Best Time to Visit Clara Barton National Historic Site
OctoberBest month to visit
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Visit Clara Barton in October
October offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, June is the most crowded month (~1.5× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
11K
2025
Busiest month
Jun
1.5× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.4× avg
10-yr trend
falling
-9.5%
More photos of Clara Barton
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Clara Barton by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 43 Poor | 43°F / 26°F | 9.6 h |
| February | Quiet | 41 Poor | 46°F / 27°F | 10.5 h |
| March | Busy | 29 Poor | 55°F / 34°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Busy | 46 Fair | 68°F / 44°F | 13.0 h |
| May | Busy | 49 Fair | 76°F / 54°F | 14.1 h |
| June | Busy | 46 Fair | 84°F / 63°F | 14.7 h |
| July | Busy | 50 Fair | 88°F / 68°F | 14.5 h |
| August | Busy | 43 Poor | 86°F / 66°F | 13.5 h |
| September | Busy | 54 Fair | 79°F / 59°F | 12.2 h |
| October★ best | Quiet | 60 Good | 68°F / 47°F | 11.0 h |
| November | Quiet | 45 Fair | 56°F / 36°F | 9.8 h |
| December | Very quiet | 49 Fair | 47°F / 30°F | 9.3 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00182325, ~2.5 mi away).
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About visiting Clara Barton
Clara Barton National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in MD and one of the system's hidden, low-traffic units, drawing about 11,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 9.5%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: June is the busiest month at about 1.5× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.4× — a 4-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 34% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 78°F in July down to about 34°F in January, with the wettest stretch in July. About 7 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is October: best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the June rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.3 hours in midwinter to 14.7 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
Clara Barton dedicated her life and energies to help others in times of need - both home and abroad, in peacetime as well as during military emergencies. Glen Echo was her home the last 15 years of her life, and the structure illustrates her dedication and concern for those less fortunate than herself.
Weather & conditions
Weather for the Washington, D.C. area.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Clara Barton
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Clara Barton National Historic Site — live availability and prices to plan your trip. October is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Clara Barton
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Getting to Clara Barton
The nearest airport is Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), about 12 mi (28 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Clara Barton by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
October offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at Clara Barton National Historic Site. The park is busiest in June (about 1.5× the average month) and quietest in January.
June is the busiest month at Clara Barton National Historic Site, running roughly 1.5 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Clara Barton National Historic Site, at about 0.4× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Clara Barton National Historic Site recorded about 11,309 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-9.5%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Clara Barton National Historic Site averages about 78°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the closest airport to Clara Barton National Historic Site, about 12 mi (28 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Clara Barton
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Goose Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 22 mi · VA
- Beaverdam Creek Reservior Lake water qualityGrade A · 22 mi · VA
- Beaverdam Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 22 mi · VA
- Smith Lake water qualityGrade A · 36 mi · VA
- Burke Lake water qualityGrade C · 17 mi · VA
Beach water quality near Clara Barton
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Highland Beach water qualityGrade A · 36 mi · MD
- Bay Ridge At River Dr. water qualityGrade A · 37 mi · MD
- Bay Ridge At Bay Dr. water qualityGrade A · 37 mi · MD
- Chesapeake Station water qualityGrade A · 38 mi · MD
- Fort Smallwood Park water qualityGrade A · 38 mi · MD
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.