How Crowded Is Nez Perce National Historical Park in October?

October runs about 1× Nez Perce 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 about 25,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 6th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the August peak (1.4×) and the January low (0.7×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 51/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated July at 67/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 62°F and an overnight low around 37°F.

That average of about 50°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 33% 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 10.7 hours of daylight in October 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 October visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.