How Crowded Is City Of Rocks National Reserve in May?

May runs about 1.9× City Of Rocks National Reserve's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 16% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees about 17,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1992 to 2025.

That makes May the 2nd-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the June peak (2.1×) and the February low (0.1×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 42/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated July at 60/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

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 42°F, with about 2.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 55°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 45% 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 14.4 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 8.9-hour midwinter low and the 15.1-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 90,898 recreation visits, up 1.1% from 89,949 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 23%, so May may feel a touch quieter than it once did.