How Crowded Is Gauley River National Recreation Area in May?

May runs about 0.7× Gauley River National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 6% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees roughly 9,700 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1993 to 2025.

That makes May the 6th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the September peak (3.6×) and the January low (0.2×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 74/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at Gauley River, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 72°F and an overnight low around 48°F, with about 5.3" of precipitation.

That average of about 60°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 26% 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 14.1 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 9.4-hour midwinter low and the 14.6-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 213,596 recreation visits, down 21.7% from 272,898 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 79.1%, so a May visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.