Yellowstone's three priorities: crowd, weather, access. Point at different months. The best overall trade-off is the week after Labor Day (the first Monday of September; Sep 7 in 2026) when families head home but every entrance stays open. School-locked families should target the last 10 days of August. See below.
Photo · NPS/Jim Peaco · NPS sourceThe best overall week to visit Yellowstone is the week after Labor Day through mid-September, visits drop sharply once school resumes, but every interior loop road and most lodges are still open.
Peak month is July, with a five-year mean of 923,000 recreation visits. The quietest is November, near 24,000; about 3% of July's peak. Daytime highs at Mammoth (6,194 ft) sit in the mid-60s°F in early September.
By mid-September, school resumes and family travel drops, but every interior loop road and most lodges are still open. The bison rut overlaps with the start of the bull-elk rut (NPS wildlife pages), and afternoon thunderstorms ease as the high-summer convective pattern breaks.
From early November through April, only the year-round Gardiner-Mammoth-Lamar-Cooke City corridor is open to wheeled vehicles; the geyser-basin interior is snowcoach-only.
Three independent signals per month; crowd, weather, and access. Tap any row to read the full Yellowstone guide for that month. We deliberately do not combine these into a single "best month" number; different priorities point at different months.
| Month | Crowd | Weather | Access | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January→ |
Empty
5% of peak · 42K visits
|
Harsh
31°F / 12°F (0°C / -11°C) · 11.5″ snow
|
Limited
Composite access score · 35/100
|
Interior closed to wheeled vehicles. Mammoth-Lamar-Cooke City corridor open. Snowcoach access only beyond.Read January → |
| February→ |
Empty
5% of peak · 45K visits
|
Harsh
34°F / 12°F (1°C / -11°C) · 11.5″ snow
|
Limited
Composite access score · 35/100
|
Coldest readings of the year. Lamar wildlife watching is the reason to be here.Read February → |
| March→ |
Empty
4% of peak · 33K visits
|
Harsh
42°F / 19°F (5°C / -7°C) · 10.9″ snow
|
Limited
Composite access score · 35/100
|
Plowing begins on interior roads. Snowcoach interior tours start winding down; confirm 2027 dates before booking.Read March → |
| April→ |
Empty
8% of peak · 73K visits
|
Rough
50°F / 26°F (10°C / -3°C) · 7.8″ snow
|
Mostly open
Composite access score · 60/100
|
Spring road openings begin (mid-month). Bears emerge. Trails muddy, geyser basins quiet.Read April → |
| May→ |
Moderate
55% of peak · 508K visits
|
Ideal
60°F / 35°F (15°C / 1°C) · 1.7″ snow
|
Full
Composite access score · 90/100
|
Most interior roads open by Memorial Day. Waterfalls run full. Crowds still light early.Read May → |
| June→ |
Packed
90% of peak · 831K visits
|
Ideal
70°F / 42°F (21°C / 6°C) · 1.86″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Operations effectively full. Lodging tight. Cold mornings into the 30s remain normal.Read June → |
| July→ |
Packed
100% of peak · 923K visits
|
Ideal
81°F / 48°F (27°C / 9°C) · 1.27″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Peak month. Plan trailheads for sunrise. Afternoon thunderstorms common.Read July → |
| August→ |
Packed
89% of peak · 820K visits
|
Ideal
80°F / 47°F (27°C / 8°C) · 1.05″ precip
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Bison rut. Crowds still elevated. School-restart week is the first crowd drop.Read August → |
| September→ |
Packed
86% of peak · 796K visits
|
Ideal
69°F / 39°F (20°C / 4°C) · 0.6″ snow
|
Full
Composite access score · 100/100
|
Best tradeoff month. Wildlife active, weather workable, lodging easier after Labor Day.Read September → |
| October→ |
Quiet
33% of peak · 302K visits
|
Mixed
54°F / 29°F (12°C / -2°C) · 4.7″ snow
|
Full
Composite access score · 85/100
|
Bull elk in rut at Mammoth. First snows in the high country. Lodges start closing mid-month.Read October → |
| November→ |
Empty
3% of peak · 24K visits
|
Harsh
39°F / 19°F (4°C / -7°C) · 9.9″ snow
|
Limited
Composite access score · 30/100
|
Interior roads close to wheels (early month). Quietest period of the year.Read November → |
| December→ |
Empty
4% of peak · 34K visits
|
Harsh
30°F / 12°F (-1°C / -11°C) · 12.6″ snow
|
Partial
Composite access score · 40/100
|
Winter operations begin (mid-month). Snowcoach and snowmobile season opens to interior.Read December → |
Formula: 100 − (this month's visits ÷ park's peak month visits) × 100. Each park scored against its own peak, not against other parks.
