially as the summer months approach. While 

these economic stressors do not override health concerns, 

they are being considered. The park’s goal is to open safely, 

minimize risks to visitors and employees, allow visitors 

to access Yellowstone, and help restart local economies.

Phased Approach

In general, the park’s reopening will follow three flexible phases 

(Figure 1). Importantly, there is no major delineation between 

Phases 1 and 2, except operations and facilities outlined in 

Phase 1 would open immediately, and those in Phase 2 would 

open as they can be staffed and operated safely. Elements 

in Phase 3 will not be fully implemented until we (park and 

partners) have had time to evaluate impacts from opening 

operations and facilities outlined in Phases 1 and 2 and it is 

deemed safe to open more full-service facilities. Phase 3 also 

requires additional staffing for the National Park Service (NPS) 

and park partners, which means risks associated with shared 

employee housing will need to be considered. 

Implementation Timing

Since the park closed at the end of March, the Yellowstone 

superintendent has worked closely with the state governors 

to determine the proper timing for reopening due to differing 

COVID-19 conditions in the three states. Wyoming has 

requested the earliest possible opening. At present, Montana 

and Idaho have 14-day quarantine restrictions for out-ofstate travelers.

To accommodate these varying conditions, the park will open 

Wyoming entrances on May 18, 2020 with access to the lower 

loop (Appendix 1) as well as facilities and operations outlined in 

Phase 1. The park will continue to work closely with Montana 

and Idaho to reopen the remaining gates as soon as possible.

Phase 2

Expanded Services

May/June (As health conditions allow)

Phase 3

Full Services

As health conditions allow

Entrance Stations

Trails & Boardwalks

Road Access

Public Restrooms

Medical Clinics

Gas Stations

Phase 1

Initial Services

May 2020

Approved Tours

Figure 1: Tentative Yellowstone National Park Reopening Sequence

Limited Stores

Takeout Food Service

Backcountry Permits

Limited Visitor Centers

Visitor Cabins

Campgrounds

Additional Stores

Boating & Fishing

Full-Service Dining

Commercial Tour Buses

Ranger Programs

Hotels

Additional Facilities

& Services

Expanded Tours

Figure 1: Tentative Yellowstone National Park Reopening Sequence
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Reopening Priorities

Be safe. Be flexible. Monitor. Adjust. 

1. Protect employees and the public from transmission risks 

by implementing mitigation actions consistent with local, 

state, and federal health guidelines.

2. Develop consistent operating plans (NPS and partners) that 

focus on safe reopening actions. 

3. Actively monitor changing conditions (in park and out) and 

adjust operations accordingly.

4. Ensure flexibility to expand, adjust, or contract operations 

depending on conditions and risk factors. 

5. Support communities and partners.

Visitor Messaging

The park and its partners will actively message to visitors to 

reduce chances of COVID-19 exposure. 

• Visitors who are sick will be asked not to come to the park. 

• Use of a face covering will be voluntary, but visitors 

will be strongly encouraged to wear appropriate facial 

protection during their visit. Visitors who choose not 

to wear a face covering should follow social distancing 

guidelines.

• Visitors will be asked to self-adhere to CDC and local 

health guidance regarding social distancing and other 

actions designed to reduce virus transmission.

• Visitors will be advised to prepare for limited food and 

lodging services prior to traveling.

Yellowstone Visitor Guide 2020

COVID-19 Precautions

Yellowstone is modifying visitor services to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Some facilities and events 

will be closed or cancelled. Please check locally, on the park website, and in the park app for current information and 

continue to follow CDC guidelines. As circumstances continue to change and we modify our operations as necessary, 

we thank you for your patience and cooperation. 

Come prepared. Visitor services are very limited. 

Expect wait times at the park entrances.

Wear face-coverings in high-visitation areas and inside visitor facilities. 

A reduced number of visitors will be allowed in visitor centers at a given time. 

Maintain social distancing of six feet (2 m), especially in high-visitation areas 

(on the boardwalks, in visitor facilities, on popular trails, while viewing wildlife, etc.).

Follow current local, state, and national health guidance:

• Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer. 

