How Crowded Is Pipe Spring National Monument in September?

September runs about 1.5× Pipe Spring National Monument's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 13% of the park's yearly visitors come in September.

In a typical September the park sees roughly 4,300 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the single busiest month of the year at Pipe Spring; January, the quietest, runs only about 0.3× the average — a 5-to-1 swing between high and low season.

On our Best Time to Visit score September rates 51/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated August at 58/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical September weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 85°F and an overnight low around 52°F, with about 1.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 68°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 30% of annual visitors, choosing September instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 12.2 hours of daylight in September to explore — between the 9.5-hour midwinter low and the 14.5-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 24,530 recreation visits, up 2.1% from 24,016 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 42%, so September may feel a touch quieter than it once did.