Updated October 2026
Best Time to Visit Greenbelt Park
ParkMaryland
Best month to visit
September
79°F / 59°F avg high / low
Our recommendation
Visit Greenbelt in September
September offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, May is the most crowded month (~1.8× the average month) and January is the quietest.
- Annual visits
- 130K
- 2025
- Busiest month
- May
- 1.8× avg
- Quietest month
- Jan
- 0.3× avg
- 10-yr trend
- falling
- -44%
More photos of Greenbelt
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Greenbelt 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
Greenbelt Park weather by month →
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 43 Poor | 43°F / 25°F | 9.6 h |
| February | Quiet | 33 Poor | 46°F / 27°F | 10.5 h |
| March | Average | 34 Poor | 53°F / 34°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Busy | 46 Fair | 65°F / 44°F | 13.0 h |
| May | Very busy | 46 Fair | 74°F / 54°F | 14.1 h |
| June | Busy | 59 Fair | 83°F / 63°F | 14.7 h |
| July | Very busy | 38 Poor | 87°F / 68°F | 14.5 h |
| August | Busy | 52 Fair | 86°F / 66°F | 13.5 h |
| Septemberour pick | Quiet | 73 Good | 79°F / 59°F | 12.2 h |
| October | Average | 57 Fair | 68°F / 47°F | 11.0 h |
| November | Very quiet | 59 Fair | 57°F / 37°F | 9.8 h |
| December | Very quiet | 44 Poor | 47°F / 30°F | 9.3 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00180700, ~3.7 mi away).
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About visiting Greenbelt
Greenbelt Park is a Park in MD and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 130,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 44%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: May is the busiest month at about 1.8× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.3× — a 5-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 36% 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 77°F in July down to about 34°F in January, with the wettest stretch in July. 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 September: 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
Enjoy affordable camping, hiking, and peaceful forest surroundings just ten miles from Washington, DC!
Weather & conditions
The Washington, D.C. area has a four-season Mid-Atlantic climate. Summertime is warm and humid, while winter can be cold and snowy. Spring: During these months of transition, the weather can alternate from warm, humid air coming from the south to cold, dry air coming from the northwest. Be prepared for changing conditions. Summer: The warmest months are June, July, and August, with average highs in the 80s (~31 ?) combined with high humidity. Fall: Expect a drop in temperature and humidity in September
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Greenbelt
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Greenbelt Park — live availability and prices to plan your trip. September is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather. Full lodging guide: when to book, gateway vs in-park, and the crowd calendar that drives room rates.
Top-rated places to stay near Greenbelt
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Getting to Greenbelt
The nearest airport is Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), about 19 mi (35 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Greenbelt by car.
What takes a reservation at Greenbelt
From National Park Service records read on October 11, 2026. Timed-entry and permit rules change from season to season; the official Greenbelt page has this year's.
Campgrounds with reservable sites
- Greenbelt Park Campground: 172 reservable sites
Activities the park marks as needing a reservation
Frequently Asked Questions
September offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at Greenbelt Park. The park is busiest in May (about 1.8× the average month) and quietest in January.
May is the busiest month at Greenbelt Park, running roughly 1.8 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Greenbelt Park, at about 0.3× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Greenbelt Park recorded about 130,314 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-44%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Greenbelt Park averages about 77°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the closest airport to Greenbelt Park, about 19 mi (35 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Greenbelt
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Goose Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 34 mi · VA
- Beaverdam Creek Reservior Lake water qualityGrade A · 34 mi · VA
- Beaverdam Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 35 mi · VA
- Burke Lake water qualityGrade C · 27 mi · VA
- Lake Barcroft water qualityGrade — · 17 mi · VA
Beach water quality near Greenbelt
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Bay Ridge At River Dr. water qualityGrade A · 24 mi · MD
- Bay Ridge At Bay Dr. water qualityGrade A · 24 mi · MD
- Highland Beach water qualityGrade A · 24 mi · MD
- Mountain Point At Gibson Island water qualityGrade A · 25 mi · MD
- Fort Smallwood Park water qualityGrade A · 25 mi · MD
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.