Best Time to Visit Yellowstone National Park

May to June, September to October

Months to avoid: July to August (peak crowds, roads gridlocked, lodging scarce and expensive). November to April (most roads and facilities closed, winter access limited to snowmobile or snowcoach).

Recommended stay: 4-6 days

Plan Yellowstone National Park for May to June, September to October. Give it 4-6 days. The window to avoid is July to August (peak crowds, roads gridlocked, lodging scarce and expensive). November to April (most roads and facilities closed, winter access limited to snowmobile or snowcoach)..

What the season gets you

• Lamar Valley at dawn in September: bison herds crossing the river, wolves hunting on the hillsides, and sometimes not another car in sight
• Grand Prismatic Spring from the overlook trail, where the full scale of the colour rings becomes visible and the steam shifts across the boardwalk in the wind
• Wildlife density is extraordinary: bison traffic jams are real, bear sightings are frequent, and wolves were reintroduced here in 1995 and are thriving