How Crowded Is Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument in January?

January runs about 0.3× Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 3% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees about 180 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the quietest month of the year at Alibates Flint Quarries; by contrast October, the busiest, runs about 2× the average — so January is the easiest time to have the place largely to yourself.

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 52/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated April at 61/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 52°F and an overnight low around 21°F, with about 0.6" of precipitation.

That average of about 37°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 28% of annual visitors, choosing January instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9.8 hours of daylight in January to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2022 drew 7,520 recreation visits, down 21.1% from 9,526 in 2021.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 47.3%, so a January visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.