How Crowded Is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in March?
March runs about 1.1× Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 10% of the park's yearly visitors come in March.
In a typical March the park sees about 75,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1982 to 2025.
That makes March the 2nd-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the May peak (1.3×) and the December low (0.8×).
On our Best Time to Visit score March rates 34/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated December at 79/100 — the best overall balance of crowds and daylight.
Because June, July and August together draw about 26% 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 11.7 hours of daylight in March to explore — between the 9.7-hour midwinter low and the 14.3-hour summer high.
Park-wide, 2025 drew 722,626 recreation visits, up 13% from 639,745 in 2024.
Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 10.3%, so March may feel a touch quieter than it once did.
Frequently Asked Questions
March is average at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (about 1.1× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Poor". The single best month overall is December.
The busiest month is May and the quietest is December. March sits at about 1.1× the park's average, or 10% of annual visitation.
A typical March sees about 75,000 recreation visits at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1982–2025.
Where to stay near Santa Monica Mountains in March
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Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1982–2025). Updated 2026-07-14.