News from the Knoff Group

People have been flocking to our area for a retreat – this trend is likely to stay constant for the time being.

Busiest September on record for Yellowstone Park
By Sam Klomhaus – Livingston Enterprise Staff Writer
Friday, October 9, 2020

Yellowstone National Park reported its busiest September on record, receiving 837,499 recreational visits last month.

According to a park press release, that represents a 21% increase over September 2019.

The park’s yearly figures are down 11% compared to last year, the press release said. The park closed March 24 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wyoming entrances opened May 18 and the Montana entrances opened June 1.

In Livingston, hoteliers are still booking full some nights, Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Leslie Feigel said, and last month hotels were consistently booking up full.

Bars and restaurants have also been busy, she said.

Feigel said Livingston is seeing a lot more visitors than usual who aren’t necessarily looking to go to Yellowstone.

Visitors have been showing up in Livingston with no seeming plans or end dates to their trips, Feigel said, just to get away from where they live.

Feigel noted the visitors have been very cautious about the COVID-19 pandemic, following the rules by wearing face coverings and social distancing.

Livingston normally sees a drop-off in visitors around this time of year, Feigel said, but the good weather has kept people traveling.

This has put a strain on places with smaller staffs, with employees getting burnt out, Feigel said, but it’s better than not having any visitors.

“People are out. They’re still traveling,” Feigel said.

Source: The Livingston Enterprise