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

July 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 July.

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

It is the single busiest month of the year at Mississippi; December, the quietest, runs only about 0.7× the average — a 2-to-1 swing between high and low season.

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

Typical July weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 83°F and an overnight low around 64°F, with about 4" of precipitation.

That average of about 73°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

July 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 15.1 hours of daylight in July 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 July may feel a touch quieter than it once did.