How Crowded Is Assateague Island National Seashore in October?

October runs about 0.8× Assateague Island National Seashore's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 7% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees about 154,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 6th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2.5×) and the December low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 70/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at Assateague Island, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 72°F and an overnight low around 53°F, with about 3.9" of precipitation.

That average of about 63°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 55% 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 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 9.4-hour midwinter low and the 14.6-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 2,325,195 recreation visits, up 1.9% from 2,282,498 in 2024.