Winter in the national parks in cold regions is a spectacle of contrasts: Rouge-tinged cliffs stand out against white snow, and the stars seem to dazzle more brightly against dark skies. The sights and iconic drives jammed with selfie-takers and shuttle buses during peak season become silent and serene in cold weather. Timid wildlife venture further out to forage and become easier to spot against the snow. And National Park Service winter activities like snowshoeing offer ways to take in the season’s beauty.
To truly enjoy visiting some national parks during winter, it’s essential to dress in warm layers and protect your head and hands with a solid hat and gloves. Once you’re wrapped up, head to one of these six winter wonderlands across the U.S.; each has something special to offer at this time of year.
Bison and other wildlife descend from the mountains during Yellowstone winters.
Courtesy of National Park Service
1. Yellowstone
- Best for: wildlife viewing
In Yellowstone, winter is one of the best times of year for wildlife viewing and photography: Bison, elk, moose, mule deer, wolves, and coyotes venture down from the snowy peaks and gather in Lamar Valley and other lower elevation meadows. Bobcats and foxes prowl along Yellowstone River, and owls swoop out of the forest in search of prey. On winter days, the park is blissfully quiet. Most park roads aren’t plowed and are closed to vehicles except for snowmobiles and specially designed snowcoaches that can navigate the deep snow.
You can book ski, snowshoe, and coach tours through Yellowstone National Park Lodges to visit favorite attractions, including Firehole Basin, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Old Faithful. You can also snowmobile into the park on your own, but you must first apply for a permit as a noncommercial guide and complete an online training course. Only four noncommercially guided groups are allowed in the park per day, and sleds must comply with the park’s Best Available Technology (BAT) rules.
To go deeper into the snowy landscape and track wolves and other wildlife, join a multi-day wolf discovery tour, such as those led by Brushbuck Wildlife Tours or Yellowstone Wild Tours, or sign up for the Winter Wolf package offered by Yellowstone Park Lodges.
With its heavy log construction, oversize fireplaces, and tables heaped with puzzles and games, the Old Faithful Snow Lodge seems designed for supreme winter coziness. In winter, the lodge is accessible only by snowcoach shuttle or snowmobile. It’s generally open mid-December through early March, then shuts for a few weeks and reopens in April when the roads open. Tucked into the gift shop, the Bear Den Ski Shop rents cross-country skis and snowshoes and offers lessons and guided tours. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, located at the north end of the park, is the only other lodge open in winter, and daily guided tours depart from this location as well.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a designated International Dark Sky Park.
Photo by Shutterstock
2. Chaco Culture National Historical Park
- Best for: spectacular stargazing
Archaeologists are still uncovering the mysteries of Chaco Canyon’s ancient structures, but they’re sure that the ancestral Puebloan people who lived here between 850 and 1250 had a sophisticated knowledge of astronomy and lived according to a calendar that tracked the movements of the sun, moon, and stars. The Chacoan people made careful observations of the skies and seasonal cycles and based agricultural and ceremonial events on this calendar, traditions carried on today by the Puebloans.
In honor of Chaco’s archeoastronomy traditions and thanks to the park’s clear air, remote location, and lack of light pollution, Chaco became a certified International Dark Sky Park in 2013. While the National Park Service’s night sky programs usually occur in summer, the Albuquerque Astronomical Society also runs occasional events in the park in winter. You can always stargaze on your own by camping in the park (in an RV or your own tent).
Open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, the park’s visitor center houses an excellent museum displaying baskets, pottery, jewelry, and other artifacts, highlights from a collection of more than 1 million artifacts excavated in archaeological digs.
Ranger-led walks of Pueblo Bonito are offered all year, while additional programming begins in April. Canyon Loop Road, which links six major sites, is open year-round.
The winter solstice is a particularly special time at Chaco Culture National Historical Park: On this day, visitors can witness a solar alignment when the first rays of dawn hit the Chacoan great houses of Kin Kletso and Wijiji. The sun dagger petroglyph atop Fajada Butte, the ancient city’s most dramatic solar calendar marker, is off-limits to visitors because erosion from foot traffic began to damage the rock alignment.
Explore the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon on snowshoes in the winter.
