How Crowded Is Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in May?

May runs about 1× Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 8% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees about 730 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1981 to 2025.

That makes May the 6th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.8×) and the January low (0.2×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 63/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at Frederick Law Olmsted, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 69°F and an overnight low around 48°F, with about 3.6" of precipitation.

That average of about 59°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 39% of annual visitors, choosing May instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 14.4 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 8.9-hour midwinter low and the 15.1-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 7,240 recreation visits, down 45.2% from 13,218 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 25.3%, so a May visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.