Photo: NPS / Bob Carr
North Carolina · Tennessee
Photo: NPS / Jacob W. Frank
Idaho · Montana · Wyoming
Photo: NPS Photo
California
The % badge is May’s visitors as a share of the park’s busiest month.
Shoulder season · 26 parks
1. National Park of American SamoaAmerican SamoaIts quiet month
American Samoa averages 981 visits in May, 32% of its April peak. Crowds are thinning: 100% in April, 14% in June. By our rule, this is American Samoa's quiet shoulder month.
2. Grand Teton National ParkWyomingIts quiet month
Grand Teton averages 305,741 visits in May, 42% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 10% in April, 86% in June. By our rule, this is Grand Teton's quiet shoulder month.
3. Badlands National ParkSouth DakotaIts quiet month
Badlands averages 108,524 visits in May, 44% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 16% in April, 90% in June. By our rule, this is Badlands' quiet shoulder month.
4. Wind Cave National ParkSouth DakotaIts quiet month
Wind Cave averages 67,564 visits in May, 56% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 32% in April, 81% in June. By our rule, this is Wind Cave's quiet shoulder month.
5. Indiana Dunes National ParkIndiana
Indiana Dunes averages 291,748 visits in May, 57% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 33% in April, 86% in June.
6. Great Basin National ParkNevadaIts quiet month
Great Basin averages 15,173 visits in May, 58% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 31% in April, 99% in June. By our rule, this is Great Basin's quiet shoulder month.
7. Mesa Verde National ParkColoradoIts quiet month
Mesa Verde averages 56,253 visits in May, 60% of its June peak. Crowds are building: 30% in April, 100% in June. By our rule, this is Mesa Verde's quiet shoulder month.
8. Mammoth Cave National ParkKentuckyIts quiet month
Mammoth Cave averages 61,431 visits in May, 62% of its July peak. April runs 63% and June 84%. By our rule, this is Mammoth Cave's quiet shoulder month.
9. Joshua Tree National ParkCaliforniaIts quiet month
Joshua Tree averages 253,671 visits in May, 62% of its March peak. Crowds are thinning: 89% in April, 43% in June. By our rule, this is Joshua Tree's quiet shoulder month.
10. Death Valley National ParkCalifornia · NevadaIts quiet month
Death Valley averages 106,362 visits in May, 66% of its March peak. Crowds are thinning: 88% in April, 46% in June. By our rule, this is Death Valley's quiet shoulder month.
11. Hot Springs National ParkArkansas
Hot Springs averages 228,129 visits in May, 66% of its June peak. April runs 68% and June 100%.
12. Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNew Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns averages 34,429 visits in May, 67% of its July peak. April runs 73% and June 88%.
13. Everglades National ParkFloridaIts quiet month
Everglades averages 68,963 visits in May, 67% of its February peak. Crowds are thinning: 86% in April, 67% in June. By our rule, this is Everglades' quiet shoulder month.
14. Redwood National and State ParksCaliforniaIts quiet month
Redwood averages 64,976 visits in May, 68% of its June peak. Crowds are building: 43% in April, 100% in June. By our rule, this is Redwood's quiet shoulder month.
15. New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWest Virginia
New River Gorge averages 196,275 visits in May, 70% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 40% in April, 82% in June.
16. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National ParkColorado
Black Canyon of the Gunnison averages 34,586 visits in May, 71% of its June peak. Crowds are building: 26% in April, 100% in June.
17. Kings Canyon National ParkCalifornia
Kings Canyon averages 83,623 visits in May, 71% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 30% in April, 92% in June.
18. Yosemite National ParkCaliforniaIts quiet month
Yosemite averages 383,092 visits in May, 71% of its August peak. Crowds are building: 48% in April, 95% in June. By our rule, this is Yosemite's quiet shoulder month.
19. Channel Islands National ParkCaliforniaIts quiet month
Channel Islands averages 25,871 visits in May, 72% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 69% in April, 89% in June. By our rule, this is Channel Islands' quiet shoulder month. No road in: you arrive by boat or plane, per NPS.
20. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National ParkHawaiiIts quiet month
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes averages 112,776 visits in May, 75% of its December peak. Crowds are building: 73% in April, 96% in June. By our rule, this is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes' quiet shoulder month.
21. Great Sand Dunes National Park & PreserveColorado
Great Sand Dunes averages 71,427 visits in May, 76% of its June peak. Crowds are building: 28% in April, 100% in June.
22. Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNorth Carolina · Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains averages 1,240,272 visits in May, 77% of its October peak. Crowds are building: 64% in April, 91% in June.
23. Theodore Roosevelt National ParkNorth DakotaIts quiet monthSeason’s start
Theodore Roosevelt averages 73,030 visits in May, 45% of its July peak. It's the first busy month of the season: 7% in April, 85% in June. By our rule, this is Theodore Roosevelt's quiet shoulder month.
24. Yellowstone National ParkIdaho · Montana · WyomingSeason’s start
Yellowstone averages 508,111 visits in May, 55% of its July peak. It's the first busy month of the season: 8% in April, 90% in June.
25. Voyageurs National ParkMinnesotaSeason’s start
Voyageurs averages 28,084 visits in May, 58% of its August peak. It's the first busy month of the season: 0% in April, 92% in June.
26. Glacier Bay National Park & PreserveAlaskaIts quiet monthSeason’s start
Glacier Bay averages 82,478 visits in May, 70% of its July peak. It's the first busy month of the season: 6% in April, 92% in June. By our rule, this is Glacier Bay's quiet shoulder month. No road in: you arrive by boat or plane, per NPS.
Low season · 12 parks
Lassen Volcanic National ParkCalifornia
Lassen Volcanic averages 33,897 visits in May, 31% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 11% in April, 72% in June.
Gateway Arch National ParkMissouri
Gateway Arch averages 170,789 visits in May, 36% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 32% in April, 49% in June.
Kobuk Valley National ParkAlaska
Kobuk Valley averages 678 visits in May, 38% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 37% in April, 77% in June. No road in: you arrive by boat or plane, per NPS.
Olympic National ParkWashington
Olympic averages 247,409 visits in May, 40% of its August peak. Crowds are building: 21% in April, 48% in June.
Rocky Mountain National ParkColorado
Rocky Mountain averages 320,085 visits in May, 40% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 21% in April, 79% in June.
Saguaro National ParkArizona
Saguaro averages 64,510 visits in May, 41% of its March peak. Crowds are thinning: 72% in April, 26% in June.
Acadia National ParkMaine
Acadia averages 327,335 visits in May, 41% of its August peak. Crowds are building: 13% in April, 77% in June.
Big Bend averages 42,582 visits in May, 46% of its March peak. Crowds are thinning: 71% in April, 26% in June.
Shenandoah National ParkVirginia
Shenandoah averages 158,253 visits in May, 50% of its October peak. Crowds are building: 40% in April, 53% in June.
Guadalupe Mountains National ParkTexas
Guadalupe Mountains averages 19,602 visits in May, 56% of its March peak. Crowds are thinning: 79% in April, 37% in June.
Sequoia National ParkCalifornia
Sequoia averages 121,237 visits in May, 62% of its July peak. Crowds are building: 42% in April, 69% in June.
White Sands National ParkNew Mexico
White Sands averages 70,455 visits in May, 71% of its March peak. Crowds are thinning: 78% in April, 63% in June.
Peak season · 14
Under 30% of the peak: few visitors, and services may be limited.
Likely closed · 1
These parks average almost no recreation visits in May. That usually means a seasonal closure or no way in, but it’s our inference from the numbers, not an NPS notice. Check before you go:
How we rank
Every number here is National Park Service recreation visits, averaged by calendar month over 2021–2025. A park’s crowd index compares each month with its own busiest month (100). Peak season is 80 or above; shoulder months border the peak and still reach 30. We rank shoulder months quietest first.
We don’t score weather, and a quiet month can be quiet because of it. The crowd calendar has the full method and every park’s twelve months side by side; each park page links to its nps.gov conditions.
May 2025 at a glance
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