Tag Archives: 2020 Yellowstone visitation

So much for COVID-19 dampening enthusiasm for regional travel: September Yellowstone visitation set an all-time record, according to numbers released today by the National Park Service.

We’re entering the end run of the 2020 Yellowstone summer season. Services will gradually close throughout the month of October, and visitation will tail off. But we won’t see anything tail off this weekend, as a glorious weather forecast will undoubtedly bring a healthy number of visitors to Yellowstone for one last run. 

In what’s been a most unusual season, 2020 Yellowstone visitation is as robust as ever, even though Yellowstone National Park is operating at less than full capacity, with plenty of services and lodgings shut down. So why are the crowds so robust? Blame the COVID.

There were 43,019 reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States today, but none of them came from Yellowstone National Park, as NPS officials reported that all pending Yellowstone COVID-19 testing came back negative.

Despite a surprising number of visitors to the park in July, another round of testing yielded no new Yellowstone COVID-19 cases as of mid-July.

With the summer season upon us and anecdotal evidence of crowds returning, it’s important to note that the Yellowstone fire danger is now currently rated as very high by the National Park Service.

A limited number of Old Faithful Inn rooms will open to the public starting July 24, as Superior, Premium and Suites facilities will be available for overnight stays.

Yellowstone visitation in June 2020 was down some 32 percent from June 2019 visitation numbers, as the COVID-19 pandemic is clearly keeping many folks at home during the high summer season.

If you plan on a July-October visit, you’ll have more options when it comes to 2020 Yellowstone lodging, as concessionaire Xanterra plans on opening Lake, Canyon and Old Faithful Snow Lodge rooms for the rest of the season.

Another round of testing, another round of good news: After 190 tests of NPS and concessionaire employees, there were no positive COVID-19 Yellowstone tests recorded, keeping the park’s winning streak alive.