Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both fall on a Friday this year, so you get two three-day weekends back to back: Dec. 25–27 and Jan. 1–3. Veterans Day, Nov. 11, is the last NPS fee-free day of 2026, and no 2027 dates have been posted yet (NPS). These six picks run from holiday lights in the Smokies to the start of the Everglades dry season, and they skip the Yellowstone roads that close Nov. 1 (this week’s news).
Plan ahead
Quick timing guide: Smokies lights and the Natchez Trace are best early in the month. Arches and Joshua Tree work any December weekday. Save Big Bend and the Everglades for Christmas week and after. Book holiday-weekend sites now.
Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee: holiday lights next door
.jpg){kind=link}
Why now: Pigeon Forge Winterfest runs Nov. 6 to Jan. 31, with more than 6 million lights, a walking trail of lights along the river and a driving tour down the Parkway (Pigeon Forge Winterfest). Camp in the park and drive in for the lights after dark.
Know before you go: Cades Cove and Smokemont are the only campgrounds open year-round, and advance reservations are required on Recreation.gov (NPS Great Smoky Mountains). You need a parking tag to park anywhere in the park for more than 15 minutes: $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year (NPS Great Smoky Mountains). Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Kuwohi Road close for the season on Nov. 29. Newfound Gap Road and Cades Cove Loop Road stay open, weather permitting (NPS Great Smoky Mountains).
Best for: Families who want a campground by day and Christmas lights by night.
Alabama and Tennessee
Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee: free camping on a quiet road
Why now: All three parkway campgrounds are free and first-come, first-served: Rocky Springs, Jeff Busby and Meriwether Lewis (NPS Natchez Trace). The 444-mile road is open 24 hours a day, weather permitting (NPS Natchez Trace). In early December it’s an easy, low-cost holiday drive between Natchez and Nashville.
Know before you go: Campsites have no electricity, showers or dump stations, and the limit is 14 days per campground per calendar year (NPS Natchez Trace).
Heads-up
Heads-up: Mileposts 135 to 159.5 in Leake and Attala counties, Mississippi, are closed for road reconstruction through late 2026. Mileposts 437 to 440 near the Double Arch Bridge in Tennessee are closed through May 2027. Both have marked detours (NPS Natchez Trace).
Best for: Budget RVers and van campers who are self-contained.
Utah
Arches National Park, Utah: red rock under snow, no entry reservation
.jpg){kind=link}
Why now: Arches isn’t using timed-entry reservations in 2026, so you can drive in at any hour (NPS Arches). From Nov. 1 to Feb. 28, Devils Garden Campground sites are first-come, first-served (NPS Arches). A dusting of snow on red rock is the December payoff.
Know before you go: December averages a high of 45°F and a low of 23°F, with about 26 days below freezing. Even a little snow or ice can make trails and roads impassable (NPS Arches). Check road conditions before you tow in.
Best for: Cold-hardy campers and photographers who want the arches nearly to themselves.
California
Joshua Tree National Park, California: book the holiday weekend now
Why now: Most of the park’s 500 campsites are reservable from the same day up to six months ahead on Recreation.gov (NPS Joshua Tree). The Christmas and New Year’s weekends are already bookable, so if Joshua Tree is your holiday plan, reserve this week.
Know before you go: Reservations are required at Indian Cove, Black Rock, Jumbo Rocks, Ryan and Cottonwood. Black Rock and Cottonwood ($35 a night) have water, flush toilets and a dump station, while Jumbo Rocks and Ryan ($30) have pit toilets and no water. Hidden Valley, White Tank and Belle are first-come, first-served. Book before you arrive, because cell service in the park is very limited (NPS Joshua Tree).
Best for: Climbers, stargazers and anyone flying into Southern California for the holidays.
Texas
Big Bend National Park, Texas: warm days on the Rio Grande
Why now: In December, Rio Grande Village averages a high of 74°F, and the Chisos Basin averages 61°F (NPS Big Bend). That makes Christmas week one of the most comfortable times to hike the desert. Nights at the river can drop below freezing, though, with an average low of 29°F.
Know before you go: Chisos Basin and Rio Grande Village both require reservations, with no first-come sites. Cottonwood was still listed as closed for summer when we checked (NPS Big Bend). Wood and ground fires are not allowed anywhere in the park (NPS Big Bend). From Jan. 1 to April 15, visitors are limited to 14 nights in the park (NPS Big Bend).
Heads-up
Heads-up: Two construction projects in the Chisos Basin started in spring 2026 and will run about two years, so expect access disruptions. Trailers over 20 feet and RVs over 24 feet aren’t recommended on the Basin road (NPS Big Bend). Bigger rigs should book Rio Grande Village.
Best for: Hikers who want a warm, sunny Christmas far from crowds.
Florida
Everglades National Park, Florida: the dry season starts
.jpg){kind=link}
Why now: Winter, December through April, is Flamingo’s busy season. More sites open around mid-November, and all of them are open by mid-January (NPS Everglades). Christmas week is when the season gets going.
Know before you go: Reservations for Flamingo are highly recommended from December through April. Book through Everglades Guest Services or call 1-855-708-2207. Long Pine Key, near Royal Palm, opens seasonally in November and offers both reservable and first-come RV and tent sites (NPS Everglades).
Best for: Snowbirds, paddlers and birders who want a warm New Year’s.
Before you go
December planning checklist
- Book Cades Cove, Joshua Tree, Big Bend and Flamingo now for Dec. 25–27 and Jan. 1–3. The holiday weekends go first.
- Natchez Trace and Arches are first-come in winter. Arrive by early afternoon, and have a backup site in mind.
- Buy a Smokies parking tag before you stop at Cades Cove or a trailhead (NPS Great Smoky Mountains).
- Pack for freezing nights at Arches, the Rio Grande and the Smokies, even when days are mild.
- Leave the firewood at home for Big Bend. No wood fires are allowed in the park.
Coming Thursday: gear for freezing desert nights, free dry camping and a holiday-lights road trip →
Find camps along your route with QuickCamp
Paste a Google Maps directions link or type a route like San Francisco to Yosemite. QuickCamp maps the camps, hikes, Scout finds and safety conditions along the way, and saves your trips. No sign-in needed to search.
QuickCamp is made by the publisher of Camper News Now.
Where to go
Sources
- NPS: entrance passes and fee-free days
- Pigeon Forge Winterfest 2026–2027
- NPS Great Smoky Mountains: frontcountry camping, fees and parking tags, seasonal roads
- NPS Natchez Trace: camping and road and site status
- NPS Arches: plan your visit, camping, weather
- NPS Joshua Tree: campgrounds
- NPS Big Bend: camping, Chisos Basin Campground, weather
- NPS Everglades: camping
Get the Camper News Now monthly
Closures, fee changes, recalls and new trip ideas for tent and RV campers. One free email a month.