DH dreading 2019 trip to Yellowstone.
We have been to YNP 5 times, first in 2005 last 2016. My favorite park hands down , after the last visit, not so much for DH. Each visit has been arriving second week in September with a 2 week stay....
Forum Discussion
The last few years we have camped in West Yellowstone in late September to mid-October. We encountered overnight temperatures in the teens, which froze our waterline (part of it is unreachable above the tanks & we couldn't protect it). Weather is variable - we have had temps in the 70s in late September, and temps in the 40s in mid-September. You just never know.
Most campgrounds were closed by the first of October, especially inside the park. Posts mentioning the bus tours are right on; their numbers have exploded over the last decade or so, so even when traffic itself isn't bad, lines for food, bathrooms, etc. in the park can be almost as bad as summertime. Part of the problem is that the hotels, lodges, cabins and restaurants in the park start closing in early September, so by October the pickin's are slim. (Same with campsites, so advance reservations are strongly advised.)
If the cold weather and below-freezing overnight temps don't bother you, Cloud Driver has a good point about May. THis year, May attendance set all-time records (for that month) in Yellowstone, so it's probably being "discovered" now too, but May and very early June can be a beautiful time to visit the park. Usually there is still snow on the higher passes, and it may fall while you're there, but the babies are delightful. Just a thought.
Most campgrounds were closed by the first of October, especially inside the park. Posts mentioning the bus tours are right on; their numbers have exploded over the last decade or so, so even when traffic itself isn't bad, lines for food, bathrooms, etc. in the park can be almost as bad as summertime. Part of the problem is that the hotels, lodges, cabins and restaurants in the park start closing in early September, so by October the pickin's are slim. (Same with campsites, so advance reservations are strongly advised.)
If the cold weather and below-freezing overnight temps don't bother you, Cloud Driver has a good point about May. THis year, May attendance set all-time records (for that month) in Yellowstone, so it's probably being "discovered" now too, but May and very early June can be a beautiful time to visit the park. Usually there is still snow on the higher passes, and it may fall while you're there, but the babies are delightful. Just a thought.
