10 Easy Tips to Avoid Crowds in Yellowstone National Park

Can you believe 4.5 million people visit Yellowstone National Park each year? It’s one of the most popular National Parks in the United States (for good reason!). Because of this, many would assume it’s impossible to avoid crowds in Yellowstone, but that’s simply not the case!

Yellowstone is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and should definitely be on your must-see list! Don’t let its popularity keep you from visiting. We’re sharing 10 easy tips to avoid crowds in Yellowstone National Park on your next visit and ensure a great experience.

What Are The Best Ways to Avoid Crowds in Yellowstone?

There are 10 easy ways to avoid Yellowstone’s Crowds. Let’s plan ahead and prepare for an amazing Yellowstone National Park Vacation together with these ten tips!

1. Visit Yellowstone During Shoulder Season (or winter!)

If at all possible, visit Yellowstone in its off-season. The Spring shoulder season is early March through May and the fall season is late September through October. 

Only 35 % of Yellowstone’s visitation occurs during the off-season making Spring, Fall, and Winter ideal times to visit the park. Winter definitely has its limitations, however, if you’re an avid outdoor enthusiast who regularly recreates in winter conditions, this might prove to be your best time to visit. 

Summer crowds bring Yellowstone’s vast majority of visitors, so avoiding that time is key to truly experiencing the park with fewer people. If, like us, you have to go in the summer – don’t fret! We have 9 additional tips to help you beat the crowds.

Our Experience: As teachers, summer is our prime adventuring time! This means heading to Yellowstone during the winter season or off season simply isn’t an option. Luckily, there are so many steps you can take to have a great time and avoid Yellowstone’s crowds.

2. Get Up and Out Early

Time of day is so important in Yellowstone National Park! Wake up before the sun rises and hit the road in the early morning hours.

Whether you’re trying to find parking at a popular trailhead or looking for solitude at one of Yellowstone’s famous hydrothermal features, the earlier you go, the better. Added bonus, you’ll likely get so see some sights without the crowds and then enjoy a meal crowd free during prime viewing time.

Waking at dawn will also improve your chances of seeing Yellowstone’s most coveted wildlife. Lamar valley and Hayden Valley are prime wildlife viewing areas! The early morning light is also one of the prettiest ways to experience nature (& snag drool-worthy photos of your favorite sights). Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Our Experience: We woke up at 5:00 AM to head over to Old Faithful geyser one morning. It was amazing to watch it erupt in the morning haze with only a handful of other park visitors. After a quick hike to solitary geyser and around the basin, the viewing area really started to fill up. We made our way inside to Old Faithful Inn and grabbed breakfast without much of a line and made our way out of the area just as the parking lots began to fill up! It was a perfect morning in the park.

3. Overnight in the Parks

Go to bed in the park and wake up in the park. It’s simple as that! Cut the travel time of staying outside of the park and plan for your accommodations to be within Yellowstone National Park.

Staying within the park is an experience itself! Why miss out on more time in Yellowstone?

Within the park’s boundaries, there are hotels, cabins, campgrounds, and backcountry campsites. Choose your own adventure and pick the accommodation that works best for your family. 

Our Experience: Yellowstone is a beautiful place! This also makes it a bucket list spot for many with multiple iconic sites, local wildlife, amazing trails. To optimize our time in the park, we decided to sleeping in the park each day that we were there. We stayed about 10 minutes away from the North Entrance in Montana the night leading up to our trip and it put us in a great position to start early, avoid Yellowstone’s crowds, and really enjoy such a beautiful place from the start.

4. Campsite Hop for Best Positioning

Take your Yellowstone National Park stay one step further by campsite hopping. This will make the most of your time, allowing you to avoid Yellowstone crowds along the way.

This might seem like a pain in the butt, but hear me out! Make the most of your time by covering one area of the park per day; stay at a different location within the park each night and choose where you explore based on where you’re staying that evening.

This strategy completely removes unnecessary driving from your schedule and makes more time for sightseeing. We are so glad our trip happened to work out this way – it *made* our trip.

Our Experience: The best place to sleep is the campsite closest to where you’re exploring for the day. This gives you more than enough time to see everything you need during daylight and prevents you from spending all of your time driving back and forth on grand loop road.

5. Leave the Main Road

If you have the capability, take the path less traveled. Put some miles on your hikin’ shoes or bikin’ tires and leave the beaten path! Take a hike or ride your bike to some of Yellowstone’s hidden gems. 

