National parks to visit in May
17 of 60 national parks average mild weather in May; the least crowded of them are North Cascades, Wrangell-St. Elias and Lassen Volcanic.
How to read this Weather words come from each park's 1991–2020 average high: mild is 55–80°F without above-normal rain. Crowds compare May with the park's own busiest month (National Park Service visits, 2023–2025).
Mild weather in May 17 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Cascades | Washington | 67° / 46° | 3.0 | Quiet |
| Wrangell-St. Elias | Alaska | 58° / 31° | 0.8 | Quiet |
| Lassen Volcanic | California | 61° / 35° | 2.9 | Moderate |
| Sequoia | California | 58° / 33° | 2.0 | Busy |
| Olympic | Washington | 63° / 43° | 1.9 | Busy |
| Mesa Verde | Colorado | 69° / 43° | 1.1 | Busy |
| Redwood | California | 61° / 47° | 3.6 | Busy |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison | Colorado | 66° / 38° | 1.6 | Busy |
| Yosemite | California | 71° / 45° | 1.9 | Busy |
| Hawai'i Volcanoes | Hawaii | 71° / 53° | 6.5 | Busy |
| Kings Canyon | California | 58° / 33° | 2.0 | Busy |
| Channel Islands | California | 72° / 54° | 0.4 | Busy |
| Pinnacles | California | 80° / 43° | 0.6 | Very busy |
| Bryce Canyon | Utah | 63° / 37° | 0.9 | Very busy |
| Petrified Forest | Arizona | 78° / 44° | 0.5 | Very busy |
| Grand Canyon | Arizona | 70° / 36° | 0.4 | Very busy |
| Haleakala | Hawaii | 63° / 46° | 2.4 | Very busy |
Mild, wetter than usual in May 19 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isle Royale | Michigan | 58° / 37° | 3.1 | Quiet |
| Glacier | Montana | 64° / 39° | 2.6 | Quiet |
| Acadia | Maine | 65° / 45° | 4.5 | Moderate |
| Grand Teton | Wyoming | 56° / 31° | 2.4 | Moderate |
| Rocky Mountain | Colorado | 59° / 28° | 1.6 | Moderate |
| Gateway Arch | Missouri | 77° / 57° | 4.8 | Moderate |
| Theodore Roosevelt | North Dakota | 67° / 41° | 2.6 | Moderate |
| Badlands | South Dakota | 70° / 44° | 3.5 | Moderate |
| Shenandoah | Virginia | 74° / 50° | 4.2 | Moderate |
| Great Basin | Nevada | 64° / 40° | 1.3 | Moderate |
| Indiana Dunes | Indiana | 68° / 50° | 4.3 | Busy |
| Wind Cave | South Dakota | 66° / 41° | 3.7 | Busy |
| Voyageurs | Minnesota | 64° / 37° | 3.3 | Busy |
| Great Smoky Mountains | Tennessee and North Carolina | 75° / 51° | 5.5 | Busy |
| Great Sand Dunes | Colorado | 66° / 38° | 1.2 | Busy |
| New River Gorge | West Virginia | 72° / 50° | 5.1 | Busy |
| Cuyahoga Valley | Ohio | 70° / 47° | 4.1 | Very busy |
| Canyonlands | Utah | 77° / 46° | 0.7 | Very busy |
| Capitol Reef | Utah | 74° / 48° | 0.7 | Very busy |
Hot in May 14 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bend | Texas | 89° / 62° | 1.3 | Moderate |
| Guadalupe Mountains | Texas | 82° / 58° | 0.5 | Moderate |
| Everglades | Florida | 87° / 70° | 3.6 | Moderate |
| Hot Springs | Arkansas | 80° / 60° | 6.5 | Busy |
| Joshua Tree | California | 90° / 63° | 0.1 | Busy |
| Mammoth Cave | Kentucky | 81° / 57° | 5.2 | Busy |
| White Sands | New Mexico | 88° / 50° | 0.5 | Busy |
| Carlsbad Caverns | New Mexico | 84° / 58° | 1.3 | Busy |
| Virgin Islands | US Virgin Islands | 87° / 78° | 3.0 | Very busy |
| Biscayne | Florida | 87° / 75° | 5.7 | Very busy |
| Zion | Utah | 84° / 53° | 0.8 | Very busy |
| Arches | Utah | 80° / 53° | 0.8 | Very busy |
| Congaree | South Carolina | 83° / 60° | 3.2 | Very busy |
| Dry Tortugas | Florida | 86° / 75° | 2.0 | Very busy |
Very hot in May 2 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saguaro | Arizona | 90° / 46° | 0.2 | Moderate |
| Death Valley | California and Nevada | 101° / 75° | T | Busy |
Cool in May 6 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crater Lake | Oregon | 49° / 29° | 3.6 | Quiet |
| Mount Rainier | Washington | 48° / 33° | 5.1 | Quiet |
| Kenai Fjords | Alaska | 53° / 39° | 3.5 | Quiet |
| Denali | Alaska | 54° / 33° | 2.0 | Quiet |
| Yellowstone | Montana and Wyoming | 51° / 26° | 2.4 | Moderate |
| Glacier Bay | Alaska | 54° / 39° | 3.1 | Busy |
Few or no visits (may be closed) in May 2 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katmai | Alaska | 52° / 33° | 1.5 | Few or no visits |
| Lake Clark | Alaska | 59° / 39° | 3.0 | Few or no visits |