Grand Teton National Park has seen over 3.5 million recreation visits between January and October of this year, making 2024 the second busiest the park has ever seen. Between January and October, four months were the second busiest months on record.
The busiest year ever in Grand Teton National Park was 2021, when a total of 3,885,230 recreation visits were recorded. The current second busiest year on record was 2018, when 3,491,151 recreation visits were recorded in a 12 month span.
“Even though the year isn’t over yet, the data shows us that Grand Teton National Park continues to resonate with millions of visitors. As visitation trends change, we will need to figure out how to respond to and manage those changes for the good of visitors, park resources, and our local communities.” – Superintendent Chip Jenkins.
The park has noticed changes in visitor behavior, with the largest increases in visitors taking place during the shoulder seasons in April, May, and October. While wildfires affected U.S. Highway 26/287 east of the park, the Moose Entrance saw an increase in arrivals, and trail use is higher than ever. Trail use has increased 16% compared to 10 years ago and 4% compared to five years ago.
“In an effort to better understand changing visitation and how people use the park, we asked the public over the summer for their input about desired conditions and visitor experiences. Park staff are reviewing and analyzing the comments and will use that information to ensure visitors continue to have high-quality experiences in the park.” – Grand Teton National Park
Throughout the entirety of 2023, only 3,417,106 recreation visits were recorded, and 2022 saw only 2,806,223.