Nearest Airport For Yellowstone National Park & More
While planning a trip to Yellowstone, one of the first things to consider is the nearest airport for Yellowstone National Park and which of the Yellowstone entrances to use. With Yellowstone’s vast size, picking the best airport and entrance can save you hours of driving and ensure you spend more time exploring with your family.
Where you stay also makes a difference—lodging in the right location for your needs can cut down on drive times. And, of course, timing matters! Find out all the details about minimizing your driving time, the best times of year and day to visit, and how to make the most of your Yellowstone adventure with your family! For a more detailed Yellowstone itinerary with specific attractions, check out this blog!
Table of Contents:
Entrances to Yellowstone National Park: Locations and Nearby Attractions
Best Airport by Yellowstone National Park
◦ Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)
◦ Billings Logan International Airport (BIL)
◦ Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)
◦ Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA)
◦ Yellowstone Airport (WYS)
◦ Nearest Airport for Yellowstone National Park Summary Table
Best Place to Stay in Yellowstone
When Should You Visit Yellowstone?
◦ Best Times to Visit Yellowstone National Park
◦ Best Times of Day to Visit Yellowstone with Kids in the Summer
Entrances to Yellowstone National Park: Locations and Nearby Attractions
There are five Yellowstone entrances, each providing access to different areas of its vast landscape. With the park's enormous size, choosing the right entrance can significantly impact your trip. The following map and table provides details on the Yellowstone entrances’ locations and what attractions they give proximity to. Further down, you can see which Yellowstone entrance is closest to each airport, helping you plan the best route for your visit.
You may also base your decision of which of the Yellowstone entrances to use based off of what major Yellowstone attractions are closest to it. You wouldn’t want to stay in Cooke City, MT and use the Northeast Entrance for your entire visit if your main focus was on geyser activities, for example. You would definitely want to stay towards the West Entrance if this were the case. Or if you are more interested in waking up early to spot wildlife in Lamar Valley, the Northeast entrance is the place for you!
Yellowstone Entrances Details:
| Entrances | Nearest Town | Major Attractions in the Park |
|---|---|---|
| North Entrance | Gardiner, MT | Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley (wildlife), Roosevelt Arch |
| Northeast Entrance | Cooke City & Silver Gate, MT | Lamar Valley (bison, wolves, bears), Tower Fall |
| West Entrance | West Yellowstone, MT | Old Faithful, Geysers, Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin, Madison River |
| South Entrance | Jackson, WY | Yellowstone Lake, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Grand Teton National Park access |
| East Entrance | Cody, WY | Hayden Valley (wildlife), Yellowstone Lake, Fishing Bridge |
Best Airport by Yellowstone National Park
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) → North or West Entrance
Bozeman is the best choice for travelers looking for affordable flights and easy access to Yellowstone. It’s also a great option for those traveling from Glacier National Park to Yellowstone, as it sits between the two parks.
Distance to Yellowstone: 90 miles (1.5-hour drive).
Best Yellowstone Entrances to Use:
North Entrance (Gardiner, MT): Ideal for year-round access, since it’s the only entrance open in the Winter, leading directly to Mammoth Hot Springs.
West Entrance (West Yellowstone, MT): The most popular of the Yellowstone entrances, providing quick access to geysers and Old Faithful.
Best for Glacier to Yellowstone Travel:
Glacier National Park to Yellowstone: About a 5-hour drive from Glacier National Park to Bozeman, making this a great midpoint for travelers visiting both parks. Glacier National Park to Yellowstone North Entrance is about 6 hours.
Billings Logan International Airport (BIL) → North or Northeast Entrance
Billings is another great airport by Yellowstone National Park with competitive flight prices. It’s a strong choice for visitors coming from the East Coast or Midwest.
Distance to Yellowstone: 130 miles (2.5-hour drive) to the North Entrance, or 170 miles (3.5-hour drive) to the Northeast Entrance via Beartooth Highway.
Best Yellowstone Entrances to Use:
North Entrance (Gardiner, MT): Best of the Yellowstone entrances for winter access and quick entry to Mammoth Hot Springs.
Northeast Entrance (Cooke City, MT): The most scenic of the Yellowstone entrances, with stunning views along the Beartooth Highway and great wildlife viewing in Lamar Valley.
A Great Option for Glacier to Yellowstone Travel:
Glacier National Park to Yellowstone: About 5 hours south, a great choice for a road trip through Montana.
Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) → South Entrance
If you’re combining Grand Teton and Yellowstone, Jackson Hole is the nearest airport for Yellowstone National Park from the south. It offers breathtaking mountain views but tends to have higher airfare prices.
Distance to Yellowstone: 60 miles (1-hour drive).
Best Yellowstone Entrance to Use:
South Entrance: Provides direct access to Yellowstone Lake and the southern portion of the park.
Best for Grand Tetons to Yellowstone Travel:
Grand Teton to Yellowstone: Just a 30-mile drive north from the Grand Teton National Park entrance to Yellowstone’s South Entrance, making this the ideal airport for travelers exploring both parks.
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Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) → West or South Entrance
Idaho Falls is a cost-conscious alternative to Jackson Hole, offering a good balance between affordable flights and reasonable drive times to Yellowstone.
Distance to Yellowstone: 110 miles (2-hour drive) to the West Entrance, or 140 miles (3-hour drive) to the South Entrance.
Best Yellowstone Entrances to Use:
West Entrance (West Yellowstone, MT): Best of the Yellowstone entrances for quick access to Old Faithful and geyser basins.
South Entrance: Ideal if you're also visiting Grand Teton National Park.