Photo by Shutterstock
3. Bryce Canyon
- Best for: snowshoeing and hiking
With its 56 square miles of rock spires and hoodoos standing in stark relief against the snow, Bryce Canyon National Park is a winter explorer’s dream. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are permitted throughout the park, and the roads to Fairyland Point and Paria View are left unplowed, creating wide, smooth expanses for visitors to traverse. No snowshoes? No problem: They’re provided for free during daily ranger-led snowshoe hikes, which take place whenever there’s snow (conditions permitting). You can also rent cross-country skis and snowshoes from Ruby’s Inn Winter Adventure Center. Once trails become too icy for snowshoes, hikers can stick to boots with attached traction devices, available at the visitor center.
The Southern Scenic Drive to Rainbow Point is kept open in the winter except during and just after winter snowstorms, when it closes at mile marker 3.
Hoodoos and moon shadows are a memorable mix, so don’t miss the popular ranger-led full moon hikes, which continue through winter. To keep numbers down, tickets for each month are released 14 days in advance and then again 5 days in advance. Over President’s Day weekend, Bryce Canyon celebrates all things winter with a three-day festival hosted by the NPS and Ruby’s Inn that features ski clinics, arts and crafts, wildlife and geology talks, stargazing, and music.
Mount Rainier gets world-record levels of snow.
Photo by Shutterstock
4. Mount Rainier
- Best for: playing in the snow
Boasting some of the deepest snow drifts in the continental United States (52 feet in 2022–23), Mount Rainier National Park is an impressive place to play in the snow. The Paradise Visitor Center, which in 1971–72 held the world record for annual snowfall (93.5 feet), offers a full-service powder play area with tracks for sledding and tubing when the snow is deep enough for safe cover—check ahead for current conditions.
The park’s visitor center offers guided snowshoe hikes at 11 a.m. on weekends, with snowshoes available for a $5 donation. Sign-up starts at 10 a.m. and is capped at 25 people. You can also rent gear from Longmire General Store and head out on your own; popular snowshoe trails range from 1-mile Alta Vista to strenuous challenges, such as the steep 11-mile trek to Sun Top.
Those more inclined to adventure can cross-country ski or snowshoe the Mount Tahoma Trails Association Hut-to-Hut System, the most extensive free system of the sort in North America. Of its 50 miles of trails, 20 are groomed, and there are three huts and a yurt along the way. For a more relaxing experience, the Crystal Mountain gondola, just six miles from the park’s northeast entrance, provides sweeping views of Mount Rainier’s 14,410-foot peak and the entire Cascade Range.
Whether you are walking or riding the Grand Canyon Railway, views of this national park in winter are memorable.
Photo by Shutterstock
5. Grand Canyon
- Best for: getting festive with fewer crowds
With fires roaring in the fireplaces of its historic lodges and powdery snow dusting the canyon walls, Grand Canyon National Park is radiant in winter. Better still, at this time of year, its famous trails are unhampered by the hordes, and you’ll see fewer than 10 percent of the annual visitors. While the higher-elevation North Rim closes for the season, the South Rim and most services stay open, including the historic El Tovar Hotel and its majestic stone-and-pine log dining room and lounge.
Backcountry permits and campground reservations are easier to get at this time of year, and hiking trails are free from crowds, although proper winter hiking gear, including traction devices, is advised. Best of all, the West Rim’s iconic Hermit Road, which is accessible only via tour or shuttle bus for most of the year, opens to cars from December through February, allowing you to stop for photo ops as many times as you wish with no scheduling issues. The Village, Kaibab Rim, and Hikers’ Express shuttles remain in service year-round.
The views from the Grand Canyon Railway are particularly appealing in winter, with deer and other wildlife standing out against the white backdrop. In November and December, the Polar Express–themed train ride features cars bedecked with decorations and Santa reading “The Night Before Christmas.”
Start your climb at Bear Lake early and you’ll be treated to a glorious sunrise.
Photo by Michael Levine-Clark/Flickr
6. Rocky Mountain
- Best for: ice climbing
Avid climbers who don’t mind the cold and are keen to take it up a notch will find plenty of routes in Rocky Mountain National Park. Learn the basics with Colorado Mountain School; their one-day ice climbing courses cover climbing and safety essentials such as how to keep warm.
Climbers come with harnesses, picks, and crampons to scale the towering curtains of ice, which look like something out of a fairy tale. One of the more accessible climbs is Hidden Falls, which can be reached from Wild Basin Trailhead on snowshoes or skis in around 40 minutes. You’ll find plenty of your fellow alpinists on the Bear Lake Trailhead around sunrise when the sky often puts on a gorgeous show of colors.
This article was originally published in 2018 and most recently updated on November 27, 2024 with current information.
