Yellowstone July visits down slightly from 2024, year-to-date totals up

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park recorded 975,109 recreational visits last month, a 2% drop from July 2024’s total of 992,352 visitors.

The park also saw a 10% decline compared to July 2021, when more than 1.08 million people visited. That year remains Yellowstone’s busiest on record, with more than 4.8 million visits.

Despite the July slowdown, overall visitation in 2025 is slightly ahead of last year. From January through July, Yellowstone welcomed 2,666,031 visitors — up 1.5% from the same period in 2024 (2,626,091) and nearly identical to 2021’s record pace (2,668,765).

Here’s a look at year-to-date recreational visits through July over the past six years:

2025 – 2,666,031
2024 – 2,626,091
2023 – 2,462,535
2022 – 1,855,396* (park closed for over a week in June due to historic flooding)
2021 – 2,668,765
2020 – 1,674,699* (park closed for nearly two months due to COVID-19)

The National Park Service is encouraging visitors to plan ahead during the busy summer season, review its “Top Things to Know” guide, and download the free NPS app. Officials also urge travelers to take the “Yellowstone Pledge” to protect the park and promote safe, responsible behavior.