How Crowded Is Walnut Canyon National Monument in July?

July runs about 1.2× Walnut Canyon National Monument's average month, which makes it a busy month here — roughly 10% of the park's yearly visitors come in July.

In a typical July the park sees about 17,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes July the 4th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the April peak (1.5×) and the January low (0.4×).

On our Best Time to Visit score July rates 59/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated August at 70/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical July weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 86°F and an overnight low around 57°F, with about 2.6" of precipitation.

That average of about 72°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

July falls inside the park's busiest stretch: June, July and August together pull about 27% of the year's visitors, so a visit this month means sharing the park with the peak-season crowd.

You'll have about 14.2 hours of daylight in July to explore — near the year-round maximum.

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 July visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.