December in Zion National Park is a shoulder month: highs around 53°F, lows around 29°F. Crowds: quiet — #9 busiest of the park's 12 months. Short days; holiday weeks noticeably busier. The editorial best window here is April–May & October. You get about 9h 36m of daylight. To finish The Narrows (Bottom-Up) (3h 20m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 1:57 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Shoulder Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 53° high / 29° low |
| Crowds | quiet · #9 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What December is like | Short days; holiday weeks noticeably busier |
| Best window (whole year) | April–May & October |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | May–Jul, Sep |
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 53°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT DECEMBER ASKS OF YOU HEREZion National Park in January — Shoulder, highs around 52°F, crowds: quiet (mild canyon winter; quiet trails, occasional ice at elevation).
Our verdict for December is "Shoulder". Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. Expect highs around 53°F and lows around 29°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 & October, and the peak-crowd months are May–Jul, Sep. December itself we rate "Shoulder".
About 9h 36m on December 15: the sun rises around 7:39 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.
The Narrows (Bottom-Up) takes about 3h 20m of walking, so on December 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 1:57 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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