Yellowstone in November.

Crowd snapshot.

November's five-year mean of about 24,000 recreation visits is under 3% of July's, the lowest on the calendar. With the interior roads shut from November 1, visitors collapse onto the northern corridor and a small base of Gardiner-staged wildlife days. The Mammoth Hot Springs boardwalks are empty on a weekday. NPS says few facilities are open year round and services are limited from early November through late April, and Old Faithful eruption predictions stop being posted from early November until mid-December, because the visitor education center is closed.

Weather snapshot.

Mammoth's November normal high is 39.4°F with a normal low of 19.2°F, the first month back below freezing on average overnight after October's drop. The snowfall normal is 9.9 inches at Mammoth, and the closed interior segments get materially more. Precipitation is 1.15 inches. Storms can pull temperatures down hard within hours. The corridor stays plowed but runs icy in shaded sections, particularly between Mammoth and the Northeast Entrance, where the road sees little direct sun in late autumn.

Access snapshot.

Interior roads close to cars on November 1, 2026, and oversnow travel does not start until December 15, so for most of November the interior is unreachable by car, snowcoach or snowmobile. The northern corridor from Gardiner to Cooke City, about 50 road miles, stays open to cars all month. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is open, running to March 7, 2027, and Mammoth Campground and the Albright Visitor Center are open year round; every warming hut and interior visitor center is closed with winter dates listed as to be determined, per the <a class='inline' href='https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/operating-dates.htm' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>NPS operating dates page</a>. Road work on the northern corridor can run late into the year, which matters because it is the one road you can drive. Check the <a class='inline' href='https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/conditions.htm' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>NPS current conditions page</a> for closures, construction and fire restrictions before you travel.

Seasonal events.

November is the post-rut. The elk that held the Mammoth grounds through September and October fold back into larger mixed herds, and bison move onto wind-scoured slopes and river drainages where forage is reachable. NPS says most bears are denned by mid-November, so bear sightings tail off through the month. Snowpack starts to build on the northern range and across the closed interior. As it does, the conditions that make the northern range one of the best places in the world to watch wolves begin to set up for December and January.

Audience verdict.

November is a narrow month for a specific visitor: someone who wants the emptiest Yellowstone there is, photographs Mammoth Hot Springs without a soul in frame, and is happy to base in Gardiner. It is not a family month, not an RV month, and not workable at all if you want to see Old Faithful or Canyon. Pack winter driving gear even for the plowed corridor. The next inflection point is December 15, when oversnow travel opens the interior again.

Common questions.

Is November a good time to visit Yellowstone?

November runs very quiet at Yellowstone, about 3% of the July peak, with cold weather (average highs near 39°F). If thinner crowds are the goal, it is one of the easier months to pick.

How crowded is Yellowstone in November?

November averages about 23,807 recreation visits, roughly 3% of Yellowstone's busiest month (July). That puts it among Yellowstone's quietest months.

How much of Yellowstone is open in November?

In a typical November, about 30% of Yellowstone's road network (weighted by how important each route is) is open to wheeled vehicles. Road-opening dates shift year to year, so check the official NPS page for current conditions before you go.

Methodology

Monthly recreation visits come from the official NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package, 2025 on NPS IRMA Stats; the statistic shown is Recreation Visits, the 5-year mean for 2021-2025. Climate normals come from NOAA NCEI's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at Yellowstone Park, Mammoth, WY (station USC00489905, 6,194 ft elevation). The access score weights named park roads by route importance for typical wheeled-vehicle openings that month. Sunrise and sunset figures in the editorial are U.S. Naval Observatory times for Mammoth on the 21st of each month. Operating dates drift year to year. The 2026 road schedule, the facility and lodging dates and the oversnow season above were read on 2026-09-13; confirm current dates on the official NPS Yellowstone page before booking. Independent site, not affiliated with the National Park Service.