How Crowded Is Valles Caldera in December?
December is a quiet month at Valles Caldera National Preserve, running about 0.5× the park's average month — roughly 4% of the year's visitors come in December. That puts it between the September peak and the February low. Overall our best-time score rates December as "Poor" for a visit. Typical December weather averages a high near 36°F and a low around 9°F, with about 1.8" of precipitation. You'll get about 9.6 hours of daylight to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
December is quiet at Valles Caldera National Preserve (about 0.5× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Poor". The single best month overall is June.
The busiest month is September and the quietest is February. December sits at about 0.5× the park's average, or 4% of annual visitation.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (2020–2025), NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991–2020. Updated 2026-06-20.