Yellowstone Already Exceeds Visitation Record

With three months left in the calendar year, Yellowstone National Park has already set a record for annual visitation thanks to strong numbers in September.

Park visitation during the first nine months of the year has totaled about 3.41 million. The mark breaks the one-year record for visitation of just under 3.3 million set last year.

For the first time ever, Yellowstone recorded more than a half-million visitors during the month of September. The 550,000 recreational visitors to the park last month shattered the previous September record of nearly 490,000 set in 2009.

September was the fourth record breaking month in a row for Yellowstone.

Yellowstone officials have said park visitation is up because parks are more of a bargain for cost-conscious vacationers in a down economy.