Yellowstone National Park Expects A Busy Summer, And So Should You
Yellowstone National Park officials expect another busy summer season and they have some tips for you when you visit.
“More than half of the record 4.25 million visits in 2016 took place during June, July, and August,” Superintendent Dan Wenk said in a news release Wednesday.
“Whether you are visiting Yellowstone for the first time or the fiftieth, we hope you’ll take the Yellowstone Pledge and plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable trip," Wenk said.
Park officials said visitors should expect busy facilities and destinations, and delayed travel times due to heavy traffic and wildlife jams.
They also suggest arriving early or staying late, and avoiding main attractions -- Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Norris Geyser Basin -- during peak hours.
The park offers some tips in a video narrated by a ranger.
Park officials also urge visitors to take the Yellowstone Pledge, a personal promise they can make to themselves and the park. It can be taken anywhere—at home, in your car, or in front of your bathroom mirror -- and now it’s available in 10 languages.
They offer these tips before you go:
- Check the current park conditions for information on road construction, temporary road closures, and the backcountry situation report.
- Reserve space in a campground or hotel - these facilities fill far in advance.
- Expect very limited access to cellular phone service and WiFi.
- Read the Top Things to Know.
- Download Yellowstone’s app before you arrive.
While you are at the park:
- Attend a ranger program.
- Read the summer newspaper, which you will receive when you drive through the entrance.
- Maintain safe distances from wildlife (practice safe selfies).
- Carry bear spray because a bear doesn’t care whether you are a hiker, backpacker, angler, photographer, wolf watcher, or geyser gazer.
- Join an InstaMeet where social media friends and followers meet in real life to take photos and exchange ideas.
- Tag your photos with #YellowstonePledge.