How Crowded Is Joshua Tree National Park in May?

May runs about 1× Joshua Tree National Park's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 8% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees about 239,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes May the 7th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the March peak (1.6×) and the July low (0.6×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 70/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated September at 72/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 90°F and an overnight low around 63°F, with about 0.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 76°F is warm enough that midday heat is worth planning around.

Because June, July and August together draw about 15% of annual visitors, choosing May instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 13.8 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 9.8-hour midwinter low and the 14.2-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 2,932,644 recreation visits, down 2% from 2,991,874 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 15%, so a May visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.