That system means vehicles with license plates ending in an odd number will be able to enter the park on odd days of the month, while even numbers (including zero) will be granted access on even days of the month, according to the service.
That’s in place to slow down visitor traffic, the park service said. While there were “major backups” Wednesday morning, they were cleared at each entrance in several hours, park service officials said in a news release.
Fewer than 5,000 vehicles entered the south loop Wednesday — a vast difference from the usual 10,000 or more cars that enter, the park service said.
“While it’s too early to tell if the license plate system worked, it appears to have done its job by cutting our normal traffic counts by half,” park superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement. “We’re happy to have visitors back in Yellowstone and appreciate the patience of the public and community partners as we continue working through this difficult situation.”
Cars, campers and trucks lined up before sunrise Wednesday outside the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park waiting to gain entry for the first time in more than a week.
George Frey/Getty Images
The park’s north loop, accessed by the North and Northeast entrances, remains closed, the service added.
CNN’s Claudia Dominguez and Paradise Afshar contributed to this report.