You’ll be taking in the views among your own herd of tourists. Beyond that, the biggest expenses you will incur are gas and hotel or campsite nightly fees. Most major park roads begin to reopen at the end of the month. Animals begin to stir out of hibernation and newborn babies make their first appearances. Dawn and dusk are especially good times for photography and wildlife-spotting (particularly in Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley) when animals are most active. Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. Here’s the truth: Considering all the wonders of Yellowstone, not to mention all the other geysers in the park, Old Faithful isn’t all that amazing. Get an early start: the earlier you … Spring. Hardy species like bison and elk are not shy of visitors, nor do they hibernate, which means spotting them in Yellowstone National Park is pretty much guaranteed throughout the year. Phase 2, now underway, includes reopening campgrounds, gift shops, and takeout food service. Download the Limitless Travel Playbook & get our most powerful travel tactics, points strategies & more! Early (and late) birds avoid crowds and traffic Visit the park during nonpeak hours—before 9 am and after 3 pm. Editor’s Note: Yellowstone National Park is slowly beginning to reopen since it shuttered in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Use this points strategy to lock in pennies-on-the-dollar pricing in 2021, all without being a frequent flyer... How do I only pay $30 to go to Hawaii, $200 for business class to Asia or just $150 to Europe? It would be nice to avoid summer crowds, but is May too iffy on temps? If views are what you’re after, skip the more popular Mount Washburn Trail—you’re practically guaranteed to share the killer view from the top—and instead grab your bear spray and water bottle and head up Bunsen Peak. While the majority of roads remain open through the end of the month, an early snowfall can cause unexpected closures. The park's largest off-road geyser basin with some 500 features, Shoshone Geyser Basin is a good destination for a long day hike (about 17 miles round-trip). Also, in Mammoth, the elk are in the rut, the mating season. Like most other destinations, the cheapest time to visit Yellowstone National Park is when demand for hotels, restaurants, and flights is at its lowest. Because fall is getting to be a more popular time to visit because crowds are lower, you’ll still want to book your reservations months in advance. If your itinerary includes staying the night, be sure to check with the venue ahead of time. You’ll also need to boil or filter water for drinking, keep your food safe from bears, and cross rivers. The park welcomes over 4 million visitors every year, and yet, less than 3 percent of that number of people visit … WHY is Winter the BEST time of year to visit Yellowstone? These wildlife sightings, along with the season’s unique white landscapes, make winter a dream for photographers. The winter is the best time to go to Yellowstone National Park to avoid the crowds. Following in the bison’s footsteps, this is when elk reach their “rut,” particularly around Mammoth Hot Springs. Go early in the day, before or just after an early breakfast, or hike a nearby trail to take in view you can’t get from the tourist-packed walkways. Traditionally, April through May and September through October in Yellowstone experience fewer crowds and offer the best weather of the year — perfect conditions for exploring its trails, camping outdoors, and star-gazing at night. As of reporting, 2 of 5 entrances are open as part of Phase 1 of a 3-phase plan, as well as resumed road access, approved tours, public restrooms, and gas stations. The park’s high elevation means temperatures can soar or plummet dramatically within a single season. Ah, summer. Hot Tip: Yellowstone’s lodges, shops, and campgrounds reopen in spring on a staggered schedule, so keep that in mind as you plan out your itinerary. The best time to visit Yellowstone is early to mid-September because the weather is reliable and it is less crowded than in the summer months. All rights reserved. The best time to visit Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park, is in the fall and spring when crowds have thinned out and the weather is still relatively nice. What about September? If you hate crowds, this is how to see Yellowstone! Any and all options, reviews, comments and analyses are the responsibility of the author(s) and not any Advertiser or credit card issuer. Straddling the borders of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, the 2.2 million acres within Yellowstone’s borders attract upwards of 4 million visitors a year who journey from around the world to see its unique wonders, including active geysers, thundering waterfalls, steaming hot springs, and incredible (and abundant) native wildlife, such as herds of American bison. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. Fancier hotels, like the legendary Old Faithful Inn, can see room rates exceed $500. #Yellowstone #wyoming #oldfaithful ☀️, If you’re planning to eat at one of Yellowstone’s restaurants (where the food’s not great but it’s certainly convenient) you’ll need to make a reservation ahead of time. Gas can run you into the hundreds of dollars depending on where you’re coming from and how much you anticipate moving around. is reliably less packed—and watch then. Be it a 2-day jaunt or a 12-day odyssey, you’re guaranteed to leave with memories that will last a lifetime. But the real treat is afterward, when you can walk the boardwalks from Old Faithful through the Upper Geyser Basin, seeing less frequented geysers with hardly another person in sight. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. © 2021 Upgraded Points™, LLC. Yellowstone’s facilities begin a staggered opening as spring settles in, with grass and prairie flowers blossoming. … The Cheapest Time to Visit Yellowstone Flights to the nearest major airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, are typically cheapest between October and February, … Featured Image Credit: Late-April to late-May is a great time to visit Yellowstone because roads, services, and major attractions are opening and you can enjoy the park without … The average temperatures can play anywhere between the 20s and 60s, again, make sure you pack layered clothes. A: Go to Glacier instead. Make a game plan ahead of time about which hikes or sights you want to see. Keep in kind that wildfire season is also still in effect, which may affect air quality. Our guide walks you through the various types of vehicles and trailers, as well as several websites to search for cheap rentals! How Much Does It Cost to Go to Yellowstone National Park? There is a flat $35 entry fee for all non-commercial vehicles entering Yellowstone National Park, which is valid for 7 days and also grants access to Grand Teton National Park just 31 miles away, if you are considering visiting both. There is no right or wrong time to visit Yellowstone. 