Most American national parks are flooded with visitors in the summer – but the travellers who venture out in winter will typically find quieter trails, active wildlife and, often, epic snowscapes. From sites that become snowy playgrounds to those that offer milder climes and an escape from Jack Frost, we bring you the best national park attractions this winter. The situation is changeable due to COVID-19 so, if you're planning a trip, be sure to check state travel advisories and the relevant NPS website for closures (including visitor centres and other amenities).
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a land of steaming vents, bubbling mud pots and lakes in the Cascades, and its geothermal wonders look even more dazzling when surrounded by snow. Visitors can access the fascinating Sulphur Works Hydrothermal Area by snow-shoeing or cross-country skiing along the Park Highway, which is closed to traffic and glittering with snow in the winter. Hardy backcountry travellers can even overnight at the Southwest Walk-in Campground too.
Unfolding in the northern reaches of Minnesota, and kissing the border with Canada, Voyageurs is known for its network of waterways, drawing boaters and kayakers in the warmer months. But, in winter, visitors should look skyward. The park has just been awarded International Dark Sky Status and it's one of the best places in America to see the elusive Northern Lights. Check the Facebook page for condition updates and for news of virtual events like December's Night Sky Explorer stargazing webinar.
Death Valley National Park, with its stark desert plains and jagged peaks, is scorching in the summer, with temperatures climbing to 49°C (120°F) in the shade. That means this otherworldly pocket of the southwest is best explored in winter. Hiking trails wiggle through the park, passing along canyons, dunes and craters and, come nightfall, the night skies put on a stellar display. The Mesquite Flat Dunes and Badwater Basin are popular stargazing spots.
Those visitors who want to escape the snow and ice need look no further than Biscayne National Park in the Sunshine State. The park is made up of dinky islands, coral reefs and fish-filled waters, best explored by snorkelling, boating and canoeing. Back on land, the leafy isle of Elliot Key has hiking trails, camping and picnic spots, all a joy to discover during Florida's mild winters.
Imagine Utah and you might think of sun-scorched rocks in the summer heat – or perhaps the snowy ski resorts in the north of the state. But something magic happens when those pictures collide. Come winter, the fiery rockscapes at Zion National Park are often decorated with snow, adding extra drama to an already cinematic scene. Visitors can wrap up and take to the trails (be sure to check the alerts page for conditions and closures), which should be gloriously quiet for the season. Note that, except for during the holiday season, the shuttle system doesn't operate in winter.
Denali National Park is a winter playground and, in the cold season, adventurers typically come to cross-country ski, hike and even bike through its snowy wildernesses. But those who want to see the park from a new perspective can book onto a flight-seeing tour. Some operators – like Talkeetna Air Taxi – offer winter tours, drinking in the Alaska Range with its glaciers and snow-crowned peaks. Check the website for availability. You can find out more about adventures in Alaska here too.
The Great Smoky Mountains are shrouded in forest and, come winter, the tree-covered peaks are often heavy with snow. That means the park lends itself to breathtaking wintry hikes, weaving through quiet woods twinkling with the white stuff. A popular trek is the leafy route to Rainbow Falls, a cascade that boasts dramatic ice formations in the cold season. Hikers should keep their eyes peeled for black bears, too.
Big Bend National Park is often overlooked, falling in the shadow of its southwestern sisters. But its shrub-scattered desert and craggy mountains – home to wildlife like black bears and bobcats – keep their charm year-round, and the mild, sunny winters are a great time to overnight: hiking, biking, birdwatching and camping are all popular during this season. Snow is pretty rare, but when it does fall, it's a spectacular sight. Here are more unexpected places where it sometimes snows too.
Thousands of years ago, the Ancestral Puebloans built fascinating, labyrinthine dwellings and a "Cliff Palace", and their ruins are protected within Mesa Verde National Park. Routes wind past the remnants of this ancient civilisation and, in winter, visitors can take to the trails donned with snow-shoes or skis. The Cliff Palace Loop Trail is studded with cliff-dwelling viewpoints. Updates on winter trail conditions can be found here.
One of America's most famous roads, Skyline Drive is a showstopper at any time of year, but visitors are likely to find the route particularly charming – and much quieter – in winter. The drive offers sweeping views over Shenandoah National Park, whose canopy may be dusted with snow for winter, and you're also more likely to see deer and birdlife skittering between the bare winter trees. The road occasionally closes if conditions are particularly bad, but is cleared and reopened as quickly as possible.
Mount Rainier National Park paints a dreamy image of winter: think pyramidal mountains topped with white, mirror-like lakes and fir trees that look like they've been dipped in icing sugar. One of the best ways to experience Mount Rainier's winter in all its glory is to take to a snow-shoe trail. Those after a laid-back trek could plump for the Nisqually Vista Trail, an easy route offering overlooks for the Nisqually Glacier.
The mighty Teton Range are perfect fodder for a winter adventure, and Grand Teton National Park rests under a thick blanket of snow come the cold season. It's also one of a handful of national parks that allows snowmobiling within its limits, and visitors can take to Grassy Lake Road for a scenic ride. Wildlife like bison and moose are more easily spotted in winter, too, as their dark coats contrast with the bright snow.
