Yellowstone National Park again gets 900,000 visitors in July

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Yellowstone National Park saw 900,000 visitors in July, marking the third year in a row the park has seen such volume.

July is typically the park’s peak visitation month. The park recorded 906,935 recreational visitors in July 2011, 957,785 in July 2010, and 900,515 in July 2009.

This year is the second-highest monthly visitation level recorded since 1872, when the park first opened, according to park officials.

“We believe it has something to do with the economy,” said park spokesman Al Nash. “Visiting the park is a great value. A seven-day pass for a family is just $25; you can’t even take a family to a movie and get by with spending $25”

July’s numbers are higher than the previous seven months combined, recording 1,848,658 recreational visitors from January through July 2011. During the same period in 2010, visitation was 8% higher, at 2,011,586 visitors recorded.

Despite the year-to-year decline, park visitation for the first seven months of 2011 is still the third highest ever recorded. Yellowstone hosted 3.64 million people in 2010, a record number, up 10.55% over 2009.

“Yellowstone is a place that people all around the world know about, a place that generation after generation of families come to visit,” Nash said.

July recreational visitors, year to year

2011 906,935
2010 957,785
2009 900,515
2008 808,110
2007 822,773
2006 738,807

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-- Ashlie Rodriguez