By Emma Heller
The Madison River in on a beautiful day in Yellowstone National Park.
Spending time in Yellowstone National Park in the fall is a highlight for both visitors from out of state and locals. At Yellowstone Scenic Tours, fall is one of our favorite times of year in Yellowstone Park. Fall offers a refreshing crisp nip to the air, giving you a spring to your step to explore Yellowstone and all it has to offer. If you haven’t visited Yellowstone Park, we highly recommend a visit this September or October! We’ve created a list of just a few of the things we love about autumn in the park.
Enjoy the views of bison right from the road!
1. Wildlife viewing in Yellowstone Park is at its prime during the fall! With the bison rut or breeding season winding down at the end of August and early September, you can still see lots of activity. Bison congregate near Hayden and Lamar Valley roads, making for a memorable experience with bison just feet away from the van!
As September and October arrive, the elk rut keeps things in the Park exciting! During elk breeding season, bull or male elk have harems of female (or cow) elk that they keep near and dear to them. A chorus of bull elk bugling can be heard during the rut. Mammoth Hot Springs offers excellent elk watching because of the lush green grass that was initially planted by the army stationed at Mammoth from 1886 to 1918 for practicing military drills. Yellowstone elk love to enjoy the grass and offer us excellent wildlife watching right in Mammoth!
A bull elk bugling in Mammoth Hot Springs during the rut.
Photo by NPS / Addy Falgoust
The opportunities to see black and grizzly bears in Yellowstone also increase in the fall! Both types of bears are in a feeding frenzy (hyperphagia) to prepare for their long winter nap. It is typical to see bears feeding on vegetation and insects in meadows near the roads. Bears will also take advantage of the bison and elk ruts by feeding on male elk or bison injured while fighting each other. It can make for an exciting time of year with all of this animal activity!
Two young grizzly bear cubs grazing on vegetation near the road in Yellowstone Park.
Photo by Stephen Seleb
2. Autumn brings us shorter days! We know you are asking why this matters, and we owe you an explanation! While we all love the long days of summer, in July, sunrise is around 5:30 a.m., and the sun sets around 9:30 p.m. The best times for viewing wildlife in Yellowstone Park are sunrise and sunset, making for some early mornings and late nights if you are hoping to spot animals like wolves and bears mid-summer! In September and October, sunrise is around 7:00 a.m., and sunset is around 7:45 p.m. For wolf-watching or bear-watching, this means an extra hour of sleep and a cup of coffee before heading out to Lamar or Hayden Valleys.
3. We don't necessarily recommend visiting Yellowstone if you are a leaf peeper since it isn't home to many deciduous trees. However, Yellowstone's beauty is still breathtaking during the fall. You will see some quaking aspens and cottonwoods throughout the park, but Yellowstone isn't known for fall leaf colors. There are plenty of golden hues to enjoy from vegetation and the soft, welcoming light that autumn brings. Pair this with the yellows, pinks, reds, blues, and greens of the thermal areas, and it'll be a sight you'll enjoy for years to come.
Mammoth Hot Springs on a fall day with beautiful fall colors and minimal people!
Photo by NPS/Diane Renkin
4. Autumn in Yellowstone National Park offers some of the year's best weather! Temperatures are often cooler than July and August, with temperatures in the mid-60s. Like any time of year, the weather can vary, and we've seen higher temperatures in the high 70s and even snow this time of year. You just never know!
5. Park visitation in the fall often drops starting in September. Popular spots like Old Faithful, Artists Point, and geyser basins become less crowded and easier to navigate. Families and students are back in school, easing the visitation numbers.
Have we convinced you yet to visit Yellowstone this fall or in the future?! If we have, we highly recommend joining us for one or multiple days. If our testimonials page doesn’t give you enough reason to book a tour with us, below are a few other reasons why a Yellowstone day tour with Yellowstone Scenic Tours is the best choice for your visit to the park!
1. Our team at Yellowstone Scenic Tours is proud to be led by a group of expert guides, each with years of experience in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Their wealth of knowledge and passion for the park ensures that your experience will be both educational and enjoyable.
2. One of the many benefits of our tours is the freedom from the stress of driving and navigating through Yellowstone. We handle all the logistics, allowing you to simply sit back, relax, and fully immerse yourself in the beauty of the park.
3. Our guides know the ins and outs of the park. We know all of the road and facility closures, the best picnic spots, what outhouses to avoid, where to look for wildlife, and we love to show you the often overlooked areas of the park.
4. Yellowstone Scenic Tours only offers private day tours in Yellowstone Park. That means it is just you and your group on a tour, no randos. Our day tours are fully customizable because it is just you and your group. Our customizable Yellowstone National Park tours offer custom pick-up locations in West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Paradise Valley, Bozeman, and Gardiner. All ages are welcome on tours from kids to seniors and in between!
5. Not only will you receive intriguing information about Yellowstone during your tour, we love giving local recommendations on the best places to eat, stay, and other activities in Big Sky, West Yellowstone, Bozeman, and surrounding areas!
Will you spend a day in Yellowstone with us this fall?! We hope so! Learn more and book a Yellowstone National Park tour with us!
