Must Read Park Information
Yellowstone is a wilderness filled with natural wonders that are also
potential hazards at times. There is no guarantee of your safety. Regulations
are strictly enforced to protect you and the park's wonders.
This page is designed to provide the basic rules at a glance. It is not
comprehensive and should be used merely to obtain a simple familiarity with some
of our more important rules. You will find additional rules defined in more
detail on our Rules & Regulations Main Page.
Geyser
© Vertical Media
Avoid These Situations
Your visit my be marred by tragedy if you violate park rules. Law enforcement
rangers strictly enforce park regulations to protect you and the park. Please
help keep our contacts with you pleasant by paying special attention to park
regulations and avoiding these problems:
Speeding (radar enforced)
Driving while intoxicated (open container law enforced)
Off-road travel by vehicle or bicycle
Improper storage of food
Camping violations
Pets off leash
Littering
Swimming in thermal pools
Removal or possession of natural (flowers, antlers, rocks, etc) or cultural
features (artifacts)
Feeding or approaching wildlife
Spotlighting (viewing animals with artificial light)
Boating and fishing violations
Failure to remove detachable side mirrors when not pulling trailers
Scalding Water Can Ruin Your Trip
Yellowstone's thermal features, rare among the earth's wonders, are extremely
fragile. Boardwalks and trails protect you and preserve delicate formations. You
must stay on boardwalks and designated trails. Scalding water underlies most of
the thin, breakable crust. Pools may be near or above the boiling temperature
and can cause severe, possibly even fatal, burns.
Pets are prohibited in thermal areas.
Swimming or bathing in thermal pools or streams, where water flows entirely from
a thermal spring or pool, is prohibited. Where swimming is allowed, swim at your
own risk. Thermal waters may contain organisms know to cause infections and/or
amoebic meningitis, which can quickly be fatal. Obtain more information at any
ranger station or visitor center.
Unpredictable Wildlife - Keep Your Distance!
Never Approach Closer than 100 Yards to Bears and 25 Yards to Other Wildlife
Bison in the Hayden Valley
© Vertical Media
You will see more of an animals natural behavior and activity if you are
sensitive to its need for space. Do not approach any wildlife, especially those
with young. View them from the safety of your vehicle. If an animal reacts to
your presence, you are too close.
Each year a number of park visitors are injured by wildlife when they approach
animals too closely. You must stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and
at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other large animals - bison, elk, bighorn
sheep, deer, moose, wolves, and coyotes.
BISON may appear tame and slow but they are unpredictable and dangerous. They
weigh up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg) and sprint at 30 miles per hour (48 kph),
three time faster than you can run! Every year visitors are gored and some have
been killed.
COYOTES quickly learn bad habits like roadside begging. This may lead to
aggressive behavior toward humans. Never approach or feed a begging coyote.
BEARS - Be alert for tracks and sign. The best way to avoid a bear is to take
all necessary precautions to avoid surprise encounters. Review both our
backpacking page and our bear encounters page for important information on this
subject.
If precautionary measures fail and you are charged by a bear, you can still
usually defuse the situation. Pepper spray is a good last line of defense and it
is effective in more than 90% of the reported cases where it has been used.
Become familiar with your pepper spray, real all instructions, and know its
limitations. Pepper spray must be instantly available, not in your pack.
Remember, carrying pepper spray is not a substitute for vigilance and good
safety precautions.
If you are injured by a bear (regardless of how minor), or if you observe bear
or bear sign, report it to a park ranger as soon as possible. Someone's safety
may depend on it.
Attention Anglers and Boaters
Yellowstone National Park's fishing season opens the Saturday of Memorial Day
weekend and closes the first Sunday in November. Details are available on our
fishing pages. Permits are required for the use of boats or float tubes.
Hot Spring
© Vertical Media
Backcountry Permits
Permits are required for overnight backcountry use and may be obtained in person
up to 48 hours in advance from any ranger station. Rangers will provide
information on weather, trails, and other conditions. See our Backcountry Trip
Planner for online details.
Bicycling
Bicycling is permitted on established public roads, parking areas, and
designated routes. There are no bicycle paths along roadways. Bicycles are
prohibited on backcountry trails and boardwalks.
We strongly recommend that safety gear, including helmet and high visibility
clothing, be worn by all bicyclists. Park roads are narrow and winding; most do
not have a shoulder or shoulders are covered by gravel. During April, May, and
June, high snowbanks make travel more dangerous. Road elevations range from 5300
to 8,860 feet (1,615 - 2,700 m). Relatively long distances exist between
services and facilities.
Motorists frequently do not see bicyclists or fail to give them sufficient space
on the road. Drivers sometimes pass on hill crests, blind curves, or in oncoming
traffic. Vehicles, especially motor homes or those towing trailers, may have
wide mirrors posing an additional hazard. For more information about bicycling
in Yellowstone, visit our bicycling pages or ask at a visitor center.
Fallen Trees
Following the fires of 1988, thousands of dead trees, known as snags, were left
standing in Yellowstone. These snags may fall with very little warning. Be
cautious and alert for falling snags along trails and roadways, and in campsites
and picnic areas. Avoid areas with large numbers of dead trees. Again, there is
no guarantee of your safety.
Petrified Trees
© National Park Service
Weapons
No firearms or weapons, including state-permitted concealed weapons, are allowed
in Yellowstone. However, unloaded firearms may be transported in a vehicle when
the weapon is cased, broken down, or rendered inoperable, and kept out of sight.
Ammunition must be placed in a separate compartment of the vehicle.
Pets
Pets must be leashed. They are prohibited on any trails, in the backcountry, and
in thermal basins. Pets are not allowed more than 100 feet from a road or
parking area. Leaving a pet unattended and/or tied to an object is prohibited.
Please review our pets page for details and private kennel locations.
Traffic
Yellowstone has more than 350 miles (564 km) of roads. Most are narrow, rough,
and busy. Some sections are steep with sharp drop-offs. Drive cautiously and
courteously. Slow moving vehicles must use pullouts to observe wildlife or
scenery and to allow safe passing by other vehicles. Watch for animals on the
road, especially at night.
Bicycles and motorcycles present special hazards. Drive defensively and wear
seat belts. Yellowstone has a mandatory seat belt requirement for all
passengers. Be especially cautious of ice and road damage. Cool temperatures may
occur at any time of the year. The maximum speed limit is 45 mph (73 km per
hour) unless posted otherwise.
High Altitude
Visitors with a cardiac or respiratory medical history should be aware that most
park roads roads range between 5,300 and 8,860 feet in elevation. We recommend
contacting a physician prior to your visit. Be aware of your physical
limitations and drink plenty of fluids to forestall the dehydrating effects of
the parks dry climate. Stop and rest frequently.
Picnic Areas
Overnight camping is not allowed in any of the park's picnic areas. Fires may be
built only in fire grates available in picnic areas at Snake River, Grant
Village, Bridge Bay, Cascade, Norris Meadows, Yellowstone River, Spring Creek,
Nez Perce, and the east parking lot of Old Faithful. Please visit our picnicking
page for more information.
Important numbers to know while visiting.
Emergency, dial 911
Park Information, 307-344-7381
Content Provided by the National Park Service
30F
