Visiting a national park in winter听is like going to Disneyland in the middle of the night. All of the fantastic听features and sights are still there but without any of the crowds. Some听national parks听even look more spectacular come winter, thanks to a fresh coating of snow and free-roaming wildlife. But staying inside the park boundary during this season can be tricky鈥攎ost park-operated hotels are limiting capacity, and many campgrounds are closed. So we rounded up some of our favorite Airbnbs located close to the gates of these popular NPS sites.
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Yosemite National Park, California
Called the听 (from $480 per night), this three-bedroom house in the coveted neighborhood of Yosemite West, near the El Portal entrance of Yosemite and only a 30-minute drive from the main sights of Yosemite Valley. Features include an open floor plan, a kitchen stocked with high-end appliances, a Ping-Pong table, a record player, and an electric-vehicle charging station. Many of the park trails are covered in snow this time of year, but those in the Valley听are usually walkable. Try the five-mile loop around听 or the flat 11-mile听, which passes by landmarks like El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall.
Acadia National Park, Maine
If quiet and solitude are what you鈥檙e after, you鈥檒l find that aplenty in this one-bedroom, lofted听 (from $181 per night) in the Northeast Harbor neighborhood of Maine鈥檚 Mount Desert Island. From here you鈥檙e just a ten-minute drive from Acadia and well enough removed from the more touristy vibe of Bar Harbor, 20 minutes away. The best thing to do in this national park in the winter? Cross-country ski the many miles of groomed carriage roads throughout the grounds. Cadillac Mountain Sports rents cross-country gear.
Zion National Park, Utah
This听 (from $213) is rustic, remote, and convertible鈥攐ne wall lifts open to give you the feeling of sleeping under the stars. The best part? The location, right on the edge of Zion听and within walking听distance to the East Rim Trailhead. To get here, you鈥檒l have to ditch your car and hike 150 feet along a ravine and over a bridge. The kitchen is simple and all outdoors, with a cooler, propane grill, battery-operated margarita maker, and s鈥檓ores fixings. This pad also听has听a telescope for viewing constellations and a guidebook to the most popular听hikes in the area.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
You鈥檙e not traveling in big groups these days, so who needs a ton of square footage? The听 (from $233 per night)鈥攍ocated about 30 minutes from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, outside the town of Maryville, Tennessee鈥攊s a perfect getaway spot for a couple or a small family. It sleeps up to four between a lofted bed and a pull-out couch. You may never want to leave the rooftop deck overlooking the Smokies or the riverside fire pit in the backyard, but if you do, the view from the top of听Andrews Bald, reached via a 1.8-mile hike on the 5.6-mile Forney Ridge Trail, within the national park, is well worth it.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
If you鈥檙e venturing into听Rocky Mountain, you cannot beat the convenience听of the two-bedroom听 (from $163 per night) outside Estes Park, Colorado.听Hike into the park from the recently remodeled cabin or drive five minutes to the Beaver Meadows entrance. Experienced backcountry skiers will find plenty of good听ski terrain within the park鈥檚 Hidden Valley, and Colorado Mountain School leads guided outings (from $269 for a day trip). Hardy winter trail runners or trekkers can tackle a snowy听five-mile out-and-back run on the Gem Lake Trail from the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead. Estes Park has loads of听take-out options, like听,听, and.
Olympic National Park, Washington
Built by an award-winning tiny-house designer, this听 (from $131 per night) has two lofted bedrooms and is located outside the town of Sequim, Washington, a good launching-off point for exploring the beaches and snowcapped mountains of Olympic National Park. The cedar-sided cabin is just 269 square feet, but you won鈥檛 sacrifice much: you still get a queen bed, a full-size fridge, and a not too cramped bathroom. There鈥檚 cell service but no Wi-Fi, so enjoy unplugging. You鈥檒l need four-wheel drive to get here in the winter. Hurricane Ridge, the low-key ski area located within the park, will be open and operating in December (day tickets from $45).