Yellowstone National Park hosted 3,806,305 recreation visits in 2020, down 5% from 2019, according to the National Park Service.
Of course, the pandemic played a significant factor in this. The park was closed due to health and safety reasons related to COVID-19 beginning March 24, 2020. Two Wyoming entrances opened on May 18 and three Montana entrances opened on June 1, 2020. All five entrances have been open since June 1.
Visitation for the months of September and October were the busiest on record.
The list below shows the year-to-date trend for recreation visits over the last several years:
- 2020 – 3,806,305
- 2019 – 4,020,288
- 2018 – 4,115,000
- 2017 – 4,116,524
- 2016 – 4,257,177
- 2015 – 4,097,710
Visitors: recreate responsibly and reduce the spread of COVID-19. If you are sick, do not visit the park. Self-quarantine to avoid exposing others. Services are limited in the park. Stay informed about changes to park operations. Download the Yellowstone App, and visit www.nps.gov/yell and the park’s social media channels.
More data on park visitation, including how we calculate these numbers, is available on the NPS Stats website.
