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For some people, summer is their favorite season; even spring and fall, many will agree. But what about winter? Yes, it’s cold, but for some, winter is the best. After all, there is snow, sitting by a nice warm fireplace sipping hot cocoa, and skiing down the mountain in some of the most beautiful national parks in the country. In case you miss the opportunity to go to the national parks during the fall where the fall foliage is at its best. You are lucky for this winter. The freezing temperatures will give a new view of four national parks where you can witness winter wonders.

1. Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is the hottest, driest, and lowest-lying national park in the United States, making winter an excellent time to explore this desert gem. Located in eastern California near the Nevada border (just a 2.5-hour drive from Sin City), this subsea-level basin is home to a great diversity of life, despite its obscure and morbid name. As this area is the hottest place on the planet and the driest continent, sporadic rains are a seasonal treat during winter. Another seasonal treat not to be missed is visiting one of the park’s most popular spots, Badwater Basin. It’s a salt flat that boasts the lowest elevation on the continent, and in the middle of winter, it’s cool enough to walk the salt flat and see the iconic geometric formations on earth, known as salt polygons. When you go, take an afternoon drive through Artist’s Palette on Artist’s Drive, a scenic 9-mile drive that winds through multi-colored, snow-capped badlands.

2. Yellowstone National Park

This park welcomes visitors year-round, but winter visitors get a different kind of experience during the snowy seasons in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Winter in Yellowstone means fewer crowds, more wildlife, freezing temperatures and steaming geysers. In winter, skiers will have a serene experience ski resorts can’t match. You will feel like the only person in the park visiting Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. There you can watch the world’s most famous geyser erupt and feel the steam from the hot springs, which appear even more dramatic in the single-digit winter air — typically, temperatures range between -30°F and 30°F in the winter months. Bighorn sheep, bison, moose, elk, and wolves tend to appear in the park during the winter. Around mid-December, skis, snowshoes, snow buses and snowmobiles become the main modes of transportation as roads close, rivers and lakes freeze over, and once-crowded trails turn into peaceful escapes. The one road that is open year-round runs from Mammoth Hot Springs to the northeast entrance.

3. Bryce Canyon National Park

Winter ups the ante with the strange and awe-inspiring landscapes found in Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park. The white snow contrasts perfectly with the park’s famous red rocks, pink ice-capped cliffs, evergreen trees and dark blue skies. Plus, the largest collection of gravity-defying limestone spiers — called hoodoos — look even more spectacular when they sparkle from the ice. Bryce Canyon’s scenery changes dramatically in the colder months, providing unique opportunities to brave the cold for an unforgettable frozen escape from November through February. While the winter weather here can get incredibly cold (typical temperatures dip below freezing nearly every night), the cold air and high altitude offer perks for visitors. Cross-country skiing, world-class star gazing, ranger-led full moon hikes, and annual winter events. Get up close to famous formations like Thor’s Hammer, Tower Bridge and Bryce Amphitheater. Plus, you can’t miss the annual Bryce Canyon Winter Festival.

4. Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is one of the most visited national parks in the United States, and winter is a great time to beat the crowds. Only 10 percent of summer visitor numbers usually find paths less traveled throughout the 277-mile park during the winter. While the north rim of the canyon closes each fall, the south rim is open year round, with temperatures typically peaking in the 40s and dropping into the 20s. Winter wildlife is great at the Grand Canyon, where there is it’s a chance to see moose, California condors, crows, and Abert’s squirrels along the rim and in the ponderosa pine forests. The Bright Angel Trail is a popular place to feel the crisp, chilly air of winter and see the sunrise or sunset during the snowy season. The Grand Canyon is at its most stunning from December to February when the early mornings are foggy and the afternoons sunny.