How Crowded Is Salem Maritime National Historical Park in October?

October runs about 3.5× Salem Maritime National Historical Park's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 30% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees about 109,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the single busiest month of the year at Salem Maritime; January, the quietest, runs only about 0.1× the average — a 27-to-1 swing between high and low season.

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 25/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated August at 76/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 61°F and an overnight low around 42°F, with about 5" of precipitation.

That average of about 52°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 36% 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 10.8 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 8.9-hour midwinter low and the 15.1-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 569,839 recreation visits, up 16.6% from 488,831 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 44.1%, so a October visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.