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

September 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 September.

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

That makes September 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 September rates 66/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at James A Garfield, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical September weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 74°F and an overnight low around 55°F, with about 4.6" 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 45% of annual visitors, choosing September instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 12.3 hours of daylight in September 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 September may feel a touch quieter than it once did.