How Crowded Is Mount Rainier National Park in March?

March runs about 0.2× Mount Rainier National Park's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 2% of the park's yearly visitors come in March.

In a typical March the park sees about 26,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes March the 9th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (3×) and the February low (0.1×).

On our Best Time to Visit score March rates 46/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated May at 52/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical March weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 36°F and an overnight low around 24°F, with about 13.2" of precipitation.

That average of about 30°F is cold, with winter conditions likely on higher ground.

Because June, July and August together draw about 62% of annual visitors, choosing March instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11.6 hours of daylight in March to explore — between the 8.3-hour midwinter low and the 15.7-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 1,635,342 recreation visits, up 0.9% from 1,620,006 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 18.2%, so a March visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.