How Crowded Is Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in October?

October runs about 0.5× Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 4% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees roughly 9,700 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 7th-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 October rates 56/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated September at 68/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 61°F and an overnight low around 38°F, with about 2" of precipitation and roughly 3" of snow.

That average of about 49°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 57% 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 10.7 hours of daylight in October 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 October may feel a touch quieter than it once did.