Which Yellowstone Entrance Is the Best?

There are five entrances to Yellowstone. Which one is best for you to use? The gentleman in the video below gives us an overview.

Yellowstone National Park has five main entrances: North (Gardiner, MT), Northeast (Cooke City/Silver Gate, MT), East (Cody, WY), South (near Grand Teton/Jackson, WY), and West (West Yellowstone, MT). Each offers different access to park highlights, with the West for geysers, North for Mammoth Hot Springs, Northeast for wildlife (Lamar Valley), East for Yellowstone Lake, and South connecting to Grand Teton.

Yellowstone is 2.2 million acres. That's larger than the size of Rhode Island⎯that is why it’s a good idea to figure out what you want to see and know which entrance is closest to those sights.

Here's a breakdown:

North Entrance (Gardiner, MT): The only entrance open year-round, leading to Mammoth Hot Springs and the Roosevelt Arch.

Northeast Entrance (Cooke City/Silver Gate, MT): Best for wildlife viewing in the Lamar Valley, with rugged beauty.

East Entrance (Cody, WY): Provides scenic access to Yellowstone Lake and the Lower Loop, ideal for reaching Old Faithful.

South Entrance (Jackson, WY): Connects directly to Grand Teton National Park, offering forest and lake views.

West Entrance (West Yellowstone, MT): The most popular, offering quick access to the park's major geyser basins like Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring.