How Crowded Is Fire Island National Seashore in January?

January runs about 0.2× Fire Island National Seashore's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 2% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees roughly 6,100 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the quietest month of the year at Fire Island; by contrast August, the busiest, runs about 2.6× the average — so January is the easiest time to have the place largely to yourself.

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 43/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated May at 71/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 39°F and an overnight low around 26°F, with about 3.5" of precipitation.

That average of about 32°F is cold, with winter conditions likely on higher ground.

Because June, July and August together draw about 55% 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 9.1-hour midwinter low and the 14.9-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 305,520 recreation visits, up 0.6% from 303,731 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 16.8%, so January may feel a touch quieter than it once did.