Visitor Trends Reveal Yellowstone’s Rising Popularity

New numbers released by researchers at QR Code Generator reveal the popularity of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks among tourists.  The group analized visitor data from 2019 - 2024, and Wyoming's two parks sit at #2 and #3 on the list.

Those numbers are impressive.

Last year saw an uptick in total number of visitors to Northwest Wyoming. Yellowstone saw the second-highest number of visitors in a single season, with 4,349,689. That number is just about 123,000 less than the 2021 record-setting season of 4,472,687.

Just down the road, Grand Teton National Park saw a total of 3,628,222 visits, up approximately 211,000 from 2023, but still down from 2021s 3,885,230.

Today (April 18) marks the first day Yellowstone's West entrance is open, and the lines were long as people waited for opening day. The picture above is a screen grab from the line of vehicles waiting to enter.

If you monitor any of the Yellowstone or Grand Teton social media pages, there is a buzz from people with plans to visit the park this year, so 2025 could shape up to be another huge year for visitors.

When planning a trip to the National Parks, and you're not a fan of crowds, you'll want to avoid July and August. Yellowstone averages 921,000 visitors in July and 866,000 in August.

Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator says it's called Peak Season for a reason.

Peak season usually exists for a reason—it’s usually when the park offers the best conditions for sightseeing and exploring, with incredible visuals. But visiting extremely popular touristic locations during off-peak times also has its advantages: not only are they emptier, but they also have different and unique sights that most people miss on.