As Old Faithful started to come to life Monday afternoon, visitors at Yellowstone National Park pushed record on their video apps or pulled their loved ones close. Some even cheered.

About 150 visitors were on the boardwalk for the spectacle; a small crowd for such a beautiful day. The sky was a light gray to the east, causing the eruption at its highest reaches to somewhat disappear from view due to the lack of contrast above distant pines. Many of those in attendance were scattered about the large, newly refurbished boardwalk. But the largest of the group took front row seats on benches, just like years gone by.

Yet, this wasn’t a typical year. The opening of the East and South gates were delayed 18 days due to the pandemic, and the North, Northeast and West gates in Montana remained closed. The lack of consensus to open was due to continued reported cases of COVID-19 in Montana and an existing 14-day quarantine period imposed on visitors. On Tuesday, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock announced plans to move to a second phase of the state’s pandemic mitigation plans. It is likely the state’s three gates will open June 1.

About 70% of all traffic into the park comes through the West Entrance in West Yellowstone, Montana. Gov. Bullock, while concerned about economic factors, is also being very cautious about the decisions involving opening the state.

“While our economy certainly relies on and we appreciate our visitors, we want to make sure that those visitors don’t bring problems from their home state to our state,” he said.

On Monday, park officials recorded 504 vehicles entering through the East Gate and another 542 through the South Entrance. The vehicles streaming through the East Entrance were licensed in 41 states, from east to west and north to south. Among the 350 license plates that were recorded at the East Gate between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., 154 were from Wyoming and 196 from other states, led by California, Montana and Utah. Five plates were from New York and there was even a visitor with a vehicle plated in Hawaii, according to park figures.

Park officials made every effort to encourage social distancing prior to Monday’s delayed opening. But few watching Old Faithful’s Monday afternoon eruption seemed to make major changes to their routines; only a handful wore face masks on the front rows of the crowd.

In announcing the opening of the park, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly emphasized the importance of safety to both visitors and employees.

“We understand how much these closures are impacting you and your families. And we’re striving to make some of the best decisions that we can — ones that safely help everyone get back on their feet, but also ones that do not reverse the substantial progress that has been made in our surrounding states and counties,” Sholly said.

Sholly’s team made several changes in procedures and is opening the park cautiously in phases. Phase one saw only the two Wyoming gates open for “day use” on the lower loop. Vistors could use restrooms and buy self-service gas, but not snacks. Despite the limitations, people came from all over to be there on opening day. 

In deciding how to proceed, Sholly said he didn’t feel political pressure to open. He agonized on how to ensure safety — not only in the park, but to include the residents of gateway communities and counties that surround Yellowstone.

“I do feel pressure, as I know [Grand Teton Acting Superintendent Gopaul Noojibail] does, to do our jobs and get these parks opened as safely as possible,” Sholly said.

The phased opening will be slow. Sholly promised that a full opening of Yellowstone (phase 3) won’t even be discussed until well into June. Many are excited to get to that point. But if infections increase among Yellowstone employees and surrounding communities, the park could shut the gates again. Part of that decision will be based on how visitors act.

“It’s really important that people understand there is no faster way for us to go backwards than the public not being responsible when they come here to visit,” Sholly said. “Be cautious. And most importantly, keep in mind to not make bad decisions … That’s going to affect your July or August.”