The heartbreaking devastation is reverberating through many nearby communities and its effects on tourism and vacationers.

It's inspiring to see how many local citizens and businesses both in the park and in nearby towns have so quickly stepped up to try to ease the hardships being caused by the catastrophic flooding and the toll it is taking on a closed Yellowstone National Park. Among those efforts, a major park tour company is doing what it can to make life easier on its customers. And doing it in a way that diplomatically suggests a visit to Yellowstone another year might be prudent.

Yellowstone Tour Guides has been offering summer sightseeing, backpacking, vacation packages, day hikes, photography tours and more for 22 years. As you can imagine, with the immense popularity of the park ever increasing, they are one of those go-to sites for tourists all over the world, especially near the beginning of peak season, when officials and businesses anticipate in the neighborhood of a million visitors monthly for the next several months.

Y T G announced this week that, given everything that has happened, customers who have already made reservations can reschedule for later this year, conditions permitting, or for another year altogether. As an added show of appreciation, they are offering a second day for free. There is a disclaimer, which seems reasonable: the offer is limited, and will end without notice, once they get a better handle on what is going on.

The company is also being brutally honest with perspective customers. A note on their Facebook page reads, "this area has been severely affected by a natural disaster, and the damage is continuing. This may not be the best year to visit the park, as some areas are likely to be closed for weeks or months. We feel the park is going to need this summer to have as little visitation as possible to get the many repairs done so that we can offer the full experience once again."

At least a couple followers have already weighed in on the Yellowstone Tour Guides offer:

"And this is how a business with integrity reacts to such an event. Nicely done and will book in the future." - Candi

"The park needs this reset! It is mother nature telling people to back off. Close the park for as long as you need!" - Gina

LOOK: Historic 2022 Flooding in Southern Montana Not Soon to Be Forgotten

Widespread flooding wiped out roads, bridges, buildings, and powerlines throughout riverside communities from Yellowstone National Park and Paradise Valley to Red Lodge. The Yellowstone River winding through Billings crested Tuesday, June 14, 2022. At 11:30 a.m. the National Weather Service in Billings reported the river rose above flood stage and was forecasted to hit 14.7 feet, nearly hitting the 15-foot record set in 1997.

 

 

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