How Crowded Is Joshua Tree National Park in November?

November runs about 1.2× Joshua Tree National Park's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 10% of the park's yearly visitors come in November.

In a typical November the park sees about 291,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes November the 4th-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 November rates 55/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated September at 72/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical November weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 72°F and an overnight low around 47°F, with about 0.2" of precipitation.

That average of about 59°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

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

You'll have about 10.2 hours of daylight in November 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 November visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.