Ranked from the records

National Parks That Stay Cool in Summer

Ranked by average July daytime highs — the escape list. Alpine country, the northern coasts, and Alaska hold the line while the desert parks bake.

# Park Avg. July high Best months there
1 Kobuk Valley 60°F Jun, Aug, and Jul
2 Kenai Fjords 62°F May, Sep, and Jun
3 Mount Rainier 62°F May, Jun, and Sep
4 Glacier Bay 63°F May, Apr, and Jun
5 Redwood 63°F Apr, Feb, and Mar
6 Katmai 65°F Jun, May, and Sep
7 Haleakalā 66°F Feb, Aug, and Jan
8 Denali 66°F May, Sep, and Apr
9 Olympic 67°F Apr, May, and Jun
10 Crater Lake 69°F Jun, Sep, and Aug
11 Lake Clark 69°F Sep, May, and Jun
12 Wrangell–St. Elias 70°F May, Sep, and Jun
13 Gates of the Arctic 70°F May, Jun, and Sep
14 Hawaiʻi Volcanoes 73°F May, Sep, and Apr
15 Channel Islands 73°F Jan, Feb, 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 at Their Best in Winter