How Crowded Is Cabrillo National Monument in May?

May runs about 1× Cabrillo National Monument's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 8% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees about 70,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes May the 6th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.3×) and the September low (0.9×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 82/100 ("Excellent"), versus the top-rated September at 89/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 69°F and an overnight low around 59°F, with about 0.5" of precipitation.

That average of about 64°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 29% 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 13.7 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 9.9-hour midwinter low and the 14.1-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 845,912 recreation visits, up 4.4% from 810,147 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 17.2%, so May may feel a touch quieter than it once did.