Best Time to Visit General Grant National Memorial
OctoberBest month to visit
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Visit General Grant in October
October offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, July is the most crowded month (~2.0× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
111K
2024
Busiest month
Jul
2.0× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.4× avg
10-yr trend
steady
+4.8%
More photos of General Grant
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is General Grant by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 43 Poor | 40°F / 28°F | 9.4 h |
| February | Very quiet | 44 Poor | 42°F / 30°F | 10.4 h |
| March | Quiet | 40 Poor | 50°F / 36°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Average | 56 Fair | 62°F / 46°F | 13.1 h |
| May | Average | 69 Good | 71°F / 55°F | 14.3 h |
| June | Average | 71 Good | 80°F / 64°F | 14.9 h |
| July | Very busy | 40 Poor | 85°F / 70°F | 14.7 h |
| August | Busy | 50 Fair | 83°F / 69°F | 13.6 h |
| September | Busy | 58 Fair | 76°F / 62°F | 12.3 h |
| October★ best | Average | 58 Fair | 65°F / 51°F | 10.9 h |
| November | Quiet | 51 Fair | 54°F / 42°F | 9.7 h |
| December | Quiet | 36 Poor | 44°F / 34°F | 9.1 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USW00094728, ~2.4 mi away).
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About visiting General Grant
General Grant National Memorial is a National Memorial in NY and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 111,000 recreation visits in 2024. Visitation has held fairly steady over the past decade. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: July is the busiest month at about 2.0× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.4× — a 6-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 39% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 78°F in July down to about 34°F in January, with the wettest stretch in July and meaningful snowfall around February. About 7 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is October: pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the July rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.1 hours in midwinter to 14.9 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
The final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, is the largest mausoleum in North America. It testifies to a people’s gratitude for the man who ended the bloodiest conflict in American history as Commanding General of the Union Army and then, as President of the United States, strove to heal a nation after a civil war and make rights for all citizens a reality.
Weather & conditions
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=New+York&state=NY&site=OKX&lat=40.7198&lon=-73.993#.Vqj8OvkrJlZ
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near General Grant
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near General Grant National Memorial — live availability and prices to plan your trip. October is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near General Grant
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Getting to General Grant
The nearest airport is LaGuardia Airport (LGA), about 9 mi (19 min drive) away. Most visitors reach General Grant by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
October offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at General Grant National Memorial. The park is busiest in July (about 2.0× the average month) and quietest in January.
July is the busiest month at General Grant National Memorial, running roughly 2.0 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at General Grant National Memorial, at about 0.4× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
General Grant National Memorial recorded about 110,602 recreation visits in 2024. Visitation has been steady over the past decade (+4.8%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at General Grant National Memorial averages about 78°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is the closest airport to General Grant National Memorial, about 9 mi (19 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near General Grant
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Oakland Lake water qualityGrade — · 11 mi · NY
- Lake Lucille water qualityGrade — · 26 mi · NY
- Greenwood Lake water qualityGrade — · 32 mi · NY
- Tomkins Lake water qualityGrade — · 32 mi · NY
- Lake Mohegan water qualityGrade — · 35 mi · NY
Beach water quality near General Grant
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Locust Point Yacht Club water qualityGrade A · 8 mi · NY
- Coney Island Beach - Brighton 6th - Ocean Parkway water qualityGrade A · 16 mi · NY
- Coney Island - W. 8th St. To Pier water qualityGrade A · 17 mi · NY
- Silver Point Beach Club water qualityGrade A · 20 mi · NY
- Pebble Cove Homeowners' Association water qualityGrade A · 20 mi · NY
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.