Yellowstone National Park closes after ‘unprecedented’ rain washes away roads

HELEN, Mont. – All entrances to Yellowstone National Park were closed following “unprecedented” rainfall causing “substantial flooding, landslides and mudslides on roads,” the National Park Service said Monday.

Some roads have been washed out and others are covered in mud or rocks, according to the park service. Power was also cut in several parts of the park, officials said.

Park superintendent Cam Sholly described it as a “record flood”.

The flooding was triggered by near-record temperatures melting snow at high altitudes over the weekend. The rivers are currently at maximum levels and are expected to recede in the coming days.

The park service did not say when Yellowstone would reopen, but noted that officials needed time to assess the damage and wait for conditions to stabilize.

The closure will last at least until Wednesday. The park service has warned that many roads could be closed “for an extended period”.

The sprawling national park spans 2,219,789 acres, mostly in Wyoming but also in neighboring Montana and Idaho. Summer is the park’s busiest tourist season.

ABC News’ Max Golembo and Dan Peck contributed to this report.