National parks to visit in January
6 of 60 national parks average mild weather in January; the least crowded of them are Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands and Big Bend.
How to read this Weather words come from each park's 1991–2020 average high: mild is 55–80°F without above-normal rain. Crowds compare January with the park's own busiest month (National Park Service visits, 2023–2025).
Mild weather in January 6 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad Caverns | New Mexico | 56° / 34° | 0.3 | Moderate |
| White Sands | New Mexico | 57° / 22° | 0.5 | Moderate |
| Big Bend | Texas | 61° / 37° | 0.5 | Moderate |
| Biscayne | Florida | 78° / 63° | 2.4 | Busy |
| Dry Tortugas | Florida | 74° / 65° | 2.4 | Busy |
| Everglades | Florida | 76° / 58° | 1.7 | Very busy |
Mild, wetter than usual in January 8 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Islands | California | 67° / 47° | 4.4 | Moderate |
| Congaree | South Carolina | 58° / 35° | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Pinnacles | California | 63° / 34° | 3.5 | Moderate |
| Death Valley | California and Nevada | 67° / 43° | 0.4 | Busy |
| Joshua Tree | California | 63° / 42° | 0.5 | Busy |
| Saguaro | Arizona | 65° / 30° | 1.1 | Busy |
| Haleakala | Hawaii | 61° / 44° | 5.1 | Very busy |
| Hawai'i Volcanoes | Hawaii | 68° / 49° | 8.8 | Very busy |
Hot in January 1 park
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | US Virgin Islands | 84° / 74° | 2.6 | Very busy |
Cool in January 17 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lassen Volcanic | California | 41° / 22° | 6.5 | Quiet |
| Canyonlands | Utah | 42° / 17° | 0.4 | Quiet |
| Shenandoah | Virginia | 43° / 23° | 2.9 | Quiet |
| Capitol Reef | Utah | 41° / 21° | 0.6 | Quiet |
| Gateway Arch | Missouri | 40° / 24° | 2.5 | Quiet |
| New River Gorge | West Virginia | 41° / 23° | 3.5 | Quiet |
| Arches | Utah | 42° / 22° | 0.6 | Quiet |
| Olympic | Washington | 41° / 33° | 8.9 | Quiet |
| Mammoth Cave | Kentucky | 48° / 29° | 3.7 | Quiet |
| Yosemite | California | 48° / 29° | 7.0 | Quiet |
| Zion | Utah | 54° / 30° | 2.0 | Quiet |
| Redwood | California | 55° / 39° | 13.4 | Quiet |
| Great Smoky Mountains | Tennessee and North Carolina | 47° / 27° | 4.8 | Quiet |
| Guadalupe Mountains | Texas | 53° / 33° | 0.3 | Moderate |
| Grand Canyon | Arizona | 44° / 19° | 1.8 | Moderate |
| Petrified Forest | Arizona | 48° / 22° | 0.9 | Moderate |
| Hot Springs | Arkansas | 52° / 32° | 3.8 | Moderate |
Cold in January 16 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badlands | South Dakota | 35° / 9° | 0.3 | Quiet |
| Yellowstone | Montana and Wyoming | 23° / 1° | 1.8 | Quiet |
| Voyageurs | Minnesota | 16° / -8° | 1.1 | Quiet |
| Mount Rainier | Washington | 35° / 24° | 17.2 | Quiet |
| Mesa Verde | Colorado | 40° / 20° | 2.0 | Quiet |
| Great Sand Dunes | Colorado | 33° / 11° | 0.6 | Quiet |
| Grand Teton | Wyoming | 24° / 1° | 2.9 | Quiet |
| Great Basin | Nevada | 40° / 20° | 1.3 | Quiet |
| Wind Cave | South Dakota | 40° / 15° | 0.5 | Quiet |
| Bryce Canyon | Utah | 37° / 17° | 1.9 | Quiet |
| Rocky Mountain | Colorado | 30° / 5° | 1.6 | Quiet |
| Kings Canyon | California | 39° / 17° | 8.7 | Quiet |
| Indiana Dunes | Indiana | 32° / 18° | 2.2 | Quiet |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison | Colorado | 37° / 13° | 1.7 | Quiet |
| Sequoia | California | 39° / 17° | 8.7 | Quiet |
| Cuyahoga Valley | Ohio | 33° / 18° | 3.1 | Quiet |
Few or no visits (may be closed) in January 12 parks
| Park | State | High / low °F | Precip., in | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia | Maine | 33° / 15° | 4.5 | Few or no visits |
| Crater Lake | Oregon | 33° / 20° | 10.1 | Few or no visits |
| Denali | Alaska | 14° / -5° | 0.8 | Few or no visits |
| Glacier Bay | Alaska | 32° / 26° | 6.7 | Few or no visits |
| Glacier | Montana | 30° / 19° | 3.5 | Few or no visits |
| Isle Royale | Michigan | 20° / 1° | 1.4 | Few or no visits |
| Katmai | Alaska | 26° / 10° | 1.8 | Few or no visits |
| Kenai Fjords | Alaska | 31° / 21° | 6.5 | Few or no visits |
| Lake Clark | Alaska | 25° / 13° | 4.2 | Few or no visits |
| North Cascades | Washington | 40° / 32° | 12.4 | Few or no visits |
| Theodore Roosevelt | North Dakota | 28° / 3° | 0.3 | Few or no visits |
| Wrangell-St. Elias | Alaska | 5° / -11° | 0.8 | Few or no visits |