What’s the best month to visit YNP?

ARTICLE UPDATED 25 May 2024

You’ve made your decision to take a Yellowstone vacation in 2024. But what month is the best month to come Here’s a rundown of the summer season to help you plan your vacation.

SEASONS IN YELLOWSTONE

There are two main seasons in Yellowstone, Summer, and Winter. Between these two seasons, the park closes most of the roads. The summer season begins in mid-April and goes to the first weekend in November. To sign up to receive text messages regarding road closures and entrance status text 82190 to 888-777 or visit Park Roads: Yellowstone National Park

APRIL 2024

The park opens for the summer season in mid-April with access from the north and west gates. In the Cody area, the wildlife is starting to gather for migration back into the parks. The first bears have emerged from their dens, and this is a great time to visit us! Wildlife viewing here in the Cody area is often spectacular.

MAY 2024

Usually, the first weekend in May is when Yellowstone’s East Gate (the Cody Entrance!) opens. This was a typical year, as a tour guide my phone was getting pinging  announcements  by Yellowstone Park that the roads were opening and closing due to weather.  It’s best to plan for a longer stay in Cody in May, because unexpected closures can happen from weather and tours will need to be rescheduled by a few hours or a day.  Road closure can last anywhere from a few hours to a day.  But if you want to see wildlife, this is the month to be here! Yesterday we watched a Grizzly Bear nurse her two cubs, Bison calves (known as “red dogs”) are being born, and the wolves are hanging around the den shuttling meat to the pups. Migration is underway, and the wildlife are following the snow line back into the park. This can be a wet and chilly month punctuated with glorious bluebird sky days (plan on dressing in layers) and some A+ wildlife viewing for your tour!

JUNE 2024

It snows somewhere in Park County Wyoming every month of the year, so be prepared, but sometime during the month of June summer arrives in Yellowstone. Of course, in Cody, we’re already there with 70–80 degree days (although the prediction looks solidly in the low 70’s for the month…but anything is possible at an elevation of 5000’). June in Yellowstone means green meadows, snowcapped mountains, pumping waterfalls, baby animals everywhere, and the wildflowers are starting to pop. The crowds also begin to build this month as school lets out, but this is my favorite month for Yellowstone.  Predators are out all day hunting elk calves, the scenery is spectacular, the days are pleasant, and the crowds are reasonable.  This is a great month to book a tour with us!

JULY 2024

The number of visitors picks up its pace after the 4th of July. This is the best time to think about visiting Yellowstone if you want to see the geysers and hot springs at their best. It’s a bit more challenging to find wildlife this time of year as bears head to the high country to feast on moths and elk and other wildlife head higher as well to enjoy cooler temperatures. Even so, there are always some that hang out closer to the roads all summer long. Late June and early July give us the peak of the wildflower season.

AUGUST 2024

The crowds start to dwindle in August as families begin to focus on the next school year. Grasses begin to cure out, and the wildflowers are fewer. The first snowfall in the high country may come sometime this month, and those cooler temperatures bring the wildlife back down. The days are still hot, but nights start to get cooler by the end of the month. The bison begin their rut at the end of July and August is a great time to find the herds gathered.

SEPTEMBER 2024

This can be one of the best months weather-wise to visit. There’s a crispness to the morning air that gives way to some beautiful sunny days. The elk rut that started in August hits its peak in September. Bears are beginning to prepare for hibernation by eating more and more hours a day to pack on the pounds. Nights can be quite chilly, giving way to sparkling frost-filled mornings. This is a great month if you want to take a wildlife tour.

OCTOBER 2024

Facilities start to shut down in the park in September and these closures pick up this month. Not to worry, though, as we always know what’s open and where to take you to see the best of Cody/Yellowstone country. As things shut down, the number of visitors also drops. Bears are now entirely focused on consuming as much as they can at this point. Elk and other wildlife that migrate out of the park for the winter are on the move. Sometimes we also see unusual geyser activity in September and October. The park closes up usually the first weekend in November to prepare for the upcoming winter season

READY TO BOOK YOUR TOUR?

There’s really no wrong time to visit Yellowstone. By booking a private tour (and by private we really mean you are getting your very own tour guide for just yourself and your party) with us, we’ll take care of the driving for you in our comfortable SUVs, and with our expert guides, you won’t need to worry about anything but what memories you want to make.

Give us a call to book your custom tour today! Or pick your tour and date on our Expedition Page.