The Best National Parks to Visit in December — Ranked by Data

• Acadia: December at Acadia falls outside the Cadillac Summit Road reservation season, which in 2026 ran from May 20 to October 25, so no vehicle reservation is required then. Reservations, when the season returns, cost $6 per vehicle on Recreation.gov and are not sold in the park; 30 percent of slots open 90 days ahead and the rest two days before, at 10 a.m.
• Arches: December is off-season at Arches: the busy months run March through October, so lines and full lots are less of an issue. Dress for winter, which the park service describes as cold, with highs of 30 to 50°F and lows of 0 to 20°F, and watch for ice, since even small amounts can make trails and roads impassable.
• Badlands: December is one of the two driest months at Badlands, along with January, but it is cold: average highs near 39°F and lows around 17°F. Winters bring 12 to 24 inches of snow in total, and the park says roads through the Badlands may close in winter or in extreme weather, and can be slick and icy.
• Big Bend: December splits in two at Big Bend. The weeks before the holidays are part of the full-every-night stretch the park service describes for November through April, and then Christmas to New Year's is one of the park's busiest periods of the year.
• Biscayne: December's dry, mild weather suits the guided trips if you have no boat of your own. The Biscayne National Park Institute runs cruises to Boca Chita Key and its lighthouse, sails on the bay, explores Jones Lagoon and snorkels a shipwreck on the Maritime Heritage Trail; it advises booking ahead, by phone at 786-335-3644 or at the park store.
• Bryce Canyon: Visiting Bryce Canyon in December, you drive yourself: the park shuttle runs only from April to October 20. North Campground stays open year-round, while Sunset Campground is closed for the winter.
• Canyonlands: December brings Canyonlands' winter schedule. The Needles visitor center closes for the season in early December (it ran to December 6 in the park's current schedule), while Island in the Sky stays open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from November 30.
• Capitol Reef: December is one of Capitol Reef's coldest months, the park's 1991 to 2020 averages show, with daytime temperatures around 40°F, nights near 21°F and roughly 3 inches of snow. The park and its campgrounds stay open all year, though some roads can close for snow, so call 435-425-3791 for the morning road report.
• Carlsbad Caverns: Carlsbad Caverns needs a timed entry ticket to go into the cavern, December included. The park service strongly recommends reserving one, but the reservation only picks your entry time; you still buy the entrance ticket at the visitor center when you arrive.
• Channel Islands: December starts the rainy season at Channel Islands: the park service says most rain falls between December and March, with clear, sunny days between storms. The islands can only be reached by boat, and Island Packers runs public boats year-round from Ventura Harbor and Channel Islands Harbor.
• Congaree: December at Congaree: the floodplain forest floods about ten times a year, the park service says, and with almost 80% of the park in the floodplain, high water can close backcountry trails and parts of the boardwalk. Check the Cedar Creek gauge (flood stage about 8 feet) and the Congaree River gauges before you go.
• Crater Lake: December at Crater Lake, one of the snowiest inhabited places in the USA by the park's own account, means skis or snowshoes on the closed Rim Drive. The Steel Information Center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except December 25.
• Cuyahoga Valley: December returns Cuyahoga Valley to winter, averaging 37°F by day, 25°F at night and about 12 inches of snow; the park gets about 61 inches a year in all. Lake-effect snow off Lake Erie can change the weather quickly.
• Denali: December at Denali is deep winter, with very short days and temperatures that can sink to -40°F or below, the park says. The Murie Science and Learning Center at mile 1.3 serves as the winter visitor center, where you can borrow snowshoes and ice grippers and pay the entrance fee by card only.
• Death Valley: For a December trip, the camping question at Death Valley is whether you booked Furnace Creek. The park service takes reservations there for its October 15 to April 15 season, from six months out until two days before arrival, so a holiday-week stay can be reserved as early as late June.
• Dry Tortugas: December is a busy month for camping at Dry Tortugas. The park service says winter draws visitors from colder places and that ferry seats fill fast over the winter holidays.
• Everglades: December is inside the Everglades dry season, which the park service describes as running November through April: mild and pleasant, with low humidity and clear skies, and one of the most popular times to visit. Rare strong cold fronts can bring near-freezing nights.
• Gateway Arch: December at the Gateway Arch is quieter than summer, with a daily mean temperature around 34°F, and the museum beneath the Arch keeps its off-season daytime schedule, closing only for Christmas. Group tours can still keep the trams busy.
• Glacier: A December trip to Glacier is a ski-and-snowshoe trip from the west entrance. The stretch of Going-to-the-Sun Road past Lake McDonald Lodge is not plowed in winter, and the park calls it a popular route for skiing and snowshoeing; rangers also lead snowshoe walks on weekends.
• Glacier Bay: December at Glacier Bay means brief days: the park notes that the long summer daylight becomes markedly short in winter. The park describes the bay as changing on every scale, with tides that rise and fall dramatically twice a day, often by about twenty vertical feet.
