Visitation · National Seashore

Cape Lookout National Seashore visitation by month and year

July is the busiest month at Cape Lookout, when the average temperature nearby is 83 degrees. February is the quietest, and the average temperature then is 51 degrees. July runs about 4.7 times the visits of February. The crowd arrives with the warm weather and leaves with it. Annual visits rose 12.6 percent from 455,526 in 2019 to 512,737 in 2025.

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Visits by month, with temperature and precipitation

Visits by month with average temperature, precipitation, Cape Lookout020k40k60k80kJanuary: 19,018 visits on average, 49.7°FJanFebruary: 15,970 visits on average, 51.3°FFebMarch: 24,575 visits on average, 57.2°FMarApril: 47,408 visits on average, 65.6°FAprMay: 48,380 visits on average, 72.7°FMayJune: 64,235 visits on average, 79.6°FJunJuly: 74,628 visits on average, 82.9°FJulAugust: 71,966 visits on average, 81.7°FAugSeptember: 66,904 visits on average, 77.6°FSepOctober: 46,753 visits on average, 68.9°FOctNovember: 29,834 visits on average, 59.2°FNovDecember: 30,232 visits on average, 52.4°FDecJanuary: 49.7°F averageFebruary: 51.3°F averageMarch: 57.2°F averageApril: 65.6°F averageMay: 72.7°F averageJune: 79.6°F averageJuly: 82.9°F averageAugust: 81.7°F averageSeptember: 77.6°F averageOctober: 68.9°F averageNovember: 59.2°F averageDecember: 52.4°F average40°F50°F60°F70°F80°F90°FVisitsRain, inches0.0 in4.0 in8.0 inJanuary: 4.59 in precipitationFebruary: 3.67 in precipitationMarch: 3.94 in precipitationApril: 3.63 in precipitationMay: 4.32 in precipitationJune: 4.37 in precipitationJuly: 6.70 in precipitationAugust: 7.98 in precipitationSeptember: 7.12 in precipitationOctober: 4.45 in precipitationNovember: 4.12 in precipitationDecember: 4.56 in precipitation
Bars are the average recreation visits in each month over 2021 to 2025. The line is the average temperature at Cedar Is, 11 miles from the park's reference point at 8 feet, station USC00311606 in the NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals. The lower panel is monthly rain from the same station, which publishes no snowfall normal.

Annual visits, 1979 to 2025

Annual recreation visits, Cape Lookout0250k500k750k198019902000201020201979: 50,1061980: 64,9591981: 51,9571982: 62,6531983: 68,0001984: 86,2791985: 100,3801986: 95,5751987: 88,8981988: 100,4441989: 232,6441990: 283,0741991: 320,1611992: 335,2811993: 294,0851994: 257,9401995: 348,3901996: 379,3701997: 374,8931998: 357,4431999: 553,2432000: 446,1482001: 625,3872002: 610,3372003: 704,4802004: 720,2162005: 692,8572006: 803,1552007: 860,6022008: 486,8992009: 601,9542010: 530,1812011: 508,1162012: 480,2942013: 416,5682014: 430,9272015: 400,4132016: 458,0002017: 399,3572018: 408,3992019: 455,5262020: 488,3312021: 562,4612022: 541,5332023: 529,9952024: 552,7862025: 512,7372025: 513k
Recreation visits per calendar year. A year with a missing month is left blank rather than estimated.

The last ten years

YearRecreation visitsChange on prior year
2025512,737-7.2%
2024552,786+4.3%
2023529,995-2.1%
2022541,533-3.7%
2021562,461+15.2%
2020488,331+7.2%
2019455,526+11.5%
2018408,399+2.3%
2017399,357-12.8%
2016458,000+14.4%

Visitation at other parks

Source: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, monthly recreation visits, as compiled for Publicopia Labs. A year is shown only when all twelve months were reported. Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals are the 1991 to 2020 monthly averages published by NOAA NCEI for station USC00311606, 8 feet above sea level. Data refreshed October 14, 2026.