Yellowstone reopens for season Friday. Here’s where visitors will need to wear masks

Yellowstone National Park is reopening for the season and face masks are required, officials said.

Park officials said Monday that some roads and services in Yellowstone will reopen Friday, including the West Entrance to Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful, Norris to Canyon Village and the North Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs.

Many parts of the park are closed to the public during the winter months and are only accessible by snowmobile.

When the park reopens for the spring, tourists will be required to wear face masks in all buildings within the park and on busy hiking trails, overlooks and parking areas, park officials said.

“Visitors should expect modified operations that are subject to change based on future conditions and public health guidance,” park officials said.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order in January that required everyone to wear face coverings in federal buildings and on federal land to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

What does Biden’s federal mask mandate mean for national parks? Here’s what to know

The Biden administration defines “federal lands” as any piece of land that is under the control of the executive branch.

That includes the about 500 million acres managed by the Department of the Interior, including the 423 units under National Park Service control.

Many national parks and monuments encouraged visitors to wear face coverings throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but it wasn’t required before the mandate.

Yellowstone officials also said they could change their guidelines and requirements as the COVID-19 pandemic continues this season.

“The park and its partners will continue to evaluate and adapt to changing COVID-19 guidance and adjust operations as needed,” Yellowstone officials said. “The park asks each visitor to recreate responsibly and reduce the spread of COVID-19.”