Yellowstone National Park is one of the most visited National Parks in the country with over 3 million visitors annually. Add in nearby parks (such as Grand Teton and Glacier) and lots of folks are flooding into airports in the region.
For most folks visiting, the best way to get to the park is via flights. There are quite a few airports in the region and the best one for you is based on several factors including price, flight duration, distance to entrances, and recreation plans.
There are two major international airports that we recommend for visiting.
- Salt Lake City
- Denver
As well as several more domestic airports in the region that may have good flights. Yellowstone Airport
- Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
- Billings-Logan International Airport
- Jackson Hole
- Idaho Falls Regional Airport
- Missoula Montana Airport
- Yellowstone Airport (West Yellowstone, MT)
- Yellowstone Regional Airport (Cody WY)
- Boise Airport
Note: While some say international, we have listed them as domestic as they “may” have one or two north america international destinations.
How to Find the Best Flights
I tend to check several sites for the best flights for my travels. For these flights I tend to use Google Flights, Kayak and Skyscanner.
The best thing to do is to use all of them and see if you get a difference in prices. You can also choose multiple destinations in your flight searches so you can see if a nearby airport has a better flight option/price.
Things to Consider Before Buying Flights
Flight Prices / Times
All things considered you’d want to fly to something like Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone, as its the closest airport (only 3 miles from the park).
But, you’ll almost definitely need a connection and prices may not be best. In some ways a farther airport may have better prices and even times when considering layovers and other hassles.
If you are planning to go somewhere after Yellowstone like Grand Teton or Glacier National Park, some airports like Bozeman of Jackson may even be better for your plans. Being able to combine plans will make things so much easier and more enjoyable.
Seasons
Yellowstone is open year-round, but many of the best sites, flights, and services are only during the high season of May – October. Outside of this time, winter and other considerations should be considered.
Many flights from some airports are seasonal (summer only), also Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone only has flights from April – October.
If you plan to enter Yellowstone during the Winter, only the North and Northeast Entrances are open to automobiles.
The West Entrance in West Yellowstone is a good option for those visiting and able are planning to ski or snowmobile into the park. For snowmobiling or snow coaches you should look at a guide for the park. As there is a limited number of permits allowed for this activity.
What about Car Rentals?
You are going to need a car rental for access to Yellowstone. It’s a big place and sadly driving is the only way to explore the various areas of the park.
For car rentals I tend to check Rentalcars.com, Expedia, and Priceline. Those tend to be the ones that have given me the best prices.
NOTE: I don’t always get the same price for both sites, so be sure to check both!
Also for several of these options, you’ll be near a bigger town/city. Places like Bozeman, Billings, Salt Lake, Denver all have options within the city for rental too. Be sure to check both in-city and airport options.
NOTE: For rentals such as Kyte, you need to specify an address for delivery. I had good luck using them in Denver and sometimes even cheaper than other options!
Yellowstone Airport: Closest Airport to Yellowstone National Park
| Best For | Closest Airport to Yellowstone |
| Address | 721 Airport Rd, West Yellowstone, MT 59758 |
| Airport Code | WYS |
| Airlines | Delta; United |
| Rental Car Companies | Avis; Budget |
| Website | https://yellowstoneairport.mdt.mt.gov/ |
For the absolute closest airport to Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone Montana takes the billing as the nearest airport to the park. The airport is located only 3 miles (6 minutes) from the West Entrance of Yellowstone National park
The important thing to note is that the airport is small and seasonal. There are only direct flights from Salt Lake and Denver, so you’ll need to connect there first. The airport is only in operation from May – October during the peak Yellowstone National Park season.
