How Crowded Is Olympic National Park in December?

December runs about 0.3× Olympic National Park's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 3% of the park's yearly visitors come in December.

In a typical December the park sees about 86,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the quietest month of the year at Olympic; by contrast August, the busiest, runs about 2.6× the average — so December is the easiest time to have the place largely to yourself.

On our Best Time to Visit score December rates 40/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated May at 67/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical December weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 41°F and an overnight low around 33°F, with about 9.9" of precipitation.

That average of about 37°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 50% of annual visitors, choosing December instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 8.2 hours of daylight in December to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 3,584,187 recreation visits, down 3.6% from 3,717,267 in 2024.