How Crowded Is Fossil Butte National Monument in August?

August runs about 2.2× Fossil Butte National Monument's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 18% of the park's yearly visitors come in August.

In a typical August the park sees roughly 3,600 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 July peak (2.8×) and the January low (0.1×).

On our Best Time to Visit score August rates 56/100 ("Fair") — the single best-rated month at Fossil Butte, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical August weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 82°F and an overnight low around 41°F, with about 0.9" of precipitation.

That average of about 61°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 61% of the year's visitors, so a visit this month means sharing the park with the peak-season crowd.

You'll have about 13.7 hours of daylight in August to explore — between the 9-hour midwinter low and the 15-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 20,626 recreation visits, down 4% from 21,491 in 2024.