How Crowded Is Big Thicket National Preserve in March?

March runs about 0.9× Big Thicket National Preserve's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 7% of the park's yearly visitors come in March.

In a typical March the park sees about 18,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1981 to 2025.

That makes March the 10th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the October peak (1.2×) and the February low (0.7×).

On our Best Time to Visit score March rates 64/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at Big Thicket, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical March weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 73°F and an overnight low around 49°F, with about 4.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 61°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 27% of annual visitors, choosing March instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11.8 hours of daylight in March to explore — between the 10-hour midwinter low and the 14-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 228,310 recreation visits, down 16% from 271,823 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 15.7%, so a March visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.