How Crowded Is Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in September?

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

In a typical September the park sees roughly 3,500 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes September the 9th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the June peak (1.5×) and the January low (0.4×).

On our Best Time to Visit score September rates 70/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at Frederick Douglass, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical September weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 81°F and an overnight low around 64°F, with about 3.9" of precipitation.

That average of about 72°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 33% of annual visitors, choosing September instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 12.2 hours of daylight in September to explore — between the 9.3-hour midwinter low and the 14.7-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 25,836 recreation visits, down 57.7% from 61,063 in 2019.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 22.2%, so a September visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.