How Crowded Is El Malpais National Monument in July?

July runs about 1.2× El Malpais National Monument's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 10% of the park's yearly visitors come in July.

In a typical July the park sees about 16,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1988 to 2025.

That makes July the 3rd-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the May peak (1.4×) and the January low (0.5×).

On our Best Time to Visit score July rates 62/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated August at 69/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical July weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 88°F and an overnight low around 54°F.

That average of about 71°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

July falls inside the park's busiest stretch: June, July and August together pull about 30% of the year's visitors, so a visit this month means sharing the park with the peak-season crowd.

You'll have about 14.1 hours of daylight in July to explore — near the year-round maximum.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 151,998 recreation visits, down 7.1% from 163,679 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 7.2%, so a July visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.