YELLOWSTONE IN Autumn

Many denizens of Yellowstone National Park would be hard-pressed to name their favorite season. It’d be like admitting to having a favorite child.

Not so with Dylan Hoffman, an avid fly fisher and resident of Gardiner, MT, near the park’s northern entrance.

“Fall is my favorite time in the park,” he declares. “You see fewer people. The weather is wonderfully cool. You don’t have to wake up as early in the fall because the days are shorter and it takes a while to warm up, so you can have an extra cup of coffee. And the aesthetics … the leaves are changing color and there’s a crunchiness to all the vegetation. It’s a wonderful time to fly fish in the park.”

Lodging

Autumn arrives early, sometimes as soon as late August, and the season can feel relatively short. Our lodges and campgrounds close on a staggered schedule. Check our opening & closing dates to find which are open throughout the season.

Elk in sage brush at Mammoth Hot Springs during the rut

Wildlife

Wildlife watching is prime at this time of year, too. Mating (rutting) season for bison commences in August. Rut season for elk begins in September when the males vie for female attention by emitting high- and low-pitched bugling sounds, certain to make wildlife watching all the more memorable.

It’s not unusual to see elk fight and spar right in front of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. It’s an impressive sight, but guests need to be aware as they tour the park and maintain a safe distance.

Lamar and Hayden valleys are both good bets for seeing bison and elk in autumn because bulls return to the herds of cows and their young making their collective numbers are larger.

In both cases, as wildlife prepares for winter, their coats are growing back, so not only are they active, they’re at their physical best.

Bears are also more active in the fall, as they lumber about, foraging for roots, nuts, and berries to put on fat for their long winter hiatus.

Fishing

Avid fishers are drawn to Yellowstone’s rivers and streams in fall, when brown trout are spawning. Days on Yellowstone Lake come to an end in late August/early September, but the rivers in the park hold special treasures for those willing to cast a fly.

Two go-to spots for destination fishers: the Madison and Gardner rivers. As the weather turns cooler, the Firehole River in the Old Faithful geyser area also becomes a “hot spot.”

Photographer and group enjoying fall views of the Yellowstone River.

Photography

For photographers, autumn is nirvana. The grasses turn a golden yellow. Deciduous trees and shrubs reveal their true colors — hues of orange, red, and yellow. Aspen trees, although not that prevalent in the park, turn such a brilliant gold that they appear to glow against the deep green of the pine trees.

Days are comfortably cool. But temperatures can drop to freezing at night, so you might wake up to a frost-covered windshield, steam rising off the waterways, and a light layer of snow on the surrounding granite mountain peaks.

Tour buses wait for guests outside Old Faithful Inn

Vacation Packages

Several autumn vacation packages highlight the magic of the season. Our packages are a great choice and simplify some of the planning that goes into a visit to the world’s first National Park by including lodging, transportation, tours, guides, meals, and more!

For A World of Unforgettable Experiences^® available from Xanterra Travel Collection^® and our sister companies, visit xanterra.com.

Want to experience Yellowstone in-depth? See what makes Yellowstone National Park a great place to work for a season or longer!