Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Park will reopen on a limited basis in mid-May, according to a statement from the National Park Service.
Yellowstone, which covers 3,472 square miles in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, has been closed since March 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The park will reopen on a limited basis May 18 following a three-phased plan where just the South and East entrances in Wyoming will be accessible.
Visitors will be allowed to visit Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, and Canyon Village as well as restrooms, self-service gas stations, trails and boardwalks in open parts of the park.
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona will reopen its South Rim South entrance from May 15-18.
"Visitors exporting the South Rim should plan to be self-sufficient, bringing enough food and water during their trip as well as hand sanitizer," the Park Service said in a notice posted on the park's website.
Neither park is requiring visitors to wear masks to enter the park but "recommends" they wear them and stay six feet away from each other.
The Great Smoky Mountains along the Tennessee/North Carolina border partially reopened over the weekend.
Nearly 6 million people visited the Grand Canyon last year. Yellowstone was the sixth most visited park with 4 million.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.