Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is a national park of the United States located mainly in the northwest corner of the state of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho.
A national park, 0 mi northwest of Mammoth
75% of visits come in Jun–Sep
July is the busiest month, with about 883,429 visitors. November sees about 21,473. When to go ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 710K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 99% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 11°, with about 72" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can sleep inside the park
23 places to stay are inside the park: Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Canyon Lodge and Cabins. The nearest town with more is Gardiner. Where to stay ↓
Mammoth is inside the park
Mammoth sits inside the park’s boundary. Where to stay ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Crowds and weather, month by month
Bars: average monthly visitors, 2022–2025. Line: the typical afternoon high. Green months are mild and quieter than average.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is a national park of the United States located mainly in the northwest corner of the state of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially the Old Faithful geyser, one of its most popular. While it represents many types of biomes, subalpine forest is the most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1872
- Area
- 3,469 square miles
- Elevation
- 8,104 ft
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- World Heritage Site (1978)
- Wikipedia readers
- 710K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/yell
Before you go
- Private Vehicle$35
- Non-commercial Groups$20
- Motorcycle$30
- Snowmobile$30
Where to stay near Yellowstone National Park
You can sleep inside the park (23 places). The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Gardiner (38) and West Yellowstone (57).
- 1Yellowstone volcano
- 2Grand Teton
- 3Yellowstone Lake
- 4Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
- 5Yellowstone Falls
- 6Beartooth Highway
- 7Quake Lake
- 8Granite Peak
Stay in the park
- Old Faithful Snow Lodge lodge or cabins
- Canyon Lodge and Cabins lodge or cabins
- Roosevelt Lodge Cabins lodge or cabins
- Grant Village Lodge A lodge or cabins
- Old Faithful Inn hotel
- Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins hotel
Gardiner
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
647 people
6 mi north of Albright Visitor Center · at the park edge
West Yellowstone
1,191 people · 25% vacation homes
30 mi southwest of Albright Visitor Center · at the park edge
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardiner | 6 mi north | 10 min | 38 11 hotels · 2 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 16 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 647 | $633K | — |
| West Yellowstone 25% vacation homes | 30 mi southwest | 45 min | 57 20 hotels · 14 motels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 10 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 1,191 | $504K | B |
| Mammoth 58% vacation homes | inside the park | — | 2 1 hotel · 1 campground | 62 | — | — |
| Jardine 24% vacation homes | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 43 | — | — |
| Corwin Springs | 12 mi northwest | 20 min | 3 1 hotel · 2 lodges & cabins | 207 | — | — |
| Big Sky 59% vacation homes | 36 mi northwest | 55 min | 29 22 hotels · 7 lodges & cabins | 2,445 | $1,138K | — |
| Island Park 81% vacation homes | 44 mi southwest | 1 hr | 31 7 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 18 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 190 | $294K | — |
| Pray | 31 mi north | 45 min | 9 2 hotels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 1,129 | $630K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Also near Yellowstone
Other well-known places within 57 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw117 mi MountainYellowstone volcano
Big draw254 mi National ParkGrand Teton National Park3.8M visitors a year
311 mi LakeYellowstone Lake
48 mi Canyon & gorgeGrand Canyon of the Yellowstone
58 mi WaterfallYellowstone Falls
657 mi Scenic driveBeartooth Highway
747 mi LakeQuake Lake
852 mi MountainGranite PeakPhoto credits
Yellowstone volcano: Ed Austin/Herb Jones, Public domain · Grand Teton National Park: Jon Sullivan, PD Photo., Public domain · Yellowstone Lake: NASA, Public domain · Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yellowstone Falls: Unknown, Public domain · Beartooth Highway: Phil Armitage, Public domain · Quake Lake: Staplegunther at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Granite Peak: jfisher2167, CC BY 2.0
4,762,988 visitors in 2025
Every full year the Park Service has counted. 2020 (gold) was the pandemic year. Green is the record (2021).
Visiting Yellowstone
What town is Yellowstone National Park near?
Mammoth, WY, about 0 miles southeast.
When is the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park?
July and August, with highs of 80–81°. July is the busiest month (about 883,429 visitors).
How many people visit Yellowstone National Park each year?
4,762,988 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 4,860,242, set in 2021.
What is the closest airport to Yellowstone National Park?
Yellowstone (WYS), about 29 miles away.
Where should I stay near Yellowstone National Park?
Inside the park: Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Canyon Lodge and Cabins and Roosevelt Lodge Cabins. Nearby: Gardiner (6 mi, 38 places to stay), West Yellowstone (30 mi, 57 places to stay) and Corwin Springs (12 mi, 3 places to stay).
Tips from people in Mammoth
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Mammoth’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.