Yellowstone in the Fall; A Fantastic Time & Place

By Craig McPherson

A picture of the breathtaking scenery that can be experienced in Yellowstone National Park during fall. (Credit: Reveling in Yellowstone’s Fall Colors - A Yellowstone Life)

Yellowstone National Park is a very popular destination for most people on vacations or trips. In fact, 4.5 million people visit the park annually. While many people prefer to go on vacation closer to the summer, Yellowstone can provide a fantastic experience in the fall.

One thing that makes Yellowstone special in the fall would be the change in scenery. The leaves on certain trees in the park, such as aspens and cottonwoods, turn shades of gold, orange, and red. These colors look wonderful against the evergreen lodgepole pines, and more geothermal features such as the geysers and hot springs.

The weather during the fall can also have benefits for one’s experience in the park. On one hand, it can be colder in the mornings, and at nights, the air can also be crisp and cool. This is ideal for activities such as hikes or observing the wildlife. 

However, one must be careful if they go to the park this time of year, as there can be snowstorms in the area during September and October. It would be recommended to bring warmer clothing and waterproof gear.

Another wonderful aspect of Yellowstone in the fall would be the wildlife that can be seen. The season can be an important time for some of the different animals in the park. 

For example, the grizzly and black bears will enter a phase of hyperphagia, before they go into hibernation for the winter. Explained by the following excerpt, this means, “By September the bears of Yellowstone National Park enter a phase of hyperphagia. Grizzly and black bears alike will be stripping the branches of hawthorne, western serviceberry and chokecherry of their ripe fruits. Hyperphagia is a feeling of relentless, insatiable hunger, which moves these mammals to eat enough to gain potentially 4lbs per day”(Mel, 2024). 

Yet, one of the best aspects of Yellowstone during the fall would actually have to be the lack of visitors. As summer, the most popular season to go on vacation, would have just ended, not many other people would come to the park. 

This would mean that one would have to wait in little to no lines in order to experience some of Yellowstone’s most famous landmarks. This could also make activities, such as hiking, feel more immersive. Since there are far less other people there, one would feel more like they are actually having a hike in the wilderness, completely unaffected by people. 

In conclusion, fall is a great time of year to experience Yellowstone Park, due to the beautiful, colorful scenery, ideal hiking weather with the wildlife that can be seen, and a more immersive experience due to a less crowded environment.