How Crowded Is New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in October?

October runs about 1× New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 8% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees roughly 9,400 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1998 to 2025.

That makes October the 5th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2.9×) and the January low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 60/100 ("Good"), versus the top-rated May at 71/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 64°F and an overnight low around 49°F, with about 4.9" of precipitation.

That average of about 56°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 49% of annual visitors, choosing October instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 10.8 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 9-hour midwinter low and the 15-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 18,330 recreation visits, up 7.6% from 17,034 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 78.4%, so October may feel a touch quieter than it once did.