Queens Garden
Choose the descent only after checking snow, ice and the return climb. A spring date does not establish a usable below-rim loop.
May · Queens Garden
What to see and do in Bryce Canyon in May
Choose a May outing that fits the route, weather and effort involved.
Bryce Amphitheater
Keep a viewpoint-focused alternative if spring snow changes the hiking plan. Check the southern drive separately after storms.
May · Bryce Amphitheater
Bryce Canyon weather in May
May’s normal high is 63°F and low is 37°F, with 0.91 inches of precipitation. The HQRS station is near the visitor center at about 7,890 feet. The southern viewpoints are higher and can be colder and snowier. These are climate averages, not your trip forecast.
Cooler Hotter
Jan
High37°F
Low17°F
Precip · in1.91
Feb
High39°F
Low18°F
Precip · in1.70
Mar
High46°F
Low23°F
Precip · in1.27
Apr
High54°F
Low29°F
Precip · in0.77
May
High63°F
Low37°F
Precip · in0.91
Jun
High75°F
Low45°F
Precip · in0.47
Jul
High80°F
Low52°F
Precip · in1.55
Aug
High78°F
Low50°F
Precip · in1.94
Sep
High70°F
Low42°F
Precip · in1.78
Oct
High58°F
Low32°F
Precip · in1.73
Nov
High46°F
Low23°F
Precip · in1.28
Dec
High37°F
Low17°F
Precip · in1.34
Bryce Canyon crowds in May
May averages 297,892 recreation visits, 90% of the peak monthly average in June.
LowestLowModerateHighPeakAverage month: 189,766May
Tips for your May visit
Check the approach before choosing the rest of the day.
APark entrance station (UT-63)BFairyland Point RoadCParia View Road
- Main scenic road
- Spurs with winter vehicle closures
- Park boundary
Park entrance and main scenic road
Normal scenic-drive season. Weather can still interrupt travel.
How we built this page.
An independent guide using official data. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.
- Crowds
- 2021–2025 monthly averages. NPS recreation visits, compared with the park’s own busiest month. Visits are not unique visitors or a count of people on a trail.
- Weather
- 1991-2020 climate normals. NOAA’s Bryce Canyon NP HQRS station. These describe typical weather at the station, not every part of the park or a forecast.
- Roads & lodging
- Normal seasonal schedules. NPS guidance and official operator information. Confirm access, hours and availability before you travel.
Historical records and data-quality checks
- Visit history: 1979–2025 NPS monthly recreation visits.
- Weather history: 1959–2025 daily observations, separate from climate normals. We average daily highs and lows and total the rain for each month.
- Complete months only: every day must pass our quality checks for that metric. Missing or incomplete records stay blank; we never interpolate.
- Excluded measurements: flagged, presumed-zero and lagged values. Trace rain counts as zero measurable rainfall.