Have you ever thought about celebrating the holidays in our National Parks and their gateway communities?
Celebrating the Holidays in our National Parks and Gateway Communities
There are so many opportunities to celebrate the holidays at National Park sites throughout the U.S.
In fact, many parks have long-standing traditions, some for over 100 years! Here is a list of parks I have found where you can celebrate the holidays.
The National Mall in Washington D.C.
National Christmas Tree Lighting is a cherished tradition that began on Christmas Eve in 1923. What started with a 48-foot Balsam Fir decorated with 2500 red, white, and green lights has become a tradition so popular that you have to win a ticket lottery to attend this event!
- The 2025 National Christmas Tree Lighting will be held on December 4, 2025.
- Make sure to click here to learn more about this incredible event!
Lighting of the National Menorah began its annual tradition in 1979 and takes place on the Ellipse near the White House to celebrate the start of Hanukkah. Be prepared, as 5,000+ attendees enjoy musical performances, special guests, and the lighting & celebration.
Here is a list of 20+ Christmas Events in D.C. For more information about celebrating the holidays in our Nation's Capitol.
Yosemite National Park
Seeing Yosemite in the winter gives me Norman Rockwell vibes. You can walk around Curry Village and the Ahwahnee hotel and enjoy the light displays and holiday decorations. You can also enjoy winter activities like skating on an outdoor rink with an epic view of Half Dome or going downhill skiing.
Bracebridge Dinner is hands down my favorite Yuletide Ceremony! Each December, the world-famous Ahwahnee Hotel hosts a Christmas Celebration that began in 1927, which included Ansel Adams, who played the "Lord of Misrule"! This is a four-hour pageant of carols, glorious music, and an elaborate feast.
All aboard the Holiday Magic Train with the Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad! Take this one-hour scenic steam train ride filled with festive cheer, twinkle lights, and the joyful sounds of holiday music, all while drinking a cup of hot cocoa.
Grand Canyon National Park
Ride the Polar Express aboard the Grand Canyon Railway. This is a tradition that started 25 years ago, where you can take an hour-and-a-half ride round-trip from Williams, Arizona, to see the enchanted beauty of "the North Pole", where Santa Claus and his reindeer are waiting with a keepsake present for every good boy and girl. They even have hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies while listening to this timeless story.
Kings Canyon Annual Trek to the Nation's Christmas Tree
Saturday, December 14, 2025, at 2:30 PM
Celebrate the 100th Annual Trek to the Nation's Christmas Tree! The hike to the General Grant Tree is a cherished tradition that holds a significant place in our nation's history.
The General Grant Tree, located in the Grant Grove of Kings Canyon National Park, was officially dedicated as the Nation's Christmas Tree on April 28, 1926, by the United States Department of the Interior.
Mammoth Cave National Park
Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 2:00 PM
Mammoth Cave is hosting its 46th annual Cave Sing, a free holiday event that features musical performances inside the cave!
Guests will be greeted with holiday music as they arrive at the visitor center starting at 1:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served immediately after the Cave Sing in the lobby of The Lodge at Mammoth Cave, where there will also be a visit from Santa Claus.
Gateway Arch National Park
Gateway Arch Park Foundation hosts the 10th. Annual Winterfest from November 22, 2025 to January 11, 2026 in Kiener Plaza.
There are numerous events to attend, as well as ice skating, s'mores stations, and igloos underneath 100,000 twinkling lights in the shadow of Gateway Arch. Special events include
- Explore St. Louis at Winterfest on Friday, December 5, 2025.
- Spirits of Winterfest on December 6, 13, & 21, 2025.
- Winter Markets on December 6 & 20, 2025.
- Winterfest Trivia Night on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
- New Year's Eve Neon Lights Celebration & Fireworks on December 31, 2025.
Gateway Arch Riverboat Cruises also gets into the holidays with two cruises to choose from:
- Caroling With Santa - an afternoon cruise where Santa himself will lead everyone in singing your favorite holiday tunes and Santa will be rady to pose with kids and families.
- The Floating Sleigh - (For Adults 21+) Hop aboard the Tom Sawyer that has been transformed into St. Louis first and only floating holiday pop-up bar. Enjoy holiday-themed cocktails and festive bites.
Yellowstone Holiday Celebration
Being the world's first National Park, it's no surprise to see holiday traditions that go back more than a century! Events held at Yellowstone include:
- The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel hosts a holiday celebration and tree lighting on December 13, 2025, starting at 4:30 PM. The event includes musical performances, a tree-lighting ceremony, and Santa's entrance aboard a historic yellow bus. There will be storytelling and free books for kids while they last. Of course, this event would not be complete without coffee, cookies, and treats.
