Departure
92%
vs 95% ▼ 3
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Yellowstone Airport (KWYS) is a state-owned, seasonal aerodrome just north of West Yellowstone, Montana, serving as the closest air gateway to the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Sited at a lofty 6,640 feet amid the Gallatin National Forest, it offers a single long hard-surfaced runway with an ILS approach, making it a notable high-altitude destination for visiting pilots.
Yellowstone Airport, identified as KWYS (IATA: WYS), lies at West Yellowstone in Gallatin County, Montana, and is owned and operated by the Montana Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. It sits only two miles from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park, making it a popular arrival point for visitors to the park and the surrounding Big Sky, Island Park and Madison and Gallatin River country. For a simulator pilot the field is interesting both for its scenic approach through mountain terrain and for its high field elevation, which brings real density-altitude considerations even in the simulated environment.
The airport is located adjacent to U.S. Highway 191/287, about one nautical mile north of the central business district of West Yellowstone, Montana, in Gallatin County. It lies close to Big Sky, Island Park, Ennis and historic Virginia City, and is within easy reach of the Gallatin and Madison Rivers. It should not be confused with the similarly named Yellowstone Regional Airport at Cody, Wyoming, or Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport near Belgrade, Montana, both of which are separate fields well over eighty miles away.
The airport has a single physical runway, 01/19, measuring 8,383 feet with a hard surface. Both directions are lit, and an ILS approach is available for runway 01.
Yellowstone Airport uses 123 MHz as its CTAF/UNICOM frequency. Salt Lake City Center can be contacted on 132.4 MHz, and Great Falls Radio is available on 119.4 MHz. An ILS approach serves runway 01.
The field's position beside U.S. Highway 191/287, just north of West Yellowstone's town centre, provides a clear linear reference for inbound pilots. The nearby Gallatin and Madison Rivers, and the proximity of the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park only two miles away, offer further recognisable landmarks when navigating visually toward the airport.
West Yellowstone was historically served by Western Airlines using Douglas DC-3s on a route linking Los Angeles and Great Falls, Montana. This service was suspended through the 1950s before returning on a seasonal basis in the mid-1960s, now flown with Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprops. In a 1965 advertisement, Western Airlines described the field, by then rebuilt and expanded, as a 'brand new, jet-age airport - right at Yellowstone Park.' Aspen Airways began seasonal service in June 1982 with daily nonstop flights from Salt Lake City using Convair 580 turboprops, and SkyWest Airlines took over the Salt Lake City route from the summer of 1986.
Yellowstone Airport operates seasonally, from mid-May through mid-October, reflecting the strong seasonal pattern of traffic to the national park. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are the exclusive scheduled carriers, connecting through Salt Lake City and Denver respectively. General aviation pilots have access to pilot services and facilities, and the airport also offers sites for leasing to base aircraft or aeronautical businesses, including hangar development. Rental cars are available on site, and the field is described by its operator as a convenient general aviation gateway to Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding region.