CODY, Wyo. — For several days this spring — after Yellowstone National Park had closed to snowmobiles and snow coaches, but before it had opened to automobile traffic — road maintenance crews there were burning through 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel per day. But they were hauling nothing and not building anything. In fact, they were making no permanent changes to any roads.

CODY, Wyo. — For Yellowstone National Park visitors arriving in the peak of summer, a 15-minute wait at a busy entrance gate can be a frustrating and disheartening delay. For Bob Richard, the wait to get in during the winter has lasted over four decades.

CODY, Wyo. — Living in a remote mountain community can come with unique challenges. But that’s something Joelle Passerello knew in 2019 when she moved to Cooke City, Mont., a tourist town literally at the end of the road.