How Crowded Is Grand Portage National Monument in May?

May runs about 0.7× Grand Portage National Monument's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 6% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees roughly 5,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes May the 6th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the August peak (3.1×) and the January low (0.2×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 64/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at Grand Portage, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 58°F and an overnight low around 37°F, with about 3.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 47°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 64% of annual visitors, choosing May instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 15 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 8.2-hour midwinter low and the 15.8-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 85,734 recreation visits, down 3.6% from 88,931 in 2024.