Sep 18, 2020

Yellowstone has second-busiest August, tourism still down

Posted Sep 18, 2020 4:17 PM

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park had its second-busiest August on record but tourism is still down substantially this year.

In August, Yellowstone had about 882,000 recreation visitors, up 7.5% compared to August 2019.

From January through August, Yellowstone had about 2.5 million visitors, down 18% from the same period in 2019.

The coronavirus prompted the park’s closure in March.

Yellowstone’s five entrances opened for spring traffic a few weeks later than usual.

The two Wyoming entrances opened May 18, followed by the three Montana entrances June 1.

Park services including some restaurants and lodges gradually reopened over the summer season.