The official feed of Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone National Park
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Not to sound alarmist, but WINTER IS COMING! ❄️
There are only a few more weeks until most park roads close to vehicles on Nov. 1 for the winter season. The only road open year-round to vehicles is from the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, to the Northeast Entrance in Silver Gate/Cooke City, Montana.
Until most roads officially close on Nov. 1, snow and dangerous driving conditions can cause temporary road closures. So, be sure to check the status of park roads before you venture to the park:
✅ View our live road status map at: go.nps.gov/YELLroads,
✅ Call (307) 344-2117 for recorded road information, or
✅ Sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting 82190 to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
ALT A white SUV drives along a snowy mountain road near a sign marking Sylvan Pass at 8530 feet elevation.
The National Park Service, together with its official nonprofit and philanthropic partner, @ynpforever, and @Blackstone Infrastructure portfolio company Tallgrass, announces the establishment of a $105 million Conservation and Stewardship Fund, creating a permanent source of support for the long-term stewardship of the world’s first national park. This is the largest single private gift in National Park Service history.
The fund will direct resources toward three priorities essential to Yellowstone’s long-term stewardship: advancing conservation and research to extend the reach and impact of the park’s scientific work; enhancing access and visitor experience through investments in infrastructure; and expanding opportunities for Wyoming students and community members to experience Yellowstone.
This latter effort will include the establishment of the Tallgrass WYld Yellowstone Initiative, named for the long-time Wyoming energy infrastructure operator with more than a decade of operations in the Cowboy State.
The National Park Service will retain full authority over park management decisions, and projects supported through the fund will be consistent with applicable laws, policies and park priorities.
Photo credit: Blackstone
ALT Officials seated at a table outdoors with Yellowstone's Old Faithful geyser erupting in the background during a formal event.
Yellowstone National Park retweeted
A two-fer! This morning visitors were treated to Beehive Geyser and Lion Geyser erupting at the same time.
Help us welcome our new acting superintendent, Barclay Trimble, and deputy superintendent, Kristen Kosick!
👉 Learn more about our new leadership team at: nps.gov/yell/learn/managemen…
ALT Smiling male park ranger in uniform and a wide-brimmed ranger hat standing outside a historic stone building.
ALT Smiling female National Park Service ranger wearing a wide-brimmed ranger hat and uniform with a badge and patch on her sleeve.
Yellowstone National Park retweeted
We finished up another successful season at the Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center having hosted 33 presenters from 19 associated Tribes of Yellowstone. Thank you to all presenters, partners, and visitors who stopped by this year! #IndigenousPeoplesDay youtu.be/tJGJOQbayzE
Yellowstone National Park retweeted
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stops the engineers who service Yellowstone’s monitoring networks. Today's Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles follows field engineers in the varied forms of transportation they use to reach stations in every corner of the park!
usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/n…
📷1: EarthScope intern Lexi Kenis (left) and field engineer Lia Lajoie (right) hike through Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park on their way to GPS Station HVWY. Photo by Brendan Hodge, EarthScope Consortium, September 2025.
📷2: Brendan Hodge, Field Engineer with EarthScope Consortium, cross-country skiing from the “oversnow” road to arrive at the Madison Junction GPS monitoring station (P711). All necessary tools and parts used for repairs and upgrades are carried on his back. Photo by Lia Lajoie, EarthScope Consortium, winter 2025.
📷3: Helicopter landing near GPS site WLWY to deliver personnel and equipment to repair the station’s damaged antenna cable. Photo by Lia Lajoie, EarthScope Consortium, September 2025.
📷4: Horses carried batteries to the Slough Creek GPS station (P720) in their saddle bags. The GPS station itself is shown in the left foreground, including the box that houses the receiver and solar panel mounted up against it. Photo by Brendan Hodge, EarthScope Consortium, 2025.
@YellowstoneNPS
ALT Two hikers with backpacks and trekking poles walk through a vast grassy field under a cloudy sky.
ALT A lone skier trekking through a snowy landscape with pine trees under a cloudy sky.
