November is the most underrated month in the park system. The desert southwest is at its most comfortable, the southern parks are dry and empty, and the summer crowds are four months gone. The high country is shutting down, so this list stays low and south, and every park on it is quieter now than at any other time of year.
1. Big Bend National Park, Texas
Seventies in the desert, cool nights in the Chisos, and the whole park to yourself outside Thanksgiving week. November is the best month in Big Bend and it is not particularly close.
The South Rim in November is a long day with no heat penalty, which is what makes it possible at all.
Our 4 days itinerary: Hiking in Big Bend National Park: 4-Day Texas Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
2. Saguaro National Park, Arizona
Tucson settles into the seventies and stays there. Every trail in both districts is comfortable all day, and the low November light on the saguaro forest at either end of the day is the reason photographers come now.
It is also the start of the snowbird season, so book beds earlier than you would expect for a quiet month.
Our 3 days itinerary: Saguaro National Park Hikes: 3-Day Best Hikes Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
3. Death Valley National Park, California
The park reopens in a practical sense in November. Highs in the seventies, the canyons walkable, and the campgrounds on the valley floor usable again after being uninhabitable all summer.
Ubehebe Crater and the Racetrack are back in play now that the drive out there is not a heat risk.
Our 3 days itinerary: Death Valley Winter Hiking: A 3-Day Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
4. Joshua Tree National Park, California
November is the quiet shoulder between the summer heat and the winter climbing season. Seventies by day, cold at night, and the campgrounds have space midweek for the first time since spring.
The dark sky here is at its best in the long November nights, and the park is a designated Dark Sky Park.
Our 3 days itinerary: Hikes in Joshua Tree: A 3-Day Best-of Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
5. Congaree National Park, South Carolina
The bald cypress and tupelo turn rust and gold in November and the mosquitoes that make this park hard work in summer are finally gone. It is the best month to walk the boardwalk loop.
The synchronous fireflies get the attention in May, but November is when the forest is actually pleasant.
Our 2 days itinerary: What to Do in Congaree National Park: A 2-Day Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
6. Everglades National Park, Florida
The dry season starts in November and the park becomes usable again: fewer mosquitoes, more wildlife concentrated on the remaining water, and comfortable paddling temperatures.
Go before Christmas. December through February is when the winter visitors arrive and the backcountry permits get competitive.
Our 3 days itinerary: Everglades Kayaking Weekend: 3-Day Chickee Camping Route. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
More trips that work in November
- Guadalupe Mountains Hiking: A 2-Day Texas Itinerary 2 Days · West Texas
- White Sands National Park: A Backcountry Weekend Itinerary 2 Days · Southern New Mexico
- Chiricahua National Monument: A 2-Day Hiking Itinerary 2 Days · Southeast Arizona
- Zion National Park: 3-Day Itinerary 3 Days · Southwestern Utah
