| # | Park | Best month | Best months there |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yosemite | March | Mar, Apr, and Nov |
| 2 | Zion | February | Feb, Jan, and Nov |
| 3 | New River Gorge | March | Mar, Apr, and Nov |
| 4 | Mammoth Cave | February | Feb, Nov, and Jan |
| 5 | Channel Islands | January | Jan, Feb, and Dec |
| 6 | Carlsbad Caverns | February | Feb, Jan, and Oct |
| 7 | White Sands | February | Feb, Jan, and Nov |
| 8 | Guadalupe Mountains | January | Jan, Feb, and Sep |
| 9 | Petrified Forest | February | Feb, Nov, and Apr |
| 10 | Arches | February | Feb, Nov, and Mar |
| 11 | Capitol Reef | March | Mar, Feb, and Nov |
| 12 | Big Bend | February | Feb, Jan, and Sep |
| 13 | Congaree | January | Jan, Feb, and Dec |
| 14 | Saguaro | November | Nov, Dec, and Oct |
| 15 | Great Smoky Mountains | February | Feb, Apr, and Mar |
| 16 | Death Valley | January | Jan, Feb, and Dec |
| 17 | Pinnacles | January | Jan, Dec, and Nov |
| 18 | Joshua Tree | January | Jan, Feb, and Nov |
| 19 | Canyonlands | February | Feb, Mar, and Nov |
| 20 | Haleakalā | February | Feb, Aug, and Jan |
| 21 | Dry Tortugas | February | Feb, Jan, and Dec |
| 22 | Biscayne | January | Jan, Dec, and Feb |
| 23 | Everglades | November | Nov, Oct, and Dec |
Visitation figures are 2021–2025 National Park Service averages; temperatures are 1991–2020 NOAA normals at each park's reference station. Each park page states its reference point — parks are big, and one station never tells the whole story.
The other lists
The Least Crowded National Parks in Summer · The Warmest National Parks in Winter · National Parks That Stay Cool in Summer