How Crowded Is Horseshoe Bend National Military Park in March?

March runs about 1.4× Horseshoe Bend National Military Park's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 12% of the park's yearly visitors come in March.

In a typical March the park sees roughly 6,800 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the single busiest month of the year at Horseshoe Bend; December, the quietest, runs only about 0.5× the average — a 3-to-1 swing between high and low season.

On our Best Time to Visit score March rates 35/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated November at 62/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical March weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 68°F and an overnight low around 38°F.

That average of about 53°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 32% of annual visitors, choosing March instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11.8 hours of daylight in March to explore — between the 9.8-hour midwinter low and the 14.2-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 50,738 recreation visits, down 20.8% from 64,063 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 12%, so a March visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.