MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. – Yellowstone National Park set a new record for May visitations as it saw 570,272 recreation visits in May 2026, up 1% from May 2025 when there were 566,363 recreational visits.
According to a park press release, visitation in May 2026 was the busiest on record for the month of May and showed a 20% increase from May 2021, which had 473,799 recreation visits and was Yellowstone's record-breaking year with over 4.8 million recreation visits.
Watch the report here:
So far in 2026, the park has hosted 773,653 recreation visits, up 1% from 2025 with 762,672 recreation visits, and up 19% from 2021 with 649,153 recreation visits.
The list below shows the year-to-date trend for recreation visits over the last several years through May:
2026 – 773,653
2025 – 762,672
2024 – 719,127
2023 – 644,979
2022 – 733,471 (The park was closed June 13 through June 21 due to the historic flood event [nps.gov]. Three entrances opened on June 22.)
2021 – 649,153
The press release provided this additional information:
Visiting Yellowstone National Park during the busy summer months? Plan ahead by browsing the park's top things to know [nps.gov] and downloading the free NPS app [nps.gov].
Protect yourself and the park by taking the Yellowstone Pledge [nps.gov], act responsibly and safely [nps.gov], and set a good example for others.
