Our recommendation
Visit Paterson Great Falls in May
May offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, July is the most crowded month (~2.1× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
190K
2025
Busiest month
Jul
2.1× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.4× avg
10-yr trend
falling
-7.1%
How crowded is Paterson Great Falls by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 2016–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 45 Fair | 39°F / 22°F | 9.4 h |
| February | Very quiet | 48 Fair | 41°F / 23°F | 10.4 h |
| March | Quiet | 57 Fair | 51°F / 31°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Quiet | 69 Good | 63°F / 40°F | 13.1 h |
| May★ best | Quiet | 82 Excellent | 73°F / 51°F | 14.3 h |
| June | Very busy | 65 Good | 82°F / 60°F | 14.9 h |
| July | Very busy | 49 Fair | 87°F / 65°F | 14.7 h |
| August | Very busy | 54 Fair | 84°F / 64°F | 13.6 h |
| September | Very busy | 61 Good | 76°F / 56°F | 12.3 h |
| October | Quiet | 67 Good | 65°F / 44°F | 10.9 h |
| November | Quiet | 55 Fair | 54°F / 35°F | 9.7 h |
| December | Very quiet | 50 Fair | 44°F / 27°F | 9.1 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00284887, ~3.2 mi away).
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About visiting Paterson Great Falls
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park is a National Historical Park in NJ and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 190,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 7.1%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: July is the busiest month at about 2.1× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.4× — a 5-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 48% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 76°F in July down to about 31°F in January, with the wettest stretch in January. About 7 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is May: pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the July rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.1 hours in midwinter to 14.9 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 2016–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
Silk cloth and steam locomotives; textiles and continuous paper rolls; firearms and aircraft engines. What do these things have in common? All were manufactured in the same place - Paterson, NJ. In 1792, Paterson was established as America's first planned industrial city, centered around the Great Falls of the Passaic River. From humble mills rose industries that changed the face of the nation.
Weather & conditions
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=40.91475800178142&lon=-74.1678490947591#.VusP4uIrK71
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Paterson Great Falls
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park — live availability and prices to plan your trip. May is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Paterson Great Falls
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Getting to Paterson Great Falls
The nearest airport is Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), about 20 mi (30 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Paterson Great Falls by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
May offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. The park is busiest in July (about 2.1× the average month) and quietest in January.
July is the busiest month at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, running roughly 2.1 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, at about 0.4× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park recorded about 189,721 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-7.1%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park averages about 76°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is the closest airport to Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, about 20 mi (30 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Paterson Great Falls
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Greenwood Lake water qualityGrade — · 21 mi · NY
- Lake Lucille water qualityGrade — · 21 mi · NY
- Oakland Lake water qualityGrade — · 25 mi · NY
- Tomkins Lake water qualityGrade — · 27 mi · NY
- Lake Mohegan water qualityGrade — · 32 mi · NY
Beach water quality near Paterson Great Falls
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Locust Point Yacht Club water qualityGrade A · 21 mi · NY
- Coney Island Beach - Brighton 6th - Ocean Parkway water qualityGrade A · 26 mi · NY
- Coney Island - W. 8th St. To Pier water qualityGrade A · 26 mi · NY
- Stehli Beach water qualityGrade A · 31 mi · NY
- Middletown Township At Army Rec. Beach North water qualityGrade A · 32 mi · NJ
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (2016–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.