What to expect in Wyoming’s Grand Teton, Yellowstone parks as summer kicks off

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of the high season in Wyoming’s Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. And for the millions of visitors gearing up to stream through the neighboring parks, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Grand Teton National Park crews are undertaking major infrastructure projects that will likely delay traffic and impact trail access in some park hotspots. Yellowstone National Park is not anticipating major construction, but officials closed an area north and west of Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin after a female grizzly injured two hikers in early May.

Roughly 60% of annual park visits in northwest Wyoming occur from June through August. In 2025, Yellowstone tallied 4.76 million recreation visits, up slightly from 4.74 million in 2024 but still shy of 4.86 million in 2021. Grand Teton National Park, meanwhile, clocked 3.8 million recreation visits in 2025, up from 3.6 million in 2024 but down from its highest-ever annual visitation of 3.88 million in 2021. 

Park officials encourage visitors to plan ahead and prepare for crowds. Here are some projects and closures that could impact travel this summer.

Construction and trail work 

A series of significant infrastructure projects is expected to impact traffic and access in Grand Teton National Park. 

“This work represents an important investment in the future of Grand Teton National Park as we approach the park’s 2029 centennial,” Superintendent Chip Jenkins said in a press release. “The improvements underway over the next several years will help ensure visitors can safely access and enjoy this landscape while we continue to protect the resources that make it so special.”

Projects include the second phase of the multi-year Moose-Wilson Road rehabilitation, which will entail road realignment and improvements near Moose. Visitors can expect intermittent delays of up to 45 minutes through the corridor from June 20 to Sept. 7. Death Canyon Road and trailhead, accessed via Moose-Wilson Road, will be closed through mid-November, with a delayed reopening anticipated in 2027.

Initial construction for a roundabout near the Moose Entrance Station will also begin this summer, affecting Teton Park Road near Moose and causing anticipated delays. The multi-use pathway will remain open, and bicycling north from Moose is a good alternative for reaching destinations like Jenny Lake, according to park authorities.

The northern segment of the park’s popular Taggart Lake Trail will be closed through Nov. 15 for trail rehabilitation as crews work to regrade and improve its accessibility. The Taggart Lake Trailhead and parking area will remain open; Taggart and Bradley lakes will still be accessible via alternate marked trails.

Construction is also scheduled in the Mormon Row vicinity, where crews will be completing a multi-year project to expand pedestrian and cyclist access. 

Finally, construction will take place on North Park Road between Leeks Marina and Lizard Creek Campground. Daytime travelers can expect one-lane alternating traffic and related delays. Nighttime travelers can expect delays of up to an hour between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. 

Park officials urge visitors to plan ahead by: checking up-to-date conditions ahead of time, purchasing park passes in advance, allowing extra travel time and considering less-visited park destinations such as the Colter Bay area.

Bear closure and bridge work

While Yellowstone National Park does not have a heavy construction schedule planned for 2026, there are some factors for visitors to consider. 

Park authorities closed an area northwest of Old Faithful in early May after a female bear with cubs seriously injured two brothers, ages 15 and 28, who were hiking on the Mystic Falls Trail. The closures will remain in place as an investigation continues, according to the park. 

The temporary closure includes: Biscuit Basin, the Mystic Falls Trail, Fairy Creek Trail, Summit Lake Trail and Fern Cascade Loop Trail. Biscuit Basin was the site of a 2024 hydrothermal explosion that tossed boiling water and rocks skyward and destroyed a section of boardwalk where tourists were sightseeing. (No one was injured.)

Several campgrounds and some fishing areas are also located within the temporary closure. Visitors are urged to follow signs and be on the lookout for updates. 

Summer construction crews will be working on structural repairs of the Gardner River High Bridge southeast of Mammoth Hot Springs. That project will entail traffic delays of up to 15 minutes and one-lane traffic through the summer. There will be five overnight closures between late May and July 1; the park will provide advanced notice of those dates. 

A larger project looms on the horizon in Yellowstone. The National Park Service is mulling new permanent routes to replace the North Entrance Road, which was devastated by 2022 historic flooding. The NPS released an environmental assessment in January for those plans. Public comments were due in February and a final decision is expected this summer, according to the agency.