How Crowded Is De Soto National Memorial in January?
January runs about 1.2× De Soto National Memorial's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 10% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.
In a typical January the park sees about 23,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.
That makes January the 3rd-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the March peak (1.6×) and the September low (0.7×).
On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 41/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 87/100 — the best overall balance of crowds and daylight.
Because June, July and August together draw about 21% of annual visitors, choosing January instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.
You'll have about 10.4 hours of daylight in January to explore — near the year-round minimum.
Park-wide, 2023 drew 231,892 recreation visits, up 33.9% from 173,150 in 2022.
Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 22.9%, so January may feel a touch quieter than it once did.
Frequently Asked Questions
January is busy at De Soto National Memorial (about 1.2× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Poor". The single best month overall is September.
The busiest month is March and the quietest is September. January sits at about 1.2× the park's average, or 10% of annual visitation.
A typical January sees about 23,000 recreation visits at De Soto National Memorial, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979–2025.
Where to stay near De Soto in January
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Top-rated places to stay near De Soto
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See the full ranking of the best national parks to visit in January.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025). Updated 2026-07-14.