Tough economic times may have had an impact on the number of people who visited Yellowstone National Park this winter.

Preliminary figures show the total number of visitors to the park for December 2008 through March 2009 was 86,793, down 13.2 percent from the 99,975 visitors recorded for the previous winter season.

An average of 205 snowmobiles and 29 snowcoaches a day entered the park during winter 2008-2009, compared to an average of 294 snowmobiles and 35 snowcoaches a day during winter 2007-2008.

The number of people driving through the park's North Entrance from December through March totaled 47,259; down slightly from 50,175 the previous year.

Park managers believe a lack of early season snowfall and continued legal uncertainty surrounding oversnow travel at the beginning of the season, coupled with the weak economy, all contributed to the decline in winter visitor numbers.

Winter visitation represents a small but important portion of the park's annual visitation, which again topped the 3-million mark in 2008.  

Despite a recent U.S. Commerce Department report showing that nationwide travel spending was down 22 percent during the last quarter of 2008, a staff analysis of impacts on park visitation during previous recessions shows economic downturns have had a limited impact on annual visitation to Yellowstone National Park.

History also indicates that even though Yellowstone visitation has declined some at the onset of previous recessions, as the economy has recovered, visitor numbers have bounced back to equal or exceed pre-recession levels.