So, you’ve decided to go to Yellowstone National Park? You’ve made a great choice!
However, planning a trip there isn’t easy and you are probably asking yourself, “How do I get to Yellowstone National Park?”
The national park is huge so the best way to Yellowstone depends on what area(s) of the park you plan to visit and what you want to do and see.
In this guide, we’ll look at how to go to Yellowstone explore each of the options in details.
If you’re planning to visit Yellowstone National Park in spring, summer or fall, make your planning easy and stress free with a detailed itinerary. I have 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-day itineraries for Yellowstone National Park that include all the park highlights, give you choices based on your preferred activity level, and take all the stress out of planning your trip.
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Table of Contents
Where’s Yellowstone National Park?
Yellowstone National Park is in the western United States. Most of the park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, though it spills out into parts of Montana and Idaho.
Yellowstone Park has five entrances:
🎫 the North Entrance, where you can access the Mammoth Hot Springs
🎫 the Northeast Entrance with easy access to the wildlife in Lamar Valley
🎫 the East Entrance which brings you to Yellowstone Lake
🎫 the South Entrance, which is close to Grand Teton National Park
🎫 the West Entrance which takes you to spectacular views of the geysers and colorful hot springs.
What you want to see on your trip to Yellowstone and where you’re traveling before and after are some things to consider when choosing which entrance(s) to use.
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How To Get To Yellowstone National Park
Flying to Yellowstone National Park
Because Yellowstone is in a fairly remote part of western United States, most people either fly there or include it as part of an epic road trip. If you fly, you’ll need to decide which airport to get to Yellowstone.
When figuring out how to get to Yellowstone by air, once of the main things to consider is which entrance(s) to use.
For the North Entrance, the closest airport is Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in southwest Montana. If you’re wondering how to get from Bozeman Airport to Yellowstone, the easiest way is to get a rent a car and drive to the West entrance (an hour and 45 minutes | 92 miles/ 149 km), or to the North entrance (an hour and 20 minutes | 79 miles/127 km).
For the East Entrance, the most convenient airport is Yellowstone Regional Airport (COD) in Cody (1.5 hours | 70 miles/113 km). This airport also gives you access to Yellowstone’s Northeast entrance (2.5 hours | 83 miles/134 km).
Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) is the nearest airport to the South Entrance (just over one hour | 50 miles/80 km). It’s located right inside Grand Teton National Park, so if you’re also going to visit Grand Teton, this is your best choice.
Yellowstone Airport (WYS) is just two miles from the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, so you’ll get there in a few minutes. This is the best way to get to Yellowstone Park if you want to minimize your drive time to the park.
If you’re not sure how to get to Yellowstone Airport, the easiest way is also rental car, though there are some tours from West Yellowstone if you prefer not to drive at all.
➡️ For more information about where to fly to get to Yellowstone, read my guide to the best airports for Yellowstone National Park.
➡️ Check prices on flights to Yellowstone National Park here.
How to Get to Yellowstone by Train
There are no direct trains to Yellowstone National Park. However, if you like to travel by train, there are a couple of Amtrak routes that you can take and then connect with another form of transportation.
The California Zephyr route runs between Chicago and San Francisco via Denver and Salt Lake City. Get off in Salt Lake City and pick up a rental car (it’s 4.5 hours to West Yellowstone and the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park) or take the Salt Lake Express bus to West Yellowstone. Salt Lake City is the closest Amtrak train station to Yellowstone National Park.
For a northern route, the Empire Builder route also starts in Chicago and goes to Seattle/ Vancouver. You can get off at Shelby and pick up a rental car there. It’s a five-hour drive direct to Gardner and Yellowstone’s North Entrance. This is also convenient if you plan to visit Glacier National Park as well.
Can I take a train to Yellowstone National Park?
There are no train services directly to Yellowstone National Park.
What Amtrak station is closest to Yellowstone?
The closest Amtrak station you can access to going to Yellowstone National Park is Salt Lake Central. Take the California Zephyr route and then you can drive or take a bus from Salt Lake City to the park’s West Entrance.
Can you take a train from Denver to Yellowstone National Park?
There are no direct train service routes from Denver to Yellowstone National Park.
How to Get to Yellowstone by Bus
Salt Lake City Express offers bus services from either Salt Lake City or Idaho Falls bound to West Yellowstone, Montana if you’ll use the West entrance or Jackson Hole, Wyoming if you’re going to the South entrance of the park.
