How Crowded Is Hot Springs National Park in February?

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

In a typical February the park sees about 141,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes February the 8th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the June peak (1.5×) and the January low (0.6×).

On our Best Time to Visit score February rates 47/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated September at 69/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical February weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 56°F and an overnight low around 35°F, with about 4.6" of precipitation.

That average of about 46°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 34% of annual visitors, choosing February instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 10.8 hours of daylight in February to explore — between the 9.7-hour midwinter low and the 14.3-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 2,494,611 recreation visits, up 1.3% from 2,461,812 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 65.2%, so a February visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.