Yellowstone Accessibility

Yellowstone National Park is recognized as one of the most accessible national parks for visitors with mobility challenges. Despite challenges such as weather and high pedestrian traffic, the park has implemented numerous measures to enhance accessibility.

The Accessibility Webpage, available on the National Park Service’s (NPS) website, provides detailed information and maps organized by developed area. Visitors can also download the free NPS Yellowstone app, which includes a “Wheelchair Access” filter to identify accessible trailheads and facilities. Many of the park’s primary front-country boardwalks and trails, such as those at Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Norris Geyser Basin, include trail guides that highlight wheelchair-accessible sections.

Almost all activities and tours offered by Yellowstone National Park Lodges are designed to accommodate visitors in wheelchairs.

Additionally, the Access Pass, part of the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series, provides free lifetime admission and discounts for U.S. citizens and permanent residents with permanent disabilities. This pass can be obtained online or at park entrances and visitor centers.

Yellowstone National Park allows qualified service animals that assist people with disabilities, and defines a service animal as a dog that performs some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform, such as carrying a pack for persons with mobility impairments, assisting persons with balance, or alerting medically dependent persons of specific conditions, such as oncoming seizures. Dogs meeting this definition must be leashed. Companion dogs and other pets used for comfort or emotional support are not allowed in buildings, the backcountry, on nature trails, on boardwalks, YNPL tours and activities, or in lodge rooms and cabins that are not designated pet-friendly.

Click here for a detailed list of accessibility resources by area available on the NPS website.

ACCESSIBILITY HIGHLIGHTS BY AREA

Canyon Village

The Canyon area is one of the most accessible regions in the park. It features accessible viewpoints of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, including Artist Point, Inspiration Point, and Lookout Point. These areas have accessible parking, vault toilets, and routes to overlooks. The Canyon Visitor Education Center is wheelchair accessible, and all the Canyon Lodges and five Western Cabins have accessible rooms. Canyon Campground, restaurants, and shopping facilities in Canyon Village are also wheelchair accessible.

Lake Yellowstone Area 

The Scenicruise on Yellowstone Lake, departing from Bridge Bay Marina, is wheelchair accessible and offers views of Stevenson Island and wildlife, including eagles and osprey.

After the Old Faithful Inn, the most iconic property at the park is the Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins. On the shore of Yellowstone Lake, this hotel was built in 1891 but, in 1903, underwent a significant redesign — turning it into the Colonial Revival-style building we know today — at the hands of architect Robert Reamer, who also designed the Old Faithful Inn. There are 13 accessible rooms inside the hotel and several accessible cabins nearby.

Madison

The Madison area features a wheelchair-accessible fishing area on the Madison River, accessible from the Mount Haynes Overlook. Other accessible sites include viewpoints of National Park Mountain and the Firehole Cascade. The Two Ribbons Trail and parts of the Terrace Spring boardwalk are also accessible. Whether in a wheelchair or not, anyone over the age of 16 requires a Yellowstone National Park fishing permit to fish in the park; state fishing licenses are not valid here. Madison Campground has three accessible campsites that need to be reserved in advance. Visitors using wheelchairs may require assistance using some of the trails leading from the campground to the river.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Like at Old Faithful, many of the Mammoth boardwalks are accessible, but have some steep sections and transitions from asphalt walkways to boardwalks that will likely require manual wheelchair users to be assisted.  The Upper Terrace Drive offers accessible views of the hot springs and short boardwalk trails to Canary Spring and Orange Spring Mound. See the Mammoth Hot Springs Trail Guide map on the NPS website or mobile app for parking details.

The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins has two accessible hotel rooms and four accessible cabins.  The Mammoth Hotel Dining Room,  the first 4-star certified restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association in the entire National Park System, is accessed through the Mammoth Terrace Grill.

The 1909 Albright Visitor Center underwent a recent structural renovation. The building’s historic nature was preserved, while wrought-iron handrails were added to the stairs and a new access ramp was installed at the front entrance. The interior of the building and the museum displays are all accessible.

Norris

While much of the Norris Geyser Basin is not wheelchair accessible due to steep grades and stairs, some areas, such as Emerald Pool and Echinus Geyser, can be reached with assistance.

The Museum of the National Park Ranger, in a 1908 building that was one of the park’s original soldier stations, has a wheelchair-accessible entrance and exhibits on the history of the National Park Service and the ranger profession.

The lower portion of the Artists Paintpots Trail, several miles south of Norris Junction, is wheelchair accessible.

Old Faithful

The Old Faithful Visitor Education Center and surrounding boardwalks are fully ADA-compliant. There are wheelchair-accessible boardwalks and walkways to Old Faithful Geyser, and the 0.8-mile boardwalk around the geyser basin, which also has benches. The Grand Prismatic Spring boardwalk, offering views of the famous and largest hot spring in the United States, and Excelsior Geyser Crater are also wheelchair-accessible.

All hotels and restaurants in the Old Faithful area are accessible, including the historic Old Faithful Inn, which has hosted guests since 1904 and features a seven-story lobby, the centerpiece of which is an 85-foot-tall stone fireplace. The upper lobby can be accessed via an elevator.

Tower-Roosevelt

The Lamar Valley, known for its wildlife viewing, offers accessible parking and viewing areas. An early-morning drive through Lamar Valley is the best way to spot bison, elk, coyotes, pronghorn, and possibly wolves and moose.

The trail to Tower Fall overlook is a short asphalt trail leading to a viewpoint of the falls. Roosevelt Lodge has accessible cabins, dining, and restrooms.

West Thumb

The West Thumb Geyser Basin is the largest group of geysers on the shore of Yellowstone Lake, the largest high-elevation lake in North America. The boardwalk loops here are accessible with assistance (the lower loop has a section with a grade of almost 10%). Visitors using wheelchairs can get to the Thumb Paint Pots and Twin Geyser without assistance.

Grant Village in the West Thumb area has lodging, a campground, a general store, a gift shop, and restaurants with accessible facilities.

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