How Crowded Is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in October?

October runs about 0.9× Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 7% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees about 109,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 9th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the January peak (1.2×) and the September low (0.8×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 68/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated September at 79/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 84°F and an overnight low around 70°F, with about 4.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 77°F is warm enough that midday heat is worth planning around.

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

You'll have about 11.5 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 10.8-hour midwinter low and the 13.2-hour summer high.

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 October visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.