Yellowstone's Lamar Valley cut off by washed out road

Crews are working to repair a section of road in the Lamar Valley (photo) in the northeast section of Yellowstone National Park that has been damaged by high water, according to the National Park Service, reports the Wyoming Business report.

Flooding water between the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek washed out a 30-foot section of the park’s Northeast Entrance road just west of Soda Butte and there has been no estimate as to how long it will take to repair and reopen the road.

Visitors can still enter the park at the Northeast Entrance from Red Lodge, Mont., or Cody, Wyoming, over the Beartooth Highway or the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway.

The road is open as far as the Lamar River Stock Trailhead, west of Pebble Creek Campground, approximately 13 miles from the Northeast Entrance. It also is open east of Tower Junction as far as Fisherman’s Pullout, approximately 8 miles from the junction.

All other park roads and entrances are open. Campgrounds are open also, though not all sites, due to flooding and poor conditions. In some cases drinking water is not yet available, and if so no fees will be charged for camping.

Updated information on park road conditions is available 24 hours a day by calling the park’s road information hotline at 307-344-2117. Go online to: www.nps.gov/yell for further information and updates.