How Crowded Is Cedar Breaks National Monument in October?

October runs about 1.3× Cedar Breaks National Monument's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 11% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees about 82,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 5th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2.5×) and the February low (0.2×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 43/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated May at 59/100 — 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 49°F and an overnight low around 37°F.

That average of about 43°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 52% 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 11 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 9.4-hour midwinter low and the 14.6-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 718,014 recreation visits, down 0.7% from 722,834 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 9.3%, so October may feel a touch quieter than it once did.