How Crowded Is Fort Matanzas National Monument in January?

January runs about 0.6× Fort Matanzas National Monument's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 5% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees about 33,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes January the 11th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.5×) and the December low (0.6×).

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 72/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated December at 77/100 — 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 65°F and an overnight low around 49°F, with about 3.3" of precipitation.

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 35% 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 10.3 hours of daylight in January to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 653,152 recreation visits, down 4% from 680,040 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 14.7%, so a January visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.