Rankings & Analysis · January 2026 · 2 min read
Best National Parks to Visit in Winter
Where to go from December through February — the parks that are comfortable, open and gloriously empty in the cold months.
Winter is the most underrated season in the national parks. The desert Southwest is at its most comfortable, Florida and south Texas are in their prime, and even the snowbound northern parks offer a kind of solitude that is impossible in July.
We ranked parks by their average Best Time to Visit score across December, January and February — the ones that reward a cold-season trip most.
The best winter parks
Ranked by average Best Time to Visit score across December, January and February.
Averages 78/100 across the winter months. Quietest in December.
Averages 78/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 77/100 across the winter months. Quietest in February.
Averages 77/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 77/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 77/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 77/100 across the winter months. Quietest in February.
Averages 77/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 77/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 76/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 76/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 76/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 75/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 75/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
Averages 75/100 across the winter months. Quietest in January.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Governors Island, First State, Rocky Mountain lead our winter ranking — comfortable conditions and thin crowds from December through February.
Most stay open year-round, though some high-elevation roads and facilities close seasonally. Desert and southern parks are fully accessible; check each park page and the official NPS site for winter road status.
Parks in this guide
Keep reading
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics and NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Rankings and figures update as new NPS monthly data is released. Last updated 2026-07-14.