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

October runs about 2× Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 17% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees roughly 9,700 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1998 to 2025.

It is the single busiest month of the year at Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller; January, the quietest, runs only about 0.3× the average — a 6-to-1 swing between high and low season.

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 21/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated May at 68/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 59°F and an overnight low around 36°F, with about 4.6" of precipitation.

That average of about 47°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

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

You'll have about 10.8 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 8.8-hour midwinter low and the 15.2-hour summer high.

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 October visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.