How Crowded Is Death Valley National Park in December?

December runs about 1× Death Valley National Park's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 8% of the park's yearly visitors come in December.

In a typical December the park sees about 107,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes December the 8th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the March peak (1.4×) and the June low (0.7×).

On our Best Time to Visit score December rates 54/100 ("Fair"), versus the top-rated January at 66/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical December weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 63°F and an overnight low around 41°F, with about 0.1" of precipitation.

That average of about 52°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 22% of annual visitors, choosing December instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9.5 hours of daylight in December to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 1,320,134 recreation visits, down 8.4% from 1,440,484 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 18.3%, so December may feel a touch quieter than it once did.