How Crowded Is Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in May?

May runs about 1.2× Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 10% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees about 23,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes May the 5th-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 May rates 65/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated September at 68/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 68°F and an overnight low around 44°F, with about 2.6" of precipitation.

That average of about 56°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 57% 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 14.7 hours of daylight in May 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 May may feel a touch quieter than it once did.