July in Yellowstone National Park is a good month: highs around 78°F, lows around 46°F. Crowds: peak crowds — #1 busiest of the park's 12 months. It is the park's warmest month of the year. Warmest month — and the busiest of the year. The editorial best window here is June & September. You get about 15h 13m of daylight. To finish Mount Washburn (2h 45m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 6:18 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Good A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 78° high / 46° low — the park's warmest month |
| Crowds | peak crowds · #1 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What July is like | Warmest month — and the busiest of the year |
| 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 JULY 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 JULY 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 78°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT JULY ASKS OF YOU HEREYellowstone National Park in August — Good, highs around 77°F, crowds: peak crowds (peak crowds continue; afternoon thunderstorms).
Our verdict for July is "Good". A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. Expect highs around 78°F and lows around 46°F, with crowds at the "peak crowds" 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. July itself we rate "Good".
About 15h 13m on July 15: the sun rises around 5:51 AM and sets around 9:04 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 July 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 6:18 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 9:04 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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