Best national parks to visit in December
Ranked by hiking and camping weather from 10 years of data. Top pick: Death Valley.
Based on 10 years of weather data, the national parks with the best hiking and camping weather in December are Death Valley, Big Bend, Everglades. 7 of the 34 destinations we track score good or better this month; White Mountain National Forest, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Crater Lake are the toughest bets on weather alone.
Death Valley National Park96 · Excellenthighs near 65°F, lows 50°F, mostly dry
Big Bend National Park90 · Excellenthighs near 60°F, lows 41°F, mostly dry
Everglades National Park87 · Excellenthighs near 79°F, lows 64°F, 8 wet days
White Sands National Park82 · Excellenthighs near 56°F, lows 34°F, mostly dry, frequent freezing nights
Joshua Tree National Park79 · Excellenthighs near 54°F, lows 41°F
Buffalo National River69 · Goodhighs near 53°F, lows 37°F
Great Smoky Mountains National Park63 · Goodhighs near 54°F, lows 38°F, 12 wet days
Mammoth Cave National Park59 · Fairhighs near 50°F, lows 35°F, 11 wet days, frequent freezing nights
Redwood National and State Parks59 · Fairhighs near 54°F, lows 41°F, 16 wet days
Yosemite National Park56 · Fairhighs near 52°F, lows 28°F, 9 wet days, frequent freezing nights
Zion National Park49 · Fairhighs near 47°F, lows 26°F, frequent freezing nights
Arches National Park39 · Poorhighs near 42°F, lows 24°F, frequent freezing nights
New River Gorge National Park36 · Poorhighs near 46°F, lows 31°F, 13 wet days, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights
Grand Canyon National Park33 · Poorhighs near 41°F, lows 24°F, snow on ~3 days, frequent freezing nights
Olympic National Park32 · Poorhighs near 46°F, lows 35°F, 21 wet days
Sequoia National Park31 · Poorhighs near 44°F, lows 25°F, 8 wet days, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights
Shenandoah National Park29 · Poorhighs near 40°F, lows 25°F, 8 wet days, frequent freezing nights- Indiana Dunes National Park29 · Poorhighs near 40°F, lows 29°F, 10 wet days, snow on ~3 days, frequent freezing nights
Cuyahoga Valley National Park22 · Poorhighs near 41°F, lows 29°F, 13 wet days, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights
Badlands National Park18 · Poorhighs near 36°F, lows 20°F, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights
Acadia National Park16 · Poorhighs near 38°F, lows 27°F, 12 wet days, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights- Great Sand Dunes National Park9 · Poorhighs near 34°F, lows 16°F, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights
Bryce Canyon National Park7 · Poorhighs near 33°F, lows 17°F, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights
North Cascades National Park1 · Poorhighs near 39°F, lows 28°F, 20 wet days, snow on ~6 days, frequent freezing nights
Yellowstone National Park0 · Poorhighs near 24°F, lows 11°F, 14 wet days, snow on ~12 days, frequent freezing nights
Rocky Mountain National Park0 · Poorhighs near 32°F, lows 12°F, 8 wet days, snow on ~7 days, frequent freezing nights
Glacier National Park0 · Poorhighs near 32°F, lows 20°F, 14 wet days, snow on ~8 days, frequent freezing nights
Grand Teton National Park0 · Poorhighs near 28°F, lows 14°F, 14 wet days, snow on ~12 days, frequent freezing nights
Mount Rainier National Park0 · Poorhighs near 28°F, lows 20°F, 21 wet days, snow on ~20 days, frequent freezing nights
Cloud Peak Wilderness0 · Poorhighs near 22°F, lows 9°F, 10 wet days, snow on ~8 days, frequent freezing nights
Grand Mesa0 · Poorhighs near 27°F, lows 7°F, 10 wet days, snow on ~9 days, frequent freezing nights
White Mountain National Forest0 · Poorhighs near 31°F, lows 16°F, 15 wet days, snow on ~9 days, frequent freezing nights- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore0 · Poorhighs near 35°F, lows 28°F, 15 wet days, snow on ~11 days, frequent freezing nights
Crater Lake National Park0 · Poorhighs near 30°F, lows 21°F, 18 wet days, snow on ~16 days, frequent freezing nights
Scores rate average weather only — temperature, rain, snow and heat at each park's main visitor area. Seasonal roads, crowds and reservations matter too; each destination guide covers them.
Frequently asked questions
What national park is best to visit in December?
On weather alone, Death Valley scores highest in December (highs near 65°F, lows 50°F, mostly dry). Check each park's guide for road closures, crowds and permits.
Where is it warm in December?
Warmest highs this month: Everglades (~79°F), Death Valley (~65°F), Big Bend (~60°F).
Is December a good time to go camping?
Depends where. 7 of 34 parks we track have good or excellent camping weather in December. Watch overnight lows: Grand Mesa averages 7°F, Cloud Peak Wilderness averages 9°F at night.