Source: NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package 2025, Recreation Visits (TRV), 5-year monthly mean (2021-2025). Reproduce these numbers on the NPS IRMA Stats portal.
Reading it: July at Yellowstone reads 0 (peak). November reads 97 (nearly empty). A 50 means about half the park's peak crowd.
Formula: weatherScore = round(max(0, min(100, dayComfort − precipPenalty − snowPenalty − freezePenalty))). The piecewise day-comfort function is continuous at every boundary.
max(10, (tmax − 20) × 2) (cold tail);
50–60°F → 60 + (tmax − 50) × 4 (ramp to 100);
60–78°F → 100 (plateau);
78–85°F → 100 − (tmax − 78) × 5 (ramp to 65);
> 85°F → max(30, 65 − (tmax − 85) × 5) (hot tail).
max(0, prcpIn − 1.5) × 8; kicks in above 1.5 in / month.snowIn × 2.5.max(0, 32 − tmin) × 1.5 when tmin < 32°F.Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station Yellowstone Park, Mammoth, WY (USC00489905, 6,194 ft).
Caveat: Mammoth is Yellowstone HQ at 6,194 ft. The northern-range districts (Lamar Valley, Tower) read close to these numbers. Old Faithful (7,365 ft) and Norris (7,484 ft) typically run 5-8°F colder; Yellowstone Lake (7,733 ft) and high passes colder still. Lake Yellowstone has its own NOAA station (USC00485345) at 7,892 ft if you need higher-elevation numbers.
Formula: For each named park road, count it open if its typical operating window covers that month. Score = round((sum of weights of open roads / sum of all weights) x 100). Where a park has a partial winter access mode, the profile documents that assumption in its access notes.
Route weights at Yellowstone:
Editorial methodology, the route weights themselves are author-curated, sourced from data/processed/operations/road_windows.csv and the park's own access caveats below the score table.
Caveat: The score reflects wheeled-vehicle road access only. Backcountry, hiking, lodging, shuttle, and other service availability are not directly included unless the park profile states otherwise.
A combined "best month" number forces a weighting: how much do you care about crowds vs. weather vs. access? Those weights are personal. A photographer optimizing for golden light weights differently than a parent locked to school break weights differently than a winter visitor with a 4WD. We show the inputs and let you decide. Use the per-month grid above to navigate to a deeper page.
Crowd-free trails, full operations, or value-and-solitude. Each card points at a different month; pick the one that fits what you're actually after.
Visits drop noticeably the week schools restart, observationally, not yet chart-backed at weekly resolution. Bull-elk rut at Mammoth keeps wildlife active through mid-October (NPS lists the rut window as early September to mid-October). Lodges begin closing mid-October; book before then.
Read the Mid-September → early October deep-dive →All five entrances open. Interior roads, geyser basins, fishing rivers, and most lodges run at full schedule. Expect peak crowds and afternoon thunderstorms; plan trailheads at sunrise.
Read the Mid-June → August deep-dive →Interior roads close to wheeled vehicles in early November. The Mammoth-Lamar-Cooke City corridor stays plowed year-round and is the easiest winter wildlife window. Beyond that, snowcoach or snowmobile only.
Read the winter guide →If you're traveling in summer, target the last 10 days of August (roughly Aug 22-31 in 2026).
For families locked to school breaks, July is peak crowd. June trades crowds for snow on high passes and unreliable road openings. August averages near peak. But the last two weeks pull below early-month and below July because U.S. schools restart and families leave (Labor Day, the first Monday of September, is a national holiday that anchors the family pull-out). Full operations remain. Smoke risk fades. The hardest part is the lodging window: in-park lodges open reservations 13 months ahead (rolling, on the 5th of each month through Yellowstone National Park Lodges) and the late-August inventory goes fastest.
