The winter season of snowmobile and snowcoach travel runs from the second Saturday of December to mid-March. All roads and entrances, with one exception, are closed to motor vehicle travel and are groomed for oversnow vehicles. The exception is the North Entrance and the road from Gardiner, MT, through the Northeast Entrance to Cooke City, MT, which is open only to wheeled vehicles. Plowing stops at Cooke City, so you must return to the North Entrance to leave the park. Dunraven Pass, between Tower and Canyon Junctions, and the Beartooth Highway, connecting Cooke City to Red Lodge, MT generally open by Memorial Day weekend.
Weather can especially affect road openings over the higher passes.
Spring storms may cause restrictions or temporary closures on some roads. Large road reconstruction projects are underway in Yellowstone resulting in some closures of major sections of road. The Beartooth Highway, connecting Cooke City to Red Lodge, MT closes for the season in mid-October. Depending on weather, park roads close for the season on the first Sunday of November. The winter season of snowmobile and snowcoach travel begins in mid-December.