December in Canyonlands National Park is a shoulder month: highs around 45°F, lows around 23°F. Crowds: very quiet — #10 busiest of the park's 12 months. Deep quiet; ice on shaded slickrock is the real hazard. The editorial best window here is April–May & September–October. You get about 9h 31m of daylight.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Shoulder Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 45° high / 23° low |
| Crowds | very quiet · #10 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What December is like | Deep quiet; ice on shaded slickrock is the real hazard |
| Best window (whole year) | April–May & September–October |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | May |
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 (MST)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
WHAT DECEMBER ASKS OF YOU HERECanyonlands National Park in January — Tough, highs around 44°F, crowds: very quiet (quietest month; light snow can make trails and roads impassable).
Our verdict for December is "Shoulder". Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. Expect highs around 45°F and lows around 23°F, with crowds at the "very quiet" 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 April–May & September–October, and the peak-crowd months are May. December itself we rate "Shoulder".
January we rate "Tough" against "Shoulder" for December, with highs around 44°F and crowds at the "very quiet" level.
About 9h 31m on December 15: the sun rises around 7:29 AM and sets around 5:00 PM local park time (MST). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
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