Closest Airports to Yellowstone National Park


The closest airport to get to Yellowstone National park is Yellowstone Airport, located in West Yellowstone, Montana, served by Delta Connection and connects to Salt Lake City.

Yellowstone Airport is just 2 miles north and a 20-minute trip to the West entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

However, the airport is only open for 4 months a year from June to September.

If you plan to see Yellowstone National Park on your next trip during months aside from June to September, we’ve outlined several airports to help for your next trip!

List of Airports Near Yellowstone National Park

US airport

Yellowstone Regional Airport: Close to East Entrance

The second nearest airport near Yellowstone National Park is the Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, Wyoming.

It’s about 53 miles from the park’s East entrance and should take about an hour’s trip to get there.

From Cody, drive along U.S. 14/16/20 to the east park entrance. If you want to drive to Grand Teton National Park, it’s about a 300-mile drive from Salt Lake City.

Another benefit of landing in Yellowstone Regional Airport is being close to the city of Cody, where you’ll find several companies that offer tour guide services to the park.

It’s also quite close to Yellowstone’s west entrance.

Currently, only two airlines operate Yellowstone Regional airport: United Express, which transports passengers to and from Denver and Chicago, and Delta Connection with Salt Lake City as its only destination.

Jackson Hole Airport: Close to South Entrance

Another great option to access Yellowstone’s South Entrance would be Jackson Hole Airport, located in Jackson, Wyoming.

There are also several benefits to landing at Jackson Hole Airport.

First, it’s only an hour’s trip to the South Entrance of Yellowstone National Park and 7 miles away from the city center, making it a great airport option if you plan to head to Yellowstone after landing.

Second, it’s only 4 miles away from Grand Teton National Park if you have time to spare and plan to visit another park within the day.

Third, Jackson Hole airport is the only airport located within a US National Park boundary, so passengers can easily access the park through Jackson Hole.

It’s also worth noting that this airport’s annual traffic falls at an average of 300,000 passengers.

Taking into account the population of Wyoming is only 580,000 people, 300,000 is an impressive number.

Finally, Jackson Airport offers a non-stop service to and from 13 destinations in the United States.

Cities included in this service are Los Angeles (LA International Airport), New York City (JFK Airport), and Chicago (O’Hare Airport).

However, expect to pay a little more should you decide to fly from either of these cities directly. Airlines that serve this airport include United, American, and Delta Airlines.

You can also take the Jackson Hole shuttle or a rental car upon landing. Whether you opt for a car or Jackson Hole shuttle, it’s a nine-mile drive to Jackson.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport: Close to North Entrance

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is located in Montana and about an hour and a half away from Yellowstone’s North Entrance.

If you plan to visit Glacier International Park, this airport is also a good place to land in.

Bozeman airport is also located in Belgrade, which is 80 miles away from the north and west entrance to the park.

Traffic-wise, this is the state’s busiest airport, with over 400 thousand people boarding each year.

Currently, it’s served by the following airlines:

  • Alaska Airlines
  • Allegiant Air
  • Frontier Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • Delta Air Lines
  • American Airlines

Destinations served by these airlines include:

  • Denver
  • Los Angeles
  • Chicago
  • Dallas
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul
  • Las Vegas
  • Seattle

To get to Bozeman’s park entrance, you have to drive 87 miles along U.S. 191 to the West entrance.

Idaho Falls Regional Airport: Close to West Entrance

If you plan to visit the park through Idaho, your best option is the Idaho Falls Airport located in Bonneville County.

The distance between the airport and park entrance is about 70 miles away, meaning it should take about 2 1/2 hours to reach the West entrance. In addition, it’s also near Grand Teton National Park.

Before you take on any flights to Idaho Falls, the airlines provide seasonal flights depending on the location:

  • Delta Connection – Connects to Salt Lake City and Minneapolis/St Paul; however, Minnesota flights are seasonal.
  • United Express – Seasonal flights only to Denver International.
  • Allegiant Air – Available to Phoenix and Las Vegas annually; however, LA and Oakland are seasonal.

Billings Logan International Airport: Close to Northeast Entrance

Billings Logan International Airport is the second busiest airport located in Billings, Montana, and over 400,000 people boarding annually.

The average distance from the city center to the entrance of the park is roughly around 65 miles. Furthermore, getting to the park entrance also takes longer than most of the options mentioned here.

First, you have to drive 65 miles south on U.S. 212 to Red Lodge. Afterward, take another 30 miles on Beartooth Highway to the northeast Yellowstone entrance located in Cooke City. 

Billings Logan also serves various airlines and destinations such as Seattle, Denver, Dallas, etc.

Getting to Yellowstone National Park by Car

yellowstone national park

Given all the information about airports near the Yellowstone National Park, this reveals it can be costly.

Not to mention, some destinations have seasonal availability, so it’s safe to say not everyone will rely on flying directly to airports.