Yellowstone Airport (WYS) → West Entrance
Yellowstone Airport is the closest airport by Yellowstone National Park, sitting just a few miles from the West Entrance. However, it operates seasonally (June–September) and often has higher flight prices due to limited service.
Distance to Yellowstone: 3 miles (5-minute drive).
Best Yellowstone Entrance to Use:
West Entrance: The fastest way into Yellowstone, providing direct access to geysers and Old Faithful.
Nearest Airport for Yellowstone National Park Summary Table
This table provides a quick overview of the nearest airport for Yellowstone National Park, the best of the Yellowstone entrances to use from each airport, and why each option is ideal. The park is so large that planning the correct entrance based on your airport and then your accommodations from there makes a huge difference in minimizing your driving time!
| Airport | Entrance | Why Choose This Entrance? |
|---|---|---|
| Bozeman (BZN) | North or West Entrance |
|
| Billings (BIL) | North or Northeast Entrance |
|
| Jackson Hole (JAC) | South Entrance |
|
| Idaho Falls (IDA) | West or South Entrance |
|
| Yellowstone Airport (WYS) | West Entrance |
|
Where You Stay in Yellowstone With Kids Matters - Best Place to Stay in Yellowstone
Yellowstone is one of those places that looks manageable on a map but feels much larger in reality. We quickly realized just how vast the park is and how much where you stay can impact your experience. Other than discovering the nearest airport for Yellowstone National park, finding the best place to stay in Yellowstone can make all the difference in maximizing your time exploring rather than sitting in the car.
For our trip, we stayed at Fishing Bridge Campground, a beautiful location near Yellowstone Lake and Hayden Valley. However, it is not centrally located, which meant we spent a significant amount of time driving each day. We realized when it was too late this was not the best place to stay in Yellowstone for the entire trip. Many of Yellowstone’s most well-known attractions, like the geyser basins near Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs, were well over an hour away. Our early morning visit to Lamar Valley for wildlife viewing required an even longer drive, which was particularly challenging with three kids in the backseat. By the end of the trip, we found that the time spent in the car took away from the overall experience, making us rethink the best place to stay in Yellowstone for families.
Looking back, we would either move locations throughout the trip or stay in Canyon Village, the most central lodging option in the park. This would have significantly cut down on drive times and allowed for a more enjoyable experience at each destination. Now that I know the lay of the land, I have put together an ideal 3-day Yellowstone itinerary and 4-day Yellowstone itinerary to help others avoid the same mistake. A well-planned approach, including choosing the best place to stay in Yellowstone, ensures more time spent exploring the park rather than driving across it.
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When Should you Visit Yellowstone?
Best Times to Visit Yellowstone National Park
Deciding on the best times to visit Yellowstone National Park depends on what you want to see and do. The park is open year-round, but each season offers a completely different experience. Understanding the best times to visit Yellowstone National Park can help you plan for fewer crowds, better weather, and the best wildlife viewing opportunities.
Summer (June – August) is the most popular time to visit, with warm weather, accessible roads, and all visitor services open. However, it is also the busiest, so expect crowds at major attractions like Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring.
Fall (September – October) is one of the best times for wildlife viewing, as elk are in their rut and bears are actively foraging before winter. The crowds thin out, and the cooler temperatures make for great hiking conditions.
Winter (November – March) transforms Yellowstone into a snow-covered wonderland. Most roads close to regular vehicles, but guided snowmobile and snowcoach tours allow visitors to experience geysers, hot springs, and wildlife in a completely different way. When looking for the nearest airport for Yellowstone National Park, make sure you take into account the North entrance is the only entrance open in the winter.
Spring (April – May) brings fewer crowds and the chance to see baby wildlife, including bison calves and bear cubs. However, some roads may still be closed due to snow, and unpredictable weather can bring a mix of sunshine, rain, and even snowstorms.
For the best times to visit Yellowstone National Park, late May, early June, and September offer a great balance of weather, accessibility, and fewer crowds.
Best Times of Day to Visit Yellowstone With Kids in the Summer
If you are like most of us who have school-aged children, you have to visit Yellowstone in the busy summer months. We didn’t necessarily plan this, but we happened to visit a lot of the geysers after dinner time, and it turned out to be an absolutely incredible experience. When people talk about Yellowstone being packed in the summer, it is hard for me to even comprehend what that means. Although we were there in July, because we went later in the evening, we didn’t experience many crowds at all. It was by far our favorite part of Yellowstone with kids. The weather was perfect, the views were incredible, and other than making sure the kids stayed on the boardwalks, it was such an enjoyable and peaceful way to experience the park.
For those visiting in peak season, early mornings and late evenings are the best times to explore Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone without the midday crowds. Arriving before 8 AM helps you beat the rush and spot more wildlife, while visiting after 6 PM gives you a more relaxed, crowd-free experience with stunning evening light. If you are planning a trip to Yellowstone with kids, an evening geyser tour is an unforgettable way to experience the park while avoiding the summer crowds.
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Start Planning your Yellowstone Trip Now!
Utilizing these resources and tools will keep you out of your car and allow you to spend more time exploring this amazing park. Yellowstone is not a park where you can simply show up and expect everything to work out seamlessly. It is massive with five Yellowstone entrances, and without proper planning, you’ll end up spending hours driving, which takes away from the fun. From choosing the nearest airport for Yellowstone National Park to mapping out your itinerary, strategic planning makes all the difference. However, with the right approach, Yellowstone is absolutely amazing! Be sure to check out our blog on specific attractions, lodging and itineraries for Yellowstone to help you plan your trip efficiently.
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