Summer and Fall 2009 Road Work Information
Information Posted March 9, 2009
Summary
The Park Service will be doing major road work this summer and fall on the section of the Grand Loop Road between Norris Junction and Madison Junction, primarily the section running through the Gibbon River Canyon. This work will cause slow driving throughout the summer, with delays up to thirty minutes possible. Night closures begin at 10:00PM, but should not impact morning travel unless you get a very early start. This early phase of construction should not have a major effect on fishing, tourism, or travel opportunities, as even when the road isn't being worked on herds of bison can cause considerable delays.
The situation is scheduled to change August 17, when the road will be completely closed and a segment of it near Gibbon Falls will be completely torn up and replaced with a new road on the other side of the river, complete with bridge. This closure will eliminate the direct route between Gardiner and the Firehole, Madison, and lower Gibbon Rivers, as well as Old Faithful. It will likewise become extremely difficult to impossible to travel from West Yellowstone to the Lamar River, Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek, Yellowstone River canyons, and Gardner River, as well as Gardiner itself. Depending on the location, travel times that usually run between forty-five minutes to an hour and a half will now run from 2.5 hours to 4 hours.
This will obviously make day trips between certain points virtually impossible, so you should plan your trip accordingly. Specific information on how this will impact our operations and suggestions on how to plan your trip to minimize disruptions follow.
Impacts on Travel
Before August 17, there should be little to no impact on travel except for minor delays and rough roads. If you're coming before the 17th, you can probably stop reading now.
After the 17th, it will become virtually impossible to travel from the northern part of the park (Gardiner, Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone River drainage) to the western part of the park (Old Faithful, West Yellowstone, Gallatin River drainage) and back in a day. This means you should plan your lodgings to emphasize the area you wish to spend your time. If you want to visit a large percentage of the park, you should make sure to book lodgings in or near both the western part of the park (West Yellowstone, Old Faithful, various campgrounds) and in or near the northern part of the Park (Gardiner, Mammoth, Cooke City, Roosevelt, Emigrant and Chico Hot Springs). If you plan to visit the attractions on the detour on your travel day, the trip should not be too onerous. These attractions include the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Lake Yellowstone, Old Faithful, and several geyser basins.
Please note that Canyon Village and Lake Lodge are roughly centrally located, so if you must stay at only one location, these are the best bets. They aren't near many attractions, but they won't be more than two hours from any until mid-September, either.
For more information on travel impacts, please contact us.
Impacts on Fishing
A table makes a lot of sense here:
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Impact on Fishing |
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Prior to August 17 |
In a few words, the impact on fishing prior to August 17 should be minimal. Just plan on dealing with delays if you plan to travel between the western part of the park and the northern part of the park. One thing to remember is that the road closes at 10:00PM, so if you like to fish until dark make sure you're staying on the proper side of the closure. In June the only fisheries this will likely impact are the Firehole, Madison, and Gibbon River meadows. For the first two, you'll need to stay on the west side of the closure (Old Faithful, West Yellowstone, etc.). For the Gibbon you'll need to stay elsewhere. In July and early August, you'll want to be on the northern side of the line unless you're fishing the Gallatin or plan on spending most of your time on rivers outside the west gate.
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| August 17-Mid September |
Most primary fisheries inside the Park at this time of year are in the northern part of the Park. These include the Lamar River, Soda Butte Creek, Slough Creek, the Yellowstone River, the Gardner River, several popular small lakes, and most of the park's small streams. Numerous options also exist outside the park. For this reason, most anglers should plan to stay in Gardiner or one of the other northern lodging areas at this time. The major exception is the Gallatin River, which is closer to West Yellowstone. The Madison River outside the Park and Idaho waters are much closer to West Yellowstone. If you're looking to fish "everything," you'll need to stay either in a central location (Canyon) and do a lot of driving or plan to move lodgings during your trip.
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| Mid September-Early October |
The Firehole, Madison, and lower Gibbon Rivers turn on in mid-September, meaning both Gardiner and West Yellowstone (and their nearby lodging areas within the park such as Mammoth and Old Faithful) will provide roughly equal opportunities. To fish all areas, you'll need to move lodgings. In general, staying in the northern part of the park will provide significantly more backcountry and other uncrowded options and larger fish on average, while the western part of the park will offer more consistent fishing since rivers in that area do not get muddy or too cold to fish during early cold snaps. For guidance on where to stay based on your goals and experience, please contact us.
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| Early October-Close of Season | Beginning in early October, many fisheries in the northern part of the park begin to slow down. The Gardner River and Yellowstone River are primary exceptions, while the Lamar and Soda Butte Creek may continue to fish well on warm days until mid-October. The Madison and Firehole get better and better as the season progresses. All in all, the western part of the park will provide more opportunities at this time, especially if you prefer dry fly fishing. Near Gardiner, we'll be concentrating on targeting fall-run browns in the Gardner River, with some dry fly fishing possible in it, and on fishing streamers in the Yellowstoner River. Prime dry fly fishing will be available outside the park in the Paradise Valley spring creeks. |
Impact on Fishing Pressure
In terms of fishing pressure (aka 'crowding'), we expect the closures to have a major positive impact on fishing in the northern part of the park as soon as they begin. This is due to simple numbers: there are more motels, more guides, more fly shops, and more anglers based out of West Yellowstone than based out of Gardiner. From August 17 onward, all of the West Yellowstone-based guides and anglers will have to concentrate near West Yellowstone, relieving a major source of crowding in our area. This should especially help fishing in the Lamar drainage in early September, but will also have notable influences on the Gardner in October and the Yellowstone outside the park throughout the fall, which will have fewer drift boats. In short, your chances for solitude will be better this year than in recent years, even near the roads.
The above does depend on how many visitors adjust their schedules to account for the closures, but guides can't move shop like tourists can, so there will certainly be a major effect. The only question is how major.
For more information, please contact us at 406-848-7314, or e-mail Walter Wiese.
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Contact Information |
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Phone: |
(406) 848-7314 |
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Address: |
PO Box 196 202 Second Street South (US-89) Gardiner, MT 59030 |
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E-Mail: |
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