How Crowded Is Governors Island National Monument in September?

September runs about 2.4× Governors Island National Monument's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 20% of the park's yearly visitors come in September.

In a typical September the park sees about 74,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 2003 to 2025.

That makes September the 4th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the August peak (3.2×) and the December low (0×).

On our Best Time to Visit score September rates 33/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated April at 90/100 — the best overall balance of crowds and daylight.

Because June, July and August together draw about 73% of annual visitors, choosing September instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 12.3 hours of daylight in September to explore — between the 9.1-hour midwinter low and the 14.9-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2016 drew 522,859 recreation visits, up 19.2% from 438,613 in 2015.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 70.6%, so a September visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.