How Crowded Is Yellowstone in May?
May is a busy month at Yellowstone National Park, running about 1.3× the park's average month — roughly 11% of the year's visitors come in May. That puts it between the July peak and the November low. Overall our best-time score rates May as "Poor" for a visit. Typical May weather averages a high near 51°F and a low around 26°F, with about 2.4" of precipitation. You'll get about 14.6 hours of daylight to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
May is busy at Yellowstone National Park (about 1.3× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Poor". The single best month overall is April.
The busiest month is July and the quietest is November. May sits at about 1.3× the park's average, or 11% of annual visitation.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991–2020. Updated 2026-06-20.