When is the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park?

One of the first things you need to decide when planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park is when to go.  When the best time is may vary depending on your interests, preference for weather, and tolerance for crowds. 

I’m James and I’m a national park expert. In this article, I’ll give you a quick summary of the best times to visit Yellowstone National Park so you can make the right decision.

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While this is my choice for the best time to go to Yellowstone National Park, the park is great throughout the year.  I have provided a detailed breakdown by season so you can easily see what to expect and then make your own choice. 

The Best Time to Visit Yellowstone National Park in a Nutshell

If you want to see the whole park and experience all aspects of the park (the lake, the canyon, the waterfalls, the geothermal features, and the wildlife), then you’ll want to visit between late spring and early fall. Trails are often still snow covered and/ or muddy well into spring and snow starts to fall as early as September (I was caught when they closed a mountain pass due to snow in mid-September (and my campground was on the other side of the pass!)

However, Yellowstone is one of the most visited national parks in the country and it gets very crowded in summer.

So personal favorite time to visit is very early September, right after Labor Day. Everything is still open, there’s plenty of wildlife, the summer crowds are over, and – in general – the winter weather hasn’t yet arrived. But keep an eye on the weather.

If you’re looking for a different experience, winter in Yellowstone is an amazing experiecnce. most of the park’s roads close and instead it is open to over snow travel. December – February are best for winter travel.

When to Visit Yellowstone (for different interests)

Best season to visit Yellowstone National Park

The best season to visit Yellowstone Park is early fall.

The best time to visit Yellowstone for fall colors

The best time to see fall colors in Yellowstone is the last week of September and the first week of October.

The best time to visit Yellowstone for wildlife

The best time of year to see wildlife in Yellowstone is generally spring (to see the baby animals) and fall.

• The best time of year to see bears in Yellowstone is spring.
• The best time to see wolves in Yellowstone is winter.
• The best time to see bighorn sheep in Yellowstone is also winter.
• The best time to see bison in Yellowstone is throughout the year.
• The best time to see elk in Yellowstone is fall for the rutting season.

The best time to visit Yellowstone to avoid crowds

The least crowded time to visit Yellowstone is winter, though spring and fall are much less crowded than July and August.

The cheapest time to visit Yellowstone

The cheapest time to go to Yellowstone is spring.

The best time to visit Yellowstone in summer

If you need to travel in summer, when is the best time to visit Yellowstone? June is best, if possible, as there are fewer people.

Have a great trip to Yellowstone no matter when you go! 

Do you have any thoughts on the best time to travel to Yellowstone?  I’d love to hear them.  Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know.

If you are also planning to visit the Grand Tetons, read my Guide to Grand Teton National Park and get a detailed Grand Teton itinerary.

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About the Author 

James Ian has traveled to 82 countries and all 7 continents.  He has visited all of the main national parks in the United States, as well as many national monuments and state parks.

He has rafted through the Grand Canyon; rappelled down slot canyons near Zion and Arches; hiked among the hoodoos in Bryce and the enormous trees in Sequoia; admired the waterfalls in Yosemite and the colored hot springs in Yellowstone; seen moose in Grand Tetons and seals in the Channel Islands, and much more.

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