How Crowded Is Fort Smith National Historic Site in March?

March runs about 0.8× Fort Smith National Historic Site's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 6% of the park's yearly visitors come in March.

In a typical March the park sees roughly 7,900 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes March the 9th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.7×) and the January low (0.5×).

On our Best Time to Visit score March rates 61/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated April at 66/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical March weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 66°F and an overnight low around 42°F, with about 3.9" of precipitation.

That average of about 54°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 34% of annual visitors, choosing March instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11.7 hours of daylight in March to explore — between the 9.6-hour midwinter low and the 14.4-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 106,953 recreation visits, down 14.1% from 124,486 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 7.2%, so March may feel a touch quieter than it once did.