• Avoid touching your face.

• Sneeze or cough into a tissue, or the inside of your elbow. 

If you are sick, do not visit the park. Self-isolate to avoid exposing others. 

Travel Alert: The road between Tower-Roosevelt and Chittenden Road will be 

completely closed to travel this year. See page 16 (back page) for details. 

More information available at go.nps.gov/yellroads. 

Plan plenty of time to get to your destination. Yellowstone is worth pulling over for! 

The speed limit in Yellowstone is 45 mph (73 kph) except where posted slower.

Inside

2 Welcome

4 Camping

5 Activities 

7 Suggested itineraries

8 Famously hot features

9 Wild lands and wildlife

10 Area guides

15 Translations

16 Yellowstone roads map

6 feet

2 meters

Visitor messaging in the park newspaper.

Summary of Mitigation Actions

A range of mitigation measures both indoor and outdoor will 

be implemented throughout the park to protect both visitors 

and employees.

Indoor

Public indoor facilities will not open until proper risk 

assessments have been conducted and mitigation measures 

have been developed and implemented. Some examples 

include protective barriers, facial coverings, metering visitors, 

increased cleaning frequency, and signage about adherence 

to CDC and local health guidelines.

Outdoor

The park is evaluating high-congestion areas to determine 

what actions may be appropriate. Some examples include 

additional signage, parking considerations, one-way traffic on 

boardwalks, and visitor spacing at public restrooms. The park 

may also actively manage high-congestion areas by limiting the 

number of vehicles and/or people entering a specific area. No 

commercial tour buses will be allowed during Phases 1 or 2. Sample visitor messaging on social media channels.
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Phased Reopening Details

Phase 2

Expanded Services

May/June (As health conditio

Entrance Stations

Trails & Boardwalks

Road Access

Public Restrooms

Medical Clinics

Gas Stations

Phase 1

Initial Services

May 2020

Approved Tours

Figure 1: Tentative Yellowstone National Par

Limited Stores

Takeout Food Serv

Backcountry Perm

Limited Visitor Cen

Visitor Cabins

Campgrounds

Additional Store

Boating & Fishin

Expanded Tour

Phase 1 begins May 18, 2020. Public access to roads, trails, 

and boardwalks will be permitted, although initially, only 

the lower loop of the road and adjacent trails will be open. 

Limited essential services including gas stations, medical 

clinics, and certain restrooms will open. Risk assessments and 

mitigation actions will be developed for each facility. Visitors 

should understand prior to trip planning that operations and 

facilities open in Phases 1 and 2 will be limited and open 

along different timelines. 

Phase 1 facilities and operations:

Road Access

Staffing to manage the frontcountry road system will be in 

place at the time of opening to ensure law enforcement 

patrol, emergency medical service, and fire coverage. 

Additional staffing will focus on visitor/wildlife interface and 

other services as needed. 

Limited Stores

Some store operations and food services will open as it 

is safe to do so. Park partners will provide addendums 

to their operating plans to outline how they will mitigate 

COVID-19 transmission risks. Actions will include: metering 

the numbers of patrons in stores, protective barriers for 

employees working registers, one-way directional traffic flow 

within stores, and additional cleaning measures. 

Public Restrooms

The NPS will operate a range of public restrooms throughout 

the park and is developing the safest methods for these facilities 

to be cleaned and disinfected on a frequent basis (following 

CDC and NPS guidance). Personal protective equipment (PPE) 

and specialized cleaning and sanitizing equipment will be used 

to maximize cleaning efficiency.

Gas Stations

The Yellowstone Park Service Stations concessioner will 

prepare a COVID-19 addendum to its operations plan, outlining 

mitigations and best practices for gas stations, restrooms, and 

store facilities.

Trails & Boardwalks

Visitors can use trails and boardwalks that are accessible via 

open park roads. High-use areas will be signed and monitored. 

However, the park may not actively manage visitation in all 

high-use areas and will depend on the public to adhere to 

CDC and local health guidelines. 

Medical Clinics

Due to difficulty recruiting specialized physician’s assistants 

and nurses, in addition to other factors, Yellowstone will 

initially operate only two of three medical clinics during 

Phases 1 and 2. 

