Best National Parks To Visit In Winter (PHOTOS)

Sure, national parks are beautiful in the summer, but they can also be crowded (Yellowstone, after all, had record-breaking attendance this summer, not to mention a few, um, bison attacks).

But for solitude and snow (lots of it), consider a winter visit to an American or Canadian National Park. The parks are a lot less crowded, but some amenities can be limited so you might need to plan ahead.

Our friends at Fodor's put together a list of their favorite national parks in the U.S. and Canada to visit in winter. Think they missed some? Send us your votes!

 

Have a park you like to visit in winter? Send us your photos!

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Zion, Utah

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Zion's sandstone cliffs are composed of stunning pink, orange, and crimson rock formations Seasonal Highlights: Winters are mild at lower desert elevations, and it's a wonderful and solitary time to see Zion's canyons. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are best experienced in the park's higher elevations during the winter, where snow stays on the ground longer. Inquire at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center for backcountry conditions. Snowmobiling is only allowed for residential access. Top Activities: Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing Plan Your Trip: Fodor's Zion National Park Travel Guide

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Zion's sandstone cliffs are composed of stunning pink, orange, and crimson rock formations
Seasonal Highlights: Winters are mild at lower desert elevations, and it's a wonderful and solitary time to see Zion's canyons. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are best experienced in the park's higher elevations during the winter, where snow stays on the ground longer. Inquire at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center for backcountry conditions. Snowmobiling is only allowed for residential access.
Top Activities: Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Plan Your Trip: Fodor's Zion National Park Travel Guide

comments(48)

Total comments: 48 | Post a Comment

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Park

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Eh. Winter wonderland!

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Comments

[jessywat]

03:18 AM on 03/02/2011

The list is really an incredible one and what I could give to visit all of this places. The visit to a national park is really a different experience and it is the best adventures trip that one can have.
Thanks and keep sharing your knowledge.
http://www.centralamericavoyage.com/manuel-antonio-national-park-costa-rica.html

[rainkitty]

03:44 PM on 02/21/2011

Yosemite is always good!

[HairFarmer]

02:27 PM on 02/17/2011

the 2nd pic of Yellowstone isn't Yellowstone, C'mon ...It's Teton Natl. Park 90 miles south of Yellowstone

[liberalbug]

10:41 PM on 02/16/2011

Rocky Mount?

[saskatoonie]

08:43 PM on 02/16/2011

Big labour problems at Sunshine Ski Resort outside Banff. http://www.facebook.com/SupportSkiPatrol
Best to ski Lake Louise, it's still within the park and there are no labour issues.

[blackwind]

04:06 PM on 02/16/2011

A great thing about winter in Yellowstone is all of the hot running water. Not having to melt snow for water really makes things easier than snow-camping anywhere else.

[socalcde]

03:39 PM on 02/16/2011

Nowhere east of the Rockies?

[beartrack]

03:27 PM on 02/16/2011

A couple of problems with the pics. # 11 is not Yellowstone. It is the Teton Range in Grand Teton Nat. Park. Also, the "coyotes" shown in #10 are wolves.

[Jesse P. Steinberg]

02:18 PM on 02/16/2011

Jasper and Banff are pretty much the two most known in Canada. If you want a National Park pretty much like no other check out Quttinirpaaq National Park. Its in Nunavut, so its going to cost you a fortune to fly there.

[anotherplayaguy]

02:08 PM on 02/16/2011

The thing about Yosemite is: there's never a bad time to visit.

I was hoping it wasn't going to make the list because it is so nice not to have crowds.

[socalcde]

03:39 PM on 02/16/2011

Except that it gets dark in the valley so early in the day.

[Ivyleaguequaker]

05:53 PM on 02/16/2011

I agree, I just came back from my first winter excursion and saw the "snow cone" under Yosemite Falls. I would like to go back when the frazil ice is around, although I'm planning a late spring trip this year to see the water falls in full force!

[kona-apeman]

01:25 PM on 02/16/2011

Visit Volcanoes NP here on Big Island if you ever get the chance.

[Patrick f Dunn]

12:57 PM on 02/16/2011

No Death Valley? Winter is about the only time you really can visit, and it's well worth it.

[tumbler snapper]

02:06 PM on 02/16/2011

Death Valley is not a National Park. It is very interesting, though.

[tarzan1234]

02:33 PM on 02/16/2011

Death Valley IS a National Park. I has been a national park since 1994 I think. I've been there and I'm 100% sure about that.

[larmarch5]

12:57 PM on 02/16/2011

Our National Parks are indeed our greatest treasure. They are being run much better than the last decade. http://www.nps.gov/index.htm
Also, Ken Burns' PBS series and his book are fantastic.
http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/
 

[larmarch5]

12:51 PM on 02/16/2011

I think #11 is the Grand Tetons, just south of Yellowstone.

[SitandStay]

09:27 AM on 02/17/2011

Flying into Jackson Hole is amazing. It is like you're touching down on a perfect postcard.

[NVEd]

12:48 PM on 02/16/2011

If you don't care for snow there is also Redwood NP along California's north coast. Too much fog in summer but winter is very different, especially when it is not raining. Beautiful Pacific Ocean views and trees that people from elsewhere will marvel at.