Updated October 2026
Best Time to Visit Hampton National Historic Site
National Historic SiteMaryland
Best month to visit
April
66°F / 45°F avg high / low
Our recommendation
Visit Hampton in April
April offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, May is the most crowded month (~1.4× the average month) and January is the quietest.
- Annual visits
- 48K
- 2025
- Busiest month
- May
- 1.4× avg
- Quietest month
- Jan
- 0.5× avg
- 10-yr trend
- falling
- -27.9%
How crowded is Hampton 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
Hampton National Historic Site weather by month →
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Quiet | 50 Fair | 42°F / 27°F | 9.5 h |
| February | Quiet | 44 Poor | 46°F / 28°F | 10.5 h |
| March | Quiet | 54 Fair | 54°F / 34°F | 11.7 h |
| Aprilour pick | Quiet | 66 Good | 66°F / 45°F | 13.0 h |
| May | Busy | 52 Fair | 73°F / 55°F | 14.2 h |
| June | Average | 62 Good | 82°F / 64°F | 14.8 h |
| July | Busy | 50 Fair | 87°F / 69°F | 14.5 h |
| August | Busy | 56 Fair | 84°F / 67°F | 13.6 h |
| September | Average | 69 Good | 77°F / 60°F | 12.2 h |
| October | Average | 56 Fair | 66°F / 49°F | 10.9 h |
| November | Average | 42 Poor | 56°F / 39°F | 9.8 h |
| December | Busy | 19 Poor | 46°F / 32°F | 9.2 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00182308, ~5.7 mi away).
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About visiting Hampton
Hampton National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in MD and one of the system's hidden, low-traffic units, drawing about 48,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 27.9%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: May is the busiest month at about 1.4× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.5× — a 3-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 30% 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 78°F in July down to about 35°F in January, with the wettest stretch in January. 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 April: 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 9.2 hours in midwinter to 14.8 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
Hampton National Historic Site preserves what remains of a once 25,000-acre enslavement plantation. For hundreds of years, enslaved people, indentured servants, tenant farmers, paid laborers, and the Ridgely family all made their own contributions to Hampton, creating a space where cruelty and decadence collide to provide a complex history of the United States.
Weather & conditions
Weather during the spring and fall months tend to be mild. Visitors can expect mild to severe seasonal weather during the winter and summer months. Inclement weather may impact park hours of operation year round. Refer to the park alerts or call ahead to confirm operating hours.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Hampton
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Hampton National Historic Site — live availability and prices to plan your trip. April 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 Hampton
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 Hampton
The nearest airport is Baltimore/Wash International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), about 26 mi (41 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Hampton by car.
What takes a reservation at Hampton
From National Park Service records read on October 11, 2026. Timed-entry and permit rules change from season to season; the official Hampton page has this year's.
Activities the park marks as needing a reservation
Frequently Asked Questions
April offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at Hampton National Historic Site. The park is busiest in May (about 1.4× the average month) and quietest in January.
May is the busiest month at Hampton National Historic Site, running roughly 1.4 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Hampton National Historic Site, at about 0.5× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Hampton National Historic Site recorded about 48,158 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-27.9%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Hampton National Historic Site averages about 78°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Baltimore/Wash International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is the closest airport to Hampton National Historic Site, about 26 mi (41 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Hampton
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.
- Sheppard-Meyers Reservoir water qualityGrade — · 29 mi · PA
- Lawrence Baker Sheppard Reservoir water qualityGrade — · 31 mi · PA
- Lake Marburg water qualityGrade — · 31 mi · PA
- Lake Redman water qualityGrade — · 33 mi · PA
- Lake Williams water qualityGrade — · 34 mi · PA
Beach water quality near Hampton
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Gunpowder State Park - Hammerman water qualityGrade A · 14 mi · MD
- Rocky Point Park water qualityGrade A · 15 mi · MD
- Hart Miller Island water qualityGrade A · 16 mi · MD
- Fort Smallwood Park water qualityGrade A · 18 mi · MD
- Fort Smallwood At Pond Drive water qualityGrade A · 19 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.