How Crowded Is Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in February?

February runs about 0.3× Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 2% of the park's yearly visitors come in February.

In a typical February the park sees about 720 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1998 to 2025.

That makes February the 11th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the June peak (1.7×) and the January low (0.2×).

On our Best Time to Visit score February rates 45/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated October at 45/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical February weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 47°F and an overnight low around 23°F, with about 1.4" of precipitation and roughly 2" of snow.

That average of about 35°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 38% of annual visitors, choosing February instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 10.6 hours of daylight in February to explore — between the 9.3-hour midwinter low and the 14.7-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 27,531 recreation visits, down 8.1% from 29,955 in 2024.