Photo: NPS/G Wilson — Public domainOur recommendation
Visit Greenbelt in January
January offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. 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
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January★ best | Very quiet | 78 Excellent | 9.6 h |
| February | Quiet | 59 Fair | 10.5 h |
| March | Average | 48 Fair | 11.7 h |
| April | Busy | 38 Poor | 13.0 h |
| May | Very busy | 21 Poor | 14.1 h |
| June | Busy | 46 Fair | 14.7 h |
| July | Very busy | 26 Poor | 14.5 h |
| August | Busy | 41 Poor | 13.5 h |
| September | Quiet | 65 Good | 12.2 h |
| October | Average | 54 Fair | 11.0 h |
| November | Very quiet | 77 Excellent | 9.8 h |
| December | Very quiet | 76 Excellent | 9.3 h |
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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. If avoiding people matters most, January offers the thinnest crowds of the year, though you'll trade some warmth and daylight for the solitude. 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, 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. January is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Greenbelt
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
January offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight 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%).
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 Audubon water qualityGrade — · 24 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). Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.