December in Yellowstone National Park is a tough month: highs around 28°F, lows around 10°F. Crowds: very quiet — #8 busiest of the park's 12 months. Winter season opens mid-December — guided oversnow access. The editorial best window here is June & September. You get about 8h 50m of daylight. To finish Mount Washburn (2h 45m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 1:56 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Tough Closures, harsh weather or very limited access — plan carefully. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 28° high / 10° low |
| Crowds | very quiet · #8 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What December is like | Winter season opens mid-December — guided oversnow access |
| Best window (whole year) | June & September |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | Jul–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 28°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT DECEMBER ASKS OF YOU HEREYellowstone National Park in January — Tough, highs around 28°F, crowds: very quiet (interior roads closed to cars — snowcoach and ski access only).
Our verdict for December is "Tough". Closures, harsh weather or very limited access — plan carefully. Expect highs around 28°F and lows around 10°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 June & September, and the peak-crowd months are Jul–Aug. December itself we rate "Tough".
About 8h 50m on December 15: the sun rises around 7:52 AM and sets around 4:42 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.
Mount Washburn takes about 2h 45m of walking, so on December 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 1:56 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 4:42 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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