How Crowded Is Death Valley National Park in May?

May runs about 1× Death Valley National Park's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 8% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees about 108,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes May the 6th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the March peak (1.4×) and the June low (0.7×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 60/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated January at 66/100 — 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 98°F and an overnight low around 73°F, with about 0.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 86°F is warm enough that midday heat is worth planning around.

Because June, July and August together draw about 22% 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 13.9 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 9.5-hour midwinter low and the 14.5-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 1,320,134 recreation visits, down 8.4% from 1,440,484 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 18.3%, so May may feel a touch quieter than it once did.