National parks to visit in October
17 of 60 national parks average mild weather in October; the least crowded of them are Gateway Arch, Theodore Roosevelt, Great Sand Dunes 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 October with the park's own busiest month (National Park Service visits, 2023–2025).
Mild weather in October 17 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Arch | Missouri | 69° / 46° | 3.1 | Quiet |
| Theodore Roosevelt | North Dakota | 58° / 30° | 1.2 | Moderate |
| Great Sand Dunes | Colorado | 60° / 33° | 0.9 | Moderate |
| Lassen Volcanic | California | 59° / 33° | 2.7 | Moderate |
| Redwood | California | 63° / 45° | 5.0 | Moderate |
| Mammoth Cave | Kentucky | 74° / 49° | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Kings Canyon | California | 59° / 31° | 2.3 | Moderate |
| Sequoia | California | 59° / 31° | 2.3 | Busy |
| Channel Islands | California | 76° / 56° | 0.8 | Busy |
| Congaree | South Carolina | 77° / 53° | 3.4 | Busy |
| New River Gorge | West Virginia | 65° / 42° | 2.9 | Busy |
| Cuyahoga Valley | Ohio | 61° / 41° | 3.3 | Busy |
| Yosemite | California | 71° / 41° | 1.6 | Busy |
| Grand Canyon | Arizona | 65° / 33° | 1.2 | Very busy |
| Zion | Utah | 78° / 49° | 1.2 | Very busy |
| Great Smoky Mountains | Tennessee and North Carolina | 69° / 44° | 3.2 | Very busy |
| Shenandoah | Virginia | 67° / 43° | 3.2 | Very busy |
Mild, wetter than usual in October 21 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Cascades | Washington | 57° / 44° | 8.8 | Quiet |
| Wind Cave | South Dakota | 61° / 34° | 1.6 | Quiet |
| Badlands | South Dakota | 63° / 34° | 1.8 | Quiet |
| Hot Springs | Arkansas | 75° / 52° | 5.1 | Moderate |
| Indiana Dunes | Indiana | 62° / 45° | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Carlsbad Caverns | New Mexico | 75° / 52° | 1.2 | Moderate |
| White Sands | New Mexico | 79° / 42° | 1.1 | Moderate |
| Big Bend | Texas | 80° / 55° | 1.2 | Moderate |
| Mesa Verde | Colorado | 63° / 39° | 1.4 | Busy |
| Olympic | Washington | 56° / 42° | 5.8 | Busy |
| Guadalupe Mountains | Texas | 73° / 51° | 0.8 | Busy |
| Petrified Forest | Arizona | 71° / 40° | 1.0 | Busy |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison | Colorado | 60° / 33° | 1.9 | Busy |
| Great Basin | Nevada | 60° / 36° | 1.3 | Busy |
| Hawai'i Volcanoes | Hawaii | 72° / 55° | 8.2 | Busy |
| Acadia | Maine | 59° / 43° | 5.9 | Busy |
| Arches | Utah | 72° / 44° | 1.1 | Busy |
| Bryce Canyon | Utah | 58° / 32° | 1.7 | Busy |
| Canyonlands | Utah | 70° / 38° | 1.1 | Busy |
| Haleakala | Hawaii | 64° / 48° | 3.3 | Very busy |
| Capitol Reef | Utah | 66° / 43° | 0.9 | Very busy |
Hot in October 7 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everglades | Florida | 87° / 71° | 4.4 | Moderate |
| Virgin Islands | US Virgin Islands | 88° / 78° | 5.3 | Moderate |
| Saguaro | Arizona | 84° / 46° | 0.6 | Moderate |
| Joshua Tree | California | 85° / 58° | 0.1 | Moderate |
| Pinnacles | California | 83° / 43° | 0.7 | Moderate |
| Dry Tortugas | Florida | 85° / 76° | 4.7 | Moderate |
| Biscayne | Florida | 87° / 76° | 6.3 | Busy |
Very hot in October 1 park
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death Valley | California and Nevada | 93° / 64° | 0.1 | Busy |
Cool in October 9 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenai Fjords | Alaska | 46° / 35° | 8.7 | Quiet |
| Glacier | Montana | 52° / 33° | 3.0 | Quiet |
| Crater Lake | Oregon | 51° / 30° | 4.8 | Quiet |
| Glacier Bay | Alaska | 45° / 37° | 10.2 | Quiet |
| Voyageurs | Minnesota | 51° / 31° | 2.3 | Quiet |
| Mount Rainier | Washington | 46° / 33° | 11.3 | Moderate |
| Yellowstone | Montana and Wyoming | 46° / 22° | 1.9 | Moderate |
| Grand Teton | Wyoming | 51° / 25° | 1.9 | Moderate |
| Rocky Mountain | Colorado | 55° / 23° | 1.3 | Moderate |
Few or no visits (may be closed) in October 5 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denali | Alaska | 32° / 18° | 1.4 | Few or no visits |
| Isle Royale | Michigan | 51° / 33° | 3.4 | Few or no visits |
| Katmai | Alaska | 43° / 28° | 2.9 | Few or no visits |
| Lake Clark | Alaska | 46° / 34° | 7.3 | Few or no visits |
| Wrangell-St. Elias | Alaska | 40° / 21° | 1.4 | Few or no visits |