Maybe you are looking forward to a trip to Yellowstone but do not have enough time to drive there from your home state and still have time to explore the park. If that’s the case, you may be wondering where you should fly to get as close as possible to the park.
There are a few options for those wishing to fly into the Yellowstone National Park. West Yellowstone, Montana, has the closest airport, a few miles from the western entrance into the Yellowstone National Park. Other airports are in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Belgrade, Montana, and Butte, Montana.
Suppose you plan to fly into an airport near the Yellowstone National Park and want more information; read below. Below you will find more information on this airport and other options to the closest airports to Yellowstone.
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What is the Closest Major Airport to Yellowstone National Park?
The closest airport to the Yellowstone National Park in West Yellowstone, Montana, is only a few miles from the western entrance. It is only open part of the year because of the heavy snow the area experiences in the winter. You can find connections on Delta Air Lines or Skywest Airlines from May through the end of September, leaving Salt Lake City, Utah, the only big airport to Yellowstone. They offer daily connections to West Yellowstone, Montana’s airport.
What Major Cities are Close to Yellowstone National Park?
Salt Lake City, Utah, is 371 miles from the Yellowstone National Park is the only one that has daily connecting flights to the closest airport in West Yellowstone, Montana, from May to the end of September. It is 283 miles from Boise, Idaho, to Yellowstone. Denver, Colorado, is 426 miles from the Yellowstone National Park, with Aurora at 431 miles.
Remember, thousands of people visit Yellowstone National Park during the summer months, so you want to make sure to make your reservations in plenty of time. The weather is still primarily nice until October most years, so you will want to plan accordingly even if traveling during those months to the park. There are other major cities, but they are over 500 miles away for the most part, so if you fly into any of them, you will still have a significant drive on to the park and back to the airport. They include:
- Denver, Colorado, is 537 miles away.
- Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, is 675 miles away.
- Seattle, Washington, is 791 miles away.
- Reno, Nevada, is 767 miles away from Yellowstone.
Does Southwest Fly to Yellowstone?
Southwest Airlines recently started flying into the Bozeman Montana, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. With this addition, people trying to get to the Yellowstone National Park and several other places will have a way to connect travelers to grant faster access for many of the population to the park.
With Bozeman granting access to Southwest Airlines, many new options that were not previously available to travelers have gained a way to have lower fares, along with more convenience to get to and from the Yellowstone National Park.
Bozeman International Airport provides year-round service for two Yellowstone National Parks entrances, the Yellowstone North Entrance and the West Yellowstone Entrance, and is one of Montana’s busiest airports.
Bozeman has many ways to get travelers from Bozeman to Yellowstone, including shuttles, rental car companies, and shared-ride options.
Other Southwest Airlines options to other airports near Yellowstone are a bit further. They include:
- Spokane, Washington for the people of Montano.
- Omaha, Nebraska to serve the South Dakota area
- Southwest Corner of Wyoming
However, these locations would mean a substantially additional way to travel the remainder of the length to the park.
What Other Major Airlines Fly into Cities Near Yellowstone?
At the Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone, Montana, the airlines you will find available to fly into the area include Delta Air Lines and SkyWest Airlines. You can enter the west gate to the park two miles from the airport.
At the Jackson Hole Airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you will find several different airlines companies you can fly into the city, including:
- Delta Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
- Orbitz
Flying into the Jackson Hole Airport has a 56-mile drive to the Southern entrance to Yellowstone, and the drive is breathtaking.
Other airlines flying into the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Belgrade, Montana, besides the newest addition of Southwest Airlines, includes:
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- Allegiant Air
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is the busiest airport in Montana that is close to Yellowstone. You can enter from either the east or the south entrances of Yellowstone.
The Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, Montana, has a few daily flights from Salt Lake City, Utah, including:
- SkyWest Airlines
- Delta Airlines
- Butte Aviation
Gallatin Field Airport is near Bozeman, Montana, and has easy access to two gates to the Yellowstone National Park. This field has several airlines that bring passengers to it, including:
- United Airlines
- Delta Airlines
- Horizon Air
- General Aviation
- Allegiant Air
- Frontier Airlines
Three Forks Airport is a public aviation airport, but it does not have any significant airlines and is for private planes. It does not even have a control tower but does accept planes twenty-four hours per day.
What Kind of a Vehicle Do I Need After Flying into Yellowstone?
