September
Elk rut and higher colorMammoth and Grant Village are elk-rut areas. Seasonal campground closures begin; confirm an overnight base.
796,027 average visits in September
Choose your fall month
Compare early-season outings with later weather and service changes.
October
Lower color and colder weatherSnow becomes more likely as lower-elevation color develops. Check high-pass and visitor-service dates before fixing a route.
302,468 average visits in October
November
Focus on the northMost roads return to winter restrictions. Northern-range wildlife watching and suitable short walks are the practical focus.
23,807 average visits in November
Things to do in fall
Choose a lower-elevation or high-country outing for the actual conditions.
Mammoth elk rut
September and October bring breeding-season activity. Watch from a safe distance and keep a clear escape route.
Lamar Valley wildlife
Use the northern range for a flexible wildlife day as interior routes wind down.
Hayden Valley migration
Raptor migration adds early-fall interest when the interior route is available. A November trip needs a different access plan.
Get oriented for fall
Choose a northern-range or geyser-basin day, then confirm the roads needed to reach it.
- Mapped road corridor
- 1 · North Entrance
- 2 · Tower Junction
- 3 · Old Faithful
- 4 · Canyon Junction
- Park boundary
Getting around in fall
Check the seasonal access and equipment decisions before fixing the route.
Check each road and property
Seasonal road and lodge calendars contract through autumn. Do not make an October or November trip depend on summer access.
Watch rutting elk from a distance
Mammoth is an elk-rut viewing area, not a place to approach animals. Follow current NPS wildlife-safety advice.
Where to stay in fall
Match the overnight base to the roads and park area your dates allow.
Mammoth area
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is near the North Entrance, a useful location for northern-range planning. Check its own seasonal calendar.
Interior park lodges
Compare the individual lodge’s operating dates before planning a geyser-basin or lake-area stay. Confirm the road approach separately.
Camping Campgrounds have individual calendars and booking arrangements. Confirm the campground and approach rather than assume a full-park camping season.
Yellowstone fall crowds
The highlighted whole months average 374,101 recreation visits per month. July is the annual peak at 922,896.
Fall months highlightedSeptember through November
LowestLowModerateHighPeakAverage month: 369,320
Yellowstone fall temperatures
NOAA 1991-2020 averages at Yellowstone Park, Mammoth, WY. One station does not describe every basin or mountain pass; check the forecast for your route.
Fall months highlightedSeptember through November
Cooler Hotter
Jan
High31°F
Low12°F
Feb
High34°F
Low12°F
Mar
High42°F
Low19°F
Apr
High50°F
Low26°F
May
High60°F
Low35°F
Jun
High70°F
Low42°F
Jul
High81°F
Low48°F
Aug
High80°F
Low47°F
Sep
High69°F
Low39°F
Oct
High54°F
Low29°F
Nov
High39°F
Low19°F
Dec
High30°F
Low12°F
Questions about Yellowstone fall
Quick answers to the practical questions below.
Is Yellowstone worth visiting in fall?
Yellowstone in fall changes from September elk rut and hiking to a northern-range November trip. October brings more snow risk and a shrinking calendar of roads and services.
Which fall month should I choose?
September: Elk rut and higher color. October: Lower color and colder weather. November: Focus on the north.
What should I check before a fall outing?
Mammoth is an elk-rut viewing area, not a place to approach animals. Follow current NPS wildlife-safety advice.
How we built this page.
An independent guide using official data. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.
- Official guidance
- NPS and the relevant operators. The linked official pages support the access, facilities and rules described here. Confirm details before traveling.
- Crowd context
- 2021–2025 monthly averages. NPS recreation visits describe normal seasonal demand, not trail congestion, parking availability or unique visitors.
- Schedules and conditions
- Planning patterns, not live status. Seasonal information describes the normal pattern or explicitly dated source schedule. Current conditions are handled separately. The official source is the place to confirm today’s access.
Topic sources and data details
NPS seasonal, activity and overnight guidance supports the normal patterns and named choices on this page. Check the linked official pages for current operation and booking details.
Month choices describe the reviewed planning window. Monthly recreation visits are full-calendar-month 2021–2025 averages, including any month partly inside the window.
Temperatures are NOAA 1991-2020 normals at Yellowstone Park, Mammoth, WY; 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.
Seasonal highlights mark the editorial month window, not guaranteed access or travel-date weather.
Operational source check: October 21, 2026. Design and emphasized source review: 2026-10-21. A design review does not refresh every underlying record.