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

September runs about 1.1× Mississippi National River & Recreation Area's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 9% of the park's yearly visitors come in September.

In a typical September the park sees about 26,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 2011 to 2025.

That makes September the 5th-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 September rates 63/100 ("Good") — the single best-rated month at Mississippi, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical September weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 72°F and an overnight low around 53°F, with about 3.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 63°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

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

You'll have about 12.3 hours of daylight in September 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 September may feel a touch quieter than it once did.