When’s a good time to visit Yellowstone? The answer depends on the activities you like and the weather you are prepared to experience.
Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
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Months: May, June Daytime: 50s & 60s °F (teens °C) Nighttime: 30s °F (0-4°C) | Months: July, August Daytime: 70s – low 80s °F (20s °C) Nighttime: 40s °F or below (below 9°C) | Months: September to early October Daytime: 40s – 60s °F (5-20°C) Nighttime: freezing and below | Months: mid-October to April Daytime: around freezing to well below Nighttime: usually freezing, often below 0°F (-18°C) |
ProsBaby animals numerous Wildflowers at lower elevations Waterfalls at their peak | ProsWildflowers everywhere Drier trails Berries ripening in August Clear, starlit nights Great fishing | ProsCool but pleasant Fewer visitors Great light for photography Elk gathering in herds and bugling Aspen turn golden | ProsCross-country skiing Ice-encrusted “ghost” trees Animals gather near roads Snowmobiling |
ConsSome mountain passes closed Biting insects common Meadows flooded, streams very high | ConsPeak numbers of visitors Late afternoon thunderstorms Potential fires or hordes of grasshoppers in dry years | ConsCold nights Greater chance of rain & snow All campgrounds but Mammoth Campground close | ConsExtreme cold Heavy snows and severe storms Most roads are closed to cars |
Updated August 23, 2017. Copyright Janet Chapple. All rights reserved.