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

January runs about 0.7× Mississippi National River & Recreation Area's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 6% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees about 18,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 2011 to 2025.

That makes January the 11th-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 January rates 41/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 63/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 24°F and an overnight low around 9°F, with about 0.5" of precipitation.

That average of about 16°F is cold, with winter conditions likely on higher ground.

Because June, July and August together draw about 33% of annual visitors, choosing January instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9 hours of daylight in January 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 January may feel a touch quieter than it once did.