May visitation to Yellowstone sets new record

Following a mild winter and despite high gas prices, Yellowstone National Park recorded its busiest May ever, with 570,272 recreation visits, the National Park Service announced on Tuesday.

Tourist numbers topped last May's record-setting visitation by only 1%, or about 3,900 people.

So far in 2026, the park has hosted 773,653 recreation visits, up 1% from 2025 (762,672 recreation visits), and up 19% from 2021 (649,153 recreation visits). More than 4.8 million people visited the park in 2021, which still stands as the record year for visitation.

Visitors to Yellowstone are being urged to plan ahead — both to stay safe and to help protect the iconic wild landscapes.

For more tips on how to make your visit more relaxed and memorable, log on to nps.gov/yell/learn/news/26009.htm.