Best long-haul gateway: Bozeman Yellowstone International (BZN), most flights and rental-car capacity, ~90 minutes to the North Entrance at Gardiner. Other options: Jackson Hole (JAC) for the South Entrance (~60 minutes), Cody Yellowstone Regional (COD/YRA) for the East Entrance (~60 minutes, summer only), and Salt Lake City International (SLC, ~5-6 hours by car) as a budget alternative. From the U.K. and Europe most travelers connect via Denver, Minneapolis, or Salt Lake. Rental car is effectively required; there is no in-park bus or rail; outside-the-park hotel shuttles are limited and seasonal. Speed limits in Yellowstone are mostly 35-45 mph; plan 2-3 hours of driving per day inside the park.
Visitors of all ages can earn a Junior Ranger badge at any visitor center; the program offers age-tiered booklets (Geyser, Grizzly Bear, Bison) so younger and older kids work different activities. Booklet is around $5: confirm the current price on arrival. Takes 2-4 hours of park activities to complete; it's the single highest-ROI kid activity in the park.
In-park lodges (Old Faithful Inn, Lake Hotel, Grant Village, Canyon, Roosevelt, Mammoth) open booking 13 months in advance through Yellowstone National Park Lodges: reservations drop on the 5th of each month for the same month 13 months later (so August 2026 inventory opened July 5, 2025; September 2026 opened August 5, 2025). July and August inventory typically goes within weeks of opening. Inside 6 months? Best family fallbacks: West Yellowstone, MT for west-side itineraries (closest to Old Faithful and Madison); Gardiner, MT for north-side and Lamar Valley wildlife days; Cody, WY if you're flying into Yellowstone Regional Airport (YRA); Cooke City, MT only for hardcore Lamar/Beartooth photographers. Avoid Bozeman or Jackson as primary bases. Both add 60-90 minutes of driving each way.
Mid-July through mid-September can carry regional wildfire smoke even when Yellowstone itself isn't burning. Check AirNow.gov and the NPS Yellowstone air-quality page for current conditions. August in non-fire years stays clear; in active fire years smoke can shut viewpoints for days.
Bison have injured more visitors in Yellowstone than any other animal (NPS safety). Almost always people who got too close for a photo. NPS rule: 25 yards from elk and bison, 100 yards from bears and wolves. Buy bear spray on arrival (no need to fly with it); NPS-affiliated rental kiosks operate at Canyon Village and Old Faithful, and outfitters in West Yellowstone also rent.
Most of Yellowstone sits between 6,000 and 8,500 ft. Kids feel altitude faster than adults, push water (target ~half their body weight in ounces per day), watch for crankiness, fatigue, or loss of appetite as early symptoms, and ease them into hikes the first day. Skip strenuous trail-running. Lower-elevation Gardiner and Mammoth (5,300-6,200 ft) are easier first nights than Old Faithful or Lake (7,300-7,700 ft).
Yellowstone has not used timed-entry permits. No reservation needed to drive in. The 7-day vehicle pass is $35 at the entrance, per vehicle, not per person (verify current rates on the NPS Yellowstone fees page). The $80 America the Beautiful annual pass covers entry to all U.S. national parks, and a Senior Pass ($20 lifetime for U.S. citizens 62+) covers the same. Park hotels and campgrounds are the bottleneck; not entry.
Easy boardwalks for short attention spans: Old Faithful + Upper Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs Lower Terrace, Midway Geyser Basin (Grand Prismatic), and the Mud Volcano area. The Lamar Valley drive at dawn is the highest-quality wildlife experience and requires no hiking.
Yellowstone's best light is dawn in Lamar and late September across the park.
Yellowstone rewards photographers who anchor a trip to wildlife light (Lamar Valley dawn, Mammoth elk-rut backlight in October), not to convenience. The Grand Prismatic overlook reads best 11 a.m. - 2 p.m, when steam thins; Old Faithful predictions are posted on the NPS geyser activity page and the NPS Yellowstone app, so you can plan a longer shutter sequence around the predicted window. September brings the first dustings of high-country snow and aspen color in the Lamar and along the Beartooth. The trade is a shorter day-length window than midsummer.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| March 21 (vernal equinox) | 7:24 AM | 7:37 PM |
| June 21 (summer solstice) | 6:36 AM | 9:13 PM |
| September 21 (autumnal equinox) | 7:09 AM | 7:22 PM |
| December 21 (winter solstice) | 7:58 AM | 4:44 PM |
Pull out at Slough Creek, Hitching Post, or Lamar Canyon and be set up 15 minutes before official sunrise. NPS lists wolf-watching tips on the NPS Yellowstone wolves page.