In that case, there are other modes of transportation possible. Whether from Wyoming, Montana, or Cody, driving through a car can feel exhausting when you think of the park’s distance.

However, 4 million people make it to Yellowstone National Park every year in vans, bicycles, buses, and even astride snowmobiles.

Furthermore, traveling by car is the most common travel method to and from parks. Here is a guide on how to enter Yellowstone from the east, west, south, and north:

  • South – Take U.S. 191 through Jackson to enter Yellowstone
  • West – Taking either U.S. 191 or U.S. 20 to enter West Yellowstone, Montana.
  • East – Taking U.S. 20 bisects Cody and then continues for another 53 miles to Yellowstone’s east entrance.
  • North – Take U.S. 89 just right outside Gardiner, Montana, to enter the North entrance.
  • Northeast – Take U.S. 212 via Cooke City, Montana, to enter Yellowstone.

To help you further, here is a guide of driving distances to Yellowstone National Park from certain locations:

  • Las Vegas – 809 miles
  • Denver – 563 miles
  • Seattle – 827 miles
  • Portland – 869 miles
  • Salt Lake – 390 miles
  • Omaha – 946 miles
  • Washington – 2,081 miles

One option is also through car rental companies provided by airports. Jackson, Billings Logan, Cody Yellowstone Regional, West Yellowstone, and Bozeman all have available car rental options.

In Bozeman and Jackson airports, there are 9 available car rental companies, while Billings Logan has 8 available options, Cody Yellowstone with 5 options, and finally, West Yellowstone airport having three options.

You’ll be able to find more details about the car rental company in each of these airports through the following links:

Getting to Yellowstone National Park by Bus

Traveling by bus whether you want to get to the north entrance, west entrance, east or south entrance of Yellowstone is another option you can opt for.

One service we recommend is Greyhound (contact no. 800/231-2222), available in Jackson, Idaho, and Bozeman airports.

If you’re looking for a $100 one-way ticket to West Yellowstone, you can try Karst Sage or Yellowstone Roadrunner (contact no. 406/640-0631).

During winter, you can opt for Xanterra Parks & Resorts (contact no. 307/ 344-7311) if you’re looking for a $75 one-way ticket from Bozeman to Mammoth.

Should You Travel to Yellowstone National Park by RV?

Yellowstone National Park RV

Traveling through RV is one way of getting to Yellowstone National Park; however, there are a few considerations worth noting.

Is it worth it? To name a few benefits:

  • No need to unpack or carry heavy luggage around
  • Park and sleep in campgrounds instead of motels
  • Flexible travel itinerary

Now, what about the cons? Some disadvantages worth mentioning include:

  • The prices of renting an RV can reach up to $1000 per week, including gas.
  • Prepare your own meals most of the time.
  • Horrible gas mileage
  • Large vehicles are prohibited in certain areas.

Does renting an RV beat staying in a motel or hotel? For some, the tradeoff of spending $1000 per week, bad gas mileage, and independence are worth it.

For others, staying at a hotel provides better accommodations, comfort, and luxury, although this is usually reserved for those willing to spend more than their budget.

This is not to say hotel accommodations are out of the picture. It’s a matter of personal preference.

Should you decide to rent an RV or travel with one to the park, it’s worth noting that most camping areas don’t provide hookups.

However, a few campgrounds do – Flagg Ranch, Fishing Bridge, and Colter Bay.

Related post: Can You Sleep in Your Car in Yellowstone National Park?

About Yellowstone National Park

Grand Prismatic Spring

Here are some interesting facts about Yellowstone National Park:

  1. Yellowstone Park is the first national park in the entire world. Some may have believed it to be the first in the U.S.; however, Yellowstone was first established on March 1, 1872, by President Ulysses S. Grant.
  2. Yellowstone sparked a movement in the United States, which gave birth to 63 national parks in the U.S. to date.
  3. In 2019, Yellowstone had 4 million visitors and ranked as the 6th among the most visited parks.
  4. Yellowstone sits atop a supervolcano! But don’t worry. It erupted over 640,000 years ago. Should it erupt again (and let’s hope not!), it would be cataclysmic for humanity.
  5. Yellowstone holds the record for the highest concentration of geothermal features worldwide.

Certain airports also place you close to the Grand Teton National Park. Specifically, airports close to Yellowstone’s west entrance are also close to Grand Teton National Park.

In fact, Grand Teton National Park is only 10 miles away from Yellowstone.

Grand Teton National Park also encompasses the Teton mountain range, and its 310,000 acres of land boasts of a diverse ecosystem full of summertime wildflower meadows, rushing whitewater streams, and more!

If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, it’s worth going to Grand Teton National Park. After all, if you’re already in Yellowstone, why not take the chance to visit two parks in one day!

Conclusion

Don’t have plans yet for your next trip? Yellowstone is a national park you wouldn’t want to miss!

Additionally, Grand Teton National Park is just as great! The Teton mountain range is a sight you won’t regret going to.

We hope this article helped you find the closest airports near Yellowstone!

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