Approved Tours

Limited commercial tours (transporting 10 people or fewer with 

proper social distancing) may commence in Phase 1 after tour 

operators have submitted required COVID-19 mitigation plans 

to the park and have received approval. Larger commercial 

tours will be restricted initially. 

Entrance Stations

The opening of some entrance stations may not coincide with 

the opening of park roads, initially. Park entrance stations 

will open once proper mitigation measures are in place and 

staffing configurations allow for safe operations. All entrance 

stations will be fitted with appropriate protective barriers. 

The park will encourage the use of credit cards and institute 

other measures to mitigate COVID-19 exposure.

An NPS employee interacts with a visitor through a protective barrier. 

An extension arm prototype used to maintain a safe distance.
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Phased Reopening Details

Phase 2

Expanded Services

May/June (As health conditions allow)

Phase 3

Full Services

As health conditions 

tone National Park Reopening Sequence

Takeout Food Service

Backcountry Permits

Limited Visitor Centers

Visitor Cabins

Campgrounds

Additional Stores

Boating & Fishing

Full-Service Din

Commercial Tour 

Ranger Progra

Hotels

Additional Facil

& Services

Expanded Tours

The park will open facilities listed in Phase 2 when safe and 

appropriate mitigation measures have been identified and are 

in place. This means that Phase 2 services will begin at different 

times. Similar to Phase 1, these facilities and operations will 

undergo risk assessments and be subject to a range of mitigation 

actions consistent with local, state, and national guidance. Phase 

2 will likely extend through June, at a minimum. 

Phase 2 facilities and operations:

Campgrounds

Campgrounds will open with dates and capacity to be 

determined and posted on NPS and partner websites. Cleaning 

frequency of campground restrooms will be increased.

Backcountry Permits

Backcountry access will be available on a normal schedule. 

Changes are being made to the permitting system and permits 

will initially be issued by telephone and electronically. Staffed 

backcountry permit offices will not open in Phase 1 or 2.

Visitor Cabins 

Xanterra Travel Collection will open visitor cabins for overnight 

accommodations at multiple sites across the park including Old 

Faithful, Lake, and Mammoth. An addendum to their operating 

plan will outline mitigation plans for cleaning, check-in, and 

other operations associated with cabin rentals.

Additional Stores

The NPS will provide maximum flexibility to park partners 

to adjust operating hours and make other modifications as 

necessary. Book store operations will be subject to the same 

measures outlined for Visitor Centers. Park partners will be 

responsible for determining their opening schedules. 

Expanded Tours

More commercial tours (transporting 10 people or fewer with 

proper social distancing) will resume as operators submit 

mitigation plans. The sheer number of operators with different 

business models prevents the park from issuing a blanket 

approval. The park will work with individual commercial use 

operators to ensure operating procedures conform to CDC and 

local health guidelines. 

Takeout Food Service

Xanterra and Delaware North will offer takeout food service 

during Phase 2. No sit-down dining will be allowed until Phase 

3. Both businesses will develop addendums to their operating 

plans to outline mitigation actions.

Boating & Fishing

NPS will open marinas, fishing, and boating per normal 

schedules and regulations. Aquatic invasive species inspection 

stations will be operational at Grant Village, Bridge Bay, and 

Lewis Lake Ranger Station.

Limited Visitor Centers

Once proper mitigation measures have been implemented, 

select visitor centers may begin to open. Prior to opening, 

park staff will install protective barriers at desks, meter the 

number of visitors entering the building, create clear oneway directional foot travel, and increase cleaning frequency. 

Visitors will be strongly encouraged to wear appropriate 

facial covering prior to entering.

An NPS employee interacts with visitors through a protective 

barrier while all are wearing facial coverings.
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Phased Reopening Details

Phase 3

Full Services

As health conditions allow

g Sequence

Full-Service Dining

Commercial Tour Buses

Ranger Programs

Hotels

Additional Facilities

& Services

The park will open facilities listed in Phase 3 once safe and 

appropriate mitigation measures have been identified and 

implemented. The primary trigger for Phase 3 is when states lift 

large-gathering restrictions and the risk associated with shared 

employee housing has been reduced (see workforce section). 