Steam thins as air warms, revealing the rim color. The Fairy Falls overlook on the Midway Geyser Basin trail gives the iconic top-down composition.
Bull elk in the rut around the Mammoth Hot Springs lodging and parade ground. NPS rule: 25 yards minimum (NPS Yellowstone wildlife safety).
Open meadow light, big sound. NPS rule: 25 yards minimum (NPS bison ecology).
Best on the Beartooth approach (US-212 east of Cooke City) and along the Lamar. Earlier than the Tetons or central Rockies because of elevation and frost dates.
Average recreation visits at Yellowstone National Park, calendar order. Each bar is normalised to the park's peak month; taller bar, busier month. Tap a row to read the park-month page.
| Month | Crowd vs peak month | Avg visits (5-yr) | % of peak | Band | What's actually happening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 42,153↓ 40,363 latest | 5/ 100 | Lowest | Interior closed to wheeled vehicles. Mammoth-Lamar-Cooke City corridor open. Snowcoach access only beyond. | |
| FebruaryFeb | 44,668↓ 44,133 latest | 5/ 100 | Lowest | Coldest readings of the year. Lamar wildlife watching is the reason to be here. | |
| MarchMar | 33,479↓ 33,284 latest | 4/ 100 | Lowest | Plowing begins on interior roads. Snowcoach interior tours start winding down; confirm 2027 dates before booking. | |
| AprilApr | 73,470↑ 78,529 latest | 8/ 100 | Lowest | Spring road openings begin (mid-month). Bears emerge. Trails muddy, geyser basins quiet. | |
| MayMay | 508,111↑ 566,363 latest | 55/ 100 | Moderate | Most interior roads open by Memorial Day. Waterfalls run full. Crowds still light early. | |
| JuneJun | 830,987↑ 928,250 latest | 90/ 100 | Peak | Operations effectively full. Lodging tight. Cold mornings into the 30s remain normal. | |
| JulyJul | 922,896↑ 975,109 latest | 100/ 100 | Peak | Peak month. Plan trailheads for sunrise. Afternoon thunderstorms common. | |
| AugustAug | 820,128↑ 881,936 latest | 89/ 100 | Peak | Bison rut. Crowds still elevated. School-restart week is the first crowd drop. | |
| SeptemberSep | 796,027↑ 839,579 latest | 86/ 100 | Peak | Best tradeoff month. Wildlife active, weather workable, lodging easier after Labor Day. | |
| OctoberOct | 302,468↑ 313,959 latest | 33/ 100 | Moderate | Bull elk in rut at Mammoth. First snows in the high country. Lodges start closing mid-month. | |
| NovemberNov | 23,807↑ 26,961 latest | 3/ 100 | Lowest | Interior roads close to wheels (early month). Quietest period of the year. | |
| DecemberDec | 33,648↑ 34,522 latest | 4/ 100 | Lowest | Winter operations begin (mid-month). Snowcoach and snowmobile season opens to interior. |
Yellowstone's September monthly mean (~86% of July's peak) includes the busy Labor Day weekend. Operationally and observationally, the school-restart effect pulls visits substantially through mid-September. We don't yet publish weekly NPS counts on this page, when we do, the September curve will show the drop explicitly. Treat the headline 'best week' recommendation as observational, not yet chart-backed at weekly resolution.
NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 for the station closest to park headquarters. Use it as a planning floor, not a forecast, and read the elevation caveat below.
