How Crowded Is Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in January?

January runs about 0.3× Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 2% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees roughly 5,100 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes January the 11th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2.6×) and the December low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 42/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 68/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 39°F and an overnight low around 20°F, with about 0.7" of precipitation and roughly 9" of snow.

That average of about 29°F is cold, with winter conditions likely on higher ground.

Because June, July and August together draw about 57% 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 8.9 hours of daylight in January to explore — between the 8.6-hour midwinter low and the 15.4-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 228,382 recreation visits, up 3.9% from 219,815 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 7.2%, so January may feel a touch quieter than it once did.