How Crowded Is El Malpais National Monument in May?

May runs about 1.4× El Malpais National Monument's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 12% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees about 19,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1988 to 2025.

It is the single busiest month of the year at El Malpais; January, the quietest, runs only about 0.5× the average — a 3-to-1 swing between high and low season.

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 43/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated August at 69/100 — 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 76°F and an overnight low around 37°F.

That average of about 57°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 30% 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 13.8 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 9.7-hour midwinter low and the 14.3-hour summer high.

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 May visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.