Yellowstone winter visits up from last year, down from 2007-2008 season

Yellowstone winter visits up from last year

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park saw an 8 percent increase in visitors this winter season compared to last winter.

The park reports that it had about 93,800 visitors in December through March, up from about 86,800 during the same period last season. This season’s numbers when down from the 2007-2008 season, when the park counted about 100,000 visitors.

Park officials say light snowpack this year limited the number of days snowmobiles and some types of snowcoaches could enter the park. Officials say the conditions may also have contributed to more car visits.

The daily average for snowmobile use this season was 187, down from 205 last season and 294 the season before.

The peak day this season was 293 snowmobiles, down from 426 last season and 557 the previous.

Yellowstone now operates under a temporary plan limiting snowmobile use to 318 daily.