JACKSON, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park (YNP) hosted 360,034 recreation visits in October 2020, up 110% from October 2019, making it the busiest October on record, and surpassing the previous record (252,013) set in 2015 by an increase of 43%.
So far in 2020, the park has hosted 3,743,907 recreation visits, down 6% from the same period last year.
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.
The list below shows the year-to-date trend for recreation visits over the last several years (through October):
2020 – 3,743,907
2019 – 3,979,153
2018 – 4,078,771
2017 – 4,084,762
2016 – 4,212,782
2015 – 4,066,191
All roads in Yellowstone, with one exception, are closed to automobile traffic from early November to late April. The road from the park’s North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, through Mammoth Hot Springs to the Northeast Entrance and the communities of Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana, is open year-round, weather-permitting.
Conditions permitting, most park roads will open to over-snow travel (snowmobiles and snowcoaches) on December 15, 2020. Visit Explore in Winter for details.