• Great Basin: December brings snow and silence to Great Basin's high peaks. Lehman Caves tours continue in winter but are not offered on Christmas Day (or Thanksgiving and New Year's Day), and every visitor, toddlers included, needs a ticket.
• Grand Canyon: December is firmly winter at Grand Canyon. The park says to expect snow, icy roads and trails, and possible road closures on the South Rim, where nights are usually in the teens°F but sunny afternoons still reach the 40s.
• Great Sand Dunes: December at Great Sand Dunes is a day-use month: Piñon Flats Campground is open only April through October, and the park service does not allow vehicle camping anywhere in the park or preserve from November through March. The visitor center keeps its year-round hours, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but closes on Christmas Day (and on Thanksgiving and New Year's Day).
• Great Smoky Mountains: Holiday trip to the Smokies in December? A parking tag is required for any stop longer than 15 minutes, at $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year, the same for every vehicle.
• Grand Teton: December returns Grand Teton to winter: the park says the first heavy snows fall by November 1 and continue through April, and Moose averages about 40 inches of snow in December. The park recommends four-wheel drive, all-wheel drive or all-weather tires, since roads can close in blizzards, and moose and other wildlife often cross the roads in winter.
• Guadalupe Mountains: December at Guadalupe Mountains is mostly sunny and mild down low, but the park service warns that November through March is the windy season, with winds often over 30 mph and gusts of 50 to 80 mph, and that snow and freezing fog are common in December and January at higher elevations. The color crowds at McKittrick Canyon are gone by now, so parking is easier.
• Haleakalā: December is a rainy-season month at the summit, where mornings can sit at or below freezing before warming toward 50-60°F. On the Kīpahulu coast, nights stay mild at 65-75°F, so one day on Maui can call for very different clothing.
• Hot Springs: A December stroll down Hot Springs' Bathhouse Row takes in more than bathing. The Ozark Bathhouse holds the Mystic Ozark, an interactive science museum; the Hale Bathhouse is a boutique hotel with a restaurant; and the Superior Bathhouse is a restaurant and brewery.
• Indiana Dunes: December returns Indiana Dunes to its cloudy winter, with highs in the low to mid-30s°F, and the park's weather is strongly shaped by Lake Michigan and can change quickly. Hiking is rewarding in every season, the park says, but do not hike alone in winter and dress in loose layers with a hat.
• Joshua Tree: December at Joshua Tree is inside the stretch when the park service says every campground is usually full on weekends (September through May). For a holiday trip, reserve: the park says booking is highly recommended for holidays and weekends, and the five reservable campgrounds open bookings up to six months ahead on recreation.gov.
• Kenai Fjords: December at Kenai Fjords swings between deep snow and rain. The park says storms dropping several feet of snow are common, but so are rainy midwinter days in the mid to upper 30s, and winter lows can reach -20°F.
• Kings Canyon: December in Kings Canyon brings the snowy season, when the park service says the sequoia groves are snowy, peaceful and cold and rangers lead free outdoor activities. Cedar Grove has closed until spring, but Grant Grove keeps services all year.
• Kobuk Valley: December gives Kobuk Valley its shortest days: on December 21 the sun is above the horizon for only about an hour and a half, though the twilight lasts for hours. The long dark makes winter the best season for northern lights during high solar activity.
• Lassen Volcanic: December brings Lassen's winter closure: the park highway shuts for snow in the fall and stays closed through the season, and the park's mapped winter routes start from the Southwest Area and the Manzanita Lake Area. The park describes oversnow travel as risky and asks visitors to learn about avalanche safety and remote-area travel first.
• Mammoth Cave: December is the thinnest tour month to plan around. From November 29 to December 26, 2026 the park lists just five routes: Frozen Niagara at 9:00 and 2:45, Grand Avenue at 9:15, Mammoth Passage at 9:30, Domes and Dripstones at 2:15 (with a 10:30 extra on weekends) and Broadway on weekend afternoons.
• Mesa Verde: December at Mesa Verde is a drive-and-overlook visit. With the cliff dwelling tours over until spring and Wetherill Mesa shut for the season (the park expects it back in late spring 2027), the Mesa Top Loop Road is the way the park service suggests seeing its Ancestral Pueblo sites in winter.
• Mount Rainier: A December trip to Mount Rainier starts at the Nisqually Entrance, the only way in by car in winter, according to the park service. Up at Paradise, the Henry M.
• New River Gorge: December at New River Gorge is the quiet season: Canyon Rim and Sandstone are the only visitor centers operating, and both close on Christmas Day. Beckley figures cited by the park put December afternoons near 41°F, with nights in the low 20s.
• North Cascades: December puts North Cascades in full winter: State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, has closed for snow and avalanche danger, usually from mid- to late November, at milepost 130 near Colonial Creek or 134 at the Ross Dam Trailhead. Visitor centers are shut, so self-issue backcountry permits are available outside the Marblemount Wilderness Information Center or the Golden West Visitor Center in Stehekin.