Greyhound buses have routes to Bozeman, Jackson, and Idaho Falls. From Bozeman airport, you can take the Karst Stage. Yellowstone Roadrunner shuttles serve West Yellowstone, Bozeman, Jackson, and Idaho Falls.
If you take a bus, you’ll still need a way to get around the park. There are several tours available.
➡️ SEE AVAILABLE TOURS TO YELLOWSTONE HERE
How to Get to Yellowstone Without a Car
Driving a car is the best way to get to and around the park. However, if you prefer not to drive, you have several options to get to Yellowstone without a car. These include:
✈️ Fly direct to West Yellowstone. The airport is just five minutes from the center of town and you can easily get a taxi from the airport to your accommodation, then walk around town. Read more about flying into West Yellowstone Airport
✈️ Fly direct to Jackson Hole Airport. Get a transfer from the airport to Jackson here. Book a transfer from your hotel in Jackson to the airport here.
✈️ Fly or take the Amtrak train to Salt Lake City then take the Salt Lake Express to West Yellowstone
✈️ Fly to one of the other nearby airports and take a Greyhound bus to West Yellowstone or Gardner (see the bus section above)
Once you are in a nearby gateway town, you can easily take a tour to various parts of the national park.
➡️ Click here for the full range of tours to Yellowstone National Park
In the winter months, you can access the North entrance by car and other entrances to the park by snow coaches or snowmobiles.
➡️ See my Guide to Visiting Yellowstone National Park in Winter for more details.
Driving to Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is far from any major cities, but it’s close to many other natural wonders, including Grand Teton National Park and Glacier National Park. Which is why many people choose to include it in an epic road trip – either from home or from a major airport nearby.
If you drive your own vehicle, you’ll need to pay for gas, but you’ll see more of this amazing country along the way – and save on rental car prices.
➡️ If you need to rent a car, rent a car for your Yellowstone trip here
➡️ Check out my guide to saving money on rental cars before you book.
Don’t underestimate the distances and factor in more time than Google Maps tells you it will take – things almost always take longer than you think. If you’re traveling outside the warm summer months, keep an eye on weather, as some of the high mountain roads are sometimes temporarily closed for increment weather at a moment’s notice.
➡️ Make sure you have everything you need for your road trip with my handy free downloadable Road Trip Essentials Packing List.
Having a vehicle also means you can drive around the national park at your leisure.
➡️ READ MORE: Most Scenic Drives in Yellowstone National Park and Guide to the Lamar Valley Drive
What is the best way to get to Yellowstone National Park from …?
Here are basic driving directions to Yellowstone Park from major destinations around the country:
How to get to Yellowstone from the east coast
The best way to get to Yellowstone from east coast destinations is to fly to a nearby destination and drive from there. The drive time from the east coast is significant and flying will give you more time in Yellowstone.
How to get from Yellowstone to Glacier National Park
The best and cheapest way to travel from Yellowstone (West) to Glacier National Park is by car. Take the three main highways, US-287 N, I-15 N, and US-89 N. With a road distance of 407 miles (655 km), you’ll reach the Glacier National Park in about seven and a half hours.
How to get from Glacier National Park to Yellowstone
Another option from Glacier National Park, take a taxi service to Glacier Park International Airport and fly to Yellowstone Airport, then you can drive to Yellowstone’s West entrance. Alternatively, take the long drive directly from Glacier Park to the West entrance. This would take you approximately seven to eight hours.
How to get from Yellowstone to Grand Teton National Park
The nearest entrance from Yellowstone to Grand Teton is through the South entrance which is only about 31 miles | one hour. However, if you’re coming from West Yellowstone, it will take you approximately three hours to get to Grand Teton. The distance from the West entrance to Grand Teton National park is 103 miles (165 km).
How to get to Yellowstone from Jackson Hole
Yellowstone National Park’s South entrance is only 57 miles (92 km) from Jackson. It’ll take you about an hour’s drive on U.S. Highway 89/191. The route passes through Grand Teton National Park so you’ll also enjoy the scenic mountain views along the way.
If you’re heading to West Yellowstone, it’ll be around 127 miles (204 km) from Jackson Hole. Several routes can take you to the West entrance but the quickest way to get there is by passing over Teton Pass, Ashton, and Island Park. Driving there will take you two and a half hours.
