How Crowded Is Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in May?

May runs about 1.3× Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 11% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees roughly 5,300 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes May the 5th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the August peak (1.6×) and the January low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 59/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated October at 47/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 72°F and an overnight low around 50°F.

That average of about 61°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 37% of annual visitors, choosing May instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 14.2 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 9.1-hour midwinter low and the 14.8-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 48,776 recreation visits, down 10.2% from 54,293 in 2023.