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 and Mammoth Hot Springs, 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 FHWA-WFLHD, in cooperation with the NPS, improved the existing gravel 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 and because it 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. Currently, wastewater is being diverted to new and existing emergency treatment ponds and a recently installed treatment plant near Mammoth Hot Springs. The NPS, in cooperation with the FHWA-WFLHD, is evaluating the best options for construction of a new permanent North Entrance Road and associated sewer line replacement in the Park.

The NPS has completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) to assess potential impacts of four alternatives for the proposed construction of the North Entrance Road. The alternatives include:
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 is available for public review and comment from January 5th to midnight on February 4, 2026. To review the EA and submit a comment, click the "Open for Comment" link on the left side of this page. Then select the "Yellowstone National Park N. Entrance Road Reconstruction EA" document and then click "Comment Now" to enter and submit your comments. There will also be opportunities to learn about the proposed project during public meetings on January 13th and 14th, 2026. Click the 'Meeting Notices' button on the left side of this page for more details on meeting dates and times.

Contact Information

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