Lonely Planet
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Sep 24, 2021 • 5 min read
Yellowstone National Park is the United States’ second most popular national park, attracting over four million visitors annually — a 35 percent increase over the last decade.
Squeezed between record demand and a multi-billion dollar budget backlog, the National Park Service faces significant challenges regarding Yellowstone’s sustainability. Concerns have been raised about whether a daily cap on vehicles entering the park might be necessary if visitation continues to rise.
In response, Yellowstone National Park and its main concessionaire, Yellowstone National Park Lodges, have made significant advancements towards creating a sustainable visitor experience. Here are several ways you can support these initiatives.
Food & Drink
Feeding Yellowstone’s visitors is a mammoth task that generates substantial waste. The park’s concessionaire is taking action by diverting 63% of waste from landfills through aggressive recycling programs and composting. Collaborating with Montana’s Western Sustainability Exchange, they source much of their restaurant food from local farms and producers. Here are a few sustainable dining options:
The War on Waste: Recycling and Resources
Record visitor numbers lead to significant resource consumption – including over 1700 rolls of toilet paper used daily! The initiatives at Yellowstone National Park Lodges range from large projects, like the LEED-certified Canyon Lodges, to smaller efforts such as reducing plastic waste in products like bear-shaped soaps. Additionally, park lighting has been upgraded with low-wattage fixtures aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and minimizing light pollution.
During winter months, when much of Yellowstone is closed except for the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, enhanced snow coaches are utilized. These newer models operate more efficiently, are three times more fuel-efficient, and generate significantly less noise than older versions.
Bonus: Go Fishing
Being a responsible visitor doesn’t mean you have to miss the fun. In fact, you can actively participate in sustainability by fishing. Invasive species, particularly lake trout, threaten Yellowstone’s ecosystem by devastating the native cutthroat trout population.
If you catch a lake trout, take it on ice to the Lake Yellowstone Dining Room or Lake Lodge Cafeteria; they will cook it for you in exchange for a discounted meal. Each lake trout caught saves approximately 45 native cutthroat trout each year. Enjoying your meal has never felt so good or been so beneficial!
This article was originally published on August 20, 2019.
This article was first published Jul 30, 2019 and updated Sep 24, 2021.
