Airports Near Yellowstone (Best Options and Deals)

So, you have decided to visit Yellowstone National Park?! Great idea! So, first things first, we have to make a decision on how to get you there.

That’s where this post comes in. We are going to tell you about all of the airports near Yellowstone National Park to help you make the most informed decision for you and your family!

While a lot of people load up the car and head out on a road trip, some people might prefer (or need) to fly into the area instead.

We will cover the closest airport to Yellowstone National Park, the best International airport for Yellowstone National Park, regional airports, gate entry based upon the airport you choose, and other travel tips to make planning your trip to Yellowstone National Park as easy as possible.

Yellowstone National Park is a huge National Park, covering over 2 million acres. This means that you are going to need a car to get around the park, so keep that in mind when choosing your airport as well.

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Planning Your Trip to Yellowstone National Park

A trip to Yellowstone National Park is often a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Yellowstone National Park is home to the highest concentration of hydrothermal features in the world.

Of course, the first step to planning your visit Yellowstone National Park is to determine the best time to visit Yellowstone.

The next step in your planning is choosing transportation.

Your third focus will be where to stay in or around Yellowstone National Park.

Here are a few things to think about when planning your Yellowstone itinerary:

Which season are you vacationing in? This affects what airports, roads, and accommodations are open.
Are you planning to visit other areas near Yellowstone National Park, such as Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, or the Rocky Mountains?
Will you be flying in from the United States or internationally?
What is your budget for the trip?

Airports Near Yellowstone National Park

While planning our trip to Yellowstone, we quickly learned that flying into the small airports near the Park is not the most cost-efficient option.

The airports we will cover in this post are:

(West) Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, Montana (WYS)
Cody/Yellowstone Regional Airports, Cody, Montana (COD)
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Belgrade, Montana (BZN)
Bert Mooney Airport, Butte, Montana (BTM)
Logan International, Billings, Montana (BIL)
Jackson Hole Airport, Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC)
Idaho Falls Regional Airport, Idaho Falls, Idaho (IDA)
Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC)
Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado (DEN)

Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, Montana (WYS)-West Yellowstone Entrance

The West Yellowstone Airport is located in West Yellowstone, MT, and is the closest airport to Yellowstone National Park.

The town of West Yellowstone is located right at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, making flying into the West Yellowstone airport convenient. This close proximity is why many choose to stay in West Yellowstone while visiting Yellowstone National Park.

This little town of West Yellowstone reminded me a lot of Estes Park. West Yellowstone has great restaurants, souvenir shops, lots of accommodation choices, and other amenities right by the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

The bad thing about flying into West Yellowstone is the lack of carriers. Only one route is available to access this airport.

Delta Air Lines only provides commercial flights to West Yellowstone with a connection through Salt Lake City, Utah. So, you have to book a connection in Salt Lake coming and going from West Yellowstone to utilize the closest airport to Yellowstone.

Another downfall with using the West Yellowstone airport is that it only operates flights from late May until the end of September.

Location

About 1 mile north of the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park

Pros of Using Yellowstone Airport

The airport is located the closest to Yellowstone National Park
Staying in West Yellowstone or using the west entrance is convenient

Cons of Using Yellowstone Airport

Commercial flights to West Yellowstone are only offered through Delta Air Lines
Must book a connection to/from Salt Lake City
Only operates in the spring and summer

Best For

People who are visiting on a limited time frame

Yellowstone Regional Airport, Cody, Wyoming (COD)-East Entrance or Northeast Entrance

Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, MT, puts visitors within a 2-hour drive to Yellowstone National Park.

Visitors can access the east entrance in 1 hour and 30 minutes from Cody and the Northeast Entrance in just under 2 hours. Many people love taking Beartooth Highway to the Northeast Entrance, which is known as one of the most beautiful drives in America.

Before booking, check the connecting flights to this airport to see if it is economical to add this connection to your trip. There are usually connecting flights from Los Angeles and New York.

While the town of Cody has a lot to offer, don’t make it your home base when visiting the park. It is a long drive to access the park’s attractions.

