How Crowded Is Gauley River National Recreation Area in November?

November runs about 0.4× Gauley River National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 3% of the park's yearly visitors come in November.

In a typical November the park sees roughly 4,800 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1993 to 2025.

That makes November the 9th-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 November rates 53/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated May at 74/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical November weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 54°F and an overnight low around 32°F, with about 3.3" of precipitation.

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

Because June, July and August together draw about 26% of annual visitors, choosing November instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9.9 hours of daylight in November 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 November visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.