How Crowded Is Mississippi National River & Recreation Area in August?

August runs about 1.4× Mississippi National River & Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 11% of the park's yearly visitors come in August.

In a typical August the park sees about 34,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 2011 to 2025.

That makes August the 2nd-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.4×) and the December low (0.7×).

On our Best Time to Visit score August rates 47/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated September at 63/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical August weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 80°F and an overnight low around 62°F, with about 4.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 71°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

August falls inside the park's busiest stretch: June, July and August together pull about 33% of the year's visitors, so a visit this month means sharing the park with the peak-season crowd.

You'll have about 13.9 hours of daylight in August to explore — between the 8.6-hour midwinter low and the 15.4-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 224,722 recreation visits, down 12.3% from 256,133 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 22.6%, so August may feel a touch quieter than it once did.