This news story about July 2021 being the most-visited month ever in Yellowstone National Park has been adapted from a National Park Service press release. You can read the original press release here.
Hosting 1,080,767 recreational visits in July 2021, this past July was the most-visited July ever in Yellowstone National Park.
This is a 13% increase from July 2020 (955,645 recreational visits) and a 15% increase from July 2019 (936,062 recreation visits).
July 2021 Was the Most-Visited July and Month in Yellowstone National Park History
Additionally, this makes July 2021 the most-visited month in the park’s history. It’s also the first time there were more than 1 million visits to Yellowstone in one single month.
So far, through July 2021, Yellowstone National Park has been visited 2,668,765 times, which is a 16% increase from 2019.
This year is compared to 2019 instead of 2020 because of COVID-19. (The park was closed from March 24 to May 18, 2020, due to COVID-19. Two entrances were open May 18-31 and the remaining three opened on June 1.)
Year-to-Date Recreational Visits in Yellowstone National Park
The list below shows the year-to-date trend for recreation visits over the last several years (through July):
- 2021 – 2,668,765
- 2020 – 1,674,699 (lower visitation due to COVID-19)
- 2019 – 2,294,691
- 2018 – 2,322,271
- 2017 – 2,316,541
- 2016 – 2,427,988
“Increases to Yellowstone’s visitation have accelerated rapidly over the past 12 months and we continue to be on pace to set record numbers for 2021. We are actively developing defensible short and long-term solutions, with our partners, which focus on protection of park resources, improving visitor experience, and considering impacts on park staffing, infrastructure and our gateway communities and regional economies.”
Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly
Yellowstone’s road corridors and parking areas equate to less than 1,500 acres of the park’s 2.2 million acres. Most visitors stay within a half mile of these corridors.
As such, the park is focused on the most heavily congested and popular places in Yellowstone: Old Faithful, Midway Geyser Basin, Norris, Canyon rims and the wildlife-rich Lamar Valley.
Research on How to Control Visitor Numbers in Yellowstone National Park Is Ongoing
In 2019, Yellowstone National Park piloted controlled visitor access at Norris and, in 2020, initiated a major shuttle feasibility study to determine the viability of a shuttle system between Old Faithful and Midway Geyser Basin.
In 2021, the park also implemented an automated vehicle shuttle pilot at Canyon Village to explore the use of evolving technologies.
On top of that, Yellowstone National Park is taking advantage of data derived from recent major visitor surveys and transportation studies to inform future decisions. Park management is working closely with adjacent Grand Teton National Park on future solutions since both parks substantially share visitation each year.
Summer is Yellowstone’s busiest season. Millions of people visit the park in June, July and August. If you plan to travel to Yellowstone this summer, plan ahead, expect crowding, recreate responsibly and take the Yellowstone Pledge to protect yourself and the park.
More data on park visitation, including how these visitor numbers are calculated, is available on the NPS Stats website.