Best Time to Visit Friendship Hill National Historic Site
JuneBest month to visit
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Visit Friendship Hill in June
June offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, September is the most crowded month (~3.9× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
18K
2025
Busiest month
Sep
3.9× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.3× avg
10-yr trend
falling
-48%
More photos of Friendship Hill
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Friendship Hill by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1983–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 43 Poor | 39°F / 21°F | 9.5 h |
| February | Very quiet | 43 Poor | 42°F / 22°F | 10.5 h |
| March | Quiet | 48 Fair | 51°F / 28°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Quiet | 65 Good | 64°F / 37°F | 13.1 h |
| May | Average | 73 Good | 73°F / 48°F | 14.2 h |
| June★ best | Average | 83 Excellent | 81°F / 57°F | 14.8 h |
| July | Average | 77 Excellent | 84°F / 62°F | 14.6 h |
| August | Busy | 76 Excellent | 83°F / 61°F | 13.6 h |
| September | Very busy | 45 Fair | 77°F / 54°F | 12.2 h |
| October | Average | 62 Good | 65°F / 42°F | 10.9 h |
| November | Quiet | 51 Fair | 53°F / 31°F | 9.8 h |
| December | Very quiet | 41 Poor | 43°F / 25°F | 9.2 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00363451, ~0.7 mi away).
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About visiting Friendship Hill
Friendship Hill National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in PA and one of the system's hidden, low-traffic units, drawing about 18,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 48%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: September is the busiest month at about 3.9× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.3× — a 13-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 27% 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 73°F in July down to about 30°F in January, with the wettest stretch in June. About 7 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 June: 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 September rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.2 hours in midwinter to 14.8 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1983–2025 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
Albert Gallatin is best remembered for his thirteen year tenure as Secretary of the Treasury during the Jefferson and Madison administrations. In that time he reduced the national debt, purchased the Louisiana Territory and funded the Lewis & Clark exploration. Gallatin's accomplishments and contributions are highlighted at Friendship Hill, his restored country estate.
Weather & conditions
Weather varies considerably within each season. Be prepared with layered clothing. Precipitation is common throughout the year. Spring: Temperatures usually range from 25°F to 70°F. On average, May is the wettest month. Summer: Temperatures usually range from 50°F to 80°F. July is the warmest month. Fall: Temperatures usually range from 30°F to 70°F. Fall foliage is at its peak around mid-October. Winter: Temperatures range from 15°F to 40°F. January is the coldest month.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Friendship Hill
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Friendship Hill National Historic Site — live availability and prices to plan your trip. June is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Friendship Hill
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Getting to Friendship Hill
The nearest airport is Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), about 76 mi (1 hr 44 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Friendship Hill by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
June offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at Friendship Hill National Historic Site. The park is busiest in September (about 3.9× the average month) and quietest in January.
September is the busiest month at Friendship Hill National Historic Site, running roughly 3.9 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Friendship Hill National Historic Site, at about 0.3× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Friendship Hill National Historic Site recorded about 18,080 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-48%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Friendship Hill National Historic Site averages about 73°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is the closest airport to Friendship Hill National Historic Site, about 76 mi (1 hr 44 min drive) away.
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Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1983–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.