Yellowstone counts fewer visits so far compared to last year

Fewer people have visited Yellowstone National Park so far this year compared to the same time frame last year.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that for the year, the park has counted 123,949 visits. That’s slightly behind 2017, which had recorded a little more than 130,000 visits by this point.

Park officials say the difference is almost entirely because of a decline in April. The park counted 37,766 recreational visits for the month, a 16 percent drop from 2017’s April total of 45,160.

The first four months of the year are typically some of the slowest for Yellowstone. Busy season begins in May, when most of the park roads are fully opened.