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Yellowstone tourists face detour for fire but landmarks open

Smoke fills the sky in a view north toward Yellowstone National Park from Leeks Marina in Moose, Wyo., on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016. Visitors headed north are being stopped at Leeks. In neighboring Yellowstone, a fire grew near West Entrance Road. A team of fire managers was being brought in to help, although the fire was not yet being actively suppressed. (AP Photo/Dave Zelio)
Smoke fills the sky in a view north toward Yellowstone National Park from Leeks Marina in Moose, Wyo., on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016. Visitors headed north are being stopped at Leeks. In neighboring Yellowstone, a fire grew near West Entrance Road. A team of fire managers was being brought in to help, although the fire was not yet being actively suppressed. (AP Photo/Dave Zelio)

By Associated Press 3 min read

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) – Some tourists heading to Yellowstone National Park during the busy summer season are facing an hourlong detour Wednesday as a wildfire in neighboring Grand Teton National Park kept a highway closed.

Major tourist areas in both parks are open as the National Park Service holds events to celebrate its 100th anniversary this week. A route leading into Yellowstone’s South Entrance was shut down, so visitors coming from the south through Wyoming had to take a detour into Idaho.

But firefighters hoped cooler weather would help slow the flames over the next couple of days.

“Yellowstone National Park is open for business,” fire spokesman Bill Swartley said.

U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is set to visit Yellowstone on Thursday, and no changes have been made to her plans because of the fire, Swartley said.