How Crowded Is Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site in December?

December runs about 0.7× Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 6% of the park's yearly visitors come in December.

In a typical December the park sees about 900 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1980 to 2025.

That makes December the 10th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.3×) and the January low (0.6×).

On our Best Time to Visit score December rates 39/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 66/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical December weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 47°F and an overnight low around 33°F, with about 4.3" of precipitation and roughly 4" of snow.

That average of about 40°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 30% of annual visitors, choosing December instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9.2 hours of daylight in December to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2023 drew 15,473 recreation visits, about flat from 15,527 in 2019.