How Crowded Is Wupatki National Monument in October?

October runs about 1× Wupatki National Monument's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 8% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

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

That makes October the 8th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.5×) and the January low (0.3×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 56/100 ("Fair") — the single best-rated month at Wupatki, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 73°F and an overnight low around 46°F, with about 0.7" of precipitation.

That average of about 59°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 36% of annual visitors, choosing October instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 11.1 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 9.6-hour midwinter low and the 14.4-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2024 drew 220,205 recreation visits, up 2.1% from 215,703 in 2023.