April in Yellowstone National Park is a shoulder month: highs around 48°F, lows around 26°F. Crowds: quiet — #6 busiest of the park's 12 months. Roads reopen in stages; bears emerge with cubs. The editorial best window here is June & September. You get about 13h 29m of daylight. To finish Mount Washburn (2h 45m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 5:21 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Shoulder Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 48° high / 26° low |
| Crowds | quiet · #6 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What April is like | Roads reopen in stages; bears emerge with cubs |
| Best window (whole year) | June & September |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | Jul–Aug |
CROWDS: RELATIVE SEASONALITY FROM NPS VISITATION STATISTICS · TEMPS: APPROXIMATE NOAA NORMALS AT MAIN VISITOR ELEVATION — HIGH COUNTRY RUNS 10–20°F COLDER
DAYLIGHT ON APRIL 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (MDT)COMPUTED FROM THE PARK'S OWN COORDINATES FOR THE 15TH — THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH STANDS FOR IT, AS IT DOES FOR CLIMATE NORMALS. WITHIN A MONTH THESE TIMES SHIFT BY UP TO AN HOUR
LEAVE THE TRAILHEAD BY — TO FINISH BEFORE DARK ON APRIL 15WALKING TIMES ESTIMATED FROM EACH TRAIL'S MEASURED DISTANCE AND ELEVATION GAIN — A PLANNING FIGURE, NOT A PACE. ADD YOUR OWN MARGIN FOR PHOTOS, REST AND CROWDS. WATER AT THE COOL-WEATHER RATE, BECAUSE THIS MONTH AVERAGES 48°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT APRIL ASKS OF YOU HEREYellowstone National Park in May — Good, highs around 58°F, crowds: moderate (bison calves and bear watching at their best; some passes still shut).
Our verdict for April is "Shoulder". Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. Expect highs around 48°F and lows around 26°F, with crowds at the "quiet" level. Temperatures are approximate NOAA normals at the main visitor elevation; crowd levels follow published NPS visitation statistics.
Across the full 12-month review, the best window is June & September, and the peak-crowd months are Jul–Aug. April itself we rate "Shoulder".
May we rate "Good" against "Shoulder" for April, with highs around 58°F and crowds at the "moderate" level.
About 13h 29m on April 15: the sun rises around 6:38 AM and sets around 8:07 PM local park time (MDT). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
Mount Washburn takes about 2h 45m of walking, so on April 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 5:21 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 8:07 PM local park time (MDT). Walking times are estimated from each trail's measured distance and elevation gain, so treat them as a planning figure and add your own margin for photos, rest and crowds.
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