It’s imperative that you’re prepared with the 10 essentials, including bear spray and a map. Depending on the trail, being physically fit enough to embark on a little adventure is also a necessity. BUT, leaving the main road is so worth it!

Avoid Yellowstone crowds by simply leaving them behind. You’ll find yourself in a sea of beauty experiencing sights that many other visitors are missing out on! 

Our Experience: Yellowstone is home to many famous geysers, wild animals, and miles of trails. We made sure to visit all of the popular destinations, check out a visitor center or two, and still avoid large crowds by getting an early start and heading out on longer hikes at peak hours. We purchased a Yellowstone National Park Map and chose the best hikes based on how far away they would bring us from the main road and popular sites.

6. Pack a Lunch

Brown bag your lunch and bring it along for the adventure! Packing your lunch will save you time and give you the freedom to eat when you want, where you want.

This allows you to eat on the trail, which is the perfect place to be in the middle of the day when Yellowstone crowds are at their highest!

Additionally, even if you’re not on trail, you can avoid Yellowstone crowds by avoiding restaurants mid-day and opting for a peaceful picnic lunch at one of the many picnic areas within the park. All picnic areas come with beautiful views and an opportunity to leave the herds of tourists behind. 

Our Experience: We ate many late afternoon lunches in beautiful picnic areas. We avoided all of the long lines and wait times by finding a good picnic area or a scenic parking spot and enjoying lunch together on the fly!

7. Hit the Water

Are you a paddler? This is an amazing way to avoid Yellowstone crowds and experience views most other guests will miss out on. 

Bring your watercraft to the park for a truly unique experience; motorized watercrafts are permitted on Yellowstone Lake only but non-motorized watercrafts such as kayaks and canoes are allowed in many bodies of water after inspection.

Additionally, you can always schedule a guided trip or rent from the National Park Lodges. If you’re looking to avoid crowds in Yellowstone, getting out on the water is one way to make it happen!

Our Experience: Honestly, Spencer and I aren’t really big paddlers. However, we must admit that a paddle down the Yellowstone river would be a great way to experience the park and avoid Yellowstone’s crowds. When we return, we will definitely look into a kayak or canoe rental because I can’t think of a better way to skip the tourists and experience the park.

8. Embrace Alternative Views

Try to check out a different, lesser-traveled view of the most popular attractions! For many of Yellowstone’s tourist attractions, there’s an even more amazing view that you have to work a little bit harder for.

For example, there are several different ways to experience Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls. Take time to travel the North and South Rim trails to experience the beauty of the canyon without the crowds.

Grand Prismatic and Old Faithful are also home to trails that lead you up and above the crowds for a gorgeous view! You just need to know where to look.

Our Experience: Luckily, we’re big time hikers. Hiking in the areas around popular thermal features, such as the Norris geyser basin, helps you to escape the crowds and experience the park. We took the long route at nearly every iconic area and we don’t regret our decision!

9. Stay Out Late

Stay out past your bedtime in Yellowstone! You won’t regret the peaceful, stillness of night in the park. 

Visitors start to turn in around 6 PM to clean up, eat dinner, and make camp. If you’re willing to stay out until the sun sets, you’ll be experiencing a lot of the park without the Yellowstone crowds.

Be mindful of headlamp needs, bear spray, and layers; it gets dark and cold quickly in the greater Yellowstone area. 

Our Experience: I am an early bird through and through. Staying out late is really not on our list! We had a few evenings where we ventured out after setting up camp and it was really nice to experience popular destinations with less people.

10. Take A Backcountry Trip

Reserved for true, experienced outdoorsmen and women… hit the backcountry. Secure a permit and plan for an epic overnight (or two) in the Yellowstone wilderness.

With the proper gear and knowledge, this is the best way to experience the beauty of Yellowstone National Park. A backcountry trip is a surefire way to avoid Yellowstone crowds.

Our Experience: We saw backcountry campsites on so many of our Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park Hikes! It really had us itching for a good overnight in the woods. With that in mind, we were a bit apprehensive in an grizzly bear’s paradise and decided to stick to our front country campsites.

If You Can’t Beat the Crowds, Join Them

If you can’t bring yourself to wake up early, can’t hike a few miles into the wilderness, and can’t travel to Yellowstone during off-peak times, you’re going to have to join the crowd. Embrace it!

