How Crowded Is John Muir National Historic Site in September?

September runs about 0.9× John Muir National Historic Site's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 7% of the park's yearly visitors come in September.

In a typical September the park sees roughly 3,100 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes September the 10th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the April peak (1.6×) and the December low (0.7×).

On our Best Time to Visit score September rates 85/100 ("Excellent") — the single best-rated month at John Muir, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical September weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 84°F and an overnight low around 50°F, with about 0.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 67°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 27% 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 12.2 hours of daylight in September to explore — between the 9.4-hour midwinter low and the 14.6-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 38,384 recreation visits, down 16.1% from 45,753 in 2024.