Similar to Phases 1 and 2, these facilities and operations will 

undergo risk assessments and be subject to a range of mitigation 

actions consistent with local, state, and national guidance. It is 

unknown when the park will transition into Phase 3.

Phase 3 facilities and operations:

Hotels

Similar to visitor cabin accommodations, Xanterra Travel 

Collection will provide an addendum to their operating plan 

to outline how they will manage full-service hotel operations. 

Phase 3 allows for additional overnight accommodations to open.

Full-Service Dining 

Full-service dining will largely be predicated on public health 

guidance and staffing availability. Park partners will evaluate 

feasibility and ability to provide full-service dining as more is 

known regarding COVID-19 transmission risks. When venues 

reopen, they will operate with physical distancing protocols.

Commercial Tour Buses

Commercial tours will fully resume in Phase 3, expanding 

from Phase 2 once restrictions are relaxed. Commercial 

operators will provide COVID-19 mitigation plans to the NPS 

for approval prior to resuming normal operations. 

Phase 3 allows normal activities to resume with precautions.

Ranger Programs

Resumption of ranger-led programs will be predicated 

on health guidance regarding large groups and staffing 

availability. 

Additional Facilities & Services

Services not listed will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 

Phase 3 allows for in-person ranger programs to resume.
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Workforce Protection, Housing, & Staffing 

National Park Service

The NPS will reduce exposure potential to employees by:

• Limiting public/visitor interface substantially during 

Phases 1 and 2. The NPS has identified certain facilities 

that will need to operate during Phase 1, including 

entrance stations and public restrooms. 

• Putting protective measures into place to reduce 

exposure risks in areas open in Phase 1. They include: 

PPE and special equipment to allow for more expedient 

and thorough cleaning of facilities; established response 

protocols for first responders; and adjustments to the 

types of medical calls to which NPS personnel respond. 

• Coordinating with primary care providers on response to 

both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients.

• Providing maximum flexibility for jobs eligible for 

telework. Supervisors will ensure employees physically 

coming to work are protected, use staggered schedules, 

similar vehicles, etc.

• Assigning seasonal employees separate housing units 

with individual bedrooms and bathrooms for the 

duration of Phases 1 and 2. No dormitories or large 

shared housing configurations will be authorized initially.

• Distributing the employee COVID-19 Guidebook 

(Appendix 2) and employee training (Appendix 3) 

which contain procedures and tasks to minimize risk of 

COVID-19 spread and describes the contingency plan 

should an employee become symptomatic in the park.

Park Partners

• Concession and partner operators will develop specific 

guidelines for workforce protection, consistent with the 

openings of facilities. 

• Every effort will be made to provide seasonal employees 

individual rooms (individual bathrooms where possible). 

Shared bathroom configurations will be subject to 

approval and with adjustments to the COVID-19 

operating addendum explaining what actions are being 

taken to reduce exposure risks. 

Handheld sprayer prototype used to disinfect surfaces.

Payment system prototype at North Entrance Station.

Commercial Use Operators & Contractors

Commercial Use Operators

As outlined in Phases 1 and 2, limited, small-scale commercial 

operators (10 people or fewer) will be allowed to operate once 

they have submitted COVID-19 mitigation plans to the NPS and 

have received approval. With exceptions, the responsibility for 

proper COVID-19 mitigations will be the responsibility of the 

individual business operator. Large operations, like tour buses, 

will not be considered until Phase 3.

Contractors

Contractors are required to provide COVID-19 plans to the NPS 

and receive approval prior to beginning work. These plans should 

outline actions taken to protect contract employees at work, in 

remote housing areas, and in other areas contractors frequent. Horseback day-ride commercial tour.
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Surveillance & Monitoring

The NPS will continue working with in-park medical clinics 

and surrounding county and state health officials to share 

information regarding COVID-19 infection rates, hospital and 

testing capacity, monitoring actions, and the ability to isolate 

infected employees. The park is also preparing response 

protocols for visitors who test positive for the virus.

