How Crowded Is Hot Springs National Park in October?

October 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 October.

In a typical October the park sees about 146,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 7th-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 October rates 66/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated September at 69/100 — 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 75°F and an overnight low around 52°F, with about 5.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 64°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 34% 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 11.1 hours of daylight in October 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 October visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.