How Crowded Is Joshua Tree in December?
December is a busy month at Joshua Tree National Park, running about 1.3× the park's average month — roughly 11% of the year's visitors come in December. That puts it between the March peak and the July low. Overall our best-time score rates December as "Poor" for a visit. Typical December weather averages a high near 62°F and a low around 40°F, with about 0.6" of precipitation. You'll get about 9.8 hours of daylight to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
December is busy at Joshua Tree National Park (about 1.3× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Poor". The single best month overall is September.
The busiest month is March and the quietest is July. December sits at about 1.3× the park's average, or 11% of annual visitation.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991–2020. Updated 2026-06-20.