Yellowstone National Park is one of the most famous natural wonders of the United States. Set atop a volcanic field, the park is known around the world for being the home to all kinds of animals, including those species that are almost synonymous with the American Frontier. Some include bison, wolves, and bears.
Yellowstone is the place where tourists come to see breathtaking views of canyons, rivers, and geysers. In fact, there are so many amazing things at the park that visiting it is a must, even if you’re not a big environmentalist. It’s not a surprise that Yellowstone has something for everyone, considering that it stretches over a massive area, which crosses the borders of several states – Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.
Speaking of its size, the park covers an area of over 2.2 million acres (approx. 3,500-sq.miles). That said you should know that you can enter the park from many different entrances. If you are planning to get in through the South entrance, your best choice is to go via Jackson Hole Airport.
Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)
As its name hints, Jackson Hole Airport is located in Jackson, Wyoming. Actually, it’s some seven miles to the north of the city center, which is a good thing if you’re planning to go to the national park straight after landing. It’s because the airport is less than 4 miles away from the Grand Teton National Park and about 80 miles away from Yellowstone Lake.
In fact, Jackson Hole Airport is the only commercial airport located inside the boundaries of a US national park. That makes it the best choice for those who want to get to the park as quickly as possible. Truth be told, there are many people who want that. The annual traffic of this airport is over 300 thousand passengers, which is pretty impressive, especially considering that the total population of Wyoming is less than 580 thousand people.
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The airport offers a non-stop service from and to 13 different destinations in the United States. This includes the cities like New York City (JFK Airport), Los Angeles (LA International Airport), and Chicago (O'Hare Airport). Unfortunately, direct flights from these cities aren’t too affordable. For example, if you want to get to the Jackson Hole Airport straight from Chicago, you will need to pay over 400 for a one-way ticket.
That’s why it might be wise to look for better deals even if they involve some stops along the way. You can look for them at sites like SkyScanner. To find Jackson Hole Airport deals, make sure to use the airport code JAC.
Yellowstone Regional Airport (COD)
Here’s another airport located in the state of Wyoming. The airport is only about 53 miles away from the entrance of the park (East Entrance of Yellowstone Park). It’s also very close to the city of Cody, where you can find companies that offer guided tours to the park.
Speaking of Cody, the city is the actual owner of the airport. At the moment, only two airlines are operating this airport – Delta Connection, with Salt Lake City as the only destination, and United Express, which takes passengers to and from Denver and Chicago.
Yellowstone Airport (WYS)
If you are planning to enter Yellowstone National Park through the state of Montana, you have several airports at your disposal. One of those is the Yellowstone Airport with the airport code WYS. The airport is about a mile away from the town of West Yellowstone, which is situated right on the border of the park, at the West Entrance.
The airport is open only during summer, that is, from June through September. During those four months, it is served by Delta Connection, which connects it with Salt Lake City Airport (SLC).
Billings Logan International Airport (BIL)
Billings Logan International Airport is the second-busiest airport in Montana, with nearly 400 thousand passengers on a yearly basis. As its name suggests, the airport is located near the state’s largest city, Billings. The distance from the city center to the entrance to the park is about 65 miles.
This airport is served by several airlines, which connect it to a number of airports across the United States, including those located in Salt Lake City, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, and so on.
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)
In 2013, this airport overtook Billings Logan International Airport as the busiest airport in the state. It’s estimated that it has over 400 thousand passenger boardings each year. As of April 2018, the airport is served by five different airlines – Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, and United Airlines.
Some of the destinations covered by these airlines include Seattle, Las Vegas, Dallas, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, and so on. The airport seems like a pretty convenient solution for those who wish to visit Yellowstone, as it’s located in Belgrade, a town that’s only 80 miles away from the entrance to the park.
Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA)
For those of you who are going to Yellowstone National Park through Idaho, the Idaho Falls Regional Airport in Bonneville County seems like the best solution. Only one airport in the state has more annual boarding passengers than the IDA.
But, unlike the busiest airport in Idaho, this one is pretty close to Yellowstone. In fact, the distance between the airport and the nearest park entrance is about 70 miles. If you want to enter Yellowstone through its West Entrance, you will have to cover a distance of a little bit over 100 miles.
There are three airlines that serve this airport. Allegiant Air offers direct flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix throughout the year, while Oakland and Los Angeles are the destinations that are available only at certain times of the year. Delta Connection is an airline that connects the airport to Salt Lake City, as well as Minneapolis/St Paul, although the flights to Minnesota are available only seasonally. United Express offers only seasonal flights from Idaho Falls Regional Airport to Denver International.
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