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Travel insights from Taylor Coulson, associate editor of The Compass
4 National Parks to Wander this Winter
If you missed the chance to see national parks where fall foliage was at its finest, we’ve got you covered this winter. Freezing temperatures give a fresh take on these four familiar national parks where you can witness winter wonders.
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Death Valley National Park is the hottest, driest and lowest national park in the U.S., making winter an excellent time to explore this desert gem. Located in eastern California, near the Nevada border (just a 2.5-hour drive from Sin City), this below-sea-level basin is home to a great diversity of life, despite its dark and morbid name. Since this area is the hottest place on the planet and considered the driest on the continent, sporadic rain showers are a seasonal treat during wintertime. Another seasonal treat you can’t miss is visiting one of the most popular places in the park, Badwater Basin. It’s a salt flat that boasts the lowest elevation on the continent, and in the depths of winter, it’s cool enough to walk out onto the salt flat and see iconic geometric formations on the earth, known as salt polygons. Plus, you can’t miss an afternoon drive through Artist’s Palette on Artist’s Drive, a 9-mile scenic and route that snakes through multicolored and snow-covered badlands.
Peak snowy season: Between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Where to stay: Luxor Hotel & Casino or any hotels on the Las Vegas Strip are around two hours away from Death Valley National Park.
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Yellowstone National Park welcomes visitors year-round, but winter visitors are rewarded with a different kind of experience during snowy seasons in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Winter in Yellowstone means fewer crowds, more wildlife frigid temperatures and steaming geysers. In winter, skiers will get a serene experience that ski towns and resorts across the U.S. can’t match. You’ll feel like the only person in the park when you visit Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This is where you can watch the world’s most famous geyser erupt and feel steam from hot springs which appear even more dramatic in the single-digit winter air – typically temperatures range between -30°F and 30°F in winter months. Bighorn sheep, bison, elk, moose and wolves tend to make their appearance in the park during winter. Around mid-December, skis, snowshoes, snowcoaches and snowmobiles become the main modes of transportation since roads close, rivers and lakes freeze, and once-crowded trails turn into tranquil getaways. In fact, the only road remaining open year-round is from Mammoth Hot Springs to the northeast entrance.
Peak snowy season: mid-December through mid-March
Where to stay: Best Western Weston Inn in West Yellowstone, MT is just blocks away from Yellowstone’s popular West Entrance.
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Winter ups the ante of the strange and stunning landscapes found in Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park. The stark white snow contrasts perfectly with the park’s renowned red rocks, pink ice-coated cliffs, evergreen trees and dark blue skies. Plus, the largest collection of gravity-defying limestone spires – called hoodoos – look even more spectacular when they’re sparkling from ice. Bryce Canyon’s scenery drastically changes in the colder months, providing unique opportunities to brave the cold for an unforgettable, icy escape from November to February. While winter weather here can get incredibly chilly (typical temperatures fall below freezing almost every night), the cold air and high elevation offer winter visitors plenty of perks like cross-country skiing, world-class stargazing, ranger-led full moon hikes and annual winter events. Get up close to famous formations like Thor’s Hammer, Tower Bridge and the Bryce Amphitheater. Plus, you can’t miss the annual Bryce Canyon Winter Festival.
Peak snowy season: December to February, with December being the coldest month of the year
Where to stay: Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn is a pet-friendly hotel, located just one mile away from Bryce Canyon National Park.
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Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is one of the most-visited national parks in the U.S. and winter is a wonderful time to beat the crowds. In fact, just 10% of the number of summer visitors usually find paths less traveled throughout the 277-mile park during winter months. While the canyon’s north rim closes every fall, the south rim is open year-round with temperatures typically peaking in the 40s and dropping into the 20s. Winter wildlife is grand at the Grand Canyon, where there’s a chance to see elk, California condors, ravens and Abert’s squirrels along the rim and in the ponderosa pine forests. The Bright Angel Trail is a popular place to feel the fresh and frigid winter air and see the sunrise or sunset during the snowy season. The Grand Canyon is cooler from December through February, when early mornings are filled with fog and afternoons are filled with sunshine.
Peak snowy season: December through February
Where to stay: Best Western Premier Grand Canyon Squire Inn, located one and a half miles away from the Grand Canyon National Park entrance.
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