Where to go when the north freezes over, and the day-by-day itinerary for each park. Every park below is one we have written a day-by-day trip for, so this is not a list of names: it is six places you can actually book.
1. Everglades National Park, Florida
Dry season at its best. The water drops, the wildlife concentrates around what is left, and the mosquitoes are gone. This is the only sensible time to paddle the mangroves, and the difference from August is not subtle.
Our 3 days itinerary: Everglades Kayaking Weekend: 3-Day Chickee Camping Route. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
2. Death Valley National Park, California
Cool and comfortable, with highs in the sixties and the light low all day. Everything that is dangerous in July is pleasant now, and the nights are cold enough that the sky is worth staying up for.
Our 3 days itinerary: Death Valley Winter Hiking: A 3-Day Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
3. Big Bend National Park, Texas
Mild, empty and a long way from anywhere, which in December is the point. Days in the sixties on the desert floor, cold nights in the Chisos, and the darkest measured sky of any park in the lower 48.
Our 3 days itinerary: Big Bend National Park 3-Day Itinerary: Desert Hiking Weekend. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
4. Saguaro National Park, Arizona
Tucson in December is short-sleeve hiking weather. The cactus forest, the Wasson Peak trails and a base with restaurants in it, for the price of a flight rather than a snow tyre.
Our 3 days itinerary: Saguaro National Park Hikes: 3-Day Best Hikes Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
5. Joshua Tree National Park, California
Cold nights, perfect days and the clearest air of the year. December is when the boulders are climbable all afternoon and the campgrounds are not full of people escaping the heat.
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.
6. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
The South Rim stays open all winter and snow on red rock is the reason to come. Expect ice on the Bright Angel switchbacks, take spikes, and accept that the North Rim is shut until May.
Our 3 days itinerary: Grand Canyon South Rim Hikes: 3-Day Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
More trips that work in December
Each of these lists December in its own season, so the timing is not a guess.
- Atchafalaya Basin Kayaking: 3-Day Weekend Itinerary 3 Days · Louisiana
- Black Creek Wilderness Mississippi: 6-Day Float & Backpacking Itinerary 6 Days · Mississippi
- Florida Trail Big Cypress: 5-Day Backpacking Itinerary 5 Days · Florida
- Guadalupe Mountains Backpacking: 5-Day Texas Itinerary 5 Days · Texas
- Haleakala Sunrise Hike: A 2-Day Maui Summit Itinerary 2 Days · Maui
- Hiking in Big Bend National Park: 4-Day Texas Itinerary 4 Days · West Texas
- Kisatchie National Forest Backpacking: 3-Day Wild Azalea Trail Itinerary 3 Days · Louisiana
- Louisiana Wetlands Circuit: A 10-Day Itinerary 10 Days · South Louisiana
- Ouachita Trail Backpacking: A 7-Day Arkansas Itinerary 7 Days · West-Central Arkansas
- Things to Do in Las Vegas Besides Partying: A 3-Day Outdoor Itinerary 3 Days · Southern Nevada
- What to Do in Congaree National Park: A 2-Day Itinerary 2 Days · Central South Carolina
- White Sands National Park: A Backcountry Weekend Itinerary 2 Days · Southern New Mexico
Best National Parks to Visit in December FAQs
Yes. The worked day-by-day plan is Everglades Kayaking Weekend: 3-Day Chickee Camping Route (3 Days), with the permits, the stays and the drive times already sorted. Tell us your dates and we will put it together for you and confirm what is genuinely open on those days. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
