North Entrance Road Reconstruction Project EA

On June 12 and 13, 2022, a record-breaking flood event was experienced in several locations in the northern part of the Park (2022 flood), including along the Yellowstone River, Gardner River, and tributaries in Park County, Montana and Park County, Wyoming. Devastating damage occurred in the Park on multiple sections of the North Entrance Road between Gardiner, MT and Mammoth Hot Springs, WY, necessitating closure of the road and temporary closure of the North Entrance Station on June 13, 2022. During the summer and fall of 2022, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in cooperation with the NPS, improved the existing gravel Old Gardiner Road (OGR), using FHWA Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads funding. The OGR was re-opened to the public on October 30, 2022. This entrance road has an estimated 5- to 10-year design life because it is partially located on slow-moving geologic slides and poor soils. The road could not be designed and built to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials standards due to the urgent need to complete construction prior to the winter of 2022.

The NPS completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) to assess potential impacts of four alternatives for the proposed construction of the North Entrance Road. The alternatives included:

Alternative 1: The No Action alternative would maintain OGR as is and conduct general and emergency maintenance, repairs, and potential re-engineering, as needed. The old North Entrance Road canyon alignment damaged during the 2022 flood would not be reclaimed.

Alternative 2: The Center Alignment (NPS preferred alternative) would create a new alignment but use some segments of the old North Entrance Road canyon alignment, redesign the OGR as a multi-use trail, and reclaim sections of the old North Entrance Road canyon.

Alternative 3: The OGR Alignment would re-engineer the OGR to current NPS Park road standards with wider lanes and shoulders, reclaim sections of the old North Entrance Road canyon alignment.

Alternative 4: The Gardner Canyon Alignment would rebuild the flood-damaged old North Entrance Road canyon alignment and redesign the OGR as a multi-use trail.

Impact topics carried forward for detailed analysis within the EA include:
 Visitor Use and Experience
 Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat
 Special Status Species
 Vegetation and Soils
 Water Resources
 Geologic Resources
 Cultural Resources

The EA was available for public review and comment from January 5th to midnight on February 4, 2026. Several public meetings were held throughout the planning process. You can access meeting materials by clicking the "Links" and "Document List" buttons on the left side of the screen.

The NPS Regional Director signed a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on September 16, 2026. The NPS selected Alternative 2: The Center Alignment. You can review and download the FONSI by clicking on "Document List" on the left side of the screen and select "2026 Yellowstone North Entrance Road Reconstruction Project FONSI."

Contact Information

Yellowstone Public Affairs Office
yell_public_affairs@nps.gov
(307) 344-2015