The best winter destinations in North America – Lonely Planet

When ads for the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii start appearing in newspapers and online in the winter, it's a big deal. Winter is something you should flee from.

Those warm destinations are great all year round. At the best times of the year, the places that hit peak beauty are at their best. These are just a road trip, not a flight away. If you want to avoid cold and flu season, where can you find the best air circulation? Become one of the few to enjoy these rare moments of winter wonder by grabbing your parka and mittens.

1. Snowshoe through Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Towering red rock hoodoos melting away into rolling badlands under blue jay skies is a stunning sight at any time of the year. One of the benefits of winter is solitude. During the summer, the number of visitors is 15 times greater than during the winter.

One of the best snowshoeing destinations in the US can be found in the canyon. A pair of snowshoes is free of charge if you don't have your own.

In winter, the other US national parks are pretty amazing.

2. Spy the bubbles at Abraham Lake, Alberta

If you're looking for winter beauty but don't find it in the parks, then Abraham Lake is the place to go. Methane trapped in the ice creates a remarkable effect that draws photographers from around the world.

Timing is the key to seeing the bubbles in person. When the lake is fully frozen, it is safe to skate on, but the ice is not as clear as it could be. This is a cold adventure.

You can find the best place to stay in the region.

3. Catch a show at Horsetail Falls, Yosemite National Park

For most of the year, Horsetail Falls is one of the least amazing waterfalls in the valley, but for a couple of weeks in February, it is the center of attention. At sunset, when the winter light is just right, Horsetail Falls lights up like a stream of fire, reminiscent of the long-gone tradition of the Yosemite Firefall, when burning embers from a bonfire were pushed over the edge of Glacier Point for the enjoyment of visitors below.

If you want to take a photo of the natural firefall, you need to apply for a permit from the Ansel Adams Gallery, which will allow you to park on the key stretch of Northside Drive. Frazil ice is made from mist from the falls that wash down the creek, and can be seen at the lowest time of the year.

I've never been to the park. This guide has everything you need to know.

4. Experience the Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska

If you want to see the Northern Lights in winter, you need an international airport far north. It can take a little luck and a lot of patience to see the Northern Lights. Go away from the town's lights for the best view.

Creamer's Field and Chena Hot Springs Road are popular viewing spots. You can take a guided tour that will take you to the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.

There is a hot springs in Chena.

5. Wander with wildlife in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Even though the park is closed to car traffic in early November, it doesn't mean you can't visit. Old Faithful Snow Lodge and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel are open all year, and the roads are open in the winter.

The snow blanketed landscape is steamy and mysterious in the winter. For wildlife lovers, look for bison keeping warm near hot springs, migrating herds of elk, and the always elusive wolf.

Local guides offer a range of skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling tours during the cold season.

The winter is the best time to see the wildlife in the park.

6. Experience the weird at Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park

Thesailing stones of Racetrack Playa were a mystery until recently. Many large rocks have been carved across the desert floor and can be seen by anyone who treks to the flat playa. What do they do? Dozens of theories have been floating around since the 1940's.

Winter is the culprit. Thin sheets of ice that form on the playa floor melt in the morning sun, and wind pushes them against the rock, pushing them along at up to five meters per minute. It is possible to visit the Racetrack at other times of the year, but winter is one of the best times to visit.

There are many strange and wonderful places in the United States.

7. Ice climb in Ouray Ice Park, Colorado

What do you get when you combine an abundant source of spring water with a large irrigation system and a cold, shady gorge in the Rockies? The world's first public ice climbing park with over 200 climbs is free. Multiple local services are allowed to provide training and guide services for all levels and can rent gear from several nearby outfitters.

The world's best ice climbers are competing at the Ouray Ice Festival.

You can try the other Colorado adventures.

8. Contemplate in Sequoia National Park, California

Standing next to a giant sequoia is the most important thing on Earth. Stand next to a giant sequoia in the snow and nobody will interrupt you. An adult blue whale, the largest animal, can weigh 200 tons, while the General Sherman tree in the park is estimated to weigh over 2000 tons.

You can join a ranger-led snowshoe hike at the Giant Forest or you can go on your own. You can warm up with a hot cocoa at the Wuksachi Lodge if you aren't up for a long trek in the snow. Check the latest entry rules from the National Parks Service because the area has recently been affected by fires.

There are so many things to do in the winter.

9. Go birding in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

People are not the only travelers that leave the cold. One of the most dramatic birdwatching destinations in North America is located south of Socorro, New Mexico, where hundreds of thousands of migratory birds including snow geese and sandhill cranes flock every winter.

You can explore the trail on foot or drive the auto tour loop to see the animals. You can see huge flocks of geese at sunrise by bringing your binoculars and zoom lens. The park has an online bird tracker that you can use to see the latest arrivals.

10. Ice skate the Rideau Canal, Ottawa

The oldest continuously operated canal system in North America is the Rideau Canal. The world's largest ice rink is created in the winter when the canal is frozen over. There is nearly 5 miles of glassy ice that runs from the downtown area to the lake.

The canal can be as leisurely as you want it to be. You can warm up with freshly fried beavertails from vendors along the route, and you can rent skates at numerous places. The skating season lasts 50 days on average.

It's a perfect place to spend a day.

11. Admire Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Not all winter wonders need a journey out into the frozen middle of nowhere; a few can be found within easy reach of big city comforts. It is easy to enjoy the Falls within the city limits of Minneapolis.

The 53ft waterfall forms a curtain of ice in the winter. The City of Minneapolis issues dozens of citations each year for people that go down into the closed area around the base of the falls.

The article was published in September of 2019.