Updated June 2026
Best Time to Visit George Rogers Clark
Our recommendation
Visit George Rogers Clark in October
October offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, May is the most crowded month (~2.9× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
113K
2025
Busiest month
May
2.9× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.2× avg
10-yr trend
rising
+18.6%
How crowded is George Rogers Clark 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 / 22°F | 9.6 h |
| February | Very quiet | 43 Poor | 45°F / 24°F | 10.5 h |
| March | Very quiet | 56 Fair | 55°F / 33°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Average | 61 Good | 67°F / 44°F | 13.0 h |
| May | Very busy | 46 Fair | 77°F / 55°F | 14.1 h |
| June | Average | 72 Good | 86°F / 64°F | 14.7 h |
| July | Very busy | 49 Fair | 89°F / 66°F | 14.5 h |
| August | Busy | 66 Good | 88°F / 64°F | 13.5 h |
| September | Average | 76 Excellent | 82°F / 57°F | 12.2 h |
| October★ best | Quiet | 66 Good | 70°F / 45°F | 11.0 h |
| November | Quiet | 52 Fair | 56°F / 35°F | 9.8 h |
| December | Very quiet | 39 Poor | 44°F / 26°F | 9.3 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00129113, ~4.8 mi away).
About visiting George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is a National Historical Park in IN and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 113,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has climbed over the past decade, up roughly 18.6%, so crowds are trending heavier each year. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: May is the busiest month at about 2.9× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.2× — a 14-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 38% 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 31°F in January, with the wettest stretch in May and meaningful snowfall around December. 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 May rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.3 hours in midwinter to 14.7 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 British flag would not be raised above Fort Sackville Feb. 25, 1779. At 10 A.M., the garrison surrendered to American Colonel George Rogers Clark. His American army, aided by French residents of the Illinois country, had marched through freezing floodwaters to gain this victory. The fort’s capture assured United States claims to the frontier, an area nearly as large as the original 13 states.
Weather & conditions
The weather in the area is quite typical for the Midwest. The average temperature for the winter months is in the mid 30s, but the summers can often be hot and humid with temperatures reaching into the 90s.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Frequently Asked Questions
October offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. The park is busiest in May (about 2.9× the average month) and quietest in January.
May is the busiest month at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, running roughly 2.9 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, at about 0.2× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park recorded about 113,397 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been rising over the past decade (+18.6%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park averages about 78°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
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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.