Montana Enters Phase II, Park to Follow

Hoping everyone is having a good weekend!

In an effort to keep you up to date with news items here in Montana, beginning tomorrow, June 1st, the state of Montana will be entering Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Reopening Plan. Montana State Governor Steve Bullock announced the change awhile back on May 19th that the state would be transitioning from Phase 1 into Phase 2 at the beginning of June. However, we have been waiting for the much anticipated news from Yellowstone National Park as to its plans. Will the Park open in step with Montana? The Park’s official announcement was confirmed late Friday. Yellowstone Park will be opening the Montana Entrances on Monday, but doing so with reduced overall services.

All in all, these are good measures and certainly a positive from the business side of things. But it doesn’t mean that there are not everyday accountibilities for us all to follow. There’s still a ways to go to Phase III and the end of the emergency restrictions. It’s been a month since Montana began to re-open. It does not necessarily mean that in another month, we can expect to be reaching the next milestone. We all have common responsibilities in order to help maintain the safety and well being of those around us. In an effort to keep the doors open, please follow the best practice protocols.

Here are the highlights from Montana as Phase 2 begins:

• – 14-day quarantine for those traveling from out of state will be lifted
• – Bars, restaurants, casinos, and breweries will be able to go from 50% to 75% operational capacity
• – Gatherings of up to 50 people may be allowed

Here is what to expect from Yellowstone Park and its opening for the first time since the shutdown in early March:

• – Montana entrances including the West Entrance (near West Yellowstone), North Entrance (near Gardiner), and Northeast Entrance (near Cooke City) will open starting at 10AM.
• – The entire Grand Loop Road will be accessible for day use, excluding the segment between Canyon and Tower, which is closed for road construction.
• – Visitors should come prepared and follow all CDC and local health guidance by practicing good hygiene and social distancing. Face coverings are recommended where social distancing is not possible.
• – Visitors will be able to access Phase 1 services/facilities (including restrooms, self-service gas stations, trails/boardwalks, limited stores, entrance stations, medical clinics, approved tours) and a few services/facilities as outlined in Phase 2 (including takeout food service, boating, and fishing).
• – The park will remain day-use only

We support of Gov. Bullock’s plan to enter Phase 2 of the Reopening Plan and will continue to operate with caution. Following June 1st, we will be providing guided trips for non-resident anglers without a 14-day quarantine. We will also allow non-resident clients into the shop without a 14-day quarantine. We look forward to welcoming clients from outside our state borders, but also would like to respectively ask them to continue to follow proper social distancing guidelines, act in accordance to their home state travel restrictions and quarantine guidelines. Guide trips will be able to continue as long as precautionary changes to our policies in order to ensure the safety of our guides and anglers are followed. We will continue to open the store with a quick set of instructions and our hand washing station at the entrance and asking that friends and patrons continue to wear masks if they have them when visiting the shop. The health, safety and well-being of our guests, staff, and guides continues as our top priority.

As our season continues and summer truly arrives, we will continue to update our website and social media platforms as we receive more information regarding transitions to new phases for both the state as well as the Park. We encourage you to please feel free to reach out to us at any time if you have any question or concerns about what’s going on in Montana, Yellowstone Park, with guide trips and your summer or fall plans. We are open 7 days a week (yes, starting tomorrow June 1) with hours currently 8AM-5PM. We look forward to hearing from you and hopefully seeing you soon.

Be Healthy, be Hopeful.

Matson, Kathy, Rick, Gardner, Sam and Nick