Yellowstone National Park has been closed for the first time in 34 years due to extremely hazardous conditions such as severe rain, flooding, and rockslides, according to park officials.
All five park entrances, which cover sections of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, will be closed to visitors until at least Wednesday as park authorities examine damage to roads, bridges, and other facilities. Those who make accommodation or camping reservations within the park are affected by the shutdown.
There have been no documented injuries or deaths as a result of the hazardous conditions.
Park superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement: ‘Due to record flooding events in the park and more precipitation in the forecast, we have made the decision to close Yellowstone to all inbound visitation,’ park superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement.
The shutdown occurs at the opening of the summer tourist season, just as Yellowstone prepares to commemorate its 150th anniversary. It is also the first summer closure of the park since a series of deadly wildfires in 1988.
Sholly stated that the first priority was to evacuate the northern area of the park, which had experienced the brunt of the road and bridge failures and mudslides.
The southern loop was also evacuated on Monday because officials expect further rain would fall and flood the area.
Several portions of the park are without power, and preliminary reports indicate that numerous roads have been washed away or are buried with boulders and mud.
‘We will not know timing of the park’s reopening until flood waters subside and we’re able to assess the damage throughout the park. It is likely that the northern loop will be closed for a substantial amount of time,’ Sholly said.
According to the National Park Service, visitors wanting to visit Yellowstone in the next weeks should pay special attention to road conditions, as many roads may be closed for an extended time.
Yellow, founded in 1872 as the world’s first national park, attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year and is noted for its geysers, wildlife, and scenery.