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
Park Service Employee Earns a Lifetime of Stories
August 18, 2008 - 4:49pm
Regina Jones-Brake remembers the day she met Lady Bird Johnson. Jones-Brake was 22 and setting type at the Benjamin Franklin print shop in Philadelphia's historic district. "I was called a printer's devil," said Jones-Brake. "I wore a mop cap and 18th century attire. I set type, I inked the ink balls, I wet the paper and I ran it through. I was so excited about the job that I worked on Sundays; nobody else wanted to work on Sundays."
August 18, 2008 - 4:49pm
Regina Jones-Brake remembers the day she met Lady Bird Johnson. Jones-Brake was 22 and setting type at the Benjamin Franklin print shop in Philadelphia's historic district. "I was called a printer's devil," said Jones-Brake. "I wore a mop cap and 18th century attire. I set type, I inked the ink balls, I wet the paper and I ran it through. I was so excited about the job that I worked on Sundays; nobody else wanted to work on Sundays."
Maplewood Boy Scouts Are Evacuated near Grand Canyon
August 18, 2008 - 4:29pm
A group of Boy Scouts from Maplewood on a backpacking and rafting trip near the Grand Canyon were evacuated by helicopter Sunday after an earthen dam failed and flood waters threatened their campsite. The six boys and three adult leaders were among scores of people rescued from campgrounds and tribal lands after days of heavy rains caused flooding along two creeks that flow into the Colorado River. "Some boys had enough time to grab their backpacks and some did not," said Bridget Lai, whose husband Michael and son Kyle, 13, are on the trip. "There's not a whole lot you can do about a dam breaking. There's not a lot you can prepare for."
August 18, 2008 - 4:29pm
A group of Boy Scouts from Maplewood on a backpacking and rafting trip near the Grand Canyon were evacuated by helicopter Sunday after an earthen dam failed and flood waters threatened their campsite. The six boys and three adult leaders were among scores of people rescued from campgrounds and tribal lands after days of heavy rains caused flooding along two creeks that flow into the Colorado River. "Some boys had enough time to grab their backpacks and some did not," said Bridget Lai, whose husband Michael and son Kyle, 13, are on the trip. "There's not a whole lot you can do about a dam breaking. There's not a lot you can prepare for."
National Parks Are Offering Podcasts
August 18, 2008 - 4:26pm
Why go to a national park if you can experience one via an Internet podcast? Park officials across the country are hopeful the podcasts themselves will make people want to visit their parks. But if a trip just isn't possible, podcasts are seen as the next best thing.
August 18, 2008 - 4:26pm
Why go to a national park if you can experience one via an Internet podcast? Park officials across the country are hopeful the podcasts themselves will make people want to visit their parks. But if a trip just isn't possible, podcasts are seen as the next best thing.
Pot Farm Found in Park
August 18, 2008 - 4:21pm
A park service pilot on a routine flight over the North Cascades National Park service area helped discover a large marijuana farm worth nearly $48 million -- the first such grow operation found in a national park site in the state. Officials said the farm, which law enforcement officials raided this week, contained more than 16,700 plants. It was well established and resembled the elaborate grow sites run by Mexican drug traffickers plaguing national parks in California, authorities said.
August 18, 2008 - 4:21pm
A park service pilot on a routine flight over the North Cascades National Park service area helped discover a large marijuana farm worth nearly $48 million -- the first such grow operation found in a national park site in the state. Officials said the farm, which law enforcement officials raided this week, contained more than 16,700 plants. It was well established and resembled the elaborate grow sites run by Mexican drug traffickers plaguing national parks in California, authorities said.
Celebrate Zion Wonders
August 18, 2008 - 4:16pm
Next year will be a big celebration for Zion National Park and all who value the majestic views that can be seen within this natural landmark. Zion didn't receive national park status until 1919, but it was recognized for its beauty in 1909, when it was designated as Mukuntuweap National Monument. According to "A History of Washington County: From Isolation to Destination," by Doug Alder and Karl Brooks, The monument designation came after a survey report by St. George resident Leo A. Snow shared the secret of what has become a place of sanctuary befitting its name.
August 18, 2008 - 4:16pm
Next year will be a big celebration for Zion National Park and all who value the majestic views that can be seen within this natural landmark. Zion didn't receive national park status until 1919, but it was recognized for its beauty in 1909, when it was designated as Mukuntuweap National Monument. According to "A History of Washington County: From Isolation to Destination," by Doug Alder and Karl Brooks, The monument designation came after a survey report by St. George resident Leo A. Snow shared the secret of what has become a place of sanctuary befitting its name.
