How Crowded Is Gauley River in May?
May is a quiet month at Gauley River National Recreation Area, running about 0.7× the park's average month — roughly 6% of the year's visitors come in May. That puts it between the September peak and the January low. Overall our best-time score rates May as "Good" for a visit. Typical May weather averages a high near 72°F and a low around 48°F, with about 5.3" of precipitation. You'll get about 14.1 hours of daylight to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
May is quiet at Gauley River National Recreation Area (about 0.7× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Good". The single best month overall is May.
The busiest month is September and the quietest is January. May sits at about 0.7× the park's average, or 6% of annual visitation.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1993–2025), NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991–2020. Updated 2026-06-20.