News Release

August visitation declines in Yellowstone

Date: September 10, 2018
Contact: Morgan Warthin, [phone]

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY - Yellowstone hosted 813,970 visits in August 2018. This is approximately an 11 percent decrease from August 2017, which was the busiest August on record with 916,166 visits.

So far in 2018, the park has hosted 3,136,250 visits, down 3 percent from the same period last year. The list below shows the trend over the last several years. Even with the decline in August, year-to-date visitation in 2018 is roughly 23 percent higher than it was in 2013.

Year-to-date Recreation Visits (through August)

2018 – 3,136,250
2017 – 3,232,708
2016 – 3,269,024
2015 – 3,133,965
2014 – 2,717,039
2013 – 2,554,000

The continued high level of visitation in the park underscores the importance of planning a Yellowstone adventure ahead of time. Visitors should anticipate delays or limited parking at popular destinations, and check current conditions on the park’s website before they arrive.

More data on park visitation, including how we calculate these numbers, is available on the NPS Stats website.