Spring Biking in Yellowstone: Which Entrance is Better?

Did you know that you can bike through Yellowstone National Park before the road opens to cars? This 49-mile ride is available for only about three weeks in April each spring. Ideally, it would be best to bike the entire 49 miles in one day. But for most of us average cyclists, that is just too long. Instead, we biked each side of the road in separate years. We just finished a 32-mile ride from the North entrance in Mammoth. Two years ago we rode nearly forty from West Yellowstone.

If you only have the chance to do one half of the ride, which side do you choose? Both the North and West entrances have their strengths and weaknesses. Keep reading for my recommendation to get the most out of your Yellowstone bike trip!

The downside to starting at Mammoth is there’s a 7 mile drive up to the Mammoth parking lot from Gardiner. This twisty road has the potential to make passengers carsick. While West Yellowstone, the entrance is literally right in town with a decent sized parking lot and nice bathrooms. Obviously, it depends on where you’re coming from, but the towns outside of Gardiner (Livingston and Bozeman) are worth a stop more than the small towns outside West Yellowstone in my opinion.

The tricky part about visiting national parks in the off season is the limited services available. West Yellowstone seemed to have more businesses open than Gardiner, but both offerings were scarce. I think the town of Gardiner is adorable. Plus it has a great Yellowstone National Park sign and the Roosevelt Arch which makes for great photos. Mammoth also houses hydrothermal areas that are accessible even in the snow. Most other boardwalks around the park are closed, but here you can enjoy the terraces in town after your ride. West Yellowstone seems more touristy. They boast a large number of souvenir shops but the main street is larger than Gardiner.

Yellowstone is very known for it’s plentiful wildlife spottings. We saw WAY more bison riding from the West entrance. The river is closer to the road in this section making it prime animal habitat. But Gardiner is home to hundreds (not an exaggeration) of elk. There is a near 100% guarantee you’ll see an elk herd near the North entrance. Obviously, there are a number of factors that play into the wildlife opportunities. Weather, time of day and pure luck play a huge role in a successful or unsuccessful viewing day. I would still stick to the West side for a better chance of seeing bison up close and personal.

We’re in a national park, so both sections of the ride were beautiful. Honestly, I’m typically not a huge fan of the Yellowstone landscape. I’ve been spoiled living in Northwest Montana with its lakes and towering mountain peaks. So sagebrush and flats don’t appeal to me as much. The North side has more mountain peaks whereas the West has more open flats. The river and snow levels were more dramatic in the West. Road condition for biking was nearly similar, however, which is what really matters. That’s the main reason I love biking on roads, usually pretty pristine maintenance

The North section was definitely more difficult solely based on the three mile climb at the beginning. From Mammoth you gain nearly 1,200 feet in elevation. You gain only about 500 feet elevation from West Yellowstone, but spread over 20 miles feels fairly flat the entire ride. There will likely be a headwind on both sides and it felt like in both directions when riding! When we rode from West Yellowstone, we had such a strong headwind on the way back that it did boost the difficulty level.

Personally, if you were only going to bike one side, I would recommend starting at West Yellowstone over Mammoth. Although I enjoyed the town of Gardiner and the Mammoth Hot Springs area more, the ride from the West entrance was superior. The bison encounters were more frequent, the scenery more dramatic and the ride was easier. The West ride is more family friendly thanks to the lack of climbing. There will likely be a headwind at either location. But the main reason you want to bike through Yellowstone is to get up close and personal with the bison. That fact alone skyrockets West to the top.

Still looking for more information on each ride? Check out the posts below for more details on both the ride from West Yellowstone and Mammoth.

Route starting from Mammoth Hot Springs

Route starting from West Yellowstone