- Tree Lighting on Officer's Row, where a giant evergreen tree is lit for the holidays.
- Candlelight Services are held every year at Mammoth Chapel.
- Enjoy a special Holiday Dinner at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge on December 25 and January 1. Afterwards, join in singing holiday carols.
- Christmas at Lamar is an event held by The Yellowstone Forever Institute each year at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch. Participants spend time relaxing, searching for wildlife, snowshoeing through the winter wonderland of Lamar Valley, and enjoying a main-dish potluck dinner on Christmas Day.
Mount Rainier National Park
The National Park Inn Lodge at Mount Rainier National Park is offering a Christmas Buffet in a warm dining room and classic winter scenery as it sits at the base of Mount Rainier!
Menu items include hand-carved baron of beef, roasted turkey, mushroom stroganoff, candy cane sundae, and more!
Space is limited, and early reservations are recommended! (360)569-2411 to make reservations.
Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad is hosting Christmas with the Clauses, where all tracks lead to the North Pole! This 75-minute theatrical experience takes a steam train toward the Kringle Logging Camp. Santa Claus climbs aboard to greet each family and share a small token of Christmas Cheer - a keepsake to carry the magic home.
Upon their arrival at their forest outpost, the Kringle family put on a joyful welcome show in honor of Santa's visit.
Mrs. Claus then boards for the ride home which includes serving hot cocoa and fresh-baked cookies.
Grand Teton National Park
Teton Village lies just minutes south of Grand Teton National Park and is well known as a world-class destination for skiing and snowboarding.
Teton Village is also well known for hosting Winterfest, a collection of winter and holiday events beginning on Friday, December 19, 2025, with a tree lighting, GlowNights, snow castles, and one wild ride. There are events almost daily through December 31, 2025, where they have a New Year's Eve Fireworks, Torchlight & Glow Worm Parade.
Other activities include cookie decorating, ornament making, Santa drops from the tram, and a ski with Santa.
Grand Teton National Park is also a great park to enjoy winter activities, including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and wildlife viewing.
Other popular holiday activities in the area include Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides in the National Wildlife Refuge.
It's the perfect place to take in this incredible scenery while seeing the largest migrating Elk Herd in North America.
Of course, you can see other animals, including Bison, badgers, foxes, coyotes, wolves, and a variety of birds.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park hosts Santa Comes to Kahuku
Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 11:00 AM (3 hours) Santa arrives at 2:00 PM
Come to the Kahuku visitor contact station with your keiki! Santa arrives on his 4WD Kahuku sled bearing gifts for children, merry photo ops, and free shave ice, all courtesy of the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Check out the festive decorations and get your special Kahuku NPS passport stamp.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park hosts the Hale Farm & Village: Holiday Lantern Tours
Every day from December 6, 2025, to December 28, 2025.
The Hale Farm Village is hosting the 30th season of Holiday Lantern Tours, a holiday tradition for people of all ages with a charming lantern-lit walking tour of the Hale Farm & Village.
Residents of the 19th-century village welcome you to the warmth of their homes, delightfully decorated for the season
Holiday Lantern Tours depart every twenty minutes beginning at 5:20 PM, and tours last approximately 90 minutes. Click here for more information.
Christmas Dinner at Everglades National Park
Escape winter's cold and join the Flamingo Lodge in Everglades National Park for Christmas Dinner on December 25-28, 2025, at the Flamingo Restaurant. No reservation is required, just come and enjoy the holiday spirit with a menu that includes:
- Turkey Pot Pie
- Lobster & Crab Bisque
- Bacon-Wrapped Dates
- Classic Deviled Eggs
- Holiday sides including Mac & Cheese, red skin-on potatoes, and cornbread
- Crème Brûlée cheesecake or chocolate ganache cake
Hot Springs National Park
Downtown Holiday Lights takes place in Downtown Hot Springs and Hot Springs National Park from November 24, 2025, to January 1, 2026. Enjoy one million twinkling lights, from dancing trees on Arlington Lawn to an animated display in Adair Park. Click here for more information.
The Hot Springs Christmas Parade takes place Monday, December 8, 2025, at 6:30 PM. The 2025 theme is "Toy Trains & Candy Canes." Make sure to bring your whole family for this beloved Hot Springs Tradition!
Redwood National and State Parks
Friday, November 7, 2025, at 4:00 PM-5:30 PM & 6:00 PM-7:30 PM and
Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 4:00 PM-5:30 PM & 6:00 PM-7:30 PM.
The 36th Annual candlelight walk through the ancient Redwoods is held at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Reservations required. Click here for more information..
