Vista Cruiser Class C Motorhome, Midway Geyser Basin Parking, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, August 6, 2010
Crowding at Yellowstone isn’t new, but, in recent years, it’s gradually gotten worse. Our strategy has been to visit the more popular spots early in the day and/or visit the park during the autumn off-season. Like other popular places, Yellowstone is experiencing a surge, I believe, because of people’s desire to get out and about after not being able to go during COVID.
Why is Yellowstone National Park so Busy?
Bozeman Convention and Visitors Bureau
(accessed 9/15/22)
Apr 12, 2022
This year marks the 150th Anniversary of Yellowstone, the world’s first national park. These 2.2 million acres are home to 10,000 hydrothermal features, including roughly half of the world’s geysers, plus the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. There are 67 types of mammals, 150 birds, and five amphibian species. The wide rivers, expansive valleys, and towering mountains make it an endless outdoor playground.
With such a vast amount of land, it’s hard to imagine the park being crowded. However, developed roads and corridors account for less than 1,750 acres, and most visitors stay within a half-mile of these corridors.
2021 was Yellowstone’s busiest year on record, with 4,860,537 visits, up by 28% over 2020. May, June, July, August, and September all set records, with July being the most-visited month on record in the Park’s history– the first-time visitation exceeded 1 million visits in a single month.
On top of record-breaking traffic, due to construction projects and COVID-19, there were 20% fewer campsites and hotel rooms available and, as such, 20% fewer overnight stays.
