Tourist Season Ends with More Visitors—and Fewer Hats—in Yellowstone
Montana is a state of many seasons. Not only do we have the traditional four seasons, but we also have a few others thrown into the mix. There is construction season, tourist season, and hunting season to name a few.
Tourist Season by the Numbers
As we wrap up tourist season in Montana there are a few takeaways. The numbers for Yellowstone National Park visitors are in, and they are up. According to the park, Yellowstone saw 881,936 visitors in August which is a 2% increase over August 2024.
Their year-to-date numbers are also showing a 2% increase in visitors overall in 2025, compared to 2024, with over 3.5 million visitors.
Keeping our parks clean and safe for all isn’t an easy thing to do, but our parks department does their best. It’s tough to keep people on the trails and walkways. We have seen countless videos of people being where they shouldn’t be.
Even celebrities aren’t immune to going off-trail. Remember when Pierce Brosnan was caught doing just that?
READ MORE: An Idea for Pierce Brosnan and Yellowstone National Park
With as many visitors as they have it only makes sense that there are going to be some things left behind. Outside of garbage and litter there is one common thing that gets left behind frequently and those are hats.
Why Hats Keep Disappearing in Yellowstone
The National Park Service released a photo of a fraction of the hats that they collect over the season. There are bucket hats, baseball hats, and sun hats. When people visit the geysers and thermal areas, there can be some high winds which can cause a person to lose their hat.
According to Popular Science, the park estimates that hats totaling over $6,000 have been lost.
READ MORE: Where to Vacation Cheap in the 2025? U.S. News Says Yellowstone
The good news is that when a hat flies off, people aren’t chasing after it. The park service is doing that.
Keep in mind when you are planning to visit Yellowstone in the future, make sure you hang onto your hats.
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