Everyone wants to travel to Yellowstone National Park to get into nature and away from the people and reality of normal life. But with the National Parks increasing in popularity year after year, and a large number of animals occasionally near roads in the park like bison and bears, massive traffic jams aren’t uncommon, bringing visitors right back to their lives outside of the park.
Yellowstone employee Josie Weaver shared this rather horrific traffic jam to her TikTok, highlighting what can happen with just a few elk on the side of the road.
“Wildlife jams” (or “bear jams”) occur rather frequently inside many wilderness parks. Visitors pull off to the side of the road when they see an animal, or slow down to a near crawl to take pictures. When they stop, don’t pull off fully, or are opening their doors and getting out of their vehicles while next to the road, cars behind them are forced to slow down or stop as well, leading to dramatic traffic jams. For tourists, that’s the reality of the visit. For employees and staff, that’s the hell of commuting around the parks.
Yellowstone National Park:
“Traffic-related accidents are the most common cause of injury and death in the park. Don’t let the scenery distract you: drive cautiously and watch for animals. If you need to stop for any reason, use a pullout: do not block traffic. The speed limit in Yellowstone is 45 mph (73 kph) unless posted otherwise. Pack your patience: winding roads and traffic often make drive times much longer than expected. Other road hazards include soft shoulders, potholes, and frost heaves. If you have detachable side mirrors, please remove them when you’re not pulling a trailer. For details on road closures and construction, check out our park roads page.“