How Crowded Is New River Gorge National Park & Preserve in February?

February runs about 0.3× New River Gorge National Park & Preserve's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 3% of the park's yearly visitors come in February.

In a typical February the park sees about 39,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1984 to 2025.

That makes February the 11th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.9×) and the January low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score February rates 44/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 62/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical February weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 44°F and an overnight low around 27°F, with about 3.1" of precipitation and roughly 15" of snow.

That average of about 35°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 43% of annual visitors, choosing February instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 10.6 hours of daylight in February to explore — between the 9.4-hour midwinter low and the 14.6-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 1,958,440 recreation visits, up 8.1% from 1,811,937 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 49.7%, so a February visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.