Yellowstone announces 2018 visitation statistics
From Yellowstone Public Affairs
Yellowstone National Park experienced another busy year in 2018. The park recorded over 4.1 million visits, a .04 percent decrease from 2017 and a 3.5 percent decrease from the record-breaking year in 2016. It was the third busiest year on record.
Recreation Visits by Year
2018 – 4,114,999
2017 – 4,116,524
2016 – 4,257,177
2015 – 4,097,710
2014 – 3,513,484
To calculate visitation numbers for late December during the shutdown, staff used data from an automated counter that recorded vehicle traffic at the North Entrance and reports from oversnow concessioners.
Yellowstone is a place known and loved by local, regional, national, and international visitors. In this era of increased visitation, the National Park Service remains committed to preserving Yellowstone’s resources and the experience of people who visit. Continued high levels of visitation at Yellowstone remind visitors how important it is to plan your visit ahead of time.
More data on park visitation, including how these numbers are calculated, is available at https://irma.nps.gov/Stats.
Since 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of America’s more than 400 national parks. With the help of volunteers and partners, NPS safeguards these special places and share their stories with millions of people every year. •