Visiting Yellowstone National Park: What To Expect Throughout The Year

Are you planning your trip to Yellowstone National Park but aren’t sure what to expect when you want to go? Then this guide is for you.

I’m James and I’m a national park expert. In this guide, I’ll describe exactly what to expect each season, so you can plan a trip that suits your needs.

Let’s take a closer look at the best time of year to go to Yellowstone National Park by season and interests.

If you just want a quick snapshot about my thoughts on the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park, check out my Best Time to Go To Yellowstone National Park guide.

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“Visiting Yellowstone National Park Throughout the Year”

Yellowstone in Spring (April-May)

baby bison yellowstone national park — Spring is a great time to see baby animals

Many people ask, “Is April a good time to visit Yellowstone Park?’ or “Is May a good time to visit Yellowstone?” Well, the weather in spring can be unpredictable, but most importantly, this is Mud Season. The melting snow turn trails, meadows and roads into mud. In addition, trails can still be icy and snowy and many of them are still closed.

Many of the roads, lodges, restaurant and visitor centers are also still closed in spring. In fact, there are a couple of weeks, usually in April, in which most of the roads are completely closed. They are closed for snow travel and not open for regular vehicles while the park service plows them.

This is the perhaps the worst time to go to Yellowstone because there is no way to get around most of the park. See winter section below for more details.

However, although I don’t think that spring is the best time of year to visit Yellowstone National Park, there are some good things about visiting this time of year. For one thing, it is not crowded and you will avoid the crowds that descend on Yellowstone as summer approaches.

Spring is also when baby animals are born and there is a good chance of seeing bison and elk calves, wolf and bear cubs, and bighorn lambs, making this a great time to see the park’s wildlife. Read my Guide to the Lamar Valley Drive for more details on “America’s Serengeti”.

It’s also when the waterfalls in Yellowstone are at their fullest (read my Guide to the Best Yellowstone Waterfalls for more details).

What is the best time to visit Yellowstone in spring? If you decide to visit this time of year, the best time is late May.

Pros

Few people
Baby animals

Cons

Mud
Weather can be cold, snowy and rainy
Many facilities, roads and trails are still closed

Yellowstone in Summer (June-August)

yellowstone summer — Everything is open in summer, and the weather is lovely

Summer is the busiest time in Yellowstone. More than 3 million people visit during the peak Yellowstone tourist season; mostly in July and August. This means that accommodations are at their most expensive and fill up early, so you should book well in advance. Check my shortlist of vacation rentals near Yellowstone to find a great place to stay.

Because you need to walk on boardwalks around the geothermal areas of Yellowstone to see everything safely, they can get crowded in summer.

However, summer is a good time to see wildlife and wild flowers. Temperatures are pleasant (typically in the 60’s and 70’s F) and everything is open.

Read about the Best Hikes in Yellowstone and the Most Scenic Drives in Yellowstone National Park.

Is June a good time to visit Yellowstone? Yes. If you decide to visit this time of year, the best time to visit Yellowstone in summer is June.

Pros

Everything is open
Warm weather
Wildflowers
Wildlife is around

Cons

It’s crowded
It’s the most expensive time of the year
Wildfires can create smoke and reduce visibility

If you are planning to visit Yellowstone in spring, summer or fall, make your planning easy and stress free with a detailed itinerary. I have 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-day itineraries for Yellowstone that include all the park highlights, give you choices based on your preferred activity level and take all the stress out of planning your trip.

Check out the 4 Yellowstone itinerary options

Yellowstone in Fall (September – November)

Elk fall yellowstone — Fall is a great time to see wildlife and fall colors

As summer ends, the crowds leave. The boardwalks and trails are much less crowded. Accommodations are cheaper and easier to get. However, some visitor centers, stores and campgrounds start to close as early as mid-September.

Visiting Yellowstone in September

Is September a good time to visit Yellowstone? Yes, Yellowstone National Park in September is wonderful.

The weather in fall is typically mild; however, it can be unpredictable, which can lead to temporary road closures. When I visited in early-mid September, one day it was sunny and I was in a T-shirt. The next day it snowed and the road over the Dunraven Pass between the Canyon section and Tower Falls was temporarily closed overnight (not good when we were at the Canyon and our campground was at Tower Falls and the Norris-Mammoth Hot Springs road was also closed!).

Fall also sees the trees and grasses turn beautiful golden colors. The best time for fall foliage in Yellowstone is typically the last week of September and the first week of October.

September is the best time to visit Yellowstone in the fall.

Visiting Yellowstone in October

Is October a good time to visit Yellowstone? Yes, especially early October. September to mid-October is also elk mating season and seeing (or rather hearing) the elk rut is quite an experience as the males make impressively loud bugling sounds to attract the females. Elk and bison also migrate from higher ground down to the lower reaches where you can see them more easily in the fall. Bears are quite active as they are getting ready for hibernation.

Visiting Yellowstone in November

Is November a good time to visit Yellowstone? Not really. The roads start to close early November. Most of the roads in Yellowstone, with the exception of the northern section through Lamar Valley, (from the North Entrance at Gardiner to Cooke City) are closed to regular traffic from early November to April. The roads don’t open for snow vehicles until December, so most of the park is inaccessible in November.

