How Crowded Is Nez Perce National Historical Park in January?

January runs about 0.7× Nez Perce National Historical Park's average month, which makes it a quiet month here — roughly 6% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees about 17,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the quietest month of the year at Nez Perce; by contrast August, the busiest, runs about 1.4× the average — so January is the easiest time to have the place largely to yourself.

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 45/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated July at 67/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 38°F and an overnight low around 25°F.

That average of about 31°F is cold, with winter conditions likely on higher ground.

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

You'll have about 8.8 hours of daylight in January to explore — between the 8.5-hour midwinter low and the 15.5-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 343,910 recreation visits, about flat from 342,924 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 31.8%, so a January visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.