According to National Park Service visitor data, December through February is quieter in the parks, making them the perfect place to sneak away for some wonder and awe around the holidays. This year, with budget and staff cuts, it’s especially rare to find a national park pouring resources into lighting up its entryways and offering special experiences to bring in some holiday cheer. But there are a few still holding on.
These five parks, scattered across the county, have more to offer than winter recreation this time of year. They host winter magic in other forms, from festive train rides through the park to holiday festivals, and more.
1. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Main feature: North Pole Adventure
When: Running through December 22
Cost: From $59
This national park in the Cuyahoga Valley of Ohio transforms into a storybook version of winter during the holidays. Its best-known trek, a 2.5-hour-long loop in the heart of the park, gets beautifully dusted in white, and the park’s covered bridges, waterfalls, and old farmsteads take on a quiet, nostalgic glow.
But what really makes Cuyahoga Valley magical at Christmas is its beloved holiday train experience: The North Pole Adventure. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad cars get decorated in twinkling lights and festive decor, carrying families through the dark, sleepy, snow-dusted forest until they reach a brightly lit “North Pole” village.
The ride lasts 90 minutes, during which parents and children can enjoy milk and cookies, meet Christmas elves, write letters to Santa, and even receive a surprise visit from the man in red himself!
2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee Entrance
Main feature: Winterfest Wildlife Light Display (Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge)
When: Running through February 15
Cost: Free entry
Each holiday season, the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge gateways to Great Smoky National Park in Tennessee become truly unforgettable. “Winterfest,” the region’s nature-inspired light celebration that features millions of LED lights shaped as animals and landscapes that define the Smokies, kicks off each year in early November and continues to shine bright through the end of February.
Visitors to the park often spend their days hiking quiet trails like the Bradley Fork Trail to Cabin Flats Trail near Gatlinburg or the Noah “Bud” Ogle Trail near Pigeon Forge, or driving Newfound Gap Road, before returning to the towns at night to take in the winter magic the illuminated archways and glowing mountain scenes offer.
3. Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri
Main features: Winterfest
When: Running through January 11
Cost: Free entry
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis may be an urban holiday landscape, but it’s still a national park unit. The towering stainless-steel Arch reflects the season’s soft light, turning rose-gold at sunset, and providing the perfect backdrop for Winterfest, the city’s signature holiday celebration spilling right onto the national park’s doorstep.
Winterfest celebrates its tenth year this season. Put on by the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, the modern Arch monument behind a waterfront humming with Christmas cheer will be on full display through January 11. You’ll find lit-up buildings and trees, insulated igloos where you can sip cocoa with friends, ice skating, fireworks, and more. Visitors can wander from the city into quiet park grounds.
Browse Winterfest’s calendar of events.
4. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
Main feature: Garvan Woodland Gardens Holiday Lights
When: Running through December 31
Cost: From $22
Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is picturesque this time of year, like an old-fashioned postcard come to life. The steam that rises from its historic bathhouses on chilly December evenings gives the park a natural glow, and the thermal springs, along with the forested hillsides, create a cozy backdrop that’s festive on its own.
But the real holiday magic comes from the Garvan Woodland Gardens’ Holiday Lights. Garvan Woodland Gardens is within the hot springs area, often considered part of the greater Hot Springs National Park region, about a ten-minute drive from National Park Bathhouse Row. Garvan Woodland Gardens features millions of lights covering arches, bridges, and trees, and coming together to form woodland creatures found out in the park.
Visitors often pair a peaceful day of soaking or forest bathing and hiking at sites like Sunset Trail with an evening of wandering through the sparkling gardens.
5. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Main feature: Polar Express Grand Canyon Railway Experience
When: Running through December 30
Cost: From $73
Grand Canyon National Park becomes unexpectedly enchanting at Christmas, when winter transforms one of America’s grandest landscapes into something softer. Light snow dusts the canyon’s upper rims, crowds thin, the air turns crisp, and one of the most magical Christmas experiences in the country appears.
The Polar Express experience, tied to the park through the Grand Canyon Railway Experience, invites families to board decorated train cars in Williams and ride through the dark pines toward a glowing “North Pole.” Rides run most nights from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M. (Arizona Mountain Time) for approximately 90 minutes.
Contact 1-800-TheTrain (800-843-8724) at least seven days prior to your arrival if a wheelchair, lift, scooter, or seat transfer is needed.
Many visitors pair their trip on the Polar Express with a peaceful day on the South Rim, where holiday lights, lodge decor, and snowy overlooks add to the holiday magic.
See also: The 10 Most Festive Mountain Towns in America, Ranked by a Christmas Superfan
The post 5 National Parks That Light up for the Holidays appeared first on Outside Online.
