By now, the news of the historic flooding of Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding communities has made national attention. We want to send out a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been reaching out to check in on our community, and we want to assure everyone that Jackson has been unaffected by the floods.
Park Update
We know many are concerned about their travel plans, and we encourage everyone to keep your plans and continue to support the gateway towns of Yellowstone that are still accessible–West Yellowstone, MT, Cody, WY, and Jackson, WY. We would love to see you! While Yellowstone will remain closed until June 19th, this is a wonderful time of year to visit Grand Teton National Park. Elk are scattered all throughout the valley, black and grizzly bears alike are digging for wildflowers and insects, and the landscape is a bright, lush green! We anticipate that tours of the southern half of Yellowstone National Park–through the South Entrance–will resume in the near future. Yellowstone’s lower loop has been relatively unaffected by the floods, and repairs are already underway.
How To Help
We at EcoTour Adventures also want to express our sincere condolences for the communities affected by this catastrophic flooding. While Jackson was minimally affected by the storm and subsequent flooding, we care deeply about our neighbors in the north, and we are heartbroken by the events of the last two days. The park and its gateway towns–in particular, Gardiner, Silver Gate, and Cooke City, MT–are places we have spent many years sharing and exploring with others. Guides and visitors alike have fallen in love with these magical places, and to see them so drastically and utterly changed is devastating. Entire bridges and sections of roads have been ripped away, and the entire park has been evacuated.
In an interview with the Jackson Hole News & Guide, EcoTour Adventures guide Jeff Olson, who has worked in Yellowstone since 1974, said, “That’s probably the worst thing that’s happened disaster-wise since the fires of ‘88.”
The damage has still not been assessed, as the flooding is still ongoing–with more anticipated for this weekend–but we have received news from Park County, MT, Commissioner Bill Berg that there have been no confirmed injuries or fatalities due to the flooding. This is incredible news, but Yellowstone National Park and its gateway communities are in dire need of help. These towns are supported through tourism, and the majority of people affected are working-class folks who will be unable to return to work for an extended period of time. Without tourism, these towns will struggle to make ends meet. We hope you will consider donating to any of the following relief funds:
Photo: NPS staff housing falling into the Yellowstone River.
Relief Fund for Yellowstone Employees who lost their house in Gardiner. There are many videos circulating of a house that was washed away by the Yellowstone River. This house belonged to park employees, and it housed five local families and their pets. These families dedicated their careers to the preservation, research, and protection of Yellowstone National Park, and they have lost everything. EcoTour Adventures has donated to this cause.
Southwest Montana Flood Relief Fund: Communities in Madison County and Park County, where the gateway towns of Gardiner, Cooke City, and Silver Gate, MT, are located, were severely damaged by the floods. The businesses in these areas rely heavily on Yellowstone’s tourism, which will be shut down for the foreseeable future. Funds raised will provide supplemental income and other related disaster relief to the people affected.
Carbon County Disaster Relief Fund: Red Lodge, MT, gateway to the Beartooth Highway, was also severely damaged by the floods, and businesses here also heavily rely on tourism. There are also a few fundraisers for individual families and businesses located here and here.
Photo: Downtown Red Lodge, MT on June 13th, 2022.
We thank everyone for their continued support through this difficult time, and we so look forward to seeing you this summer in Jackson!