How to get from Mt Rushmore to Yellowstone
There are three scenic routes you can choose to travel from Mt. Rushmore to Yellowstone. The Cloud Peak Skyway and Bighorn Scenic Byway pass through the Bighorn National Forest. The third one is a drive from scenic Beartooth Highway to Yellowstone. You can access the Northeast or East Entrances on all three routes.
The Bighorn Scenic Byway is a 493-mile stretch via Highway 14-16-20 or what is known as the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway. On the other hand, the Cloud Peak Skyway spans around 480 miles (772 km). Both routes take about nine and a half hours of driving, so can have several stops along the way.
The longest trip is via Beartooth Highway which sums up about 572 miles (925 km). The road trip is around 12 hours so you can split this you travel for two days and drop by other attractions like the Devils Tower.
If you prefer to fly to Yellowstone from Rushmore, you can take a taxi to Rapid City Regional Airport and take a flight to West Yellowstone or fly to Jackson (JAC).
How to get to Yellowstone from NYC
The fastest and best way to get to Yellowstone is to fly to a gateway airport and drive from there.
How to get to Yellowstone National Park from San Francisco
Flying from San Francisco International Airport is the fastest way to get you to Yellowstone National Park. If you’re going to West Yellowstone, flight time is around four hours. To get to the South entrance, you can fly to Jackson (JAC) which takes about two hours. From there, drive for two hours to reach Yellowstone.
If you plan to have a long road trip, you can access both Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone on this route. You can plan to split this trip into two or three days which is roughly 16 hours in total.
Taking an Amtrak Train to Salt Lake City and driving or taking a bus from there is another (long) option.
How to get to Yellowstone National Park from Los Angeles
The best way to get you to Yellowstone National Park is to fly from major Los Angeles airports. Los Angeles LAX offers a wide range of flights to get you to West Yellowstone (WYS). It takes four and a half hours to travel to get there. You also have the option to fly from Burbank Airport (BUR) South to West Yellowstone, which takes around five hours.
If you want to access the South entrance, you can fly from Los Angeles LAX to Jackson (JAC).
Driving from Los Angeles to Yellowstone National Park will take you more than 15 hours with several terrific stops you can visit along the way from Valley of Fire State Park to Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
➡️ If you need to rent a car, rent a car for your Yellowstone trip here
FAQs: How Do you Get to Yellowstone National Park?
What’s the cheapest way to get to Yellowstone National Park?
The cheapest way to access Yellowstone is booking a flight from major airports like Salt Lake City. It’s less expensive than flying straight to West Yellowstone Airport.
What’s the easiest way to get to Yellowstone?
The easiest route you can take to get to Yellowstone is flying to Yellowstone Airport. It’s the nearest airport which will take you a few minutes to Yellowstone’s West entrance.
Travel Insurance for Yellowstone National Park
In addition to deciding the best way to go to Yellowstone National Park, you should think about travel insurance. Good travel insurance will cover you for trip cancellation, theft or damage of your property when traveling, medical help if you have an accident in or while getting to Yellowstone, or medical repatriation if you need to get medi-vaced out.
➡️ A good insurance option is Travelex. You can compare Travel Insurance plans here or get a quote right now:
Enjoy Yellowstone National Park!
More Planning Resources for Yellowstone National Park
⭐ Yellowstone National Park Guide
⭐ Yellowstone Itineraries
⭐ 7 Mistakes to Avoid
⭐ How Many Days in Yellowstone National Park?
⭐ Guide To Camping In Yellowstone National Park
⭐ How to Visit Yellowstone in Winter
⭐ Best Things To Do In Yellowstone National Park
⭐ The Best Yellowstone Scenic Drives
⭐ Lamar Valley Scenic Drive
⭐ Best Waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park
⭐ Best Hikes in Yellowstone National Park
⭐ Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook Trail Guide
⭐ Best Time to Visit Yellowstone National Park
⭐ Visiting Yellowstone Throughout the Year
⭐ Tips For Visiting Yellowstone National Park
⭐ All The Airports Near Yellowstone National Park
⭐ The Closest Airport to Yellowstone National Park
⭐ 10 Fun Facts about Yellowstone National Park
⭐ Best Books about Yellowstone National Park
⭐ Vacation Rentals Near Yellowstone National Park
⭐ Yellowstone Packing List
Did you decide how to get to Yellowstone Park? Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know (you can also pick up extra planning tips, share your photos and stories with other national park lovers and more).
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How To Get To Yellowstone National Park
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About the Author
James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.
He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.
Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for many of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, and other resources will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.
As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Newsweek, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.
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