How Crowded Is Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in January?

January runs about 0.5× Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 4% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees about 171,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the quietest month of the year at Delaware Water Gap; by contrast July, the busiest, runs about 1.7× the average — so January is the easiest time to have the place largely to yourself.

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 78/100 ("Excellent"), versus the top-rated March at 82/100 — the best overall balance of crowds and daylight.

Because June, July and August together draw about 38% 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 9.4 hours of daylight in January to explore — between the 9-hour midwinter low and the 14.9-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 3,986,709 recreation visits, down 2.3% from 4,079,763 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 18.1%, so a January visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.