You will find several rental car agencies available to rent a vehicle from while you vacation at Yellowstone National Park. If you plan a trip to the park and plan on renting a vehicle to drive as you explore it, you may wonder what type of vehicle you should rent for your stay. For the most part, a front-wheel-drive car should be sufficient if you come in the summer. If you are arriving when snow is possible, you might want to rent an all-wheel-drive vehicle.
All-wheel drive SUVs and Pickups make excellent vehicles to rent to explore the Yellowstone National Park. Some SUVs with all-wheel drive include:
- The 2021 Subaru Outback Wilderness comes all-wheel-drive. It has 17-inch all-terrain tires and has a 9.5-inch ground clearance. This vehicle has an estimated 33 miles-per-gallon on the highway and 26 miles-per-gallon in the city.
- The 2022 Hyundai Tucson comes all-wheel-drive. This vehicle is a hybrid and plug-in hybrid model.
- 2021 Toyota RAV 4 Prime has a roomy interior and has an all-wheel drive.
- 2021 Ford Escape has a comfortable ride with good fuel economy. It comes with gas and hybrid, and plug-in options.
- If you need a little bigger vehicle with a third row of seating, the all-wheel-drive 2022 Hyundai Palisade may be an excellent option to rent.
- The 2021 Lincoln Corsair is another all-wheel-drive vehicle option that offers a spacious and comfortable ride.
- The 2021 Subaru Forrester comes with a standard all-wheel drive. It has a roomy interior that will ensure your drive is comfortable and pleasant.
- The 2022 Kia Telluride has a third seat to accommodate larger families while still allowing for comfort.
- The Ford F-150 is one of the best all-wheel-drive trucks available. The extra height will help give you more ground clearance too.
- Another truck with all-wheel drive is the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado or the 2021 Chevrolet Canyon. Both these great trucks will give you the extra height between ground clearance and the all-wheel drive for better control if the weather calls for it.
Yellowstone has some places to purchase gas throughout the park, including:
- Old Faithful two service stations
- Grant Village, which is located on the southwestern shore of Yellowstone Lake, has fuel.
- The Fishing BridgeService Station has fuel for visitors to the park for purchase.
- The Canyon service station offers gasoline to travelers for sale.
- The Tower/ Roosevelt Junction by the Lamar Valley has fuel also.
- The Mammoth Hot Springs also has a service station at the Yellowstone Headquarters where visitors can purchase fuel.
Charging stations are also available throughout the park for those driving electric vehicles.
- Canyon Village has charging stations in front of the Rhyolite and Washburn lodges.
- Lake Village has a charging station in front of the Teal employee dorm.
- Old Faithful has a charging station at their cabins and outside Showerhouse #1.
- Mammoth Hot Springs has a charging station behind the Haynes Photo Shop and behind the Mammoth Hotel.
When deciding what vehicle to rent, make sure you consider how many people will be riding in it and how much room you will need for luggage, ice chests, and other equipment to make your stay enjoyable.
Please make your reservation in plenty of time to ensure they have an available vehicle to fit your family. You will likely have to place a credit card on file to hold your reservation. Sometimes upon arrival, you will have to pay in advance to get cheaper rates. If you need to cancel a reservation, make sure you know what they require. You don’t want to get charged for the rental.
Sometimes you can get a less expensive rate when you book your plane ticket, hotel reservations, and car rental together, so it pays to check to see if it will save you money. Keep in mind that most car rental companies have specific criteria to rent a vehicle, such as being a certain age. Some places will not rent to someone under 25 years of age, and if they do, they may charge extra to cover the added risk of an accident from a less experienced driver.
To Conclude
If you are trying to reduce the time-traveling by flying to Yellowstone National Park, the closest place to fly in is in West Yellowstone, Montana. If you do not mind driving an hour or so to the park, there are several places to fly into where you can rent a car and drive the rest of the way. If you come in on Southwest, you can get a flight to Bozeman, Montana.
Other major airlines fly into Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Belgrade, Montana, and Butte, Montana, including
- Delta Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- Alaska
- Allegiant Air
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
- Horizon Air
No matter which of these airports you decide to book a flight to, you will find various major rental car agencies to rent a car to get to the park and explore it while visiting on vacation there. You can also choose from shuttles, buses, and other means of transportation depending on which airport you land at, so do your research and plan to ensure you have an excellent vacation. Once you here consider Visiting Yellowstone National Park to experiance grand trees, the majestic mountains, and the serene hiking trails.