Drive section

Cody, Wapiti, and Yellowstone East Entrance

Scenic Wyoming Route 20 segment linking Cody to Wapiti and the Yellowstone East Entrance through the North Fork Shoshone River valley.

Town-to-town continuity Bounded drive section

Cody, Wapiti, and Yellowstone East Entrance

This segment follows the east-side Yellowstone approach west from Cody through Wapiti Valley to the Yellowstone East Entrance. It ends at the park boundary, where Yellowstone road and access planning begins.

Plan the boundary before the drive

Choose one of three versions before leaving Cody:

• Scenic out-and-back: allow a half day for the valley, legal pullouts, the entrance area, and the return to Cody.
• Park arrival: treat the entrance as the beginning of a separate Yellowstone day with a known interior route and lodging or exit plan.
• Eastbound arrival: leave the park, follow the valley to Cody, and use the city as the first dependable full-service reset.

Fuel, food, and routine supplies are most dependable in Cody. Wapiti is dispersed; choose a named stop or legal pullout rather than expecting a compact town center. Wildlife, weather, traffic, and sightseeing can all slow the drive.

Check both sides of the boundary

Use Wyoming 511 for the Cody-side highway and the National Park Service road-status map for the East Entrance and park interior. Most Yellowstone roads are seasonal, and projected dates or same-day access can change. Check while planning and again before departure.

If the entrance is closed, the valley can still be a scenic out-and-back, but set a legal turnaround before the closure point. If daylight or weather tightens, cut optional pullouts first and keep the return to Cody comfortable.

Yellowstone gateway context

Use Cody for the overnight reset, Wapiti Valley for the scenic approach, and the East Entrance as the transition into park planning. The Yellowstone Approach store can help compare a guided day, a self-guided tool, or a Cody activity; verify provider schedules, prices, and availability directly.

Yellowstone planning options

This east-gateway stretch stays focused on Cody, Wapiti, the East Entrance, and the choice between a guided day, a self-guided drive, or a before-or-after park reset. It is not a Yellowstone interior itinerary.

Browse Yellowstone Approach Bookable Activities by category

Choose the Yellowstone approach by the kind of gateway day you need: before the park, West Yellowstone tours, east-gateway planning, self-guided driving tools, wildlife and geyser days, scenic flights, or an after-the-park reset.

This is not a normal metro store. It is the transition zone where before-the-park, West Yellowstone tours, east-gateway planning, self-guided driving tools, and after-the-park reset choices deserve a tight edit.

Before the parkUse a guided day when the park itself is the anchor and the whole plan needs a steady hand. Wildlife + scenic toursWildlife, geysers, waterfalls, and the big payoff that makes the gateway worth planning. East-gateway planningCody-facing tours, trolley, river, horses, and western reset energy. Self-guided driving toolsAudio tours and lighter tools when you want structure without a full guided day. After the park resetUse the gateway to recover, simplify, and reconnect with the road.

Keep planning