How Crowded Is Walnut Canyon National Monument in September?

September runs about 1.1× Walnut Canyon National Monument's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 9% of the park's yearly visitors come in September.

In a typical September the park sees about 14,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes September the 7th-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 September rates 59/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated August at 70/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical September weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 78°F and an overnight low around 46°F, with about 1.6" of precipitation.

That average of about 62°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 September instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 12.2 hours of daylight in September 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 September visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.