Getting to Yellowstone: Comparing the 5 Airports (BZN, JAC, WYS, COD & IDA) & 5 Park Entrances

Because Yellowstone spans the corner of three states (Wyoming, Montana and Idaho), it is surrounded by five distinct entrance gates and five regional airports. Choosing the right airport can save you substantially on airfare and four hours of driving.

1. Comparing the 5 Gateway Airports (Which One Should You Fly Into?)

1. #1 Best Overall (Most Direct Flights & Car Hire Choice), Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Montana (BZN): served year-round by Delta, United, American, Alaska, Southwest and JetBlue. From BZN airport, it is a scenic 90-minute drive south down US-89 (Paradise Valley) to the North Entrance at Gardiner, MT, or a 90-minute drive down US-191 (the Gallatin River Canyon, where A River Runs Through It was filmed) to the West Entrance at West Yellowstone, MT.
2. #2 Best for Combining Yellowstone + Grand Teton, Jackson Hole Airport, Wyoming (JAC): the only commercial airport in the United States located completely inside a National Park (Grand Teton). Stepping off the plane puts you right at the foot of the Teton Range, and 1 hour (90 km) south of Yellowstone's South Entrance.
3. #3 Closest to the Gate (Summer Seasonal Flights), Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone (WYS) & Cody (COD): compact WYS sits 5 minutes from the West Entrance (seasonal Delta and United flights from Salt Lake City and Denver, May to Oct), while Cody Yellowstone Regional Airport (COD) sits 1 hour east of the East Entrance.
4. #4 Budget Hub Alternatives, Idaho Falls (IDA, 2 Hours to West Gate) or Salt Lake City (SLC, 4.5 Hours South on I-15): flying into major hub Salt Lake City (SLC) often lowers family airfare and car-hire rates, with a straightforward 4.5-hour interstate drive to West Yellowstone or a loop through Jackson and Grand Teton.

2. The 5 Park Entrances & Their Seasonal Opening Dates

• North Entrance (Gardiner, MT, Mammoth & Lamar Valley): the only entrance open to regular cars 365 days a year.
• West Entrance (West Yellowstone, MT): opens to cars the third Friday of April until October 31.
• East Entrance (Cody, WY) & South Entrance (Grand Teton / Jackson, WY): open the first and second Fridays of May until October 31.
• Northeast Entrance (Cooke City / Beartooth Highway): road from Gardiner is open year-round; the Beartooth Highway east of Cooke City opens late May to mid-October.