5 Best National Parks to Visit in Winter (+ What to Know)

A few national parks are at their best when it’s cold everywhere else.

In This Post

1. Death Valley National Park
2. Arches National Park
3. Bryce Canyon National Park
4. Sequoia National Park
5. Mount Rainier National Park
Do national parks close in winter?
In sum

Winter means snow on red rock, giant trees in the snow and (in the desert parks) hiking weather you’d never get in July. It also means road closures, icy trails and short days, so a little planning goes a long way.

Here are five of the best national parks to visit in winter, and what to know before you go.

A hiker with a yellow backpack on a sand dune ridge below dark layered mountains in Death Valley — Death Valley National Park, March 2018

1. Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is the obvious one. The average high at Furnace Creek is 65°F in December and 67°F in January.

Compare that to summer, when the record high is 134°F.

So winter is when you can actually hike here. Golden Canyon, the dunes and the salt flats at Badwater are all fair game on a sunny winter afternoon (just pack layers, because nights get cold fast once the sun drops).

If you’re new to the park, start with my list of things to do in Death Valley.

A bare dead tree and its shadow on a dry, cracked playa in Death Valley — A dead tree on the playa, Death Valley National Park, March 2018

2. Arches National Park

Arches in winter is quiet, and that alone makes it worth a look. Just know what you’re signing up for.

Winter highs average 30 to 50°F, with lows of 0 to 20°F.

Big snowstorms are rare, but even a little snow or ice can make trails and roads impassable.

So plan on short hikes and keep your schedule loose. A dusting of snow on red rock is stunning!

Delicate Arch on its slickrock bowl in Arches National Park — Delicate Arch at sunrise, Arches National Park, August 2020

Here are the best hikes in Arches to choose from once the trails are clear.

3. Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce sits high, and it shows. From October to May, temperatures fall below freezing nearly every night.

Snow on the hoodoos is gorgeous, but it makes the trails harder to hike.

Check current conditions for weather-related closures before you drive in.

Orange hoodoos filling the amphitheater at Bryce Canyon in early light — Bryce Canyon National Park, September 2020

My Bryce Canyon hikes guide covers the trails and what to wear on them (hiking boots with good traction).

4. Sequoia National Park

Sequoia is the park I’d suggest saving for winter, because the giant trees look unreal with snow on the ground.

Some services close for the season. The Lodgepole Grill closes for winter on November 2.

Free shuttles run in the Giant Forest, Sherman Tree and Lodgepole areas during the Thanksgiving and winter holidays, which saves you from hunting for parking on snowy roads.

I wrote a whole guide to Sequoia National Park in winter if you’re ready to plan.

5. Mount Rainier National Park

Rainier in winter is all about Paradise, and the easiest way in is a ranger-guided snowshoe walk.

Walks are usually on Saturdays and Sundays from late December through March, starting at 11:00 am at the Jackson Visitor Center as staffing allows.

They cover about 1.5 miles in 2 hours, they’re first-come, first-served, and they’re limited to 25 people, ages eight and up.

The park even lends snowshoes for the walk itself.

For the rest of the year, here are my favorite things to do at Mt. Rainier.

Do national parks close in winter?

Most stay open, but parts of them shut down for the season. In Kings Canyon National Park, the road to Cedar Grove is usually open only from May through early to mid-November.

So check each park’s alerts and current conditions the morning you drive in, carry chains where the park asks for them, and give yourself extra daylight.