Is September a good time to go to Yellowstone Park?

The best months to visit Yellowstone are April, September, and October. These “off season” months provide more chances to catch a glimpse of the local wildlife and enjoy thinner crowds. Bears emerge from hibernation between March and April, migrating birds arrive just before May, and the elk rut begins mid-September.



People Also Ask

YELLOWSTONE HAS TWO DISTINCT SEASONS The summer season begins in late April as the roads are cleared of snow. Facilities open on a staggered schedule and then close in September through November.

MORE DETAILS

The best time to visit Yellowstone is early to mid-September because the weather is reliable and it is less crowded than in the summer months. It's the right mixture of good weather and fewer crowds.

MORE DETAILS

If you're planning a trip to the beautiful Yellowstone National Park, you may be wondering: do I need a reservation in advance in order to enter Yellowstone? Yellowstone does NOT require a timed reservation ticket in advance to enter the park.

MORE DETAILS

Flights to the nearest major airport — that of Jackson Hole, Wyoming — are typically cheapest between November and March, which is the park's low season. Prices for lodging begin to drop after Labor Day, once the summer crowds have diminished and children are back in school.

MORE DETAILS

Wildlife viewing is also popular in September. Both bison and elk are mating this time of year, which provides excellent opportunities to see them in most areas of the park. The elk gather near Mammoth Hot Springs, while the bison are generally in the Lamar and Hayden Valleys.

MORE DETAILS

Wolves can generally be seen in Yellowstone from mid-September to mid-June.

MORE DETAILS

Because of this, rooms tend to fill up fast so it's a good idea to book when reservations open 13 months in advance.

MORE DETAILS

The mornings (dawn until 11 a.m.) and evenings (6 p.m. until dusk) are perfect window times for beating the tour groups and family wagons and securing a spot with an uninterrupted view. If you prefer the morning, all you need is a trusty alarm clock, maybe a strong cup of coffee and an early start to the day.

MORE DETAILS

The world's most famous geyser, Old Faithful in Yellowstone, currently erupts around 20 times a day. These eruptions are predicted with a 90 percent confidence rate, within a 10 minute variation, based on the duration and height of the previous eruption.

MORE DETAILS

It's one of the best places in the world to observe wild bears. Inhabited by both black bears and grizzly bears, Yellowstone is a bear-watcher's paradise. For many people, seeing bears is one of the main reasons they come to Yellowstone. It's possible to see ten or fifteen bears in one day in this vast preserve.

MORE DETAILS