How Crowded Is Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River in March?

March runs about 2.6× Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 21% of the park's yearly visitors come in March.

In a typical March the park sees about 220 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1985 to 2025.

It is the single busiest month of the year at Rio Grande; August, the quietest, runs only about 0.2× the average — a 13-to-1 swing between high and low season.

On our Best Time to Visit score March rates 44/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 80/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical March weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 76°F and an overnight low around 48°F, with about 0.6" of precipitation.

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 13% of annual visitors, choosing March instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11.8 hours of daylight in March to explore — between the 10.1-hour midwinter low and the 13.9-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2013 drew 703 recreation visits, down 25.8% from 947 in 2009.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 37.1%, so a March visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.