7 National Parks That Are Even Better in Winter

While only Yellowstone’s north entrance is open in winter, you can be sure that the summer crowds will have long gone, leaving you plenty of space at the park’s famed steaming geysers. They look even more impressive spouting steam into a crisp sky, after all. Explore by ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile; alternatively, take a snowcoach tour that leads you to geysers, waterfalls, hot springs, and free-roaming herds of bison, elk, bighorn sheep, and wolves (easier than ever to spot against a snowy white backdrop). Afterward, warm up with a soothing dip in Boiling River—winter offers your best chance of getting it to yourself.

With its snow-covered mountains and forest, Rocky Mountain National Park puts on a spectacular show in winter. Adults can venture deep into the mountains on a snowshoeing tour, while kids will love flinging themselves down the slopes in Hidden Valley, the park’s designated sledding area. However you choose to explore, keep your eyes peeled for elk and moose on the snow-covered hillsides. After a day of exploring, unwind with a drink or dinner—and a side of bone-chilling history—at the Stanley Hotel, inspiration for The Shining.

Winters in Minnesota are harsh but the few hardy adventurers who make it to Voyageurs are rewarded with a dramatic landscape of frozen lakes and frost-covered pines. From snowshoeing and snowmobiling to ice fishing and driving along an ice road, there’s a bounty of activities on offer too. A certified International Dark Sky Park, Voyageurs boasts expansive views of unpolluted skies all year long but the long nights of winter make it the best time of year to see the northern lights.

Related: Where To See the Northern Lights Around the World

As the country’s most-visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains can feel uncomfortably crowded in the warmer months. Yet the winter season’s temperatures are typically mild enough for hiking some of the park’s more than 800 miles (1,290 kilometers) of trails. Start the day by taking in the views at Newfound Gap before hiking to Alum Cave to see impressive icicle formations. You can also take a self-guided driving tour of the Cades Cove Loop Road or join an organized hiking tour to pristine waterfalls.

Bryce Canyon’s gravity-defying limestone spires—known as hoodoos—are a remarkable sight year-round but a dusting of snow on the reddish-orange rocks adds even more drama. See them on cross-country ski and snowshoe trails that lead you along the canyon rim or join one of the park’s ranger-led astronomy programs, which include full moon snowshoe hikes—with some of the darkest, starriest skies in the West, winter stargazing is a must.

Mt. Rainier’s glaciated peak looks like a winter wonderland all year round but a visit during winter months has the added appeal of snowy adventures. While many roads are closed in winter, the road to Paradise is frequently plowed, inviting visitors to cross-country ski, snowshoe, snowboard, sled, or winter camp—you can also join ranger-guided snowshoe walks. Add on a stop at Longmire to hike or snowshoe through the forest for excellent views of Mt. Rainier and bubbling mineral springs.

Only the resilient brave Badlands National Park during its harsh, bone-chilling winters, but those who do are rewarded with the sense of having the park to themselves—and those otherworldly landscapes are arguably even more beautiful when dusted with snow. It’s a good time for wildlife-watching, too: When the crowds dissipate, the animals come out to play, promising ample opportunities to spot bison, bighorn sheep, and maybe a coyote or two.