How Crowded Is Arkansas Post National Memorial in May?

May runs about 1.7× Arkansas Post National Memorial's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 14% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees roughly 4,200 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the single busiest month of the year at Arkansas Post; January, the quietest, runs only about 0.6× the average — a 3-to-1 swing between high and low season.

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 45/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated September at 77/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 81°F and an overnight low around 63°F, with about 5" of precipitation.

That average of about 72°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 33% of annual visitors, choosing May instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 13.8 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 9.7-hour midwinter low and the 14.3-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 26,203 recreation visits, up 4.7% from 25,032 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 22.7%, so May may feel a touch quieter than it once did.