How Crowded Is Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument in October?

October runs about 2× Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 16% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees roughly 1,100 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the single busiest month of the year at Alibates Flint Quarries; January, the quietest, runs only about 0.3× the average — a 6-to-1 swing between high and low season.

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 38/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated April at 61/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 75°F and an overnight low around 43°F, with about 1.9" of precipitation.

That average of about 59°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

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

You'll have about 11.1 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 9.6-hour midwinter low and the 14.4-hour summer high.

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 October visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.