How Crowded Is Gettysburg National Military Park in October?

October runs about 1.4× Gettysburg National Military Park's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 12% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees about 95,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 4th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.7×) and the January low (0.2×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 38/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 59/100 — 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 66°F and an overnight low around 43°F, with about 3.7" of precipitation.

That average of about 55°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 38% 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 10.9 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 9.2-hour midwinter low and the 14.8-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 730,398 recreation visits, down 1.5% from 741,574 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 19.3%, so October may feel a touch quieter than it once did.