2. By mid-morning, you can expect full parking lots at some of the major points of interest, including the waterfall at Artist Point and the colorful Grand Prismatic Spring—the largest hot spring in the park. Once Memorial Day weekend hits, rates to begin to rise and don’t come back down until the end of the fall. Ha! Visiting in late afternoon around sunset can also a good strategy to avoid large crowds while enjoying beautiful “golden hour” photography opportunities. As with everywhere in Yellowstone—but especially when hiking—take extra precautions. Visiting outside the peak summer season is the best way to avoid the crowds. Most, if not all, major park roads are now open for public use, making even Yellowstone’s most remote corners accessible once more. If you do not stop for any reason, and do not encounter any traffic or delays along the way, 4 hours can be accomplished. Be sure to never feed or touch any animals and always view them from a safe distance. Email needed if you'd like comment updates. All Rights Reserved. #Yellowstone #Wyoming . The park’s vivid wildflowers that cover the hillsides typically last until mid-July. In fact, you might be surprised how affordable a visit can be if you stick to campsites, avoid expensive tours, and bring your own food. Instead, decide what you want to do while there as the park offers different activities depending on the weather. Reservations are essential if you plan to camp or lodge this month, as rooms and sites can be booked as far as a full year ahead of time. Limited availability at both hotels and campgrounds often forces travelers to preplan months — even a year — in advance. From early to mid-August, large numbers of bison gather in the Hayden and Lamar Valleys to begin the bison breeding season, or what is also known as “the rut.” Even from a distance, you can hear bulls emitting guttural roars as they try to attract females and strut their stuff to ward off challengers. Temperatures hover around the mid-60s, though cooler nights signal a change of seasons is approaching. Just be wary about packing too light: while June can be warm in the lower valleys, higher elevations still experience some light snow. You’ll be ahead of the pack, giving you the best chance to spot the animals without competing for parking spots and the perfect camera angle. Not so much a trail but rather a bunch of paved inclines followed by just over 300 steps, Uncle Tom descends more than… For Artist Point, take the North Rim Trail to view the park’s Grand Canyon without having to elbow your way to the front. Without summer’s endless crowds to contend with, those that brave winter’s elements might also discover the only ones they have to share Yellowstone with are the non-hibernating wildlife. Leave summer to the crowds by planning your trip for late spring, early fall, or the winter season. Peak time is between noon and 6 pm. Some of my tips to help you avoid the crowds in Yellowstone will come as no surprise. September in Yellowstone is particularly thrilling. Together with August, July is also Yellowstone’s most crowded month. Bears and wolves awaken from hibernation — particularly grizzlies around Lamar Valley — and can be seen exploring the grounds with newborns in tow. It’s the right mixture of good weather and fewer crowds. Otherwise, you might have to contend with mobbed boardwalks and platforms around attractions and traffic jams — especially if a slow-moving bison herd decides to cross the road. Please view our privacy policy here. Winter is long and harsh in Yellowstone, making it the least popular season to visit. This might be an opportune time to try out one of Yellowstone’s adrenaline-packed winter activities like cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, or ice-climbing frozen waterfalls — unique experiences you can only get this time of year. Thankfully, this month also sees the snowplows emerge, which begin to clear the roads for the first time since the beginning of winter. Visit the country's first national park minus the wild herds...of tourists. While March is still considered winter in this part of the country, April starts to show true signs of spring. is reliably less packed—and watch then. The content featured on UpgradedPoints.com has not been provided by the credit card companies mentioned. If wearing extra layers doesn’t bother you, April can be a nice time to go. July is the hottest month by far in Yellowstone National Park, with temperatures peaking in the 80s. Phase 3, which involves hotels, restaurants, and ranger-led programs, will take effect as health conditions allow. Crowds are inclined to skinny out after Labor Day in Glacier National Park, and guests can count on cool however pleasurable temperatures by October. You can’t go to Yellowstone without visiting Lamar Valley, also known as America’s Serengeti. I recommend spending time at Yellowstone in September if you’re looking for cheaper prices on hotels and activities or if you want to avoid the summer crowds. The best time to visit Yellowstone depends on whether you value warm weather, sparse crowds, baby animal sightings or brilliant fall foliage. Chris Leipelt via Unsplash, Currently based in New York, Lindsey spent her childhood in Connecticut dreaming of far-off places. By now, park wildlife can be seen throughout the long, daylight hours, and their playful babies, now stronger and more footsure, are a joy to watch. Prices usually tend to drop after Labor Day and don’t begin to rise until March. Visiting Yellowstone in the Winter: pros and cons. The days grow shorter and colder, requiring more than just a light jacket. Where to Stay Inside Yellowstone National Park. If you want to cross this one off your bucket list, wait until the day crowd is gone and visitors are eating their dinner—7p.m.