How Crowded Is Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in October?

October runs about 0.9× Glen Canyon National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 8% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees about 302,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 7th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2×) and the January low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 63/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at Glen Canyon, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 71°F and an overnight low around 47°F, with about 0.9" of precipitation.

That average of about 59°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 45% 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 9.5-hour midwinter low and the 14.5-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 3,729,502 recreation visits, down 21.1% from 4,725,610 in 2024.