ALT Red and white helicopter flying low above a forest clearing with tall pine trees under a partly cloudy blue sky.
ALT A person leading a group of pack horses through a sunlit forest clearing with rocky outcroppings.
It's that time of year! The forecast calls for a chance of snow over the next couple of days. Although most park roads don't close for the season until Nov. 1, temporary road closures can occur due to hazardous driving conditions. Always check the current status of park roads before you venture to the park:
✅ View our live road status map at: go.nps.gov/YELLroads,
✅ Call (307) 344-2117 for recorded road information, or
✅ Sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting 82190 to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).
Photo (NPS / Jacob W. Frank): Grand Loop Road through Golden Gate at sunset.
ALT Winding road curves through rocky cliffs and dense pine forests under a dramatic sunset sky.
Yellowstone National Park retweeted
🌳 Do you dream of working in the first national park?
Come join @yellowstonenps’s Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) staff as a YCC Director, Park Ranger, or Recreation Ranger.
View all positions at nps.usajobs.gov
📸 NPS
#FindYourPark #YouthConservationCorps #NPSYouth
ALT Two workers wearing yellow hard hats and beige uniforms share a high-five while handling a large, sharp saw blade outdoors in a wooded area with fallen logs and green grass.
ALT Five people wearing yellow safety helmets and work uniforms are collaboratively lifting a large brown metal box in a forested campsite area near a fire pit and grill.
ALT Two workers wearing yellow hard hats and outdoor gear work on a wooden boardwalk near a steaming geothermal hot spring surrounded by forest, handling safety barriers and equipment.
ALT Two workers wearing yellow hard hats, gloves, and face masks mix concrete in a blue wheelbarrow outdoors in a forested area.
Heads up! The Beartooth Highway (US-212) between Red Lodge and Cooke City/Silver Gate, MT will temporarily close starting at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 in preparation for winter weather and anticipated hazardous driving conditions.
The weather forecast calls for ice and snow this Saturday through Monday. Depending on conditions, the Beartooth Highway may not reopen until next spring (the highway is scheduled to close Monday, Oct. 12 for the season).
👉 Before you venture that way, be sure to check for road status and updates on both the Montana (511mt.net/) and Wyoming (map.wyoroad.info/511-map/) departments of transportation websites.
Photo (NPS / Jacob W. Frank): Spring snow plowing operations on Beartooth Highway (US-212).
ALT Yellow snow grooming machines smoothing a snowy mountain slope with rugged peaks in the background under a cloudy sky.
How would you like to work for the world's first national park? Come join #TeamYellowstone!
We're currently hiring for a variety of seasonal positions. If you're looking for work as a park ranger (interpretation), custodial worker, maintenance worker (trails), recreation fee technician, biological science technician, engineering equipment operator, Youth Conservation Corps crew leader, and more, take a look at our website and apply today! Don't take too long - applications will close at end of day Tuesday, Oct. 13!
👉 View open positions and apply: go.nps.gov/WorkInYellowstone
Photos (NPS / Jacob W. Frank): 1. Youth Conservation Corps crew and staff repairing a section of boardwalk; 2. Biological science technicians planting whitebark pine seedlings; 3. Park ranger Vanessa swearing in a new Junior Ranger at the Albright Visitor Center; 4. Engineering equipment operator Brian inside a rotary blower used to plow snowy park roads.
ALT Group of eight youth and young adults wearing yellow helmets and gloves posing with tools on a wooden boardwalk near a thermal feature outdoors under a blue sky.
ALT Person in outdoor gear kneeling on grassy hillside, planting or examining soil with tools nearby under clear sky.
ALT Park ranger reading a Junior Ranger booklet with a young boy inside a nature exhibit featuring a large elk model.
ALT Man wearing sunglasses and work uniform sitting inside the open door of a large yellow industrial vehicle under a blue sky.
(News Release) Yellowstone hosted 868,450 recreation visits in September 2026, up 3% from September 2025 (839,579 recreation visits). Visitation in September 2026 showed a 2% decrease from September 2021 (882,078 recreation visits), which was Yellowstone's record-breaking year with over 4.8 million recreation visits and the busiest September on record. Read more: go.nps.gov/26024
ALT Visitors walk along a wooden boardwalk crossing a geothermal area with steaming blue water and dry, mineral-rich soil under a clear sky.
