How Crowded Is Gauley River National Recreation Area in October?

October runs about 2.3× Gauley River National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 19% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees about 30,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1993 to 2025.

That makes October the 2nd-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 October rates 45/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated May at 74/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 65°F and an overnight low around 41°F, with about 3.3" of precipitation.

That average of about 53°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 October instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11 hours of daylight in October 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 October visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.