If the state of Wyoming lifts its restrictions regarding Covid-19 on April 30, that doesn't mean Yellowstone National Park will be open on May 1/Kurt Repanshek file

Editor's note: This updates with comments from Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly.

Wyoming officials by month's end plan to ease off on restrictions put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus, but that doesn't mean access to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks or other park system units in the state will quickly return.

“This will be a balanced approach that will be driven by two guiding principles – public safety and helping more people get back to work,” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said. “We are going to relax some of the restrictions, while also detailing what data we will monitor to make sure we stay on the right path.”

According to the governor's office, before April 30 the State Health Officer will issue modified statewide public health orders, taking the first steps to move Wyoming into the next phase. These modified orders will allow county health officers to submit requests for countywide variances from those orders if the public health conditions in the county warrant the change. These variances can either be more or less restrictive, based on county-level data, the governor's office said. The goal is to allow flexibility based on objective data, including the state of the outbreak, hospital capacity and testing capacity.

Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said Friday that it will take time for his park to be ready to welcome visitors.

"We are developing a phased opening plan that focuses on protecting our team, partners, and the public - and meets current health guidance at the local, state, and national levels; and also meets the president's goals of reopening the country," Sholly wrote in an email. "We have had excellent support from the secretary and acting director to reopen safely, and in conjunction with what's happening around us. They understand this isn't a one size fits all. Some place can open sooner, others later depending on health conditions and risk potential.

"The recent lifting of certain restrictions in Wyoming does not mean immediate opening of Yellowstone. However, this is the first step in that process. Governor Gordon also understands we're synchronizing efforts with other states, and has been a tremendous partner through this," the superintendent added.

Traveler inquiries to Grand Teton National Park, as well as to National Park Service headquarters in Washington, D.C., concerning how they would handle reopening of parks in response to a state's easing of restrictions have not been answered.

Other park system units in Wyoming, Devils Tower National Monument, Fort Laramie National Historic Site, and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, all remain closed along with the two national parks.