The Top Reasons Why You Should Visit Yellowstone Right Now
There are bears, bison, geysers, and stunning scenery. All of these things are standard fare for tourists visiting Yellowstone.
When thinking of American national parks, Yellowstone is often mentioned. Old Faithful, a geyser that erupts with predictable regularity, has become a symbol of the park.
Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the world, opening to the public in 1872. Native American groups including the Shoshone, Bannock, and Crow had been admiring the area’s natural beauty and geothermal resources for generations prior to European contact.
In the early 19th century, explorers began venturing into the area and returning with tales of the region’s amazing sceneries, laying the groundwork for the park’s modern history. These reports ultimately led to the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act being put into law by President Ulysses S. Grant.
Since then, Yellowstone has stood as a symbol of the United States’ dedication to protecting its natural history for future generations.
WHERE IS YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK?
Wyoming is home to 96% of Yellowstone. To the north and northwest is Montana, and to the west is Idaho, both of which contain extremely small populations.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT YELLOWSTONE?
Because of its popularity, Yellowstone is best visited when careful planning has gone into it.
Yellowstone National Park sees the most visitors during the summer months while kids are out of school. Yellowstone’s hotels typically fill up far in advance of the summer season. The park can get quite busy at times.
However, when I went to Yellowstone in June of 2023, I discovered an alternative narrative. After the flood of 2022, it would appear that tourism has been slow to recover.
The valley was occupied by a herd of bison. In 2022, Yellowstone National Park had flooding, but the park is now open and most repairs have been made. Janna Graber’s Photographs
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK FLOOD RECOVERY
Yellowstone National Park saw a 500-year flood on June 13, 2022. Heavy precipitation led to flooded rivers and streams, which in turn triggered massive mudslides that washed out rivers and destroyed some nearby structures.
Nobody was hurt, and that’s a miracle. Although the over 2,000,000 acre wilderness region was blocked for over a week, officials wasted no time in assessing the damage and beginning repairs. The Transportation Department of the United States promptly released $65 million in emergency funding, and restoration work got under way.
Within 48 hours, power was restored to the park, and by June 22, 2022—just nine days after the flood event—the south loop of the park was reopened. The summer of 2022 was spent finishing up the necessary road and trail repairs.
WHY NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO VISIT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Normal operations have resumed at Yellowstone National Park today. A recent Google search I conducted to check what others were looking up on Yellowstone revealed that the question “Is Yellowstone closed in 2023?” was still being asked by many.
The park is fully operational and thriving, so the answer is yes.
While certain sections of the park are still closed for maintenance, the majority of the park is now open and better than ever. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel in Yellowstone National Park is aiming to welcome its first guests in July 2023.
A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO BOOK A LAST-MINUTE TRIP TO YELLOWSTONE
Even though July is Yellowstone’s busiest season, it appears that some people are hesitating to schedule a trip until the last minute. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance for astute vacationers to plan a spontaneous trip to Yellowstone.
FIND A HOTEL ROOM FOR YOUR YELLOWSTONE VISIT
Cody and the Yellowstone area still have hotel rooms available for the summer. Hotels in the Yellowstone area often sell out months or even years in advance, so this is really unusual.
Now is the time to plan your summer vacation to Yellowstone.
