Yellowstone National Park
Visitor Services
All park facilities are open from mid-June to late August. Before and after those dates, services are limited at some locations. Check the park newspaper or www.nps.gov/yell for current dates and hours of operation.
Banking Services
Automated teller machines are located at Old Faithful Inn, Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, Grant Village, Canyon Lodge and general stores throughout the park. There are banks in Gardiner and West Yellowstone in Montana, and in Jackson and Cody in Wyoming.
Camping Supplies
Yellowstone General Stores has camping and fishing equipment, film, groceries, sundries and souvenirs. The Mammoth Hot Springs store is generally open year-round. The Fishing Bridge RV Park also carries a limited stock of RV supplies. For general information about camping, see pages 66—67.
Dining and Lodging
Xanterra's park hotels, restaurants, cafeterias and quick service outlets, as well as Yellowstone General Stores, offer food service. While visiting the park, ask for a free Dining and Shopping Guide at any Xanterra Parks & Resorts® facility. This guide features a park map with the picnic areas marked, as well as locations of gift shops and restaurants. Kids Activity Books are also available at all Xanterra Parks & Resorts® dining rooms. This book is full of Yellowstone games and puzzles, and valuable coupons for parents!
Emergencies and Medical Service
Dial 911 for emergency, fire, medical or ranger assistance or to report accidents or injuries. To contact a park ranger, call (307) 344-7381. The NPS emergency medical technicians and park medics are on duty 24 hours a day, year-round.
Medcor, Inc. operates three patient-care facilities within the park. Patients requiring advanced medical care are transported to area hospitals or medical centers.
The Mammoth Hot Springs Clinic is open weekdays, year-round and seven days a week from June to September. Please call (307) 344-7965 for more information. The Old Faithful Clinic is open from early May to mid-October, and periodically during the winter season. For appointments or assistance, please call (307) 545-7325. Lake Clinic, located at the north end of Yellowstone Lake, is open during the summer. For more information, call (307) 242-7241.
Gift Shops
Unique gift shops are located throughout the park at all lodging facilities and at Yellowstone General Stores. Xanterra's Fred Harvey Trading Company stores, located in the hotels, sell apparel, a wide array of distinctive gifts and Yellowstone souvenirs. Inspired by nature and shaped by history, exclusive products reflect the park's rich heritage. Convenience items such as film, videos, sundries and regional books are also available.
Regional items, including pottery, carvings, gourmet foods and art prints, focus on the Yellowstone lifestyle. At Old Faithful locations, artists-in- residence display their work, which is available for purchase.
Book signings, food tastings and artist demonstrations are scheduled at various locations throughout the summer. Visit a Fred Harvey gift shop and take home your own special memory of Yellowstone. Pick up a Dining and Shopping Guide for a list of stores and their locations in Yellowstone.
Lost and Found
You can turn in or trace lost and found articles at any visitor center or ranger station. Call (307) 344-5387 to report or retrieve items lost in lodging facilities; call (307) 344-2109 to report or retrieve items lost in other parts of the park.
Postal Services
The park's main post office, a historic 1930s building, is located at Mammoth Hot Springs. During the summer, post office facilities are also available at Old Faithful, Lake Village, Canyon Village and Grant Village.
Public Showers and Laundry
During the summer, Grant Village Campground, Fishing Bridge RV Park, Canyon Village Campground and the Old Faithful area have coin laundries and pay showers. Lake Lodge and Old Faithful Snow Lodge have laundry facilities only and Old Faithful Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs have showers only. During the winter, Old Faithful Snow Lodge offers guest laundry facilities.
Religious Services
Religious services are held at numerous in-park locations as well as in neighboring communities during the summer and on religious holidays. For times and locations of in-park services, check at visitor centers or lodging front desks.
Service Stations
The Yellowstone Park Service Stations, Inc. operates seven full- service gas stations and four auto- towing and repair shops in the park. Gas, auto accessories, tire repairs, oil changes and routine maintenance are available only during summer. LP propane gas bottle-filling plants are located at Grant Village and Fishing Bridge. Towing and repair facilities are located at Old Faithful, Grant Village, Fishing Bridge and Canyon Village. Call (406) 848-7333 or (307) 344-7381.
Special Services -
Pick up a free brochure listing facilities, scenic areas and features accessible to guests with disabilities at any entrance station or visitor center. For trip planning information, contact the Park Accessibility Coordinator, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190; (307) 344-2017.
