How Crowded Is Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in May?

May runs about 0.4× Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 4% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees roughly 1,400 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 2020 to 2025.

That makes May the 10th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the February peak (2.6×) and the April low (0.1×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 74/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated June at 79/100 — 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 62°F and an overnight low around 40°F.

That average of about 51°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 30% 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 14.7 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 8.5-hour midwinter low and the 15.5-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 33,835 recreation visits, down 3.8% from 35,173 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 8.2%, so May may feel a touch quieter than it once did.