Airports/Cities with Direct Flights to West Yellowstone Airport
- Salt Lake City (Delta)
- Denver (United Express)
Jackson Hole Airport
| Best For | Access to Grand Tetons and Southern Yellowstone NP |
| Address | 1250 E Airport Rd #159, Jackson, WY 83001 |
| Airport Code | JAC |
| Airlines | Alaska; American;Delta; United |
| Rental Car Companies | Alamo; Avis; Budget; Enterprise; National |
| Website | https://www.jacksonholeairport.com/ |
Distance from Jackson Hole to Yellowstone South Entrance: 49.2 miles (1 hour 5 minutes)
Jackson Hole Airport is located within Grand Teton National Park and about 1 hour from the South Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Jackson Hole tends to be one of my favorite spots to fly into. Not only for its access to both of the National Parks, it’s actually a pretty easy airport to get in and out of (I’ve dropped / picked up lots of friends here).
I’ve also had some incredible luck finding great deals to Jackson Hole Airport. Sometimes pretty cheap tickets even from further destinations like New York. Part of this may be because it’s the busiest airport in Wyoming, so there’s more flights than other places in the state.
The Airport is pretty unique in that it was declared a National Monument and then was absorbed into Grand Teton National Park. I don’t know any other US National Park like that.
There’s quite a few airports with direct flights into Jackson, however, some of these are seasonal.
Airports/Cities with Direct Flight to Jackson Hole
- Atlanta (Delta)
- Chicago O’Hare (American; United)
- Dallas-Fort Worth (American)
- Denver (United)
- Houston (United)
- Los Angeles (American; Delta; United)
- Minneapolis (Sun Country)
- Miami (American)
- Newark (United)
- New York-Laguardia (American)
- Phoenix (American)
- Salt Lake City (Delta)
- San Francisco (Alaska; United)
- San Diego (Alaska)
- Seattle (Alaska)
Yellowstone Regional Airport (Cody)
| Best For | Access to Eastern Yellowstone NP |
| Address | 2101 Roger Sedam Drive, Cody, WY 82414 |
| Airport Code | COD |
| Airlines | United Express (via Denver) |
| Rental Car Companies | Avis; Budget; Dollar; Hertz; Thrifty |
| Website | https://flyyra.com/ |
Distance from Yellowstone Regional Airport to Yellowstone East Entrance: 55 miles (1 hour 10 minutes)
Yellowstone Regional Airport is like a hidden option as most people outside of the region don’t know it exists. But the airport is a good option for those maybe thinking to spend their time in East Yellowstone (Lamar Valley, Yellowstone Lake) and/or other areas of Eastern Wyoming (such as Cody and lots of mountains and other areas).
The trick is there is really only one airline that is currently serving the airport, United Express from Denver. So if you are coming from Denver or otherwise would connect there, it’s a good option. You may be able to find a good deal so it’s worth searching just in case!
Airports/Cities with Direct Flights to Cody
- Denver (United Express)
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
| Best For | Access to north side of Yellowstone NP |
| Address | 850 Gallatin Field Rd, Belgrade, MT 59714 |
| Airport Code | BZN |
| Airlines | Alaska; Allegiant; American; Avelo; Delta; United; JetBlue; Southwest; Sun Country |
| Rental Car Companies | Alamo; Avis; Budget; Dollar: enterprise; Hertz; National; Thrifty |
| Website | https://bozemanairport.com/ |
Distance from Bozeman Airport to Yellowstone North Entrance: 88 miles (1.5 hours)
Bozeman is one of the best airports to check flights for Yellowstone. It’s one of the closest “major” airports in the region. And in this case major being the high number of airlines and flights to the city.
To me, Bozeman meets the best options for availability and distance for Yellowstone. It’s worth doing a check here among the various airports when booking.
The airport is also great if you are planning on combining Yellowstone with Glacier National Park. The airport is about 281 miles (4.5 hours) from Glacier.
Also Bozeman is a pretty awesome city that you should visit if you can as part of your trip. Especially the Museum of the Rockies (famous for its dinosaur fossil collection).
