Crater Lake in December: Crowds, Weather & What to Pack

Harsh season · VisitWhen score 44/100 · #12 of 12 months

December is a harsh-season month at Crater Lake National Park: crowds run 4% of the July peak (6,748 average visits). Weather: highs average 33°F and lows 19°F, with 11.3″ of precipitation and 9 hours of daylight. Roads and services are only partly open this month — see the access note below. Computed from NPS and NOAA data.

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Crater Lake in December: what the park service says

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. Most concession facilities are closed for the season, and there are no cell towers in the park.

Source: NPS 1, NPS 2, checked 2026-11-05.

Crowds in December

Crater Lake averages 6,748 recreation visits in December — 4% of what July, the peak month, draws — this is the third-quietest month of the year. Trailheads and parking fill accordingly — crowds are thin by this park's standards.

Weather & daylight

Days are cold (highs average 33°F), and nights are frigid (lows average 19°F). This is one of the wetter months (11.3″ of precipitation on average). Normal snowfall is 91″ — expect snow on the ground. Mid-month daylight runs 9 hours.

NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals, station CRATER LAKE NPS HQ, OR US (1 mi from park coordinates, 6,485 ft elevation) — conditions vary inside the park, especially with elevation. Daylight computed for the 15th of December.

What to pack for Crater Lake in December

Computed from the month's weather normals above — not a generic list.

• Insulated parka + thermal base layers — average lows of 19°F
• Rain shell + pack cover — 11.3″ of precipitation is normal this month
• Traction devices (microspikes) and gaiters — 91″ normal snowfall (compare other options)
• Headlamp — only 9 hours of daylight in mid-December (compare other options)
• Insulated, waterproof boots — plus navigation and a basic first-aid kit — 91″ of snow is normal this month

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If your dates are flexible, consider shifting: The computed best months for Crater Lake are May and June.

Also at their best in December

Other parks whose computed December verdict is a best window — same NPS × NOAA formula:

• American Samoa in December — 17% of peak crowds, highs 88°F, score 66/100
• Everglades in December — 72% of peak crowds, highs 80°F, score 64/100
• Biscayne in December — 77% of peak crowds, highs 80°F, score 62/100

Common questions

See also: the best national parks to visit in December · Last verified 2026-09-24