How Crowded Is Sitka National Historical Park in May?

May runs about 1.7× Sitka National Historical Park's average month, which makes it a very busy month here — roughly 14% of the park's yearly visitors come in May.

In a typical May the park sees about 29,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes May the 4th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (2.3×) and the December low (0.2×).

On our Best Time to Visit score May rates 41/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated April at 49/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 54°F and an overnight low around 39°F, with about 4.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 47°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 56% of annual visitors, choosing May instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 16.2 hours of daylight in May to explore — between the 6.4-hour midwinter low and the 17.6-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 332,964 recreation visits, up 7.6% from 309,327 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 10.3%, so a May visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.