Yellowstone visitation up 40 percent in 9 years

Two separate studies commissioned by Yellowstone National Park in 2016 show visitors enjoy the park, but they think it’s too crowded during the summer season. The studies looked at traffic, parking, visitor demographics, values, experiences, and expectations. Since 2008, annual visitation at Yellowstone has increased by 40 percent. The growth has challenged the park’s ability to manage visitor use to protect resources and still offer high-quality visitor experiences. “Historic and recent trends demonstrate that visitation will increase over the long-term, therefore, it is imperative for us to plan now,” said Superintendent Dan Wenk. “Good visitor use management will allow the park to protect resources, encourage access, and improve experiences.” A visitor use study found 83 percent of Yellowstone’s visitors came from the United States and 17 percent from abroad. Of those international visitors, 49 percent were from Europe, 34 percent from China, and 10 percent from Canada. Most visitors said they valued the park’s natural character, scenery, wildlife, and thermal features, but more than half said the park was too crowded. A transportation study found most roads and parking lots were too busy, especially roads connecting the West Entrance with visitor attractions throughout the western and central portions of the park. During much of the summer, there are nearly 30 percent more vehicles than the roads can comfortably and safely handle. The data will be used by park managers as they consider management strategies for the future through 2019. Those could include communication and traffic management systems, shuttle systems, and other types of transportation alternatives, and reservations or timed-entry systems. Those strategies could be implemented in key locations or statewide. You can find both reports here.