How to Avoid Crowds in Yellowstone: 9 Easy Tips to Find Solitude
Yellowstone National Park is absolutely stunning and magical and wild, BUT… it can be a literal zoo of people midday in the summer. And trust me, those crowds can truly ruin your experience. I’ve visited Yellowstone many times and following these tips can make all the difference. This guide has all you need to know for how to avoid crowds in Yellowstone so you can have the best trip ever.
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9 Tips for Getting Away From Crowds in Yellowstone
Follow these tips for exploring Yellowstone and you will have some incredible and magical moments in the park. Yellowstone is one of those parks that can be one of the most amazing places on Earth, or kind of a nightmare depending on how well you plan! And we’ve got more tips in our first timer’s guide if you need help planning the rest of your trip!
1. Don’t Take a Tour
This might be an unpopular opinion, but the tours are really what makes a lot of Yellowstone crowded. If you take a tour, you will likely be hitting all the popular spots when other people are too. And I’m guessing if you’re reading this post, you aren’t the type of person that likes sharing the view with 50 other people.
You might end up being able to find a tour that goes more off the beaten path, but the majority of the tours are going to lead you right towards the crowds at peak times.
Disclaimer: I haven’t actually taken a tour in Yellowstone, so I’m sure there are some really good ones out there. I only have experience at spots when the tour buses show up and it gets pretty hectic!
2. Do the Majority of Exploring at Sunrise and Sunset
I’ve visited Yellowstone mid summer (the busy season) and had Old Faithful to myself by exploring at sunrise. If you’re going to take the effort to make it to Yellowstone, it will be sooo worth it to get up early and explore before the majority of people and tour buses make it to the popular spots.
Plus, during the early morning and evening hours is when wildlife is more active. So you will experience animal sightings, stunning morning light, and less people. Truly a win win, and if you’re a little extra tired from waking up early? Take a mid day nap while other people are taking up all the parking spots. Or drink an extra cup of coffee and power through it ;)
3. Stay the Night Inside the Park
nside the park
If you stay the night inside the park, you will be that much closer to being able to explore the highlights before everyone else gets out of bed. If you stay in nearby towns like West Yellowstone or Gardiner it will take you a little bit of time to get into the park, which will slow you down.
It’s totally fine if you can’t find accommodations in the park or find something more affordable outside the park, just keep in mind that extra drive time to get to your destination. we’ve done it both ways, and staying inside the park is definitely easier if it’s in your budget or if you’re camping.
4. Get Off the Main Roads
The Grand Loop Road is the main road that goes all the way around Yellowstone. There are parts of it that are less busy than others, but in general getting off of the Grand Loop Road there will be less people. Get familiar with the Yellowstone map before taking off on your trip so you can plan to explore some of the quieter areas.
The road from Tower Junction to Cook city in the northeast section of the park is absolutely beautiful and usually less visited because it’s a little bit out of the way. It’s one of the best places to see wildlife in Yellowstone and the mountains are absolutely stunning.
Also, the upper Loop of the Grand Loop, Road is usually a little quieter than the lower loop because of Old Faithful and the Lower Geysir Basin (the most visited areas of the park). The Old Faithful area is great and you should still visit, but it is the most crowded area.
5. Take a Break Mid Day
(near the Northeast entrance of the park!)
As I’ve said before, midday is by far the busiest time of the day for tourists in Yellowstone. Especially if you’re visiting in the summer, midday can get pretty overwhelming with the sheer number of people on the boardwalk trails.
If you get some solid hours of exploring early in the morning, midday is a great time to take a break and relax at your hotel or campsite before going back out to explore in the evening. We even have a fun list of Yellowstone National Park books to help you pass the time while you hang out in your campsite!
6. Visit in the Shoulder Seasons
The shoulder seasons are absolutely where it’s at for visiting Yellowstone. We have visited in mid summer and we visited in the spring and the spring was so much better. We did experience road closures on some of the Grand Loop Road, but it was well worth it for having several areas of the park to ourselves.
Plus in the spring, you’ll be able to see some baby animals (especially bison!) If you’re able to visit before school gets out in the spring or after school starts in the fall, you will have so many less people and it will make your trip 1 million times better.
7. Avoid the Busiest Sections of the Park
By far, the busiest part of the park is the Old Faithful area and the Lower Geyser basin. While I wouldn’t recommend skipping this section, keep in mind that you will encounter loads of crowds if you visit in the middle of the day.
The upper geyser basin area where grand prismatic is located is also really busy. And around the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is another super popular area. In my experience, there are so many awesome things to do in Lake Yellowstone – and you’ll tend to have less crowds. And same with Mammoth Hot Springs (our favorite things to do in Mammoth Hot Springs!) If you visit any of the more off the beaten path stops in between those you’ll have even more luck avoiding crowds!
8. Take a Hike
Grand Prismatic Overlook
The majority of people in Yellowstone don’t make it too far from their car, which is such a bummer because there are SO MANY epic things to do in Yellowstone. If you choose to explore some of the trails or take some of the longer walks, that’s a great way to escape crowd crowds in Yellowstone.
The Boardwalk trails, especially the shorter more kid friendly ones or accessible ones can be pretty busy still. but it seems like the majority of people don’t do a lot of hiking in Yellowstone in general.
Getting out on the trails always works for finding some solitude in all of our national Park travels! Make sure to check out our list of things to know before visiting Yellowstone so you can stay safe on the trails.
9. Take Your Time
If you’re trying to explore Yellowstone in one day, you will likely encounter more crowds as you try to see the major highlights of the park at the same time as everyone else. If you spread your trip out over 4-5 days (our favorite 4 day Yellowstone itinerary!) you will be able to see everything you want and enjoy the main attractions at sunrise and sunset each day.
I hope you enjoy your trip to Yellowstone and are able to find solitude in the park! All of my most magical experiences in Yellowstone have been when I was able to be present without massive crowds of people. If you take these steps, you will have the best trip ever and at least have a good portion of your vacation avoiding crowds in Yellowstone.
