How Crowded Is Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site in August?

August runs about 1.9× Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 16% of the park's yearly visitors come in August.

In a typical August the park sees roughly 2,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes August the 3rd-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the June peak (3.6×) and the January low (0.1×).

On our Best Time to Visit score August rates 71/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at Fort Union Trading Post, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical August weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 85°F and an overnight low around 55°F, with about 1.7" of precipitation.

That average of about 70°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

August falls inside the park's busiest stretch: June, July and August together pull about 65% 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 August to explore — between the 8.2-hour midwinter low and the 15.8-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 12,028 recreation visits, down 7.1% from 12,942 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 23.2%, so August may feel a touch quieter than it once did.