| Month | Temperature range (°F) | High | Low | Precip (in) | Snow (in) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°°F high | 12°°F low | 0.91inches | 11.5inches | Harsh cold | |
| February | 34°°F high | 12°°F low | 0.79inches | 11.5inches | Harsh cold | |
| March | 42°°F high | 19°°F low | 1.09inches | 10.9inches | Cold | |
| April | 50°°F high | 26°°F low | 1.40inches | 7.8inches | Cold | |
| May | 60°°F high | 35°°F low | 1.82inches | 1.7inches | Shoulder | |
| June | 70°°F high | 42°°F low | 1.86inches | 0.3inches | Warm | |
| July | 81°°F high | 48°°F low | 1.27inches | 0.0inches | Hot | |
| August | 80°°F high | 47°°F low | 1.05inches | 0.0inches | Warm | |
| September | 69°°F high | 39°°F low | 1.21inches | 0.6inches | Warm | |
| October | 54°°F high | 29°°F low | 1.34inches | 4.7inches | Cold | |
| November | 39°°F high | 19°°F low | 1.15inches | 9.9inches | Cold | |
| December | 30°°F high | 12°°F low | 0.91inches | 12.6inches | Harsh cold |
Annual recreation visits at Yellowstone National Park, 2015–2025. Hover any bar to compare; the chart is the same record the agency itself publishes.
Roads, lodges, entrances. The seasonal pattern that turns a good plan on paper into a workable one in the field. Verify with NPS before you travel; these change.
Spring opening begins mid-April and finishes by Memorial Day. Closure to wheels begins early November.
The only entrance open to wheeled vehicles year-round. Routes north to Mammoth and east to Lamar Valley and Cooke City stay plowed.
Highway 14/16/20 closes for winter to wheels. Reopens for snowcoach/snowmobile mid-December.
Scenic northeast access. Closes for winter at first major storm; reopens late May or early June.
Most in-park lodges run late May to early October. Mammoth Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge run a separate winter season approximately mid-December through early-to-mid March; exact closing dates are published each summer and shift with snowpack. For a March trip, confirm via Yellowstone National Park Lodges before booking flights, or plan to base in Gardiner or Cooke City instead.
Yellowstone has not used a timed-entry permit. Parking at Old Faithful, Norris, and Midway Geyser Basin fills by mid-morning in summer.
Yellowstone's Junior Ranger program lets kids work through the wooden-badge booklet, get sworn in at a visitor center, and pick up a side-program if they want a deeper science angle. The standard Junior Ranger booklet is free, funded through Yellowstone Forever. The optional Young Scientist booklet (ages 5+ at Old Faithful and Canyon) is a separate purchase, currently $5 (confirm at the desk).
Yellowstone is one of the more accessible large parks. Many of the highest-value sights are short, flat boardwalks rather than long hikes. The constraints to plan around are RV length on a few key routes, lodging-style versus campground choice, and stair-free options for slower walking days.
Retirees, RV travelers, and visitors with mobility considerations.
The America the Beautiful Senior Pass is $20 for a lifetime pass (U.S. citizens / permanent residents 62+) and covers entry to every national park including Yellowstone. The annual Senior Pass is $20/year. If both partners are 62+ only one pass is needed per vehicle. The standard America the Beautiful Annual Pass ($80) covers everyone else for one year and is the most-recommended option if you'll visit 2+ parks in a year.
Fishing Bridge RV Park is the only full-hookup site in the park (40-ft length limit; reservations required through Yellowstone National Park Lodges). NPS-operated campgrounds (Mammoth, Indian Creek, Norris, Tower Fall, Slough Creek, Pebble Creek, Lewis Lake) take RVs up to 30-35 ft depending on the site, no hookups. Dump stations at Madison, Canyon, Grant Village, and Fishing Bridge. Avoid Beartooth Pass with anything towed or over 30 ft; tight switchbacks at 10,947 ft.
Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk is paved and largely flat (parts wheelchair-accessible). Mammoth Hot Springs Lower Terrace is flat and accessible; the Upper Terrace has stairs and is steeper. Midway Geyser Basin (Grand Prismatic boardwalk) is flat. West Thumb Geyser Basin is flat and short. Mud Volcano area is partly accessible (some steep sections). The Lamar Valley drive offers world-class wildlife viewing with no hiking required.
If you prefer hotels: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (open seasonally + winter), Old Faithful Inn (May-Oct), Lake Yellowstone Hotel (May-Oct), Canyon Lodge, Grant Village. All bookable through Yellowstone National Park Lodges on the 13-month rolling window. Mammoth Hotel is the only one open year-round and is the lowest-elevation in-park lodge (6,200 ft): easiest on lungs.
Yellowstone covers 2.2 million acres. Bigger than Rhode Island. Sunrise in Lamar Valley from Gardiner takes ~45 minutes of driving; Old Faithful from Mammoth is ~2 hours. Plan no more than two major regions per day. Bench frequency is good on the main boardwalks but limited on park roads. Pack a folding seat for sunrise wildlife stakeouts.
