How Crowded Is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in January?

January runs about 1.2× Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 10% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees about 153,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the single busiest month of the year at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes; September, the quietest, runs only about 0.8× the average — a 2-to-1 swing between high and low season.

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 41/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 79/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 79°F and an overnight low around 65°F, with about 3.5" of precipitation.

That average of about 72°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 25% of annual visitors, choosing January instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11 hours of daylight in January to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 1,877,854 recreation visits, up 31% from 1,433,593 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 11.4%, so a January visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.