Visitors to Yellowstone National Park will be able to drive to see Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone starting the morning of Friday, April 18. Park spokesman Al Nash says the road segments from West Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs to these popular visitor destinations open for the season at 8:00 a.m.

Nash says additional road segments in the park will open during May as road clearing operations progress. Yellowstone’s East Entrance is scheduled to open to travel on Friday, May 2. The park’s South Entrance is set to open to the public on Friday, May 9. The road from the park’s North Entrance at Gardiner, Mont., through Mammoth Hot Springs to the Northeast Entrance, Silver Gate and Cooke City, Mont., is open all year.

The road east of Cooke City to WY-296 typically opens by mid-May. Crews from the National Park Service and the Montana Department of Transportation strive to open US-212 over the Beartooth Pass to Red Lodge, Mont., in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Nash says as an added incentive for spring visitors, park entrance fees will be waived April 19 and 20 to kick off National Park Week.

Visitors should be aware that spring in Yellowstone is very unpredictable and often brings cold temperatures, high winds and falling snow. Nash says even cleared sections of roads can be narrow and covered with a layer of snow, ice and debris. Visitors should use extreme caution when driving as road clearing operations can be ongoing at any time throughout the park. In the case of extreme weather conditions, temporary road closures are also possible with little or no advance warning.

More From 101.9 KING-FM