How Crowded Is Walnut Canyon National Monument in May?

May 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 May.

In a typical May the park sees about 16,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes May the 5th-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 May rates 53/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated August at 70/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical May weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 71°F and an overnight low around 40°F, with about 0.6" of precipitation.

That average of about 56°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 27% 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 13.8 hours of daylight in May 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 May visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.