News Release

Park Hosted Increased Visitation for the Month of August

Date: September 14, 2020
Contact: Denise Germann, 307.739.3393
Contact: C.J. Adams, 307.739.3431

MOOSE, WY—Grand Teton National Park hosted an estimated 710,198 recreation visits in August 2020, a 1.2% increase compared to August 2019. Park statistics show that August 2020 saw the second highest number of recreation visits on record for the month of August, eclipsed only by August 2017. More data on National Park Service visitor-use statistics is available at https://irma.nps.gov/STATS/.

The list below shows the August trend for recreation visits over the last several years:
2020—710,198
2019—702,022
2018—692,074
2017—716,690 (Total Solar Eclipse)
2016—633,657 (Berry Fire)
2015—651,245

This summer, most hiking trails in the park had increased daily traffic and all campgrounds in the park were filling earlier each day when compared to previous summers. In general, hiking use in the park has increased approximately 26% and camping in concession-operated campgrounds increased 13% with backcountry camping down 10% in August 2020 compared to August 2019.

While August 2020 saw a slight increase in recreation visits compared to August 2019, in July of this year, Grand Teton hosted an estimated 755,762 recreation visits, a 3% decrease compared to July 2019. This was the fourth highest number of recreation visits on record for the month of July.

Visitors to Grand Teton National Park are reminded to plan ahead, pack patience, and recreate responsibly. The park highly encourages visitors to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local and state authorities, by maintaining social distancing guidelines and wearing a face covering when in buildings and high-visitation outside areas.

Visitor services at Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway are beginning to wind down from the summer season. Closing dates for seasonally operated facilities can be found at https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/hours.htm.

Please visit www.nps.gov/grte and the park’s Facebook and Twitter accounts for more information. Download the official NPS Grand Teton app for detailed park maps, audio tours, in-depth facility information and more.