Understand that certain attractions are tourist traps and that’s okay! Go into it knowing that you are one out of a million -literally- who will visit that site that year. Just because it’s crowded, doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it…

Here are three ways to make the most of the crowds

• Make friends with other explorers! I’m not much of a chatty-Kathy, but my husband can talk to anyone…
  We’ve met some really cool people waiting for geysers to erupt, sitting in line for first come first serve camping, and hanging out at overlooks in many different National Parks. It truly only enhances the trip!
• Get creative with your viewpoints. If there are a lot of people around you enjoying the same views, get creative…
  Think of different angles, zooming in, and using ‘props’ as foreground. My husband is also the king of using me to ‘crop’ the people out behind me when taking photos. Have fun with it while staying safe and on trail.
• Choose one really popular location per day. Save yourself some sanity and only visit the really crowded, must-see sites once per day…
  Plan to hit the crowded location first and then spend the rest of your day visiting less busy locations around the park.

Avoid Crowds in Yellowstone: Your Questions, Answered

1. What Should I Avoid in Yellowstone National Park?

• Visiting During Peak Season: Traveling to Yellowstone National Park in late June through early September will not help you in avoiding the crowds.

• Famous Sights between 9 AM and 4 PM: Simply avoid major sights during 9AM and 4PM. This is when the park is most alive with bustling human crowds. 

• Popular junctions, such as Mammoth, mid-day: Road junctions, restaurants, and park entrances are busy at mid day. The peacefulness of the landscape will completely escape your mind as you wait in traffic. 

• Getting out of the car every time you see a Bison: Please and thank you. First a foremost, pulling over causes traffic jams. Secondly, give the animals their space! Enjoy them from the car or find a pull out to safely exit your vehicle for a better look. 

• Going in Without A Plan: You have to arrive to Yellowstone with some type of lose plan at the minimum. Otherwise, you won’t make the most of your time and you’ll miss out on so many amazing things within the park!

2. Is Yellowstone too crowded to visit?

No, Yellowstone is not too crowded to visit. It’s a busy place in the summer months, however, during these busy times it’s more than possible to avoid Yellowstone’s crowds with these 10 tips!

3. Are there any specific days of the week with fewer crowds?

Weekends are generally busier. Consider visiting midweek (Tuesday-Wednesday) for a slightly less crowded experience, especially during peak season.

4. What time of day is best to see the geothermal features?

Early mornings (before 9 am) and evenings (after 5 pm) tend to be less crowded at popular geothermal areas like Old Faithful. You’ll witness the wonders with a more serene atmosphere.

5. How can I plan my itinerary to avoid peak crowd times?

Research popular attraction wait times online and plan your visit for off-peak hours. Utilize the park’s loop roads strategically to minimize backtracking in heavy traffic; mid-day traffic at road junctions should be expected! Plan around it.

6. Are there any guided tours that focus on avoiding crowds?

Look for “early bird” or “sunrise” tours offered by concessionaires within the park. These tours often access popular areas before the general crowds arrive.

7. What about lodging options that might be less crowded?

Camping in some of the less popular areas, like Madison, Lewis Lake, and Slough Creek tend to feel less crowded than very busy campground like Grant Village and Canyon.

If you don’t mind doing a lot of driving, consider staying outside the park gates in gateway towns like Gardiner, Cooke City, or West Yellowstone. These towns offer a wider range of accommodation options and might be less crowded than in-park lodging.

8. Are there benefits to visiting Yellowstone during the off-season?

Absolutely! Witness the dramatic winter landscapes with minimal crowds when visiting during he off-season. However, be prepared for limited services and road closures. Check the park website for updated information on winter access.

9. Are there any resources to help me plan a crowd-free Yellowstone adventure?

The National Park Service website provides real-time information on current park conditions, including crowd forecasts. Utilize online forums and travel blogs for specific tips on avoiding crowds at popular attractions.

By following these tips, you can experience the magic of Yellowstone National Park with fewer crowds, allowing you to truly appreciate the park’s natural wonders. Remember, with a little planning and flexibility, you can have a truly unforgettable and crowd-free Yellowstone adventure!

10. How do you avoid Yellowstone’s crowds?

• Visit Yellowstone During Off or Shoulder Season
• Get Up and Out Early
• Book Overnight Accommodations in the Park
• Campsite Hop for Best Positioning
• Leave the Pavement
• Pack a Lunch
• Hit the Water
• Embrace Alternative Views
• Stay Out Late
• Go Backpacking

Conclusion

It’s important to try and avoid crowds in Yellowstone if you’re traveling during the busy season. Luckily, there are a number of ways you can do this and still see all of the most popular sites!

If you’re unable to avoid Yellowstone’s crowds – it can be very cool to experience these natural wonders with the company of others. Embrace the crowd and realize you’re witnessing something pretty unique with a bunch of people you’ll likely never see again…