YNP Visitation Down Minimally

August visitation to Yellowstone National Park was down slightly compared to levels a year ago. The National Park Service Public Use Statistics Office reports 780,286 recreational visitors in August 2012, down 3.1 percent from last year.  Still, last month ranks asthe third highest August visitation recorded.  All told, the number of recreational visitors entering Yellowstone for the first eight months of the calendar year is up 2.1 percent compared with 2011.  Park officials say 2,710,518 visitors have entered the park for recreational purposes so far this year.