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Wyoming is where most international visitors meet the American West at its wildest. Yellowstone, established in 1872 as the first national park, lies 96% in Wyoming. Grand Teton National Park sits directly south of it, so one trip covers both. In 2025 Yellowstone had 4,762,988 recreation visits, the third most of any park, and Grand Teton had 3,800,648.
The rest of the state is ranch country and long empty roads, with Jackson, in Jackson Hole, as the town most visitors base themselves in. The figures below are from the National Park Service, the Jackson Hole and Cody airports and the Wyoming excise tax division, read on 26 October 2026.
Which Wyoming parks are worth the trip?
Wyoming's two great parks are Yellowstone and Grand Teton. They are different trips despite sharing a road. Yellowstone is a volcanic plateau of geysers, hot springs and wildlife valleys. Grand Teton is a mountain range rising straight out of a flat valley floor, Jackson Hole, with lakes along its base.
| Place | What it is | Visits in 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone National Park | Geysers, hot springs, bison and wolves on a high plateau; 96% in Wyoming, the rest in Montana and Idaho | 4,762,988 |
| Grand Teton | The Teton Range, Jenny Lake and the Snake River valley | 3,800,648 |
| Devils Tower | A rock tower 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River, the first national monument (1906) | not counted here |
Devils Tower is in the far northeast, a long day's drive from the other two. Most short trips leave it out. Our Yellowstone and Grand Teton road trip shows how the two parks fit together.
How do you fly into Wyoming for Yellowstone?
The airports for Wyoming's parks are small, and several of the best lie outside the state. Jackson Hole Airport is the only commercial airport in the United States inside a national park. It lies 9 miles from the town of Jackson, with flights from Alaska, American, Delta and United.
The Park Service lists Cody, Jackson, Bozeman, Billings and Idaho Falls as gateway airports with year-round flights. It lists West Yellowstone as a seasonal one, open from early May to mid-October. Cody's airport is served all year by United Express from Denver. Salt Lake City, a much larger airport, is roughly 300 miles from Jackson by road.
Flying into one airport and out of another often saves a day of driving back. Jackson in and Bozeman out is a good pair, because it runs south to north through both parks.
When are Wyoming's park roads open?
Wyoming's park roads are open to cars from spring to late autumn and mostly closed from November to April. The dates for 2026 make the window plain.
- Grand Teton: the Teton Park Road, from Taggart Lake to Signal Mountain, closes to cars from 1 November to 30 April. In 2026 it closed after 31 October and reopens on 1 May.
- Yellowstone: the road from the South Entrance to West Thumb stayed open to cars until 31 October 2026. Snowcoach and snowmobile tours take over from 15 December 2026 to 15 March 2027.
- Through the valley: the main highway from Jackson north to Flagg Ranch, between the two parks, is plowed all winter.
For anything outside the parks, the Wyoming Department of Transportation runs a road-conditions service at wyoroad.info, with closures, cameras and chain-law notices.
What do Wyoming's parks cost a visitor from abroad?
Wyoming's two parks cost a visitor from abroad two separate entrance fees, because each park charges its own. Both charge $35 a car for seven days. Both are also on the 2026 list of parks with a $100 surcharge for every non-resident aged 16 or over.
| Two adults from abroad, one car | Without a pass | With the $250 non-resident pass |
|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone | $235 | included |
| Grand Teton | $235 | included |
| Total | $470 | $250 |
A ticket for one park does not cover the other, and neither park lists a combined pass. Our guide to national park fees for international visitors explains how to buy the annual pass before the trip.
What is the weather like in Jackson Hole?
Jackson Hole has short warm summers and long, very cold winters. The Park Service's records from Moose, in the valley, show how sharp the swing is.
| Month | Average high | Average low | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26°F | 1°F | 43 in |
| April | 49°F | 22°F | 10 in |
| July | 81°F | 42°F | none |
| October | 56°F | 23°F | 5 in |
One of the elk-antler arches on the town square in Jackson, at the south end of the valley.
About 172 inches of snow fall in an average year. Valley trails are usually under snow until late May, and snow stays in the high mountains until mid-July. Even in July, nights drop close to freezing.
What taxes appear on a Wyoming bill?
A Wyoming bill adds a state sales tax of 4% plus local rates. The state's rate chart effective 1 October 2026 puts the total at 4% to 9% depending on where you are: 7% in Teton County, including Jackson, and 9% in Teton Village. Hotel rooms add a 5% statewide lodging tax plus any local one.
Wyoming is on Mountain Time, the same as Utah. Both change their clocks in March and November. Our guide to sales tax in the USA explains why prices are shown before tax.
