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40 Stunning Photos of National Parks Covered in Snow

These breathtaking pictures from the National Park Service prove that America is a real-life winter wonderland.

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National Park Service

Winter on the moon

The uniquely shaped lava fields at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho gave the park its name, but they turn into a winter wonderland when the snow falls.

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National Park Service

Mist over the West Virginian mountains

New River Gorge National River stretches for 53 miles through the hills of West Virginia.

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National Park Service

Snow-capped rocks in Arizona

Snow doesn’t stay long on the Chiricahua National Monument except at its highest elevations. These are the best National Park road trips to take all year long.

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Lonely, snowy coyote

Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota is home to native wildlife like elk, prairie dogs, and coyotes.

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National Park Service

The ultimate collection of Christmas trees

Seven types of conifer (cone-bearing) trees grow in Rocky Mountain National Park, including Colorado blue spruce and Douglas fir—two of the most popular types of Christmas trees. Here are more photos of the world’s most beautiful trees.

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National Park Service

Snowstorm aftermath

Just one snow storm can leave several feet of snow at the Fossil Butte National Monument in Wyoming. These beautiful snow-covered towns will get you in the winter spirit.

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Haleakala Crater
Zane Vergara/Shutterstock

Even Maui gets snow

Views like this at Haleakala National Park are rare since snow doesn’t fall every winter and only sticks around for a couple of days. Check out these stunning photos of National Parks in full bloom.

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National Park Service

New snow on Ramshead Lake

Ramshead Lake may be one of more than 100 lakes in Grand Teton National Park, but it sure provides a pretty wintry backdrop. And if you enjoy winter landscapes, here are 21 polar bear pictures that will melt your heart.

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National Park Service

Pristine Alaskan mountains

With steep elevations and windy conditions, the Harding Icefield Trail in Kenai Fjords National Park is not for inexperienced hikers, but its views are hard to beat. Here are more amazing nature photos you won’t believe are real.

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National Park Service

Buffalo plowing through snow

Buffalo have continuously lived in Yellowstone National Park since prehistoric times. Here are some National Parks you can tour online right now.

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National Park Service

America’s largest national park

Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska is as big as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Switzerland combined.

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National Park Service

Picturesque (but treacherous) snow bridge

Weather conditions can change suddenly at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, putting hikers in danger of avalanches and snow bridge collapses.

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National Park Service

Landslide down snow-covered hills

Lahars (volcanic landslides of mud or debris) can travel down Mount Rainier at 40 miles per hour. Maybe that’s what Fleetwood Mac sings about.

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National Park Service

The Teton Mountain Range

Climbers who travel to Grand Teton National Park tackle mountains as high as 12,000 feet. Check out these other gorgeous mountain towns.

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National Park Service

Frozen spatter cones

Spatter cones are mounds of lava fragments that formed around a lava fountain. They are the most notable icons of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Park.

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National Park Service

Sunset over the snow

This sunset makes for a pretty fitting shot of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

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National Park Service

Camping at the Olympic

Campers at Olympic National Park in Washington overlook lakes, mountains, glaciers, and even a temperate rain forest during their stay.

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National Park Service

Grandview at New River Gorge

This main overlook stands 1,400 feet above the New River Gorge National River and gives a panoramic view of the entire park. It’s not hard to see why it’s called “Grandview.”

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Snowplowing the trails

Mt. Oberlin and Mt. Cannon are just two of 175 mountains at Glacier National Park.

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National Park Service

Bison treading through deep snow

The bison at Yellowstone National Park use the muscles in their humps to plow their heads through the snow.

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Haleakala trail covered in snow
Zane Vergara/Shutterstock

Inside a Haleakala crater

Crowds gather early to watch the sunrise from the crater overlook at the Haleakala National Park Visitor Center.

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National Park Service

Lake Clark and the Neacola Mountains

The Neacola Mountains in Lake Clark National Park & Preserve are the southernmost extension of the Alaska Range, which includes Mt. McKinley.

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National Park Service

Chilkoot Summit

Brave hikers at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park travel through snow all year long.

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National Park Service

Cleaning crew at Lassen Volcanic National Park

Plows at Terrace Lake Trailhead were trying to clear more than 12 feet of snow when this picture was taken.

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National Park Service

An aerial view of fresh Alaskan snow

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve covers 3.3 million acres of southeastern Alaska.

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National Park Service

Fog in the gorge

Christmas ferns and ground pine surrounding the New River Gorge National River give the area a festive touch year-round.

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National Park Service

Footprints across Black Bay Beaver Pond

Many beavers build their dams around Black Bay Beaver Pond at Voyageurs National Park.

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Winter in Walnut Canyon

Arizona is more than a dry desert. Walnut Canyon National Monument in Flagstaff gets almost five feet of snow each year. Think that’s a lot of snow? Check out these rare, vintage photos that prove winters were way worse in the past.

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National Park Service

Snow-covered hoodoos

These skinny rock spires are called hoodoos, and no place in the world has as many of them as Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.

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National Park Service

The Cathedral Group

Grand Teton, Mt. Owen, and Teewinot make up a group of mountains at Grand Teton National Park called the Cathedral Group.

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National Park Service

Denali from the air

Denali—or Mt. McKinley—at Denali National Park and Preserve is the tallest peak in North America, reaching more than 20,000 feet into the sky. 

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Hawaii mountain with clouds
Jayashri B/ Shutterstock

Clouds touching snowy slopes

Haleakala National Park is sacred ground for native Hawaiians.

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National Park Service

Icy peaks on the Harding Icefield Trail

More than 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield Trail at Kenai Fjords National Park. Check out these stunning photos that stand the test of time.

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National Park Service

Foliage over New River Gorge

The New River watershed is made up of three rivers—the New, Gauley, and Bluestone Rivers—which stretch from North Carolina through Virginia and into West Virginia.

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National Park Service

Ranger next to a snow drift

Lassen Volcanic National Park in California can get crazy amounts of snow. To compare, that ranger is 5’5″ tall.

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National Park Service

Hidden Lake

Hidden Lake at North Cascades National Park is indeed hidden—right in the valley behind Hidden Lake Peak.

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National Park Service

Crown of the continent

Glacier National Park is called the Crown of the Continent because it is the headwaters for streams that flow to the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Hudson’s Bay.

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National Park Service

Hell Canyon

This part of Hell Canyon was originally included in the boundaries of Jewel Cave National Monument. Now it’s the beginning of the Hell Canyon Trail on Black Hills National Forest property. Check out these national parks that are off the beaten path.

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National Park Service

The Historic Oregon Caves Chateau

This beautiful hotel has been open to visitors at the Oregon Caves National Monument since 1943.

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National Park Service

Newly fallen snowscape

Grand Teton National Park is a popular destination for scenic cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Check out more spectacular photos of America’s national parks.

Claire Nowak
Claire is a writer, editor and digital strategist with more than 10 years of experience reporting on facts, trivia and quotes. Her natural curiosity lends itself to stories on history, trivia and "Did you know?" curiosities, and her work has appeared in Taste of Home, The Family Handyman, The Healthy and iHeart Media. A former editor at Reader's Digest and proud Marquette University grad, she lives in Milwaukee with her fiancé and their corgi and enjoys binge-listening to true-crime podcasts.