The NPS is working with counties to test wastewater systems 

for the presence of COVID-19. As testing capacity grows, 

the NPS will work with local health officials to initiate more 

widespread surveillance testing of employees who have direct 

public interface. The NPS will work with surrounding counties 

to report and monitor new cases over time, conduct active 

monitoring and contact tracing, and continue instituting the 

best available surveillance actions possible.

Wyoming has directed additional health and medical resources 

to help the park with surveillance, testing, and monitoring. 

The park is working with Montana counties and public health 

officials to expand testing and surveillance capacity.

Contingency Planning

Should states and counties reinstate major health restrictions 

due to unacceptably high COVID-19 infection rates, the 

park is prepared to scale back facilities and operations as 

necessary, in conjunction with those actions. The detection 

of community spread in the park will trigger the closure of 

facilities and potentially affected geographic areas.

State/County Jurisdictional Considerations:

Alternative Opening Options 

Surrounding states and counties have varying levels of virus 

infections, death rates, hospital capacity, and readiness measures. 

For example, in one county surrounding the park, there is only 

one positive COVID-19 case; however, in another county, there 

are nearly 150 cases. These variances make decisions difficult for 

health officials and local/state leaders. While every effort is being 

made to open Yellowstone with the consensus of surrounding 

partners, these variances in COVID-19 cases are driven by very 

different health opinions and restrictions, thereby making the 

simultaneous opening of all entrances impossible.

Since the park closed at the end of March, the Yellowstone 

superintendent has worked closely with the state governors 

to determine the proper timing for reopening due to differing 

COVID-19 conditions in the three states. Wyoming has requested 

the earliest possible opening. At present, Montana and Idaho 

have 14-day quarantine restrictions for out-of-state travelers.

To accommodate these varying conditions, the park will open 

Wyoming entrances on May 18, 2020 with access to the lower 

loop (Appendix 1) as well as facilities and operations outlined in 

Phase 1. The park will continue to work closely with Montana 

and Idaho to reopen the remaining gates as soon as possible.
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Appendix 1: Park Road Map - Reopening May 18, 2020

North

Indian Pond

Yellowstone

 Lake

North Entrance

East

Entrance

South Entrance

West Entrance

Northeast Entrance

Mammoth Hot Springs

West Thumb 

Old Faithful

Madison

Grant 

Village

Bridge Bay

Canyon Village

Lake Village

Tower-Roosevelt

Fishing Bridge 

Norris 

EXPECT 

DELAYS

EXPECT 

DELAYS

CLOSED CLOSED

CLOSED

CLOSED

CONSTRUCTION

OPEN

COVID-19 Reopening: May 18, 2020

Yellowstone National Park

go.nps.gov/YELLroads

Park Roads
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Appendix 2: Employee COVID-19 GuidebookTable of Contents

Employee COVID-19 Guidebook

Yellowstone National Park

PURPOSE ..............................................................................................................

BACKGROUND ON COVID-19 VIRUS ...................................................................

PHASED OPENING APPROACH ............................................................................

REOPENING PRIORITIES .......................................................................................

COVID-19 ALERT LEVELS FOR YELLOWSTONE EMPLOYEES ..............................

GENERAL COVID-19 GUIDELINES ........................................................................

STAY INFORMED ..................................................................................................

BEFORE STARTING OR RETURNING TO WORK ...................................................

WHILE AT WORK ..................................................................................................

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE SICK ...........................................................................

CARE OF THE COMMUNITY ................................................................................

CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT TEAM............................................

IMPORTANT RESOURCES (APPENDIX).................................................................

UPDATED 5/12/2020

Purpose

This guide outlines the procedures and tasks to be followed by employees to minimize risk of 

COVID-19 spread and describes the contingency plan should an employee become symptomatic in 

the park.

Job-specific protocols will be available in the park’s Covid-19 intranet page, and will include guidance 

for tasks such as: 

• Facility Cleaning

• Law Enfocement Contacts

• Guidance for First Responders

• Fee Collection

• Etc. 

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2

3

3

4

6

6

6

7

8

10

11

12
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Appendix 3: COVID-19 Employee Training Packet