Best national parks to visit in January
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 January are Death Valley, Everglades, Big Bend. 6 of the 34 destinations we track score good or better this month; Great Sand Dunes, Crater Lake, Cuyahoga Valley are the toughest bets on weather alone.
Death Valley National Park94 · Excellenthighs near 66°F, lows 51°F
Everglades National Park89 · Excellenthighs near 77°F, lows 60°F
Big Bend National Park83 · Excellenthighs near 56°F, lows 37°F, mostly dry
Joshua Tree National Park74 · Goodhighs near 53°F, lows 40°F
White Sands National Park74 · Goodhighs near 54°F, lows 32°F, frequent freezing nights
Redwood National and State Parks60 · Goodhighs near 55°F, lows 42°F, 17 wet days
Yosemite National Park54 · Fairhighs near 51°F, lows 29°F, 10 wet days, frequent freezing nights
Buffalo National River53 · Fairhighs near 48°F, lows 31°F, 8 wet days, frequent freezing nights
Great Smoky Mountains National Park46 · Fairhighs near 49°F, lows 32°F, 13 wet days, frequent freezing nights
Zion National Park42 · Poorhighs near 44°F, lows 25°F, frequent freezing nights
Olympic National Park38 · Poorhighs near 47°F, lows 37°F, 20 wet days
Arches National Park38 · Poorhighs near 42°F, lows 23°F, frequent freezing nights
Mammoth Cave National Park36 · Poorhighs near 45°F, lows 29°F, 11 wet days, snow on ~2 days, frequent freezing nights
Sequoia National Park23 · Poorhighs near 43°F, lows 25°F, 9 wet days, snow on ~6 days, frequent freezing nights
Badlands National Park17 · Poorhighs near 35°F, lows 16°F, snow on ~3 days, frequent freezing nights
North Cascades National Park16 · Poorhighs near 41°F, lows 30°F, 19 wet days, snow on ~3 days, frequent freezing nights
Grand Canyon National Park13 · Poorhighs near 38°F, lows 22°F, snow on ~6 days, frequent freezing nights
New River Gorge National Park10 · Poorhighs near 41°F, lows 25°F, 15 wet days, snow on ~6 days, frequent freezing nights
Shenandoah National Park6 · Poorhighs near 34°F, lows 19°F, 10 wet days, snow on ~3 days, frequent freezing nights
Yellowstone National Park0 · Poorhighs near 24°F, lows 12°F, 12 wet days, snow on ~11 days, frequent freezing nights
Rocky Mountain National Park0 · Poorhighs near 31°F, lows 10°F, 8 wet days, snow on ~7 days, frequent freezing nights
Glacier National Park0 · Poorhighs near 32°F, lows 18°F, 12 wet days, snow on ~7 days, frequent freezing nights
Acadia National Park0 · Poorhighs near 34°F, lows 21°F, 11 wet days, snow on ~6 days, frequent freezing nights
Grand Teton National Park0 · Poorhighs near 28°F, lows 14°F, 13 wet days, snow on ~11 days, frequent freezing nights
Mount Rainier National Park0 · Poorhighs near 30°F, lows 21°F, 21 wet days, snow on ~18 days, frequent freezing nights
Bryce Canyon National Park0 · Poorhighs near 29°F, lows 14°F, snow on ~6 days, frequent freezing nights
Cloud Peak Wilderness0 · Poorhighs near 23°F, lows 9°F, 11 wet days, snow on ~9 days, frequent freezing nights
Grand Mesa0 · Poorhighs near 26°F, lows 7°F, 11 wet days, snow on ~10 days, frequent freezing nights
White Mountain National Forest0 · Poorhighs near 25°F, lows 8°F, 13 wet days, snow on ~10 days, frequent freezing nights- Indiana Dunes National Park0 · Poorhighs near 33°F, lows 22°F, 13 wet days, snow on ~7 days, frequent freezing nights
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore0 · Poorhighs near 29°F, lows 22°F, 15 wet days, snow on ~12 days, frequent freezing nights
- Great Sand Dunes National Park0 · Poorhighs near 31°F, lows 14°F, snow on ~4 days, frequent freezing nights
Crater Lake National Park0 · Poorhighs near 31°F, lows 21°F, 17 wet days, snow on ~15 days, frequent freezing nights
Cuyahoga Valley National Park0 · Poorhighs near 35°F, lows 22°F, 14 wet days, snow on ~7 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 January?
On weather alone, Death Valley scores highest in January (highs near 66°F, lows 51°F). Check each park's guide for road closures, crowds and permits.
Where is it warm in January?
Warmest highs this month: Everglades (~77°F), Death Valley (~66°F), Big Bend (~56°F).
Is January a good time to go camping?
Depends where. 6 of 34 parks we track have good or excellent camping weather in January. Watch overnight lows: Grand Mesa averages 7°F, White Mountain National Forest averages 8°F at night.