DAY TRIPS
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Y ELLOW S TONE ON
WH EEL S Bicyclists have the park to themselves in spring and fall BY JESSIANNE WRIGHT
Last year, more than 2.5 million vehicles rolled through Yellowstone National Park, in the form of tour busses, family cars, campers, park vehicles and more, often bumper to bumper during peak visitation periods. But for several weeks every spring and fall, many of the park’s roads close to motorized vehicles and open for bicyclists. Yellowstone typically opens for the first day of spring biking in late March or early April, and the fall season generally runs for three weeks in November—ending when plowing operations stop so that snow can begin
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accumulating on the roads to support winter over-snow travel. While bicyclists often have the roads to themselves, minimal traffic from park employees should be expected. “It’s a really unique experience because you kind of get the whole park to yourself,” said Kelli Hart, co-owner of Freeheel and Wheel bicycle and ski shop in West Yellowstone. “There’s usually still snow on the sides of the road [in spring] and it’s a great chance to see wildlife.”