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Go enjoy Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the day, then explore the gateway communities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville afterwards with a huge variety of holiday activities to attend!
The 25-mile stretch of road from Sevierville to the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains is best known for its 15 million lights during the Smoky Mountain Winterfest Celebration held from November through February.
Special Winterfest attractions include Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland. It is considered one of the most immersive drive-through Christmas experiences on earth, held from November 14, 2025, to January 4, 2026. This year's theme is super-sized 12 Days of Christmas.
Wilderness in the Smokies transforms its outdoor waterpark into a seasonal ice skating rink that is open to the public.
You can expect to find holiday markets, Christmas at the Ranch, Jingle Bell Jamboree, winter shopping events, Christmas Shows, the Gatlinburg Chili Cookoff, the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade, and Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas. There are more than enough activities to keep you entertained!
Rocky Mountain National Park
The town of Estes Park is located just outside the Beaver Meadows entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park and hosts several holiday activities!
The holiday season starts with the annual Catch the Glow Parade, typically on the day after Thanksgiving, where 20,000+ people line Elkhorn Avenue to witness this incredible event!
The Festival of Trees takes place on December 12-14, 2025. Here you will find fifty trees that are beautifully decorated; some are up for auction to help support the charitable works of Estes Park Quota. Make sure to get some hot cocoa and cookies, and enjoy checking out these beautifully decorated trees.
Make sure to check out the Estes Park for the Holidays page for a full list of activities this holiday season.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Next to the South Unit entrance of Theodore Roosevelt National Park lies the town of Medora, which is about to celebrate its 30th. annual Old Fashioned Cowboy Christmas on December 5-7, 2025. Get ready for Western Christmas decor, dancing, live music, Gingerbread House contest, photos with Santa, wagon rides, outhouse races, fireworks, A Very Merry Badlands Christmas Show, and much more!
Don't forget your snowshoes or cross-country skis and enjoy the park Theodore Roosevelt himself drew inspiration from.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
Tumacácori will not host Fiesta in 2025, but look forward to the next event in December 2026.
Totno National Monument Luminary event
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 6:00 PM (3 hours)
There will be small white bags with votive candles placed along the lower cliff dwelling trail and throughout the lower cliff dwellings. Do not miss this beautiful sight! The trail will be open to the public until 8:00 PM. This is a free event and does not require reservations.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Holiday Celebration
- Olde Tyme Christmas Opening Ceremony is held on December 5, 2025, at 6:00 PM. Kick off the Harpers Ferry/Bolivar Olde Tyme Christmas celebration with a welcome, historic music, and a yule log campfire from Harpers Ferry NHP. Click here for more information.
- I'll be home for Christmas:1864 will be held on December 6-7, 2025, starting at 11:00 AM with multiple events and activities throughout the day. Come enjoy this family-focused holiday fun in historic lower town at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Click here for full details.
Eisenhower National Historic Site
Events taking place on Saturdays and Sundays in December, including the 12/6, 12/7, 12/13, 12/14, 12/20, 12/21
Eisenhower National Historic Site is hosting An Eisenhower Christmas: Holiday Tours of the Eisenhower Home, and celebrating the holiday season with Christmas-themed tours of the Eisenhower Home. Tours take place every 20 minutes from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site hosts A Spirited Holiday Past
Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 10:00 AM (6 hours)
President Grant's Home, White Haven, will be decorated for the holiday season. Tour the home and create a holiday craft with your family. There will be live music in the parlor and 19th-century baking demonstrations in the historic stone kitchen. All activities are free, and no reservations are required.
Hampton National Historic Site hosts Holidays at Hampton
Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 11:00 AM
Season's Greetings from Hampton! Explore the various greetings from how songs, music, and storytelling shaped and enriched the holiday traditions of those who lived and worked at Hampton between 1783-1948.
Nicodemus NHS Holiday Celebration
Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 1:00 PM
Meet at the Nicodemus Township Hall for a nostalgic and home-y celebration. Craft some Nicodemus-themed ornaments and help trim the visitor center's Christmas Tree while enjoying cookies and cocoa.
Pullman National Historical Park Holiday Traditions
Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 2:00 PM (2 hours)
Celebrate Pullman's rich and diverse holiday traditions at the Pullman National Historical Park's visitor center in Chicago, IL. Enjoy ornament-making, crafts, caroling, Christmas tree lighting, and a visit from the Jolly Old Elf!
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve
Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 3:00 PM(1 Hour)
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park is hosting a French Quarter Christmas Concert - Shades of Praise Gospel Choir featuring Emeka Dibia located at the National Park Service French Quarter visitor center in New Orleans.
Reservations are not required, and the event is free to the public.
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