Yellowstone National Park retweeted
With new thermal features popping up frequently and old ones experiencing periods of activity and quiescence, have you ever wondered how Yellowstone National Park keeps it all straight? It can be tricky, as a historic Caldera Chronicles explains!
usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/n…
📷: Black Pearl Geyser in Biscuit Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. USGS photo by Mike Poland, September 22, 2026.
Autumn season hiking means cooler temperatures, variable weather conditions, and wildlife activity as animals prepare for the upcoming winter.
If you're planning to hike, backpack, or camp in the park's backcountry this fall, be sure to check our interactive backcountry conditions map for detailed info about current trail conditions and any temporary closures or known hazards. And, as always, bring bear spray and know how to use it!
👉 View our backcountry conditions map at: go.nps.gov/YELLbackcountryre…
Photo (NPS / Jacob W. Frank): Hikers crossing a suspension bridge on the Bechler Meadows Trail.
ALT Two people carrying large backpacks who are walking across a wooden suspension bridge that crosses a river.
Yellowstone National Park retweeted
When you visit Yellowstone, it is common to detect something that smells like rotten eggs. The latest Yellowstone Volcano Observatory video update describes why this smell is a good thing in terms of volcano monitoring, and also shows videos from various geysers and hot springs, including a small hydrothermal explosion in Biscuit Basin on the night of September 27, 2026.
youtu.be/pKJDW8oOXuU
@YellowstoneNPS
Take a moment to slow down and enjoy the sights and sounds of a fall sunrise at West Thumb Geyser Basin. 😌
A heads up: Currently, a section of the West Thumb Geyser Basin boardwalk closest to the shoreline is temporarily closed through mid-October while crews replace damaged support structures. The rest of the boardwalk is still open during this time. Thank you for your patience as we make these important repairs!
Video description: Various clips of a calm morning at a thermal basin near Yellowstone Lake, including bubbling hot springs, spouting geysers, swimming waterfowl, bugling elk, frost-covered plants, and pink- and purple-hued skies.
Yellowstone National Park retweeted
Two new monitoring sites are now online in Yellowstone!
1️⃣ Seismic/infrasound near Geyser Hill, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
2️⃣ Camera view of Yellowstone Lake
All data are now online. Today's Caldera Chronicles has the deets! ow.ly/K8nX50ZR2no
📷1: YGH monitoring station near Geyser Hill, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. Infrasound sensors sit under the brown "hats" that serve as wind screens, and a seismometer is buried nearby. Electronics and batteries are stored in the equipment box, while the tower holds solar panels, weather sensors, and a radio antenna to transmit data in real time. The station came online in September 2026 and is part of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory's hydrothermal monitoring system.
📷2: Acoustic signals recorded at infrasound arrays (red inverted triangles) YBB (in Biscuit Basin) and YGH (near Geyser Hill), in Upper Geyser Basin, can be used to determine the direction from which low-frequency acoustic signals originated, also called the backazimuth. This example is from 9:14 p.m. MDT on September 10, 2026, when both arrays recorded a strong signal. The backazimuths converged on Giant Geyser (yellow star), which started erupting at that time and was the source of the infrasound signal.
📷3: View from September 11, 2026, at 3:02:16 p.m. MDT acquired by the reinstalled Lake camera, which is located on a cell tower near Lake Village. The view looks to the south-southeast at Yellowstone Lake. Stevenson Island can be seen at the middle-right.
Wildlife watching! (Except the wildlife are watching YOU. 👀)
Many people visit us for a chance to see the abundant and diverse wildlife that call Yellowstone home. Help us keep wildlife wild by following our tips:
📷 Zoom with your lens, not with your feet. Wild animals are unpredictable and can be dangerous, especially if you approach them too closely. Always maintain a distance of 100 yards (91 m) from bears, wolves and cougars, and 25 yards (23 m) from all other wildlife. Use binoculars, spotting scopes or telephoto lenses to get a closer look and avoid disturbing wildlife.
