Best national parks to visit in February
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 February are Death Valley, Big Bend, White Sands. 8 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 70°F, lows 53°F, mostly dry
Big Bend National Park95 · Excellenthighs near 63°F, lows 41°F, mostly dry
White Sands National Park92 · Excellenthighs near 61°F, lows 36°F, mostly dry
Everglades National Park90 · Excellenthighs near 80°F, lows 63°F
Joshua Tree National Park83 · Excellenthighs near 56°F, lows 40°F, mostly dry
Buffalo National River66 · Goodhighs near 53°F, lows 34°F, 8 wet days, frequent freezing nights
Redwood National and State Parks65 · Goodhighs near 54°F, lows 40°F, 12 wet days
Great Smoky Mountains National Park62 · Goodhighs near 55°F, lows 37°F, 14 wet days, frequent freezing nights
Arches National Park57 · Fairhighs near 49°F, lows 28°F, frequent freezing nights
Mammoth Cave National Park53 · Fairhighs near 51°F, lows 32°F, 11 wet days, frequent freezing nights
Yosemite National Park51 · Fairhighs near 51°F, lows 29°F, 9 wet days, snow on ~3 days, frequent freezing nights
Zion National Park51 · Fairhighs near 48°F, lows 26°F, frequent freezing nights
Olympic National Park34 · Poorhighs near 46°F, lows 34°F, 19 wet days
Grand Canyon National Park32 · Poorhighs near 42°F, lows 24°F, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights
New River Gorge National Park30 · Poorhighs near 47°F, lows 28°F, 14 wet days, snow on ~5 days, frequent freezing nights
Sequoia National Park21 · Poorhighs near 42°F, lows 24°F, 8 wet days, snow on ~6 days, frequent freezing nights
Shenandoah National Park20 · Poorhighs near 40°F, lows 22°F, 10 wet days, snow on ~3 days, frequent freezing nights
Badlands National Park18 · Poorhighs near 38°F, lows 17°F, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights
Cuyahoga Valley National Park12 · Poorhighs near 40°F, lows 22°F, 12 wet days, snow on ~6 days, frequent freezing nights- Indiana Dunes National Park11 · Poorhighs near 36°F, lows 23°F, 10 wet days, snow on ~5 days, frequent freezing nights
North Cascades National Park9 · Poorhighs near 41°F, lows 28°F, 19 wet days, snow on ~5 days, frequent freezing nights- Great Sand Dunes National Park3 · Poorhighs near 34°F, lows 15°F, snow on ~5 days, frequent freezing nights
Yellowstone National Park0 · Poorhighs near 25°F, lows 12°F, 14 wet days, snow on ~13 days, frequent freezing nights
Rocky Mountain National Park0 · Poorhighs near 31°F, lows 10°F, 10 wet days, snow on ~9 days, frequent freezing nights
Glacier National Park0 · Poorhighs near 32°F, lows 15°F, 14 wet days, snow on ~7 days, frequent freezing nights
Acadia National Park0 · Poorhighs near 34°F, lows 20°F, 11 wet days, snow on ~6 days, frequent freezing nights
Grand Teton National Park0 · Poorhighs near 29°F, lows 14°F, 14 wet days, snow on ~12 days, frequent freezing nights
Mount Rainier National Park0 · Poorhighs near 29°F, lows 19°F, 19 wet days, snow on ~16 days, frequent freezing nights
Bryce Canyon National Park0 · Poorhighs near 32°F, lows 15°F, snow on ~5 days, frequent freezing nights
Cloud Peak Wilderness0 · Poorhighs near 21°F, lows 7°F, 11 wet days, snow on ~9 days, frequent freezing nights
Grand Mesa0 · Poorhighs near 26°F, lows 10°F, 11 wet days, snow on ~10 days, frequent freezing nights
White Mountain National Forest0 · Poorhighs near 27°F, lows 9°F, 12 wet days, snow on ~9 days, frequent freezing nights- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore0 · Poorhighs near 30°F, lows 20°F, 12 wet days, snow on ~9 days, frequent freezing nights
Crater Lake National Park0 · Poorhighs near 30°F, lows 19°F, 15 wet days, snow on ~13 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 February?
On weather alone, Death Valley scores highest in February (highs near 70°F, lows 53°F, mostly dry). Check each park's guide for road closures, crowds and permits.
Where is it warm in February?
Warmest highs this month: Everglades (~80°F), Death Valley (~70°F), Big Bend (~63°F).
Is February a good time to go camping?
Depends where. 8 of 34 parks we track have good or excellent camping weather in February. Watch overnight lows: Cloud Peak Wilderness averages 7°F, White Mountain National Forest averages 9°F at night.