-- ROUTES INTO SILVER GATE --

Always consult park roads before starting your journey.

1) Through Yellowstone via Gardiner (open year-round)
This is the only route open every month of the year. From Bozeman (BZN) or Billings (BIL), drive to Gardiner, MT, enter Yellowstone at the North Entrance, and follow the road through Mammoth and Lamar Valley to the Northeast Entrance. Silver Gate is one mile beyond the gate.
* ~3 hours from Bozeman, ~3.5 hours from Billings
* Park entrance fee required ($35/vehicle, valid 7 days, or use an America the Beautiful pass)
* Outstanding wildlife viewing in Lamar Valley — give yourself extra time

2) Beartooth Highway from Red Lodge (open ~late May to mid-October)
US-212 from Red Lodge over Beartooth Pass (10,947 ft) is one of the most scenic drives in America. From Billings, head south to Red Lodge, then climb the switchbacks west to Cooke City and Silver Gate.
* ~3 hours from Billings
* Closed by snow late October through Memorial Day weekend
* No services between Red Lodge and Cooke City — fuel up at either end
* Weather changes fast at elevation; check MDT 511 before departing

3) Chief Joseph Scenic Byway from Cody, WY (typically open beginning May to mid-October)
WY-120 north out of Cody to WY-296 (Chief Joseph) connects to US-212 east of Cooke City. Lower elevation than Beartooth and often opens earlier.
* ~2.5 hours from Cody (COD)
* A great alternative when Beartooth is closed but Chief Joseph is open
* A beautiful drive in its own right, especially the descent into Sunlight Basin

4) From Grand Teton through Yellowstone (open ~May 8 to early November)
If you're combining a Grand Teton stay with Silver Gate, you can drive straight through Yellowstone. From Jackson or Moran, head north on US-89/191/287 (the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway), enter Yellowstone at the South Entrance, then follow the Grand Loop: West Thumb → past Yellowstone Lake → Fishing Bridge → Canyon Village → over Dunraven Pass to Tower-Roosevelt → east through Lamar Valley to the Northeast Entrance.
• ~5 hours driving time from Jackson; plan 6–7+ hours with wildlife jams and stops
• ~170 miles, most of it inside the park
• Your park pass covers both Yellowstone and Grand Teton for 7 days
• Dunraven Pass (Canyon to Tower) opens ~May 22; before then, detour west via Norris and Mammoth (adds ~45 min)
• Fuel options: Grant Village, Fishing Bridge, Canyon Village, or Mammoth

— A FEW TIPS BEFORE YOU HEAD OUR WAY —

* Fuel up. Cooke City has the last gas before the park — top off before any day trips.
* Cell service is spotty. Download offline maps before you leave the highway.
* Wildlife is everywhere. Drive slowly at dawn and dusk — bison, bears, wolves, and moose all use the roads.
* Pack layers. It can snow here in any month of the year.