About 53 miles from the park

Location

Pros of Using Yellowstone Regional

Less than a 2 hour of drive time from the airport to Yellowstone’s east entrance or northeast entrance
Denver connections fly here all year

Cons of Using Yellowstone Regional

Few flight options are available to connect through Denver or Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City connections only fly here in the summer
Close to the east entrance, which closes in heavy snow

Best For

Landing close to the park if connecting flights here are cheaper

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Belgrade, Montana (BZN)-West Entrance or North Entrance

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is in Belgrade, MT. Landing at Bozeman, MT, will put you about two hours away from the park’s north and west entrances.

Remember that the north gate is the only entrance that remains open all year, but it is close to Old Faithful! If you are planning to visit in the winter, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport will probably be your choice.

Serving Bozeman, MT, most of Southwest Montana, and Yellowstone National Park, the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is the busiest in the state. You can quickly get here from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, and other major cities.

The benefit is that you will have more flight options as more airlines service this airport. Of course, that often means cheaper prices than the regional airports.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport also services Glacier National Park, as it is about 5 miles away.

The north gate puts you close to Mammoth Village and Mammoth Hot Springs. The west entrance will put you in between Old Faithful and the Norris Geyser Basin.

Location

90 miles from the west and north entrances (close to Old Faithful and Mammoth)

Pros of Using Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

The busiest airport in Montana, so many airlines service this location (Delta, United, Alaska Air, Frontier, Allegiant, and Jet Blu in the summer)
Within 2 hours drive time of Yellowstone
The closest to the north entrance, which remains open in the winter
Finding a rental car or other transportation is generally easy

Cons of Using Bozeman, MT Airport

Not all airlines offer daily service, so plan accordingly

Best For

Those traveling in the winter season
Those planning to visit Glacier National Park in addition to Yellowstone

Bert Mooney Airport, Butte, Montana (BTM)-West or North Entrance

Bert Mooney is another small airport on our list. Located in Butte, MT, Bert Mooney Airport will have you about two hours and 30 minutes away from the west or north entrance of the park.

The Bert Mooney Airport is open all year and is serviced by SkyWest Airlines, a Delta Airlines connecting airline. Like Yellowstone Airport, these daily flights require a connection to Salt Lake City.

There are rental car agencies on-site to assist in your ground transportation needs.

Location

150 miles north of Yellowstone

Pros of Using Bert Mooney

Small airport that is easy to navigate
2.5 hours from Yellowstone

Cons of Using Bert Mooney

Must connect via Salt Lake City
Only one airline carrier services the airport

Best For

People who can get a good price connecting from Salt Lake City

Logan International, Billings, Montana (BIL)-Northeast Entrance

Logan International is located in Billings, MT, and is the second-largest airport in the state.

The northeast entrance is 130 miles from the airport, so getting to Yellowstone National Park from Logan International will take about one hour and 30 minutes of drive time.

I highly recommend this drive through Montana and Wyoming on Highway 212 (Beartooth Highway). Beartooth Highway is a scenic drive into Yellowstone National Park!

It is important to note that this airport is well-served, with approximately 30 commercial passenger flights per day.

Several airline companies, including Alaska, Allegiant, American, Cape, Delta, Frontier, and United service Logan.

Location

130 miles from the northeast gate park entrance

Pros of Using Bert Mooney

Well served by daily flights from multiple airlines
1.5 hours of drive time to the park

Jackson Hole Airport, Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC)-South Entrance

You will find Jackson Hole Airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, just over one hour from the south entrance of Yellowstone.

Jackson Hole Airport is the only airport located inside of a National Park, Grand Teton National Park, to be exact.

That means Jackson Hole Airport is a great option if you visit Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park on the same trip.

Many people choose to make Jackson, WY, their home base while visiting, making the Jackson Hole Airport even more convenient.

The drive through the Tetons into the South Park entrance of Yellowstone National Park is beautiful, making Jackson Hole Airport and the town of Jackson, WY, very popular places to stay.

Of course, all of that popularity comes at a price. Prices are generally higher in Jackson Hole, as are rental car prices.

American, United, and Delta Airlines service the airport. All airline companies offer direct flight options from several major cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York.

