How Crowded Is Gateway National Recreation Area in March?

March runs about 0.8× Gateway National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 6% of the park's yearly visitors come in March.

In a typical March the park sees about 548,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes March the 9th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.6×) and the February low (0.6×).

On our Best Time to Visit score March rates 44/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated October at 58/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical March weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 50°F and an overnight low around 35°F, with about 4.4" of precipitation and roughly 4" of snow.

That average of about 43°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 37% of annual visitors, choosing March instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11.7 hours of daylight in March to explore — between the 9.1-hour midwinter low and the 14.9-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 7,696,939 recreation visits, down 13.8% from 8,929,035 in 2024.