How Crowded Is Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park in December?

December runs about 0.3× Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 3% of the park's yearly visitors come in December.

In a typical December the park sees roughly 1,600 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1998 to 2025.

That makes December the 11th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the October peak (2×) and the January low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score December rates 42/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated May at 68/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical December weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 35°F and an overnight low around 16°F, with about 3.2" of precipitation.

That average of about 25°F is cold, with winter conditions likely on higher ground.

Because June, July and August together draw about 41% of annual visitors, choosing December instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 8.8 hours of daylight in December to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 77,524 recreation visits, down 5.1% from 81,713 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 45.6%, so a December visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.