In summer, visitors typically jostle for space at the Grand Canyon's South Rim, but this scenic swathe of the national park is open to vehicles year-round – and it's much quieter in winter. Hikers will find many trails gloriously deserted, and the hardiest among them can even travel on foot to the North Rim and overnight at a campsite (visitors should check the NPS winter safety tips before they head out). This shot shows the famous red rocks under a carpet of snow, as seen from Yaki Point in the South Rim.
Wizard Island – the cinder cone that rises from Crater Lake's glassy surface – is one of the most dramatic sights in this national park. And, come winter, when it's dripping in snow and ice, it's a photographer's dream. Visitors can snow-shoe on routes like West Rim Drive to overlooks that grant sweeping views of the lake. (They should check conditions before they head out, though, as vistas can be obscured in periods of bad weather).
Olympic National Park is one of the best national parks in America for downhill skiing, and Hurricane Ridge (pictured) becomes a snow-seekers paradise in winter. As well as skiing, the mountain area, which soars to 5,242 feet (1,598m), is also a hotspot for snowboarding, tubing and cross-country skiing. Ranger-led snow-shoe walks are "tentatively planned" to start in December 2020, too – see here for details and updates.
Boardwalk trails slicing through cypress, pine and maple trees are the highlight of this southern national park, which is open year-round. Fewer people venture to this underrated park in winter, but visitors who do will find mild temperatures, less humidity and a drop in the number of pesky bugs too. Be sure to check conditions as flooding can occur in this season. Though rare, there's the chance of snow, too.
Winter is often one of the best times to spot park wildlife: as visitor numbers dwindle, creatures great and small make the most of the quiet wildernesses and forage for food. Rocky Mountain National Park is no exception. The park, which folds a spectacular swathe of peaks into its limits, is known for animals like elk, moose and mule deer. Visitors should keep an eye out in snowy meadows and when driving along the park's scenic roads, many of which remain open for the season.
One of America's newer national parks, Indiana Dunes is known for its rippling sand mountains and its picturesque spot along the shores of Lake Michigan. In winter, the dunes are typically covered in powdery snow, and popular dune trails (like the Glenwood Dunes Trails) remain open for snow-shoers and cross-country skiers. Visitors can go sledding in a pocket of the West Beach Trails area too.
Rugged Theodore Roosevelt National Park has epic road-trip potential, and this is only heightened in winter when, conditions permitting, its scenic driving routes remain open. Drivers can typically take to jaw-dropping slices of South Unit Scenic Loop Drive and North Unit Scenic Road (though check for closures, which aren't uncommon), taking in the picturesque badlands under a covering of snow. Wildlife like elk and bison stud the landscape too.
It's hard to imagine Bryce Canyon looking more spectacular: the national park, in southern Utah, wows visitors year-round with its rocky spires and natural amphitheatres. But the salmon-coloured bluffs are never more dazzling than when painted with a layer of snow. The annual Bryce Canyon Winter Festival (planned 13–15 February 2021) celebrates the park, with activities including geology talks, snow-shoe tours, photo competitions and crafts and activities for kids.
Winter is the most popular time to visit Saguaro National Park, which is gloriously mild in winter. The main attraction here is the park's namesake – towering saguaro cacti – which can be seen on various hiking routes: a top pick is the mellow, one-mile (1.6km) Freeman Homestead Trail, which also spools past an old homestead site. An occasional sprinkling of snow coating the Tucson Mountains completes the winter picture. Here are 99 other things we love about America too.
Typically ranking among America's top ten least-visited national parks, North Cascades National Park – a mere three-hour hop from Seattle – protects glacial peaks, lakes and valleys, frosty in winter. The park's lakes, fringed with snow-topped mountains, look particularly haunting in the cold weather: this atmospheric shot shows rock-strewn Diablo Lake in the clutches of the season.
The otherworldly acres of Badlands National Park are as close to the surface of the moon as most of us are likely to get. And those visitors who embrace the chilly winter temperatures will see the famous badlands under a covering of snow. There are plenty of ways to drink in the landscapes from taking a drive on the Badlands Loop Road, with its various overlooks (check for occasional winter closures), to hitting a trail. There's less chance of rain in the cold winter months, too.
Those willing to brave the depths of winter in The Last Frontier will find a snowy paradise at Kenai Fjords National Park. And Exit Glacier is at the heart of the winter action. The road to the glacier is closed to traffic in winter, but the area is accessible to snowmobilers, snow-shoers and cross-country skiers, and moose frequent the glacier in winter, too. Conditions permitting, Adventure Sixty North also run a special-permit shuttle service to the glacier.
Yellowstone – America's oldest and one of the largest national parks – is regularly counted in the top ten most visited too. In the summer high season, the park heaves with visitors, but as the snow falls, the crowds melt and hardy travellers have the best chance of spotting creatures like bighorn sheep and even wolves. Bison look even more majestic with their coats dusted with snow, too. Conditions can be harsh, though, so visitors should plan carefully before embarking on a winter trip.
Yosemite has winter views aplenty and the jaw-dropping Yosemite Valley wears its cloak of snow particularly well. However, the most dramatic sight of all can be seen in February, when spring winks on the horizon. Horsetail Fall cascades over the eastern face of El Capitan and, in late February, when it's backlit by the sunset, the waterfall burns orange and looks like molten lava falling over the mountain. Keep an eye on the website for dates and restrictions relating to this phenomena.