How Crowded Is Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in January?

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

In a typical January the park sees about 52,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes January the 8th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the March peak (1.5×) and the September low (0.6×).

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 57/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated October at 77/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 68°F and an overnight low around 48°F, with about 2.7" of precipitation.

That average of about 58°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 24% 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 10.3 hours of daylight in January to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 598,070 recreation visits, up 3.1% from 579,825 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 13.4%, so January may feel a touch quieter than it once did.