♨️ Stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas. Don’t risk your life for a photo by underestimating the danger in these areas! Camera tripod legs must remain on boardwalks - and make sure you leave enough room for others to pass safely.
🚗 Park in roadside pullouts. Don't block the road to take pictures and please refrain from driving or parking on roadside vegetation.
🐻 Carry bear spray (and know how to use it). All of Yellowstone is bear habitat: from the deepest backcountry to the boardwalks around Old Faithful.
🚫 Leave the drone at home. The launching, landing or operation of unmanned aircraft is prohibited in Yellowstone.
By following these tips, you will be more likely to witness animals' natural behavior and keep yourself (and others) safe. View more of our tips for photographing wildlife at: go.nps.gov/YELLphotography
All photos taken with a zoom lens (NPS / Jacob W. Frank, Neal Herbert, Addy Falgoust): 1. Great horned owl chicks; 2. Beaver; 3. Bighorn sheep; 4. Coyote
ALT Two great horned owl chicks perched in a tree and looking directly down into the camera below.
ALT A wet beaver sitting on dry grass that is staring at the camera near tangled branches in a natural outdoor setting.
ALT Close-up of a bighorn sheep with large, curved horns that is looking at the camera and resting on rocky terrain in a natural habitat.
ALT A coyote looking at the camera and cautiously walking across a snowy landscape with trees blurred in the background.
For the past 15 years, we have partnered with @GroundworkUSA to provide opportunities for youth to work on important conservation projects throughout the park.
In August, youth crews from 7 Groundwork USA affiliates (Rhode Island; Erie, PA; Hudson Valley, NY; Somerville, MA; Southcoast, MA; Ohio River Valley, OH; and San Diego, CA) worked alongside Yellowstone’s Youth Conservation Corps staff to complete a variety of park projects:
▪️Installed 27 bear-proof food storage boxes at Grant Campground
▪️Demolished and installed 225 feet of boardwalk in the Upper Geyser Basin near Old Faithful
▪️Constructed and installed 121 feet of buck-and-rail fencing at Fairy Falls parking lot
▪️Collected 17 eDNA water samples at Duck Lake and along the Gardner River
▪️Collected 15 dragonfly larvae for the Dragonfly Mercury Project freshwater national study
▪️Conducted 2 surveys for bumble bees for the Bumble Bee Watch Project at Fishing Bridge and Indian Pond
These crews not only worked hard, but they also left the program with more confidence and lasting friendships. Thank you, Groundwork USA!
ALT A large group of people standing/kneeling together wearing matching uniforms and smiling at the camera.
Yellowstone National Park retweeted
Recent collaborative research into the past climate of Yellowstone’s Lower Geyser Basin has revealed some surprises about how the area has changed over the past many millennia. Today's Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles steps into a paleoecological time machine!
ow.ly/hN6y50ZOu8J
📷: Lower Geyser Basin is the largest thermal area in Yellowstone National Park. The east-northeast view from atop Twin Buttes looks across the basin’s geysers, pine forest, and grasslands to the Central Plateau in the distance. The small lakes in the foreground and middle ground were cored to reconstruct the environmental history of this active hydrothermal landscape. Photo by Lauren N. Harrison, USGS, September 2022.
Imagine: you are just a little frog sipping your hot cup of coffee on a crisp autumn morning, watching the fog slowly roll across golden-hued hills.
Ahhhh, that sounds nice.
Happy Autumnal Equinox! Less daylight, cooler temperatures, and variable weather conditions are on their way. 🍂🌨️🌙
Planning a fall park visit? Be sure to check the weather forecast on our website to help you pack for your visit: go.nps.gov/YELLweather
Photo (NPS / Neal Herbert): A "frog rock" watches a foggy sunrise at Blacktail Deer Plateau.
ALT A large boulder is seen in the foreground, which is shaped a lot like a frog. It looks like the "frog rock" is looking out across a vast, hilly landscape during an autumn sunrise as fog rolls across the hills.