How Crowded Is Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve in December?

December runs about 0.2× Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 1% of the park's yearly visitors come in December.

In a typical December the park sees roughly 6,400 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes December the 10th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the June peak (2.4×) and the January low (0.1×).

On our Best Time to Visit score December rates 42/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 59/100 — best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight.

Typical December weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 34°F and an overnight low around 12°F, with about 0.5" of precipitation and roughly 7" of snow.

That average of about 23°F is cold, with winter conditions likely on higher ground.

Because June, July and August together draw about 53% 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 9.4 hours of daylight in December to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 432,498 recreation visits, down 1.2% from 437,661 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has risen about 15.5%, so a December visit is likely to feel busier than it did a few years ago.