Yellowstone reports record number of visitors

A growing number of Americans have been including Yellowstone National Park in their road trip plans, judging from the latest visitor data.

According to an announcement from the park, a record number visited Yellowstone in June, July and August. In August, 854,837 people came to Yellowstone, marking the first-ever month in which the park attracted more than 800,000 visits.

In total, more than 2.87 million people visited Yellowstone Park during the first eight months of the year, the vast majority of them traveling during the summer months. A far smaller number of visitors come to Yellowstone in winter because of the region's harsh and unpredictable weather conditions.

The upswing in park visitors has actually been underway for more than a year. Yellowstone park officials noted a record-breaking number of visitors had also been recorded in 2009, with the figure of 3.3 million expected to be surpassed by the end of this year.

Yellowstone boasts a number of natural wonders and wildlife species that make it a once in a lifetime destination for many. The park's location in northwestern Wyoming also provides ample opportunity for visiting numerous other national parks and attractions along the way.