Yellowstone National Park Tourism Statistics

Yellowstone National Park received 4.76 million recreation visits in 2025, its second-busiest year on record¹, and visits in the first eight months of 2026 are running about 2% below 2025². This page tracks annual and monthly visitors, visitor spending, entrance fees, and how Yellowstone compares with other US national parks.

About 4.7 million tourists visit Yellowstone National Park each year⁵.

• From 2015 to 2019, Yellowstone National Park consistently attracted over 4 million visitors annually.
• However, in 2020, recreational visits to Yellowstone National Park dropped to 3.81 million (about 95% of the 2019 level) due to global travel restrictions, with visitor spending down 12.4%.
• Yellowstone National Park experienced its highest number of visits in 2021, with 4.86 million recorded entries, despite 20% fewer campsites and hotel rooms due to the pandemic and construction. Many visitors left and re-entered the park after staying elsewhere, with each entry counted separately.
• In 2022, the number of visits decreased to 3.29 million. However, in 2023, the park saw an increase in visitors, reaching 4.5 million, showing a return to higher visitation levels and representing a 36.8% increase from the previous year.
• Visitor volume further increased to 4.74 million in 2024, a 5.4% increase from the previous year.
• In 2025, visits edged up again to 4.76 million, a 0.4% rise on 2024 and the park's second-highest annual total on record.

How many people visited Yellowstone National Park in 2026?

In the first eight months of 2026 (January to August), Yellowstone National Park hosted 3,491,850 recreation visits, 2% fewer than in the same period of 2025 (3,547,967) and 3% below the record 2021 pace².

• July 2026 was the busiest month of the year so far with 958,706 visits, down 2% on July 2025⁶.
• August 2026 followed with 856,467 visits, down 3% on August 2025².
• May 2026 was the busiest May on record, with 570,272 visits, up 1% on May 2025⁷.

How many people visited Yellowstone National Park in 2025?

In 2025, Yellowstone National Park welcomed 4.76 million visitors.¹

• This marked a 0.4% increase from the previous year and an 18.5% increase compared to the visitor count in 2019.

Hydrothermal Explosions at Biscuit Basin – July 2024 and June 2026

On July 23, 2024, at approximately 10:19 AM local time, a hydrothermal explosion occurred near the Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basin, located about two miles northwest of the famous Old Faithful Geyser.⁸ The event sent boiling water, steam, and debris into the air, damaging part of the boardwalk. No injuries were reported. A second, smaller explosion occurred in the basin early on June 13, 2026, while the area was still closed³.

• Location: Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
• Date and Time: July 23, 2024, 10:19 AM MDT; a second, smaller event early on June 13, 2026
• Type of Event: Hydrothermal explosion
• Injuries: None reported
• Damage: Boardwalk partially destroyed in the 2024 explosion
• Current Status: Closed since July 2024 because of continued unpredictable hydrothermal activity⁴

About Biscuit Basin

• Biscuit Basin is a popular thermal area in Yellowstone, known for its colorful hot springs and geysers.
• The area features the 120-foot-long Black Diamond Pool, the basin’s widest thermal feature.
• Prior to this event, Biscuit Basin attracted thousands of visitors annually due to its accessibility and unique geothermal features.

Historical Context

• Similar hydrothermal explosions occurred in Biscuit Basin in 2009, 1991, and after the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake.
• These events occur 1-2 times per year in Yellowstone, often unnoticed in backcountry areas.⁸
• The largest known hydrothermal explosion crater on Earth is in Yellowstone, measuring 1.5 miles across.

Impact on Tourism

• The closure has had no visible effect on park-wide numbers: 2025 was Yellowstone's second-busiest year on record, although visits in the first eight months of 2026 are running about 2% below 2025².
• The closure of Biscuit Basin may redirect tourists to other areas of the park, potentially affecting visitation patterns.

Expert Quotes

“Hydrothermal explosions, being episodes of water suddenly flashing to steam, are notoriously hard to predict.” – U.S. Geological Survey

“It’s a very good reminder of an underappreciated hazard in Yellowstone.” – Michael Poland, scientist-in-charge at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory

Safety Reminders

• Visitors are urged to stay on designated boardwalks and trails in thermal areas.
• At least 22 people have died from injuries related to thermal features in and around Yellowstone since 1890.

Recent incidents at Yellowstone (2026)

Yellowstone has had a run of notable incidents in 2026, each confirmed by the park or the US Geological Survey.

• Grizzly attack, May 4: two hikers were injured by a female grizzly with cubs on the Mystic Falls Trail near Old Faithful. The resulting trail and campsite closures were lifted on July 6⁴.
• Kayaker death, June 8: the body of a 41-year-old man was recovered from Yellowstone Lake near Bridge Bay alongside a capsized kayak⁹.
• Second Biscuit Basin explosion, June 13: a small hydrothermal explosion occurred in the basin, which has stayed closed since the July 2024 blast³.
• Bison injury, June 26: a 12-year-old visitor was hospitalized after a bison encounter near Mud Volcano¹⁰.

Leadership change at Yellowstone (2026)

Separately from the incidents above, Superintendent Cam Sholly announced in September that he would leave the park in late September after almost eight years, to become chief operating officer of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation¹¹.

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the United States⁵.

• In 2025, Yellowstone received 4.76 million recreational visits, making it the third most popular national park in the country.
• In 2026, U.S. News & World Report ranked Yellowstone #1 in its list of the Best U.S. National Parks, ahead of 23 other parks¹⁴.

Which National Park has the most annual visitors?

• The most visited national park in the United States in 2025 was Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with 11.53 million recreational visits.⁵

• July recorded the highest visitation in 2025 with 975,109 visitors¹⁵, making it the peak month for tourism at Yellowstone National Park
• June closely followed with 928,250 visitors, marking the start of the summer peak.
• August was another major tourist month with 881,936 visitors, maintaining high summer tourism.
• September stayed busy with 839,579 visitors as the summer peak tapered into fall.
• May recorded 566,363 visitors, signaling the start of the busy tourist season.

When is the busiest time of year at Yellowstone?

The busiest time of year at Yellowstone National Park is during the summer months, particularly in June and July¹⁶.

• During this period, the park can see daily visitor numbers reaching over 30,000. This is the peak tourist season due to the warmer weather and school vacations, leading to crowded roads, trails, and attractions.

The West Entrance at West Yellowstone, Montana, is by far the busiest of Yellowstone's five gates. In 2025 it recorded 778,075 vehicles entering the park, about 40% of the 1,935,297 vehicles counted at all five entrances¹⁹. The counts cover every vehicle entering, including staff and other non-recreation traffic.

• The North Entrance at Gardiner, the only gate open to cars year-round, was second with 561,290 vehicles, about 29%¹⁹. It has grown the most since 2019, when it counted 341,938, a rise of about 64%.
• The South Entrance from Grand Teton National Park counted 291,693 vehicles, about 15%¹⁹.
• The East Entrance from Cody, Wyoming, counted 167,471 vehicles (9%) and the Northeast Entrance at Silver Gate 136,768 (7%)¹⁹. Both close to cars in winter, as do the South and West gates.
• Vehicle counts barely moved between 2024 and 2025: the largest change was at the Northeast Entrance, up 2.7%¹⁹.
• In August 2026, the West Entrance accounted for 373,080 of the month's 856,467 recreation visits, about 44%, with the North Entrance next at 180,859²⁰.