Location

56 miles south of Yellowstone, just over a one-hour drive

Pros of Using Jackson Hole Airport

Beautiful location inside of Grand Teton National Park
Short distance to drive to the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park (just over one hour)
Easy to see two National Parks
Service provided by several carriers

Cons of Using Jackson Hole Airport

Can be expensive due to the popularity
Some flights are only offered seasonally

Best For

Travelers wanting to visit both Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park who are short on time and willing to spend the money.

Idaho Falls Regional Airport, Idaho Falls, Idaho (IDA)-South or West Gates

Idaho Falls Regional Airport is about one hour and 30 minutes from Yellowstone’s west entrance.

This regional airport will get you close to the west gate, often cheaper than flying into West Yellowstone.

Several companies, including Delta, United, and Allegiant, service this regional airport. They also connect through several major cities, including Denver, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, and more.

Yellowstone’s west gate is accessible via highway U.S. 20. You can easily rent a car or take the Jackson Hole Express Shuttle into Jackson, WY, if you want to spend a day or two there.

If you choose to take the shuttle into Jackson, you can then get a rental car in Jackson, drive north on Highway U.S. 191/89, and drive through the Grand Tetons into Yellowstone’s south entrance. As we mentioned before, both parks are amazing.

Location

147 miles from the south entrance
110 miles to the west entrance

Pros of Using Idaho Falls Regional Airport

Services provided by several airline companies
Both parks (Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park) are easily accessible
Rental cars are usually readily available
Distance to the parks is under 2 hours
Shuttle into Jackson, WY and stay a day or two there

Cons of Using Idaho Falls

Can be more expensive than the larger airports
The west and south gates are not open year-round

Best For

Travelers that want to get close to both parks and not spend a ton of money

Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC)-South or West Entrances

This international airport is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, just over 300 miles from the nearest entrance to Yellowstone.

While that sounds like many miles to travel, it isn’t too bad. You can reach the west gate from Salt Lake City in about 4.5 hours.

Air travel passengers can take direct flights into Salt Lake City from domestic and international cities. Flights land here from almost any medium to large domestic airport, several European cities, Mexico, and Canada.

This international airport is very popular because people want to see numerous parks during their time in the area. You can easily visit Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, Arches, and Zion National Parks.

The amount of air traffic into Salt Lake City International Airport means cheaper prices on flights and rental cars.

You can also transfer flights to one of the smaller, closer airports easily from Salt Lake City International Airport

Location

323 miles to the west gate (4.5 hours via highway I-15 N, US 20 E)
351 miles to the south gate (just over 6 hours via highway I-15N)

Pros of Using Salt Lake City Airport

Services provided by several airline companies
Good for international travelers
Both parks (Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park) are easily accessible
Rental cars are usually readily available
Cheaper prices on flights and cars
Connections to the smaller airports are available

Cons of Using Salt Lake City Airport

Driving distance to the park from Salt Lake City is further than other airports
The west and south gates are not open year-round

Best For

International travelers that can get a good price
Travelers who would like to go to multiple National Parks

Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado (DEN)-South or East Entrance

You might be wondering why we included Denver International Airport on this list since it is over 500 miles from the nearest entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

I chose to add Denver International Airport as it is one of the biggest major airports that gets you within a day’s drive within Yellowstone. (Don’t forget to download some great songs about travel to listen to while driving!)

Here, you can spend a few days in the Denver area and visit Rocky Mountain National Park if you choose to do so.

You could easily start in Denver and then fly home out of one of the closer airports if you choose to do so. Just check prices and see what works best for you.

Location

515 miles to the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park (just over 8 hours via highway US-287 N)
560 miles to the east entrance Yellowstone National Park (8.5 hours via Highway I-25 N, US 20-W)

Pros of Using Denver Airport

Services provided by several airline companies including many domestic budget carriers
More flight choices
Rental cars are usually readily available
Can include the Denver area and Rocky Mountain National Park into your itinerary
Cheaper flights and cars
You can connect to one of the smaller airports closer to the park if you want

Cons of Using Denver Airport