December in Grand Canyon National Park is a shoulder month: highs around 45°F, lows around 21°F. Crowds: quiet — #9 busiest of the park's 12 months. Holiday weeks fill the Village; snowy vistas. The editorial best window here is April–May & September–October. You get about 9h 43m of daylight. To finish Bright Angel to Havasupai Gardens (4h 30m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 12:44 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Shoulder Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 45° high / 21° low |
| Crowds | quiet · #9 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What December is like | Holiday weeks fill the Village; snowy vistas |
| Best window (whole year) | April–May & September–October |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | Jun–Aug |
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
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 45°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT DECEMBER ASKS OF YOU HEREGrand Canyon National Park in January — Shoulder, highs around 45°F, crowds: very quiet (quiet rim, occasional snow; inner canyon stays mild).
Our verdict for December is "Shoulder". Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. Expect highs around 45°F and lows around 21°F, with crowds at the "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 Jun–Aug. December itself we rate "Shoulder".
About 9h 43m on December 15: the sun rises around 7:32 AM and sets around 5:15 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.
Bright Angel to Havasupai Gardens takes about 4h 30m of walking, so on December 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 12:44 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 5:15 PM local park time (MST). 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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