Pros

Good time for wildlife viewing. Elk rut; bison are heading to lower ground; bears are active before they hibernate in winter
Fall foliage
Fewer people

Cons

Unpredictable weather – snow can cause temporary road closures as early as September
Most roads in the park close early November to regular traffic
Facilities start to close down from mid-September onwards

Yellowstone in Winter (December – March)

yellowstone winter — Much of the park is open for winter activities

Winter is a magical time in Yellowstone. There are very few people (only 3% of the park’s annual visitors go in winter), you can get around by snow mobile or snow coach and it is incredibly beautiful. However, it is also VERY cold!

Starting in mid-December, roads reopen for snowmobile and snow coaches, which give you access to major sites like Old Faithful. Steaming hot springs and geysers surrounded by snow are an incredible sight. Mid-December to the end of February is also the best time for Yellowstone National Park ‘s winter activities. The park is open for snowshoeing, cross country skiing, sledding, sleigh riding, snowmobiling, ice-skating, dogsledding, and ice climbing.

This also a good time to see wolves and bison in Lamar Valley, as they hang around the lower elevations.

Read my Complete Guide to Visiting Yellowstone in Winter for full details

Accommodations and dining in winter

Usually, Old Faithful Snow Lodge and cabins and its restaurant and shop are open through winter. The Snow Lodge’s Bear Den Gift Shop and Geyser Grill plus the Obsidian Dining Room are open in winter.

Mammoth Hotel and hot tub cabins, along with its dining room, gift shop, ski shop, and day tour operations are also open for the winter season.

Winter road information

Although the northern road through the park via Lamar Valley is open to regular traffic year-round, note that the Beartooth Highway which leads to the East Entrance is closed in winter, so the only way to access the park (unless you live in Cooke City, in which case you probably don’t need to read this) is the North Entrance.

Roads opened for over-snow travel (snowmobiles and snow coaches) at 8:00am December 15, 2023

West Entrance to Old Faithful
Mammoth to Old Faithful
Old Faithful to West Thumb
South Entrance to Lake
Lake to Canyon
Canyon to Norris
Lake to Lake Butte Overlook
East Entrance to Lake Butte Overlook (Sylvan Pass)

Roads close to over-snow travel at 9:00pm:

March 3, 2024: Mammoth to Norris
March 5, 2024: Norris to Madison; Norris to Canyon
March 10, 2024: Canyon to Fishing Bridge
March 15, 2024: All remaining groomed roads

Most of the park is then closed for all traffic while roads are plowed until they open for regular traffic in spring (April-May).

Is December a good time to visit Yellowstone? Only after over-snow travel opens. If you decide to visit this time of year, the best time to visit Yellowstone in winter is January and February when it is fully open for winter activities.

Pros

Few people
Can see wolves and bison in Lamar Valley and elk in the Elk Sanctuary
Winter activities

Cons

Most of the lodges, restaurants and visitor centers are closed
Most of the roads are closed for regular traffic
It’s very cold
The bears are hibernating

Now you know what to expect in Yellowstone throughout the year, here’s a quick step-by-step planner:

First up, you’ll need to decide when to go. That’s what this guide is for!

You’ll also need to decide how many days to stay in Yellowstone. Read my guide How many days do you need to see Yellowstone National Park to help you.

Now that you have decided where to stay, the next thing is to decide the best way to get to Yellowstone. Read my guide How To get To Yellowstone National Park for more details.
If you’re taking a road trip, you’ll need to rent a car and plan out your route. Book a car through Discover Car s – you enter your destination and they scan all of the available cars in all the agencies to find the best price for the type of car you want.
You can also read my Guide to Finding the Cheapest Rental Car for handy tips. Check my Road Trip Packing List to make sure you have everything you need for your trip.

If you’re going to fly, read on to determine the best airport to fly into for Yellowstone for your trip. Read my Guide to the Best Yellowstone Airports to help you choose.

Then you’ll need to book a flight. I recommend using Skyscanner to search through all available flights to find the cheapest.

Next, you will need to decide your itinerary. If you’re a planner, then I can make this easy for you. Pick up one of my very detailed, hour-by-hour, day-by-day itineraries for Yellowstone here (you can get them for 1, 2, 3 or 4 days). For other information about Yellowstone, check out my Yellowstone Guides.

And, of course, you’ll need to book accommodation. Read my guides on Vacation Rentals near Yellowstone and Complete Yellowstone Camping Guide. If you get one of my itineraries, one of the free bonus extras is a comprehensive Accommodations Guide to Yellowstone.

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.

WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR PLANNING PROCESS?
Are you just starting to think about taking a national parks trip? Get Inspiration
Are you starting to plan a trip to Yellowstone National Park? Read my Guide to Yellowstone National Park
Do you want a ready-made super detailed plan for your trip to Yellowstone? Get a detailed 1 – 4-day Yellowstone National Park Itinerary
Are you looking for a place to stay near Yellowstone National Park? Find a vacation rental near Yellowstone National Park
Are you ready to book your trip? Use these Planning and Booking Resources
Do you want to read a book about Yellowstone National Park? Check out my Recommended Reading List for Yellowstone National Park

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.