Yellowstone visits shot up in May

Posted 6/14/16

People entered Yellowstone’s gates 444,817 times last month, according to park estimates. That shattered the previous May record (set just a year ago) by 15 percent.

May visitation increased by at least 10 percent over last year at all of the …

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Yellowstone visits shot up in May

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If May was any indication, it could be an extraordinarily busy summer in Yellowstone National Park.

People entered Yellowstone’s gates 444,817 times last month, according to park estimates. That shattered the previous May record (set just a year ago) by 15 percent.

May visitation increased by at least 10 percent over last year at all of the park’s entrances ... except for the East Gate west of Cody. There, the Park Service counted only slightly more visitors than they did in May 2015. Still, the 48,652 visits were enough to make last month the busiest May in the East Entrance’s history.

“Last year turned out to be just a banner year for us, so I’m not worried if ... the numbers are flat compared to the previous year,” said Park County Travel Council Marketing Director Claudia Wade. “Frankly, that’s good.”

Wade also has another reason to not worry about the East Entrance lagging behind the other four gates: peoples’ travel plans depend in part on where they’re coming from — and in some places, school is just getting out for the summer break.

“I think a lot depends on travel patterns, particularly this early in the year,” Wade said.

As an indication of just how much Yellowstone visitation has soared, the nearly 445,000 visits counted in May are more than double the levels recorded in 2011. In fact, every May since 2011 has set a new record, according to park statistics.

Yellowstone managers believe the National Park Service’s Centennial celebration, marketing and tourism promotions in Montana and Wyoming and lower gas prices may all be factors that drove last month’s high traffic.

This summer season has already been marred by several high-profile incidents, including a 23-year-old Oregon man who died after walking well off the boardwalk and falling into a hot spring this month.

With the record crowds — and the traditionally busier months still ahead — park officials have been urging Yellowstone visitors to obey the rules and encouraging them to also “pack their patience.”

Between January and May, officials estimate that people passed through Yellowstone’s gates 593,942 times. That’s up from 518,087 visits at the same point in 2015.

2015 was itself a record year, with visitation passing 4 million for the first time in park history.

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