How Crowded Is Effigy Mounds National Monument in November?

November runs about 0.4× Effigy Mounds National Monument's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 3% of the park's yearly visitors come in November.

In a typical November the park sees roughly 2,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes November the 11th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2×) and the December low (0.4×).

On our Best Time to Visit score November rates 46/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated May at 63/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical November weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 46°F and an overnight low around 28°F, with about 2.1" of precipitation and roughly 2" of snow.

That average of about 37°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 42% of annual visitors, choosing November instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9.5 hours of daylight in November to explore — between the 8.8-hour midwinter low and the 15.2-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 56,912 recreation visits, down 8.2% from 61,975 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 7.1%, so a November visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.