BEST NATIONAL PARKS TO VISIT IN THE WINTER
Photo Courtesy: Beau Horyza
Experience peace & solitude at our national parks during the WINTER.
The United States is home to 423 national park sites, with an elite group of 63 national parks among them. These national parks aim to protect the natural environment and provide opportunities for travelers to experience different ecosystems, learn about conservation and history, and engage in recreational activities. Whether you’re craving snow-capped mountains, sandy beaches, evergreen forests, or vast deserts, a national park will deliver.
When planning a national park road trip, many people default to the summer months due to the warm weather. However, there are many benefits to planning your national park trip in the winter: lack of tourists, cheaper accommodations, and no need to reserve campsites six months in advance. If you’re a spontaneous traveler and don’t want to wait until summer to explore, continue reading to learn about our favorite national parks to visit in the winter.
Olympic National Park
One of the most diverse landscapes on the planet lies only a two-hour drive from Seattle: Olympic National Park. This natural wonder is made up of glacier-capped mountains, temperate rainforests, and endless miles of wild coastline.
Despite being located in the chilly Pacific Northwest, most of the park still remains accessible year-round, which is perfect for your winter national park travel. Three main areas are open to visitors: Hurricane Ridge, the Pacific Coast, and the Hoh and Quinault rainforests.
Hurricane Ridge offers many winter activities: snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, and more. You can also drive up the mountain to simply take in the views. It’s essential to be aware of weather changes–luckily, road conditions are constantly updated on the park’s social media.
Winter is the best time to visit if you’re looking for an actual “rainforest” experience. The park’s rainforests get approximately 12 feet of rain annually, most falling during the off-season. We recommend hiking the Hoh River Trail, an 18-mile path for viewing rivers, trees, wildlife, and unique mosses and ferns.
Drive west towards the Washington coast to view the winter waves. There are many unique beaches we recommend checking out: Rialto Beach, Second Beach, and Kalaloch. Peace Vans has campsites at Kalaloch, so we recommend renting with us and staying the night there to get the whole experience!
Redwoods National Park
Home to the largest trees on the planet, Redwood National and State Parks are another excellent choice for a winter road trip stop. The park also encompasses vast prairies, wild rivers, rugged coastline, unique wildlife, and more. Redwoods National and State Parks are split into two main parts: the northern half and the southern half.
When visiting the park's northern half, we recommend taking advantage of the many hiking trails and scenic roads accessible in the winter months. Our favorite trails include the Simpson-Reed Trail, the Boy Scout Tree Trail, and the Stout Memorial Grove Trail. Your breath will be taken as you walk amongst the majestic groves of the world’s most giant trees: redwoods.
There are many fantastic trails in the park's southern half as well. If you’re a film buff, walk the Fern Canyon Loop Trail, where parts of Jurassic Park were filmed years ago. Be sure also to drive the Bald Hills Road, a popular route for nature and wildlife viewing. Check the road and trail conditions before traveling to the park.
While we still recommend reserving your campsites in advance, spots are much easier to come by in the winter, making Redwoods a great off-season destination.
Photo Courtesy: Hannah Grace
Zion National Park
Utah’s first national park is accessible year-round, featuring massive sandstone cliffs, narrow slot canyons, and wide open skies. The weather in Zion National Park varies with cold, cloudy winters and scorching hot summers. During the summer, you can expect over 17,000 people to be in the park at a time, which causes congested trails and crowded shuttles. Because of this, we highly recommend hitting this park in the winter or off-season.
Zion National Park is home to over 100 trails, with many remaining open in the winter. If you’re looking for an easy-to-moderate trail, check out the Grotto Trail, Pa’rus Trail, and Watchman Trail. This park is also home to two of the most well-known hiking trails in the country: The Narrows and Angel’s Landing. While these trails are typically open in the off-season, we recommend saving them for the spring and summer, as the conditions can be dangerous and unpredictable.
When exploring the park, you’re likely to see some wildlife: bald eagles, elk, deer, foxes, and bighorn sheep remain active in the winter months despite other mammals hibernating.
Many campgrounds around Zion National Park close in the winter, but Watchman Campground stays open year-round. We recommend making a reservation to ensure you have a place to stay. If Watchman Campground is full, there are many Hipcamp options available for your group.
Joshua Tree National Park
Southern California is home to many desert ecosystems. The Mojave and the Colorado deserts come together in Joshua Tree National Park, the second largest park in the state. When we visit national parks in the off-season, it’s generally to avoid crowds; however, another problem is faced at Joshua Tree in the summertime — scorching hot daytime temperatures. This makes recreational activities dangerous, so we recommend visiting Joshua Tree National Park in the winter.
Joshua Tree has excellent weather in the winter, with temperatures hitting the mid-60s. These conditions make for perfect hiking conditions. If you’re short on time, check out Ryan Mountain Trail. You can also opt for a longer hike, such as Lost Palms Oasis Trail.
This park is also known for its variety of guided tours and excursions. We recommend taking a guided ATV tour, as it's often the best way to spot wildlife and visit sites that are hard to access by foot.
Joshua Tree offers some of the most accessible camping in the country, with five campgrounds staying open year-round. Reservations can be made online up to six months in advance.
Even though it’s warm during the day, tent camping here is unappealing because the desert temperatures drop at night.
Photo Courtesy: Cedric Letsch
Explore America’s national parks in a camper van.
Our Metris camper van conversions are designed to travel long distances and are well-equipped for every season. Click here to learn more.
Not ready to purchase your own van yet? No worries – Peace Vans Rentals is open year-round. Rent a Vanagon or Metris camper and follow one of our expert-written itineraries.