The West Entrance, at the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, is the closest way into the park from Island Park: about 30 miles and 35 to 40 minutes from the middle of Island Park along US-20.
From the entrance the road follows the Madison River to Madison Junction, with easy access to Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring and the Norris Geyser Basin. It is one of the busiest entrances in summer, so arriving early makes a real difference.
For cars, the West Entrance road is usually open from mid-April through October. From mid-December to mid-March it is open only to guided snowmobile and snowcoach trips, and it is closed to all travel in between. Check the National Park Service road status before you go.
24°F Mostly Cloudy
- Wednesday High 50° · Low 20° Partly Sunny
- Thursday High 41° · Low 22° Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Snow
- Friday High 39° · Low 19° Partly Sunny
Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated 2:47 am.
Conditions now
Snow
West Yellowstone, 6,680 ft, 0.3 mi away
- Snow depth
- 0 in
- Change in 24 hours
- 0 in
- Change in 7 days
- 0 in
- Snow water equivalent
- 0.2 in
- Snow water equivalent, % of median
- 200%
| Day | Snow depth (in) |
|---|---|
| Oct 5 | 0 |
| Oct 6 | 0 |
| Oct 7 | 0 |
| Oct 8 | 0 |
| Oct 9 | 0 |
| Oct 10 | 1 |
| Oct 11 | 1 |
| Oct 12 | 1 |
| Oct 13 | 0 |
| Oct 14 | 0 |
| Oct 15 | 0 |
| Oct 16 | 0 |
| Oct 17 | 0 |
| Oct 18 | 0 |
| Oct 19 | 0 |
| Oct 20 | 0 |
| Oct 21 | 0 |
| Oct 22 | 0 |
| Oct 23 | 1 |
| Oct 24 | 1 |
| Oct 25 | 0 |
| Oct 26 | 1 |
| Oct 27 | 0 |
| Oct 28 | 0 |
| Oct 29 | 0 |
| Oct 30 | 0 |
| Oct 31 | 0 |
| Nov 1 | 0 |
| Nov 2 | 0 |
| Nov 3 | 0 |
From the USDA NRCS SNOTEL, updated 3:48 am.
Rivers
Madison River near West Yellowstone, MT, 1.4 mi away
- Flow
- 322 cfs
- Change in 24 hours
- -20 cfs
- Water temperature
- 46°F
From the U.S. Geological Survey, updated 3:48 am.
National park alerts and road events
Yellowstone alerts (3)
Park-wide, from the National Park Service. All current conditions at nps.gov
- Most Park Roads Closed to All Vehicles (Park Closure): Most roads are closed to prepare for commercially-guided snowcoach and snowmobile travel during the winter season, which will begin December 15 (weather depending). The road between the North and Northeast entrances i…
- Biscuit Basin Closed Due to Hydrothermal Explosion (Park Closure): The parking lot, boardwalk, and Firehole River at Biscuit Basin, located north of Old Faithful, is closed to all travel until further notice due to the possibility of another event at the site of a hydrothermal explos…
- Traffic Delays - Gardner River High Bridge (Information): Expect a single lane of traffic with up to 15-minute delays, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from April 1 through November 24, 2026. Oversized/overweight vehicles (8'6"+ wide, 75'+ long, 80,000 lbs+ gross vehicle w…
From the National Park Service, updated 3:48 am.
Webcams
From the National Park Service, updated 3:48 am.
On the map
Cabins closest to the West Entrance
Yellowstone has no cabins of ours inside the park, so these are the ones nearest its West Entrance.
In these guides
- Best Time to Visit Yellowstone from Island Park, Idaho
- Conditions: weather, snow, rivers, roads & webcams
- Driving & Timing in Yellowstone
- Getting Here & Getting Around
- Why Island Park Is the Best Base Camp for Your Yellowstone Trip
- Winter in Island Park
- Yellowstone's Spring Opening 2026: Epic Wildlife Photography & Fewer Crowds