How Crowded Is Walnut Canyon National Monument in January?

January runs about 0.4× Walnut Canyon National Monument's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 3% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees roughly 5,300 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

It is the quietest month of the year at Walnut Canyon; by contrast April, the busiest, runs about 1.5× the average — so January is the easiest time to have the place largely to yourself.

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 44/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated August at 70/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 45°F and an overnight low around 20°F, with about 1.3" of precipitation and roughly 13" of snow.

That average of about 33°F is cold, with winter conditions likely on higher ground.

Because June, July and August together draw about 27% of annual visitors, choosing January instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9.9 hours of daylight in January to explore — between the 9.6-hour midwinter low and the 14.4-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 187,205 recreation visits, up 22.7% from 152,548 in 2023.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 14.2%, so a January visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.