How Crowded Is Cape Hatteras in December?
December is a very quiet month at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, running about 0.4× the park's average month — roughly 3% of the year's visitors come in December. That puts it between the July peak and the January low. Overall our best-time score rates December as "Good" for a visit. Typical December weather averages a high near 58°F and a low around 45°F, with about 4.6" of precipitation. You'll get about 9.6 hours of daylight to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
December is very quiet at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (about 0.4× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Good". The single best month overall is November.
The busiest month is July and the quietest is January. December sits at about 0.4× the park's average, or 3% of annual visitation.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991–2020. Updated 2026-06-20.