Fishing Bridge is the only full-hookup option; the interior loop is RV-friendly to ~40 ft.
Yellowstone is one of the more RV-workable mainstream parks, but only at sites that fit your length. Fishing Bridge RV Park is the only full-hookup site inside the park (hard-sided RVs only, no tents) and books out months ahead through Yellowstone National Park Lodges. The non-hookup NPS campgrounds vary widely by site: the four reservable campgrounds (Madison 60 ft, Bridge Bay 60 ft, Grant Village 50 ft, Canyon 40 ft) accept larger rigs, while the smaller first-come/first-served campgrounds (Mammoth, Indian Creek, Norris, Tower Fall, Slough Creek, Pebble Creek, Lewis Lake) mostly cap around 25-35 ft. Confirm each campground's per-site limits at the NPS campgrounds page before booking.
Fishing Bridge RV Park only; full hookups (water, sewer, 50-amp electric), hard-sided RVs only, no tents or tent-trailers. Per the NPS campgrounds page the maximum site length is 95 ft (post-renovation). Long lead time required.
Inside the park: Madison, Canyon, Grant Village, and Fishing Bridge campgrounds (may close in freezing weather; verify on the NPS campgrounds page). Outside the park: many gateway-town RV parks offer dump service to non-guests for a fee: call ahead.
Park the rig at your campground and use a smaller vehicle (toad or rental) for day drives. The interior loop is 142 miles, so single-rig sightseeing days run long with a big rig. From West Yellowstone, Karst Stage and other operators run summer guided tours into the park. There is no in-park shuttle system; if you've parked at Fishing Bridge or Bridge Bay, plan day-drives by toad.
In winter, the only road you can drive is Gardiner → Mammoth → Lamar → Cooke City.
From early November through late April, the only road in Yellowstone open to wheeled vehicles is US-89 from Gardiner, Montana through the North Entrance to Mammoth, then east on the Northeast Entrance Road through Lamar Valley to Cooke City. It's roughly 56 miles end-to-end, plowed throughout winter. This is enough to see bison, wolves, bighorn sheep, and the northern range.
Everything else: Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Norris, Lake. Is accessible in winter only by snowcoach (a motorized tracked-vehicle bus designed for snow-covered roads) or guided snowmobile tour. Tours run from West Yellowstone, Mammoth, and Flagg Ranch (south). Pricing varies significantly by operator and tour length, so check current rates with operators before booking. They change each season.
The interior snowcoach/snowmobile season is approximately mid-December through mid-March. Exact opening and closing dates shift each year with snowpack and are published by NPS in late summer. A March 2027 trip is on the EDGE of the season, confirm with the official NPS Yellowstone page before booking; in low-snow years interior tours have ended in late February.
The Gardiner-Mammoth-Cooke City corridor is plowed and patrolled but stays icy in shaded sections. AWD or 4WD with proper snow tires is strongly recommended. Studless winter tires meet Montana chain laws on US-212. The Beartooth Highway is CLOSED in winter; Cooke City is a dead-end from October through May.
Two in-park lodges operate in winter: Mammoth Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge (snowcoach access only): both bookable via Yellowstone National Park Lodges. The winter season typically runs mid-December to mid-March; late-March trips usually need to base in Gardiner or Cooke City instead.
Best March bases: Gardiner, MT (right at the North Entrance, walking distance to Mammoth services) or Cooke City, MT (small mountain town at the east end of the plowed corridor; you'll be driving back and forth into the Lamar). West Yellowstone is also open but you can't drive into the park from there in winter.
Crowd numbers on this page are the Recreation Visits column from the NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package, 2025. Monthly figures are five-year arithmetic means (2021-2025) against each park's own peak month. We do not compare parks against each other for the crowd score: only against themselves.
Weather numbers are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, drawn from the Yellowstone Park, Mammoth, WY station (USC00489905). The station sits at 6,194 ft; the elevation caveat above the weather table explains where this misreads the higher districts.
Access notes are an independent summary of NPS operating posture. We do not republish NPS pages; we link them. Conditions change; confirm road status, reservation requirements, and lodging windows on https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm before travel.
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