Airports/Cities with Direct Flight to Bozeman
- Atlanta (Delta)
- Austin (Allegiant; American)
- Boston (JetBlue)
- Burbank (Avelo)
- Chicago-O’Hare (American; United)
- Dallas-Fort Worth (American)
- Dallas-Love (Southwest)
- Denver (Southwest; United)
- Detroit (Delta)
- Houston (United)
- Las Vegas (Allegiant; Southwest)
- Los Angeles (Alaska; Allegiant; American; Delta; JetBlue; United)
- Minneapolis (Delta; Sun Country)
- Nashville (Allegiant)
- Newark (United)
- New York–JFK (Delta; JetBlue)
- Oakland (Allegiant)
- Orange County (Alaska)
- Phoenix (Allegiant)
- Portland (Alaska)
- Salt Lake City (Delta)
- San Diego (Alaska; Allegiant)
- San Francisco (Alaska; United)
- Seattle (Alaska)
- Washington–Dulles (United)
Idaho Falls Regional Airport
| Best For | Alternative to Yellowstone Airport |
| Address | 2140 N Skyline Dr, Idaho Falls, ID 83402 |
| Airport Code | IDA |
| Airlines | Allegiant; Alaska; American; Delta; United |
| Rental Car Companies | Alamo; Avis; Budget; Enterprise; Hertz; National |
| Website | https://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/1743/Airport |
Distance from Idaho Falls Airport to Yellowstone West Entrance: 109 miles (1 hr 45 mins)
Idaho Falls is a pretty reasonable location for flights to Yellowstone. It’s one of the larger, closer cities to Yellowstone and has some great spots to eat, explore, and stock up on supplies.
I’ve been hit or miss on finding deals to Idaho Falls, however, they do exist. I’ve had friends who’ve used the airport and found way cheaper flights here than other airports like Bozeman or Jackson.
Idaho falls is well situated for drives to either West Yellowstone or even Jackson. So if you have plans to visit Jackson first or during your trip, this may be a good option with good flights.
It’s also 89 miles (1 hr 20 mins) from Craters of the Moon, my favorite National Monument. The only difficult part is that its in the opposite direction of Yellowstone, so it’s either out and back or best served enroute to another destination.
Airports/Cities with Direct Flights to Idaho Falls
- Dallas-Fort Worth (American)
- Denver (United)
- Las Vegas (Allegiant)
- Los Angeles (Allegiant)
- Orange County (Allegiant)
- Phoenix/Mesa (Allegiant)
- Phoenix-Sky Harbor (American)
- Portland (Allegiant)
- Oakland (Allegiant)
- Salt Lake City (Delta)
- San Diego (Allegiant)
- Seattle/Tacoma (Alaska)
Missoula Montana Airport
| Best For | Alternative to Bozeman Airport; Great for those going to Glacier as well |
| Address | 5225 W Broadway St, Missoula, MT 59808 |
| Airport Code | MSO |
| Airlines | Allegiant; Alaska; American; Delta; United |
| Rental Car Companies | Alamo; Avis; Budget; Enterprise; Thrifty; National; Dollar |
| Website | https://flymissoula.com/ |
Distances From Missoula Airport to Yellowstone
- Distance to Yellowstone North Entrance: 294 miles (4.5 hours)
- Distance to Yellowstone West Entrance: 271 miles (4 hours)
Missoula is one of my favorite cities in Montana and it’s well located for folks planning to visit Glacier National Park (132 miles: 2.5 hours).
In terms of flights to Yellowstone it’s worth checking if prices are high at other closer airports. The tricky part is that it’s over 4 hours from Yellowstone, however it’s a reasonable distance to either the North or West entrances to the park.
The reason to check here is that I’ve been lucky with flights here to Glacier, sometimes way cheaper than Bozeman for instance. So it’s worth a look if you don’t mind the extra drive and the price is right.
If you do take this airport, we recommend stopping at Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS which is one of the most unique NPS sites! You’ll get to visit a National Park Site that’s also a working cattle ranch.
