Yellowstone National Park received 921,844 recreational visits in August 2021, making it the most-visited August on record. This is a 4.5 percent increase from August 2020 (881,829 recreational visits) and a 12 percent increase from August 2019 (820,006 recreation visits).
Previously, the busiest August on record was in 2017, the year of the solar eclipse (916,166 recreation visits).
So far in 2021, the park has welcomed 3,590,904 recreation visits, up 40 percent from the same period last year and up 15 percent from 2019.
The list below shows the year-to-date trend for recreation visits over the last several years (through August):
- 2021 – 3,590,904
- 2020 – 2,556,528
- 2019 – 3,114,697
- 2018 – 3,136,241
- 2017 – 3,232,707
- 2016 – 3,269,024
If you plan to travel to Yellowstone this autumn, plan, expect crowding and recreate responsibly to protect yourself and the park. Stay informed about changes to park operations and services by downloading the NPS Yellowstone app and visiting www.nps.gov/yell or the park’s social media channels.
