Yellowstone sets record for September visitors
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The following is a news release from Yellowstone National Park officials.
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyoming – The park hosted 837,499 recreation visits in September 2020. This is a 21% increase from September 2019, making it the busiest September on record.
So far in 2020, the park has hosted 3,383,872 recreation visits, down 11% from the same period last year.
The park was closed due to health and safety reasons related to COVID-19 beginning March 24. 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 September):
2020 – 3,383,872
2019 – 3,807,815
2018 – 3,860,695
2017 – 3,872,775
2016 – 3,970,778
2015 – 3,814,178
Park officials are reminding visitors to recreate responsibly and reduce the spread of COVID-19. If you are sick, do not visit the park. Self-quarantine to avoid exposing others. Services are limited in the park. Stay informed about changes to park operations. Download Yellowstone’s App or visit the website and the park’s social media channels. To reduce wait times at park entrances, buy a pass online ahead of time.
More data on park visitation, including how we calculate these numbers, is available on the NPS Stats website.