Yellowstone National Park Sets Record Highs in Visitors for May

(AP) - Yellowstone National Park had its busiest May as tourism continued to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic. The park had over 483,000 recreation visits last month, up 11% from May 2019, park officials said Friday.

So far, Yellowstone is having its busiest year in recent memory. The park recorded over 658,000 visits from January through May, the most since 594,000 visits during that time in 2016.

Usually the park opens to vehicles between mid April and mid May but last year was closed from late March through most of May due to the coronavirus. The park’s two Wyoming entrances opened for the summer season May 18 and its three Montana entrances opened June 1.

Tourism rebounded and the park posted its second-busiest August and busiest September and October on record. The park finished 2020 with 3.8 million recreation visits, down 5% from 2019.