How Crowded Is Channel Islands National Park in May?

May runs about 1.1× Channel Islands National Park's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 9% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees about 28,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes May the 5th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.5×) and the January low (0.5×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 64/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated November at 62/100 — 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 68°F and an overnight low around 51°F, with about 0.5" of precipitation.

That average of about 59°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 35% 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 13.8 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 9.7-hour midwinter low and the 14.3-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 227,186 recreation visits, down 13.5% from 262,581 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 13.6%, so May may feel a touch quieter than it once did.