• Olympic: December at Olympic is in the park's October-to-May stretch, when the park service says some roads, campgrounds and facilities close or cut their hours. The road to Hurricane Ridge can close at any time for weather, and both it and the visitor centers are closed on Christmas Day.
• Petrified Forest: Petrified Forest closes on Christmas Day, one of only two days a year the park service shuts it (the other is Thanksgiving), so build a holiday road trip around December 25. Every other day in December the park is open.
• Pinnacles: December at Pinnacles: the park's visitor contact points keep daily hours (West Pinnacles Visitor Contact Station 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; East Pinnacles Park Store 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.), while the Bear Gulch Nature Center opens only intermittently because of staffing. Holiday weekends draw crowds, the park service says, so come early for the High Peaks, Condor Gulch, Balconies or Moses Spring trailheads.
• Redwood: Two things to know for a December trip to Redwood. First, the Tall Trees Trail needs a reservation in every season, winter included.
• Rocky Mountain: December brings Rocky Mountain's winter routine: Trail Ridge Road has been closed to through travel since mid-October, and from November 15 the west side's bald eagle closure protects the communal roost near the Colorado River. The park is open around the clock, weather permitting, and the park suggests stopping at a visitor center to talk with a ranger before heading into winter terrain.
• Saguaro: December brings Saguaro's winter rains and, in the mountains, snow. The park says snow occasionally dusts the desert floor but melts fast in the afternoon, while at higher elevations it is common and can last for months in a wet winter.
• Sequoia: December in Sequoia means planning for snow on the road up. The park service says chain requirements are most common from November to March, and that when they are in force all vehicles need chains or cables on board, four-wheel drive or not, with a 25 mph limit.
• Shenandoah: Shenandoah stays open in December, but winter changes the trip. The park service says Skyline Drive closes whenever snow or ice make it unsafe, and after a storm crews can need several days to reopen it, so check the road status the morning you go.
• Virgin Islands: Planning a December trip to Virgin Islands National Park on St. John?
• Voyageurs: December starts Voyageurs' winter, when frozen lakes open the park to snowmobiles and its trails to snowshoes and cross-country skis. Campsites can also be reached on foot or by snowmobile once safe ice forms.
• White Sands: If you are heading to White Sands around the holidays, note that the park closes on Christmas Day; it is open every other day of the year except Thanksgiving. Missile testing next door can also shut the park road for up to three hours at a time, together with US 70 between Las Cruces and Alamogordo.
• Wrangell–St. Elias: December in Wrangell-St. Elias comes long after winter's early arrival; the park says snow is usually on the ground by the end of September and services become limited.
• Yellowstone: December is a quiet month at Yellowstone, with very cold temperatures and heavy snow; Yellowstone Lake averages about 34 inches of snowfall. Only the road between the North and Northeast entrances is open to regular vehicles, and some roads begin opening to commercially guided snowcoach and snowmobile trips in late December, weather permitting.
• Yosemite: By December, Yosemite's high roads are shut for the season: the park service says Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road close for snow sometime in November and do not reopen until late May or early June. The three roads into Yosemite Valley, Wawona, El Portal and Big Oak Flat, are open all year, though chain requirements can apply through the winter.
• Zion: December is a mixed month for driving Zion Canyon. The park service lists no shuttle service from November 29 to December 25, when private cars can use the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, and then holiday shuttles from December 26, when only shuttle riders (and Zion Lodge guests with reservations) can go up the canyon.

Each park's December page carries the full note and the NPS page it comes from.

Shenandoah National Park scores highest for December (72/100): crowds at 11% of its peak, average highs of 47°F and 9.5 hours of daylight. Channel Islands and Zion come next.

Compared with each park's own busiest month, the quietest in December are Badlands (4% of peak), Great Basin (7% of peak) and Mesa Verde (9% of peak). This leaves out parks in their harsh season or with main access typically closed. The least-crowded ranking covers every month.

The warmest by average high are American Samoa (88°F), Virgin Islands (85°F) and Everglades (80°F), from NOAA 1991–2020 normals at each park's nearest weather station.

Kobuk Valley (harsh conditions), Denali (harsh conditions), Yellowstone (harsh conditions), North Cascades (harsh conditions) and Katmai (harsh conditions) sit at the bottom of the December ranking. Each park's December page shows the numbers behind that, starting with Kobuk Valley in December.

Each park gets a score out of 100 for December: 45% weather comfort (NOAA 1991–2020 normals), 35% quietness (NPS visits, 2021–2025 average) and 20% daylight. Parks whose main access is typically closed lose points and are never marked as a best month. The same formula is used for every park.