December in Big Bend National Park is a good month: highs around 65°F, lows around 37°F. Crowds: moderate — #5 busiest of the park's 12 months. Cool, clear and dark — the best night skies of the year. The editorial best window here is February & April & October–November. You get about 10h 16m of daylight. To finish South Rim Trail (5h) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 12:55 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Good A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 65° high / 37° low |
| Crowds | moderate · #5 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What December is like | Cool, clear and dark — the best night skies of the year |
| Best window (whole year) | February & April & October–November |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | Feb–Mar |
CROWDS: RELATIVE SEASONALITY FROM NPS VISITATION STATISTICS · TEMPS: APPROXIMATE NOAA NORMALS AT MAIN VISITOR ELEVATION — HIGH COUNTRY RUNS 10–20°F COLDER
DAYLIGHT ON DECEMBER 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (CST)COMPUTED FROM THE PARK'S OWN COORDINATES FOR THE 15TH — THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH STANDS FOR IT, AS IT DOES FOR CLIMATE NORMALS. WITHIN A MONTH THESE TIMES SHIFT BY UP TO AN HOUR
LEAVE THE TRAILHEAD BY — TO FINISH BEFORE DARK ON DECEMBER 15WALKING TIMES ESTIMATED FROM EACH TRAIL'S MEASURED DISTANCE AND ELEVATION GAIN — A PLANNING FIGURE, NOT A PACE. ADD YOUR OWN MARGIN FOR PHOTOS, REST AND CROWDS. WATER AT THE COOL-WEATHER RATE, BECAUSE THIS MONTH AVERAGES 65°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT DECEMBER ASKS OF YOU HEREBig Bend National Park in January — Good, highs around 62°F, crowds: busy (busy season starts jan 1: a 14-night limit applies through april 15).
Our verdict for December is "Good". A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. Expect highs around 65°F and lows around 37°F, with crowds at the "moderate" level. Temperatures are approximate NOAA normals at the main visitor elevation; crowd levels follow published NPS visitation statistics.
Across the full 12-month review, the best window is February & April & October–November, and the peak-crowd months are Feb–Mar. December itself we rate "Good".
About 10h 16m on December 15: the sun rises around 7:39 AM and sets around 5:56 PM local park time (CST). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
South Rim Trail takes about 5h of walking, so on December 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 12:55 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 5:56 PM local park time (CST). Walking times are estimated from each trail's measured distance and elevation gain, so treat them as a planning figure and add your own margin for photos, rest and crowds.
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