Airports/Cities with Direct Flights to Missoula
- Seattle/Tacoma (Alaska)
- Los Angeles (Alaska; Allegiant; American; United)
- Portland OR (Alaska)
- San Diego (Alaska)
- San Francisco (Alaska; United)
- Las Vegas (Allegiant)
- Orange County (Allegiant)
- Phoenix/Mesa (Allegiant)
- Oakland (Allegiant)
- Dallas-Fort Worth (American)
- Chicago-O’Hare (American; United)
- Minneapolis (Delta)
- Salt Lake City (Delta)
- Denver (Frontier; United)
Billings-Logan International Airport
| Best For | Alternative to Bozeman Airport; Also good option for Lamar Valley |
| Address | 1901 Terminal Cir, Billings, MT 59105 |
| Airport Code | BIL |
| Airlines | Allegiant; Alaska; American; Cape Air; Delta; United |
| Rental Car Companies | Alamo; Avis; Budget; Enterprise; Thrifty; National; Dollar |
| Website | https://www.flybillings.com/ |
Distance From Billings Airport to Yellowstone
- Distance to Yellowstone North-East Entrance: 130 miles (3 hours)
- Distance to Yellowstone North Entrance: 171 miles (2 hrs 45 mins)
Billings is the largest city in Montana, but surprisingly not as highly recommended as a tourist destination. It’s a good place to stock up on supplies for any trips to Yellowstone or the region.
However, in terms of flights and drives, I find Billings to not be my highest recommendation for trips to Yellowstone or the region. Although it is a good option if you find good flight deals, especially for those planning to spend more time in north-eastern Yellowstone, like the Lamar Valley.
If you do find you end up flying to Billings, There are some other great spots to explore in the area too. Some of my favorites are Pompeys Pillar, Bighorn Canyon, and Little BigHorn Battlefield. They are worth a quick stop only if you have extra time.
Airports/Cities with Direct Flights to Billings
- Seattle/Tacoma (Alaska)
- Portland (Alaska)
- Las Vegas (Allegiant)
- Phoenix Mesa (Allegiant)
- San Diego (Allegiant)
- Los Angeles (Allegiant)
- Dallas-Fort Worth (American)
- Chicago-O’Hare (American)
- Phoenix-Sky Harbor (American)
- Glasgow MT (Cape)
- Glendive (Cape)
- Havre (Cape)
- Sidney (Cape)
- Wolf Point (Cape)
- Minneapolis (Delta)
- Salt Lake (Delta)
- Denver (United)
Boise Airport
| Best For | Exploring Craters of the Moon and Yellowstone NP |
| Address | 3201 W Airport Way #1000, Boise, ID 83705 |
| Airport Code | BOI |
| Airlines | Allegiant; Alaska; American; Avelo; Delta; United; Spirit; Southwest |
| Rental Car Companies | Alamo; Avis; Budget; Enterprise; Hertz; National |
| Website | https://www.iflyboise.com/ |
Distance from Boise Airport to Yellowstone West Entrance: 386 miles (5.5 hours)
Several years ago I wouldn’t really look at Boise. But it’s become such a hot destination that there are way more flights in and out of Boise than ever before. This means there’s also some great options for flights to Yellowstone as well.
The trouble though with Boise is that it’s not closer than Salt Lake City which will likely have better flights. However, it can sometimes have some great deals. Especially from California as recent relocations have added many additional flights.
Additionally, one of my favorite National Monuments is in Idaho. If you haven’t been adding in Craters of the Moon National Monument with your trip is a perfect addition.
