Hearing the words “outdoor winter activities” conjures images of ski slopes and laps around the municipal ice rink for many. But for those who want to experience a natural wonderland this winter, America’s national parks offer many unique vacation experiences.
From rare wildlife viewing opportunities to waterfall hikes, smaller crowds, and dogsledding, these national park gems sparkle for winter visitors. There are a variety of activities to suit every palate and age range. Some of these include quiet and cozy winter cabins, educational excursions, and deep woods adventures for thrill-seekers.
Wolf Watching and Ancient Petroglyphs
Jackson Hole Valley in Wyoming is considered one of the United States’ premier destinations for skiing and snowboarding. However, winter visitors looking for more than just a ride down the slopes have one of the best opportunities to see wildlife such as wolves in the winter months.
Inside the valley, the town of Jackson serves as a gateway to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. It’s also the home of BrushBuck Wildlife Tours, which is run by the military veteran brother-and-sister team Amber Peters and Adam Lackner. Once the busy summer season is over, Yellowstone and Grand Teton becomes a tranquil haven for wildlife watchers.
Peters said their winter wildlife tours in Yellowstone and Grand Teton offer an unparalleled experience to see the untamed wilderness in its rawest form.
She wrote in an email, “Our tours are crafted to foster a connection to the history of the land and its wildlife, so we provide intimate group settings to ensure guests can connect with their guide and their environment for a relaxed and personable experience.”
Options for winter excursions include single- and multi-day trips. Peters said a day outing can include the Grand Teton Petroglyphs with wildlife viewing along the way. This trip gives visitors a chance to witness more than 2,000-year-old Shoshone Native American rock art.
For wolf lovers, Peters recommended a four-day tour that tracks the various wolf packs of Lamar Valley.
“With our skilled guides by your side you'll be taken to prime wolf watching locations and gain a deeper understanding of the behavior of these majestic creatures at the peak season of their activity,” she said. “With a blank canvas of snow, sightings are truly a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience.”
In 1995, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Mollie Beattie (L), U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt (C), and Yellowstone Park Superintendent Mike Finley (3rd L) carry the first grey wolf due to be released into Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to a holding pen in the park. POOL/AFP/Getty Images
As one of the largest, nearly intact, natural ecosystems in the world, Yellowstone is a paradise for animal and nature enthusiasts. With more than 10,000 hydrothermal sites and half of the planet’s active geysers, warming up in one of the area’s many thermal baths is a bonus.
In Jackson, it’s possible to shake the winter chill at the nearby Granite or Astoria Hot Springs after an exciting day in the wilderness.
Make Tracks Near America’s Tallest Mountain
Two hours outside of Anchorage, Alaska, is the scenic town of Talkeetna. Surrounded by a network of rivers and dense forest, it’s the jump-off point for a truly signature winter experience.
Susitna Sled Dog Adventures is run by a family that has “mushing” in its veins. The word “mushing” is used to describe the act of driving sled dog teams, an important part of Alaska’s history. Crouched at the edge of Denali National Park and Preserve, this is also a training ground for the most famous dogsled race in the world: the Iditarod.
The nearly 1,000-mile race across snowy mountain landscapes has started in Anchorage on the first Saturday of March for more than 50 years. Traditionally used by indigenous peoples to traverse Alaska’s challenging terrain during the winter, dogsledding gained wider traction during the Alaskan gold rush of 1896.
Today, you can follow in the footsteps—or pawprints—of history and take a two-hour dogsled tour with Susitna’s team, which is led by a three-time Iditarod competitor.
“Once you’re on the trail, everything else falls away and it’s just you, the dogs, and the trail ahead. Watching the dogs do what they were born to do—running incredible distances and overcoming various challenges along the way—is a profound experience. It is hard to describe in words,” a member of Susitna’s team told The Epoch Times by email.
“We have some of the happiest most well-trained dogs and guides in the state.”
Visitors will also be treated to stunning views of nearby Mount Denali, America’s tallest mountain. Towering over the landscape at 20,310 feet, the peak is the crown jewel of Denali National Park & Preserve. The pristine, remote national park covers 7,400 square miles and contains the tallest peaks in the Alaska Range in the southern part of the state. While the park itself is quite remote and can be difficult to access, visitors can enjoy the nearby comforts of civilization while soaking up views of Denali from the back of a dogsled.
