How Crowded Is James A Garfield National Historic Site in October?

October runs about 1.1× James A Garfield National Historic Site's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 9% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees roughly 3,200 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1997 to 2025.

That makes October the 5th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2.4×) and the January low (0.2×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 52/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated September at 66/100 — 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 62°F and an overnight low around 45°F, with about 3.9" of precipitation.

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 45% 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 10.8 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 9-hour midwinter low and the 15-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 39,671 recreation visits, up 8.5% from 36,553 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 29.9%, so October may feel a touch quieter than it once did.