Airports/Cities with Direct Flights to Boise
- Seattle/Tacoma (Alaska; Delta)
- Spokane (Alaska)
- Pullman/Moscow (Alaska)
- San Francisco (Alaska; United)
- Oakland (Southwest)
- Sacramento (Alaska; Southwest)
- San Jose (Alaska; Southwest)
- Burbank (Avelo)
- Los Angeles (Allegiant; Delta; Spirit; United)
- Los Vegas (Alaska; Allegiant; Southwest)
- Long Beach (Southwest)
- Orange County (Allegiant)
- San Diego (Alaska; Southwest)
- Palm Springs (Alaska)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor (Alaska; American; Southwest)
- Phoenix-Mesa (Allegiant)
- Portland (Alaska)
- Salt Lake City (Delta)
- Denver (Southwest; United)
- Minneapolis (Delta)
- Chicago-O’Hare (Alaska; American; United)
- Chicago Midway (Southwest)
- Atlanta (Delta)
- Austin (Alaska)
- Dallas-Fort Worth (American)
- Houston (United)
Salt Lake City International Airport
| Best For | Closest International Airport; Cheaper Flights/Car Rentals |
| Address | W Terminal Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84122 |
| Airport Code | SLC |
| Airlines | AeroMexico; Air Canada; Alaska; American; Delta; Discover; Frontier; JetBlue; KLM; Spirit; Southwest; Sun Country; United |
| Rental Car Companies | Alamo; Avis; Budget; Dollar; Enterprise; Hertz; National; Payless; Thrifty |
| Website | https://slcairport.com/ |
Distance from Salt Lake Airport to Yellowstone West Entrance: 325 miles (5 hours)
For flights and prices, Salt Lake City may very well be your best option for travel to Yellowstone. It’s large and there are generally really good deals for flights into the airport.
You can often pair visiting from Salt Lake City with trips to both Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. Also, car rentals tend to be more reasonable here than the above closer airports.
Overall, it’s a win for Salt Lake City if you are checking on prices and availability. I would recommend looking here in addition to any other flights you are exploring. There are over 90 non-stop destinations for Salt Lake City. Flights to other above airports may even connect here.
And if you have some extra time, you can make it a road trip. We have a good guide on Road Trips from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone.
Denver International Airport
| Best For | Cheaper Domestic and International Flights |
| Address | 8500 Peña Blvd, Denver, CO 80249 |
| Airport Code | DEN |
| Airlines | AeroMexico; Air Canada; Air France; Allegiant; Alaska; American; British; Cayman; Copa; Delta; Edelweiss; Frontier; Icelandair; JetBlue; Lufthansa; Southern Airways; Southwest; Sun Country; Spirit; United; Volaris; WestJet |
| Rental Car Companies | Alamo; Avis; Budget; Dollar; Enterprise; Fox; Hertz; National; Payless; Sixt; Thrifty |
| Website | https://www.flydenver.com/ |
Distance from Denver Airport to Yellowstone South Entrance: 513 miles (8.5 hours)
Denver is the largest of the airports that serve Yellowstone National Park. So much so that there are often lots of opportunities for cheap flights into the airport from both domestic and international locations.
Denver is served by 23 airlines with direct flights to 28 international destinations (in 14 countries) and about 180 US domestic locations.
It would be a pain to list out all the airports that fly into Denver, given the number. The downside of Denver though is that it’s the furthest from Yellowstone of the airports in this list.
I would say Denver may have the best flights, but it would be the last option I would check if you are looking to visit Yellowstone. Only if the prices to the other spots are so much more. Or if you have other plans to explore Colorado as well.
Which Airport to Choose?
If you want the absolute closest airport I would first check Yellowstone Airport in West Glacier. If you can get a good flight & car rental here, you’ll save so much in time and hassle.
But to be sure on prices I would check the various airports. My personal preferences based on where I like to fly into and prices I’ve seen are.
- Bozeman Airport
- Jackson Hole Airport
- Salt Lake City
Those tend to have been where I’ve seen the best options for flights and ones that have been the least hassle for me to get in and around and for combining my trips with other interesting things in the area.
I’ve also done the drive several times between Salt Lake City or Denver and Yellowstone. In my opinion the Salt Lake drive is better. There’s a lot of empty space between Denver and Yellowstone.
Leave a Reply