Yellowstone In Depth
News from the Parks
Alexander Backs New Source of Funding for National Parks
July 3, 2008 - 9:38am
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today announced he will cosponsor bipartisan legislation to create a new source of funding for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other national parks across the country as part of the “Centennial Challenge” celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System in 2016. “The Centennial Challenge could bring up to $4 million to the Smokies – the country’s most visited national park – and will go a long way toward improving park facilities, aiding conservation efforts, and helping build upon the excellent visitor services already offered. This 4th of July, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our country’s birthday than backing legislation that will aid efforts to preserve and celebrate our national parks, one of America’s greatest treasures.”
July 3, 2008 - 9:38am
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today announced he will cosponsor bipartisan legislation to create a new source of funding for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other national parks across the country as part of the “Centennial Challenge” celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System in 2016. “The Centennial Challenge could bring up to $4 million to the Smokies – the country’s most visited national park – and will go a long way toward improving park facilities, aiding conservation efforts, and helping build upon the excellent visitor services already offered. This 4th of July, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our country’s birthday than backing legislation that will aid efforts to preserve and celebrate our national parks, one of America’s greatest treasures.”
EPA's Pollution Plan Slammed
July 3, 2008 - 9:35am
City officials and business leaders here Wednesday warned that a federal proposal to relax air quality standards for the nation's national parks will ultimately be bad for business. Simply put, they said during a news conference at the entrance to Zion National Park, lower air standards being proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hurt this gateway city economically if fewer tourists visit the park. "Air pollution could damage the stars, vistas and clean air we enjoy," Springdale Mayor Pat Cluff said. "Some places deserve to be preserved and it is my responsibility to preserve [the park] for those who come here."
July 3, 2008 - 9:35am
City officials and business leaders here Wednesday warned that a federal proposal to relax air quality standards for the nation's national parks will ultimately be bad for business. Simply put, they said during a news conference at the entrance to Zion National Park, lower air standards being proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hurt this gateway city economically if fewer tourists visit the park. "Air pollution could damage the stars, vistas and clean air we enjoy," Springdale Mayor Pat Cluff said. "Some places deserve to be preserved and it is my responsibility to preserve [the park] for those who come here."
Dinosaur Fossils In Utah Inspire 'Jr. Paleontologists'
July 2, 2008 - 9:57am
Millions of years ago, northeastern Utah was a hot spot for dinosaurs. Today, people travel to the Dinosaur National Monument located on the borders of Colorado and Utah to see the leftover dinosaur bones. Visitors can see as many as 1,500 Jurassic-era fossils exposed on the cliff face of the Douglass Quarry.
July 2, 2008 - 9:57am
Millions of years ago, northeastern Utah was a hot spot for dinosaurs. Today, people travel to the Dinosaur National Monument located on the borders of Colorado and Utah to see the leftover dinosaur bones. Visitors can see as many as 1,500 Jurassic-era fossils exposed on the cliff face of the Douglass Quarry.
A Paiute Take On Bryce Canyon's Hoodoos
July 2, 2008 - 9:56am
The red spindly rock formations that make up the views at Bryce Canyon National Park are called hoodoos. Geologists say they were formed by erosion, but Kevin Poe, chief of interpretation at Bryce, shares his take on the Paiute legend about hoodoos.
July 2, 2008 - 9:56am
The red spindly rock formations that make up the views at Bryce Canyon National Park are called hoodoos. Geologists say they were formed by erosion, but Kevin Poe, chief of interpretation at Bryce, shares his take on the Paiute legend about hoodoos.
Can The Everglades Be Saved?
July 2, 2008 - 9:55am
Environmentalists have been issuing dire warnings about the deterioration of the Florida Everglades for years, saying these wetlands have to be restored in order to revive fragile ecosystems and increase scarce fresh water supplies. Over half of the Everglades are gone, irreversibly converted to urban or agricultural development. But this week, in an attempt to save what's left, the state of Florida announced a plan to buy nearly 200,000 acres of former wetlands from a sugar cane producer. Advocates say the plan is the largest restoration project in American history.
July 2, 2008 - 9:55am
Environmentalists have been issuing dire warnings about the deterioration of the Florida Everglades for years, saying these wetlands have to be restored in order to revive fragile ecosystems and increase scarce fresh water supplies. Over half of the Everglades are gone, irreversibly converted to urban or agricultural development. But this week, in an attempt to save what's left, the state of Florida announced a plan to buy nearly 200,000 acres of former wetlands from a sugar cane producer. Advocates say the plan is the largest restoration project in American history.