On the night tours, aspiring “mushers” can enjoy the colorful kaleidoscope of the aurora borealis.
“Winter in Alaska is definitely the best time to see the northern lights. It’s another experience that is hard to describe in words,” the Susitna representative said.
Susitna’s website dictates that anyone who has a sense of adventure, appropriate winter clothing, and can comfortably stand and balance on the sled can join their winter tours.
After petting the hardworking dogs, visitors can grab a well-earned cup of hot cocoa back in Talkeetna.
Beat the Heat (and Crowds) at the Grand Canyon
For more than a century, the sweeping vistas of Grand Canyon National Park have inspired Americans to explore its unique topography and rock formations. But the warmer months get more than just crowded at the park’s main attractions and trails, the temperatures get downright dangerous.
Heat stroke remains a constant threat for visitors in the summer months, with temperatures regularly surpassing 100 F at lower elevations of the canyon. For those who want to hike along the routes that lead to the bottom of the canyon, such as Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon National Park Trips states on its website that the temperature rises 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet in elevation lost while descending.
This is where winter offers an advantage to travelers looking to hike, to take a scenic boat ride along the Colorado River, or to enjoy some of the park’s famous attractions such as the famous glass skywalk at the West Rim. Fewer crowds, almost no lines, and ideal desert temperatures make the Grand Canyon in winter a great choice for those who want to enjoy a memorable desert experience.
The iconic glass skywalk at Grand Canyon West is easy to access in winter with fewer tourists. Autumn Spredemann/The Epoch Times
Of the park’s three entrance points, Grand Canyon South Rim and West Rim are the best choices for the cold months due to lower altitude and less chance of snow compared to the North Rim.
The canyon also harbors a geological mystery that is millions of years old called the Great Unconformity. It’s where 250-million-year-old rocks are back to back with more than 1-billion-year-old stone formations. Researchers still debate what could cause such a phenomenon.
There’s also the unique surrounding desert flora. One example includes the world’s largest of the yucca plant species, known as Joshua trees. These unusual plants can be spotted along the road to Grand Canyon West from Las Vegas.
A view of the Milky Way arching over Joshua trees at a park campground popular among stargazers in Joshua Tree National Park on July 26, 2017. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS
For those who aren’t keen to explore the desert terrain on foot, helicopters, horses, mules, and boats are popular ways to experience the canyon’s striking natural wonders.
Winter Waterfalls
The Great Smoky Mountains sprawls across the border of Tennessee and North Carolina and is the most visited national park in the United States, according to official park data.
Part of that is due to the easy accessibility of the park from multiple states and the variety of activities on offer year-round. Winter visitors can rent cozy cabins or stay in luxury-themed resorts while enjoying snow tubing or the two-mile-long sky tram ride at Ober Mountain in Gatlinburg.
But for those who crave something more distinctive, gear up to hit the hiking trails to see frozen waterfalls.
With more than 100 waterfalls, the Smoky Mountains isn’t short on scenic stretches of tumbling water. However, watching these falls frozen in action, and then slowly thaw during the more moderate daytime temperatures, is something few hikers get to witness.
A few locations where winter visitors can see this phenomenon in action are Laurel Falls, Mingo Falls, and Tom Branch Falls.
Ober Mountain sky car in Gatlinburg, Tenn., in December 2023. Courtesy of Laura LeRoy
Without the summer crowds, hikers will revel in the sparsely populated hiking trails. Winter temperatures can vary drastically, but are generally moderate during the day at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. By contrast, expect freezing temperatures at night. This drastic swing is responsible for the freezing and thawing waterfall effect hikers can view in the park. January and February are the best times of year to see snow in the mountains.
On its website, the tour operator Wildland Trekking states: “The best thing about visiting the Great Smoky Mountains in winter is the lack of crowds, and the opportunity to experience solitude. Most of the park’s 11 million visitors go in the summer, so the winter is quieter. The best chance for peace and solitude is during a hike.”
Autumn Spredemann
Author
Autumn is a South America-based reporter covering primarily Latin American issues for The Epoch Times.
