Do you want to make the trip of your dreams to Yellowstone National Park but do you have doubts regarding safety on your motorcycle? Does the presence of bears and bison keep you from following your dream?
I had the same feeling before going to Yellowstone and I gathered all the information I could before leaving. I combined this with my personal experience and wrote this article to help fellow riders. In a hurry and want to know if it’s safe to ride your motorcycle in Yellowstone National Park?
Despite some risks, it’s fairly safe to ride your motorcycle in Yellowstone National Park. Thousands of motorcyclists make the trip every year. Just make sure you are aware of the risks on the way.
Traffic laws for motorcyclists in Yellowstone
The first thing you should be aware of is the traffic laws and speed limits within the Park. The maximum speed within the park is 45 miles per hour, and all other normal traffic laws still apply within the park. Be aware that 45 is the maximum, there are areas that have a lower speed limit.
Yellowstone National Park filled with radar, checking your speed. Speeding isn’t recommended anywhere, but you should watch your speed in the park in particular! The speed limit is there to protect the safety of visitors and wildlife within the park.
Yellowstone is spread across three states. The main part of the Park can be found in Wyoming, but small parts of the park can be found in Montana and Idaho as well.
All three states have different laws when it comes to wearing a helmet. I didn’t bother checking the laws in each state since I think you should ALWAYS wear a helmet. Are you a fan of riding without a helmet? Make sure what the laws are in each state and be aware of the state borders within the park.
Are the Animals in Yellowstone dangerous to Motorcyclists?
It won’t be a surprise to you that Yellowstone is filled with beautiful American wildlife. Yellowstone is their home and us humans are only there as guests. All traffic is obliged to stop whenever an animal crosses the road. You should stop and hold until the animal has left the road.
The animals can be enormous and may be a potential safety hazard for motorcyclists. Some animals way hundreds of pounds and you don’t want to come in contact with any of them during your ride. A collision with one of these animals can cause serious injury to both the motorcyclist and the animal itself.
These are the most common large animals that may be a danger to motorcyclists within the park:
- American Bison – Around 4,000 American Bisons live in the park. They may weigh up to 1,800 pounds each!
- Grizzly bear – Population estimated at 718
- Black bear – Population estimated at 575
- Bighorn sheep – Not more than a couple of hundred bighorn sheep are left in the park
- Elk – Over 30,000 Elk during the summer and 15,000 during the winter. They weigh up to 700 pounds
- Moose – There are less than 1000 Moose left in the park
This is just a small number of animals within the park, but these are the biggest and heaviest animals that may cause a danger to you as a motorcyclist.
I personally think the American Bisons are most motorcyclists biggest worry. Youtube is full of video’s of motorcyclists surrounded by Bisons. From what I can see, it seems that the best thing to do is to sit still and look away. Don’t move, don’t make sounds, don’t be aggressive and don’t look at them.
Road conditions within Yellowstone National Park
Wildlife on the road is one, but the road surface itself is something completely different. The road surface of a National Park can be uneven at some spots.
In general, the roads in Yellowstone National Park are well maintained. However, you should always remember that the road is subjected to nature in general.
The road could be filled with animal poop, making it uneven or slippery. I’ve also seen debris like rock slides and broken trees during my trip.
You should just keep an extra eye out for the road conditions, to make sure you go around any odd obstacles.
Is it safe to drive at Night?
Most of the roads in Yellowstone are pitch black during the night. There will be no light since that will confuse the animals. I would recommend you to wear high-vis clothing on the way if you consider driving at night.
Good lighting on your motorcycle is, obviously, a must. Just a small headlight won’t do on these pitch-black roads since you can easily miss dangers like the debris we talked about. I didn’t drive at night myself since my motorcycle didn’t have sufficient lighting.
I added a table with the twilight times in Yellowstone below so that you can easily tell at what time it gets dark during your trip. It’s an estimate of every 15th of the month.
| Month | Twilight time (15th of the month) |
| January | 17:42 |
| February | 18:22 |
| March | 19:59* |
| April | 20:39 |
| May | 21:19 |
| June | 21:48 |
| July | 21:42 |
| August | 21:01 |
| September | 20:04 |
| October | 19:09 |
| November | 17:28* |
| December | 17:18 |
*Clock changes one hour this month. This is the time AFTER the clock has been changed
Is the Weather in Yellowstone good for Motorcycle Drivers?
Keep in mind that colder temperatures can occur anywhere in the park at any moment of the year. The higher altitudes can be particularly colder. Ice and road damager occur often and should be kept in mind when riding at these higher altitudes.
On the other side, there are also extreme heats within the park. Make sure you dress appropriately and drink well when riding your motorcycle in the extreme heat.
I personally use a mesh summer jacket from REV’it to keep myself cool on these kinds of trips. I wrote more about it in this article (click).
Where in the Park should you go?
The best way to explore the park is by driving around the Grand Loop. It’s a 142 mile long road that curves around in the shape of an eight, passing by the most beautiful parts of the park.
Driving the entire length of the road can take you between 4 and 7 hours, depending on traffic. The traffic can be one big drama during the summer months.
I would recommend to not drive everything at once, but to stop every now and then to rest and have a look around you. Riding your motorcycle asks for attention all the way and it can take your eye of the beautiful surroundings.
You could do the 8-figure two days by riding one of the loops each day. This allows you to go at your own pace and stop often enough to enjoy your stay. The park has camping opportunities so all you need is a tent and an airbed.
Your Experience with riding a Motorcycle in Yellowstone National Park
Do you have experience with riding your motorcycle in Yellowstone as well? Please feel free to share your experiences down the comments. I love to read all your stories and I’m sure your tips and stories will help others that yet have to experience the amazing views in this great piece of the US.