Joshua Tree National Park in May

Joshua Tree National Park · crowd + weather almanac

May crowd level moderate

about 239,000 visits in a typical May

The 7th-busiest month of the year · median of 2016–2025 official NPS counts

May is the 7th-busiest month of the year at Joshua Tree National Park: about 239,000 recreation visits in a typical May (8% of the year's traffic, and 59% of what the peak month, March, sees). Crowds are middling — noticeably lighter than peak season. Weather-wise, May days at the Twentynine Palms, CA station typically top out around 90°F with nights near 63°F, and about 0.1 inches of precipitation falls over the month.

Typical May: 239,057 recreation visits (median 2016–2025); the range across those years ran 89,831 (2020) to 285,611 (2021).
Busier than 5 of the other 11 months.
1991–2020 May normals at Twentynine Palms, CA: high 90°F, low 63°F, 0.05 in precipitation.
Similar daytime temperatures, thinner crowds: September typically runs 96°F days with about 34% fewer visits (157,000 vs 239,000).

Typical (median) monthly recreation visits at Joshua Tree National Park, 2016–2025. May highlighted. Source: NPS Visitor Use Statistics.

May weather (1991–2020 normals)

Typical daytime high	90°F
Typical overnight low	63°F
Precipitation (monthly normal)	0.05 in
Measured at	Twentynine Palms, CA (USC00049099), 0.1 mi from the park reference point, elev. 1,975 ft

Every month at Joshua Tree

Month	Typical visits	Crowds	High / Low	Precip
January	259,925	busy	63°F / 42°F	0.5 in
February	287,039	busy	67°F / 44°F	0.6 in
March	404,626	busiest stretch	74°F / 49°F	0.3 in
April	351,253	busiest stretch	81°F / 54°F	0.1 in
May	239,057	moderate	90°F / 63°F	0.1 in
June	165,391	moderate	99°F / 71°F	0.0 in
July	139,315	quiet	104°F / 77°F	0.4 in
August	142,177	moderate	103°F / 76°F	0.7 in
September	157,241	moderate	96°F / 69°F	0.3 in
October	221,930	moderate	85°F / 58°F	0.1 in
November	304,711	busy	72°F / 47°F	0.2 in
December	314,587	busy	62°F / 40°F	0.6 in

Official NPS page for Joshua Tree →