How Crowded Is Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in May?

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

In a typical May the park sees about 16,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 2016 to 2025.

That makes May the 6th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2.1×) and the January low (0.4×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 82/100 ("Excellent") — the single best-rated month at Paterson Great Falls, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 73°F and an overnight low around 51°F.

That average of about 62°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 48% of annual visitors, choosing May instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 14.3 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 9.1-hour midwinter low and the 14.9-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 189,721 recreation visits, down 10% from 210,741 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 7.1%, so May may feel a touch quieter than it once did.