How Crowded Is Russell Cave National Monument in October?

October runs about 1.3× Russell Cave National Monument's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 10% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees roughly 1,900 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 2nd-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the April peak (1.4×) and the January low (0.5×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 43/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 58/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 72°F and an overnight low around 48°F, with about 3.6" of precipitation.

That average of about 60°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 October instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11.1 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 9.7-hour midwinter low and the 14.3-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 9,261 recreation visits, up 6.7% from 8,678 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 31.9%, so October may feel a touch quieter than it once did.