Yellowstone National Park set a May visitation record this year, drawing 570,272 recreation visits last month — a 1 percent increase over May 2025 and a 20 percent jump from May 2021.

The May 2026 total surpasses all previous Mays on record, including during 2021, when Yellowstone logged a then-record 4.8 million visits for the full year.

Through the first five months of 2026, the park has recorded 773,653 recreation visits, up 1 percent from the same period in 2025 and up 19 percent from 2021.

Year-to-date visitation through May has climbed steadily in recent years, with the exception of 2022, when a historic flood closed the park for nine days in June and shut three of its five entrances for weeks longer.

The numbers come as Yellowstone heads into its busiest season. Park officials are encouraging visitors to plan ahead, download the NPS app and take the Yellowstone Pledge before arriving.