Best Time to Visit Fossil Butte National Monument
AugustBest month to visit
Find places to stay →Our recommendation
Visit Fossil Butte in August
August offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, July is the most crowded month (~2.8× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
21K
2025
Busiest month
Jul
2.8× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.1× avg
10-yr trend
steady
+2.8%
More photos of Fossil Butte
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Fossil Butte by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 42 Poor | 28°F / 5°F | 9.3 h |
| February | Very quiet | 44 Poor | 31°F / 6°F | 10.4 h |
| March | Very quiet | 45 Fair | 41°F / 16°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Very quiet | 55 Fair | 52°F / 23°F | 13.1 h |
| May | Busy | 53 Fair | 63°F / 30°F | 14.4 h |
| June | Very busy | 48 Fair | 74°F / 35°F | 15.0 h |
| July | Very busy | 51 Fair | 83°F / 42°F | 14.8 h |
| August★ best | Very busy | 56 Fair | 82°F / 41°F | 13.7 h |
| September | Very busy | 48 Fair | 72°F / 32°F | 12.3 h |
| October | Quiet | 47 Fair | 57°F / 23°F | 10.8 h |
| November | Very quiet | 41 Poor | 40°F / 14°F | 9.6 h |
| December | Very quiet | 42 Poor | 29°F / 5°F | 9.0 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00483582, ~1.4 mi away).
Email me when Fossil Butte's crowd forecast updates
Get an email when new NPS visitation data changes the best time to visit Fossil Butte or its month-by-month crowd levels. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
About visiting Fossil Butte
Fossil Butte National Monument is a National Monument in WY and one of the system's hidden, low-traffic units, drawing about 21,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has held fairly steady over the past decade. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: July is the busiest month at about 2.8× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.1× — a 28-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 61% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 63°F in July down to about 16°F in January, with the wettest stretch in May. About 4 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is August: best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the July rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.0 hours in midwinter to 15.0 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
In the ridges of southwest Wyoming are some of the best-preserved fossils in the world. They tell the story of ancient life in a warm, wet environment in and around a freshwater lake. Stingrays swam in the lake. Turtles basked in the sun. Leaves rustled in the breeze while early horses darted between the trunks. We reveal more of the past with each fossil found.
Weather & conditions
Expect a variety of weather conditions no matter what time of year you visit. Spring, fall and winter can be very cold with snow and icy conditions. In spring, daytime temperatures usually range from 30 F to 65 F. Summer daytime temperatures range from 60 F to 90 F. Fall daytime temperatures range from 45 F to 70 F. Winter daytime temperatures range from -20 F to 30 F.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Fossil Butte
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Fossil Butte National Monument — live availability and prices to plan your trip. August is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Fossil Butte
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip to Fossil Butte?
Get the best time to visit Fossil Butte plus lodging deals near the park by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Getting to Fossil Butte
The nearest airport is Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), about 151 mi (3 hr 2 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Fossil Butte by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
August offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at Fossil Butte National Monument. The park is busiest in July (about 2.8× the average month) and quietest in January.
July is the busiest month at Fossil Butte National Monument, running roughly 2.8 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Fossil Butte National Monument, at about 0.1× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Fossil Butte National Monument recorded about 20,626 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been steady over the past decade (+2.8%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Fossil Butte National Monument averages about 63°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is the closest airport to Fossil Butte National Monument, about 151 mi (3 hr 2 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Fossil Butte
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Bear Lake water qualityGrade A · 30 mi · UT
- Bear Lake water qualityGrade A · 33 mi · ID
- Bear Lake Off North Beach water qualityGrade B · 32 mi · ID
- Mud Lake water qualityGrade C · 33 mi · ID
- Birch Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade D · 38 mi · UT
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.