As winter snows yield to spring in Yellowstone National Park, visitors have the chance to experience some of the best wildlife viewing of the year and can enjoy spectacular spring scenery in the relative solitude of the season.

Park interior roads begin opening to motor vehicles on Friday, April 16, 2004 (subject to road and weather conditions). Roads are scheduled to open at 8:00 AM on the following dates:

April 16:	Mammoth to Norris; Norris to Madison; Madison to the West Entrance; Madison to Old Faithful
April 23:	Norris to Canyon
May 07:	Canyon to Lake; Lake to the East Entrance
May 14:	Old Faithful to the South Entrance and Lake to West Thumb (earlier if conditions allow); Tower Junction to Tower Fall Outside the Northeast Entrance: Cooke City over Chief Joseph Scenic Highway 196 to Cody, Wyoming
May 28:	Tower Fall to the Chittenden Road, if conditions allow Outside the Northeast Entrance: From Sunlight Junction over Beartooth Pass (Highway 212) to Red Lodge, Montana, if conditions allow

The North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, to the Northeast Entrance is open year-round to motor vehicles, subject to weather and road conditions.

Limited facilities and services are available during this time of the year. On April 16, the Old Faithful Snow Lodge Gift Shop and Geyser Grill will open for the summer season. The Old Faithful Lower Service Station will serve visitors beginning April 23. The Canyon Sport Shop will open on April 23, followed by the Canyon Village Service Station on April 30.

The Old Faithful Inn, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, will open to the public on May 07 at 11:00 AM. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge will open on May 14. The Mammoth General Store, Mammoth Clinic and Mammoth Campground remain open year-round. All other facilities and campgrounds remain closed until their scheduled opening dates throughout May and June.

Several road construction projects are scheduled throughout the park this summer and are subject to change. Visitors should be prepared for delays and closures. Road construction projects are as follows:

Canyon Junction to Tower (Dunraven Pass):
The south portion of the road segment between Canyon Junction and Tower, over Dunraven Pass, will remain closed all summer. The north segment will remain open from Tower to the Chittenden Road. The Chittenden Road will remain open.
Canyon Junction to Fishing Bridge Junction (Hayden Valley):
Expect up to 30-minute delays
Sylvan Pass to East Entrance:
May 07 - Jun 04	OPEN with half-hour delays
Jun 04 - Sep 03	OPEN 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM each day with half-hour delays
Jul 02 - Jul 05	OPEN 6:00 PM, Jul 02, to 6:00 PM, Jul 05 with no delays
Sep 07 - Oct 03	OPEN 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM with no delays
Oct 03	OPEN 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM; CLOSED at 8:00 PM for the season to ALL travel

Road construction projects will also be underway in areas surrounding the park, including Grand Teton National Park and the Beartooth Highway. For information on road opening dates and road construction in Grand Teton National Park, please call: 307-739-3300. For information on road construction on the Beartooth Highway, please call: 888-285-4636.

Spring weather can be unpredictable. Yellowstone National Park visitors need to be aware of deteriorating weather and road conditions. Please contact park headquarters at: 307-344-7381 for information on current conditions.

Current information is available on park openings and road construction in the park's official newspaper (Yellowstone Today), or at park visitor centers. Also, see the Roads Page or Calendar and Activity Page for Current Updates and Information.

Information provided by the NPS