How Crowded Is Colonial National Historical Park in October?
October runs about 1.2× Colonial National Historical Park's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 10% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.
In a typical October the park sees about 284,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.
That makes October the 6th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.3×) and the February low (0.4×).
On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 19/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated February at 82/100 — the best overall balance of crowds and daylight.
Because June, July and August together draw about 32% 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 14.5-hour summer high.
Park-wide, 2025 drew 1,582,994 recreation visits, down 38% from 2,551,228 in 2024.
Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 21.8%, so October may feel a touch quieter than it once did.
Frequently Asked Questions
October is busy at Colonial National Historical Park (about 1.2× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Poor". The single best month overall is February.
The busiest month is July and the quietest is February. October sits at about 1.2× the park's average, or 10% of annual visitation.
A typical October sees about 284,000 recreation visits at Colonial National Historical Park, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979–2025.
Where to stay near Colonial in October
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Top-rated places to stay near Colonial
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See the full ranking of the best national parks to visit in October.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025). Updated 2026-07-14.