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Park Crowd Calendar

December · ranked quietest first

Least crowded national parks in December

These national parks see the smallest share of their yearly crowds in December. Ranked by each park's December crowd score.

  1. 1Aerial view of the Alatna River as it winds through a valleyGates Of The Arctic National Park & PreserveAlaskaQuiet1/10
  2. 2Aerial View of Belle HarborIsle Royale National ParkMichiganQuiet1/10
  3. 3A kayaker views a tidewater glacier in the distanceKenai Fjords National ParkAlaskaQuiet1/10
  4. 4Photo of blue sky with fluffy white clouds reflect in calm lake with mountains in the background.Lake Clark National Park & PreserveAlaskaQuiet1/10
  5. 5Cruising Glacier BayGlacier Bay National Park & PreserveAlaskaQuiet1/10
  6. 6salmon jumping at waterfallKatmai National Park & PreserveAlaskaQuiet1/10
  7. 7Glaciers loom over the ocean with large snowy mountains rising into blue skiesWrangell - St Elias National Park & PreserveAlaskaQuiet1/10
  8. 8boats on the water with mountains and trees surroundingNorth Cascades National ParkWashingtonQuiet1/10
  9. 9Photograph of northern lights over a lake.Voyageurs National ParkMinnesotaQuiet1/10
  10. 10A colorfully striped butte in the foreground overlooks a dark green badlands landscapeTheodore Roosevelt National ParkNorth DakotaQuiet1/10
  11. 11a white colored sheep standing on a mountainside overlooking a green valleyDenali National Park & PreserveAlaskaQuiet1/10
  12. 12Jagged peaks rise out of a forested valley and an empty road curves off into the distance.Glacier National ParkMontanaQuiet1/10
  13. 13A view of Crater Lake and Wizard IslandCrater Lake National ParkOregonQuiet1/10
  14. 14A fan-shaped waterfall cascades over lava cliffs with a rainbow in its mist.Mount Rainier National ParkWashingtonQuiet1/10
  15. 15Layered badlands formations behind fields of green grass under cloudy and billowing clouds.Badlands National ParkSouth DakotaQuiet1/10
  16. 16Backpackers in North Fork Cascade Canyon, Grand Teton behindGrand Teton National ParkWyomingQuiet1/10
  17. 17A frozen lake below snow-covered trees and peakLassen Volcanic National ParkCaliforniaQuiet1/10
  18. 18Yellowstone National ParkWyoming, Montana, IdahoQuiet1/10
  19. 19blue sky with green trees in mountain cirqueGreat Basin National ParkNevadaQuiet1/10
  20. 20Black Canyon near Tomichi PointBlack Canyon Of The Gunnison National ParkColoradoQuiet1/10
  21. 21Acadia National ParkMaineQuiet1/10
  22. 22Large cliff dwelling in cliff alcoveMesa Verde National ParkColoradoQuiet1/10
  23. 23Grasslands, large dunes, and snow-capped peaks at sunsetGreat Sand Dunes National Park & PreserveColoradoQuiet1/10
  24. 24A man stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the receding mountains.Shenandoah National ParkVirginiaQuiet2/10
  25. 25Thin fins of calcite forming box-shaped openings, called boxwork, on a cave ceiling.Wind Cave National ParkSouth DakotaQuiet2/10
  26. 26a broad stone arch with rock pinnacles in the distanceCanyonlands National ParkUtahQuiet2/10
  27. 27Wingate Sandstone cliffs behind historic barn and farmhouseCapitol Reef National ParkUtahQuiet2/10
  28. 28A red rock landscape and plateau forest glows with the morning sunBryce Canyon National ParkUtahQuiet2/10
  29. 29bend in the riverNew River Gorge National Park & PreserveWest VirginiaQuiet2/10
  30. 30Olympic National ParkWashingtonQuiet2/10
  31. 31Michigan Lake beach with green grassy dunes in the background, under a blue sky.Indiana Dunes National ParkIndianaQuiet3/10
  32. 32fireworks in the sky over the Arch and city buildings with the river in the backgroundGateway Arch National ParkMissouriQuiet3/10
  33. 33Rocky Mountain National ParkColoradoQuiet3/10
  34. 34Yosemite National ParkCaliforniaModerate4/10
  35. 35People in bright orange kayaks paddle around a bend in a river, past green trees and a rocky shore.Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOhioModerate4/10
  36. 36A cascade of water pours over a rock ledge. Green foliage is in the background.Mammoth Cave National ParkKentuckyModerate4/10
  37. 37Great Smoky Mountains National ParkTennessee, North CarolinaModerate4/10
  38. 38Stone entrance pillars in front of a row of four bathousesHot Springs National ParkArkansasModerate4/10
  39. 39Arches National ParkUtahModerate4/10
  40. 40Grand Canyon National ParkArizonaModerate5/10
  41. 41A triangular sandstone mountain rises over green and yellow foliage under a cloudy blue sky.Zion National ParkUtahModerate5/10
  42. 42Channel Islands National ParkCaliforniaModerate5/10
  43. 43Sunlit Painted Desert hills of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness AreaPetrified Forest National ParkArizonaModerate6/10
  44. 44sun setting on sand dunesKobuk Valley National ParkAlaskaModerate6/10
  45. 45View of the Congaree River during the FallCongaree National ParkSouth CarolinaModerate6/10
  46. 46Coral reef with two snorkelers diving below the surfaceBiscayne National ParkFloridaModerate6/10
  47. 47White dunes in foreground with sun setting behind mountain.White Sands National ParkNew MexicoModerate6/10
  48. 48A massive rock spire with California condors flying above the peak.Pinnacles National ParkCaliforniaBusy7/10
  49. 49Blooming CenizoBig Bend National ParkTexasBusy7/10
  50. 50Photo of Giant Dome and Twin Domes in the Big Room.Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNew MexicoBusy7/10
  51. 51El Capitan with blooming claret cup cactiGuadalupe Mountains National ParkTexasBusy7/10
  52. 52Saguaro flowersSaguaro National ParkArizonaBusy7/10
  53. 53Low, warm light skims across pale sand dunes.Death Valley National ParkCalifornia, NevadaBusy8/10
  54. 54A few of the stars at night with a view of Fort Jefferson.Dry Tortugas National ParkFloridaBusy8/10
  55. 55The sky turns hues of pink and purple over a field of Joshua trees.Joshua Tree National ParkCaliforniaPeak9/10
  56. 56Turquoise water laps white sandy shore fringed with lush green vegetation.Virgin Islands National ParkU.S. Virgin IslandsPeak9/10
  57. 57Everglades National ParkFloridaPeak9/10
  58. 58'Ahinahina blooms in Haleakala craterHaleakalā National ParkHawaiiPeak10/10
  59. 59A cloud-filled volcanic crater at sunrise with a mountain rising behindHawaiʻi Volcanoes National ParkHawaiiPeak10/10