Vacation rental site, HomeToGo, listed the 20 best and most affordable national parks to vacation in the United States for 2025, with two parks in California making the list.
The site’s annual national park report compiled the list using the median nightly cost of a vacation rental in the area per person, the number of visitors to each national park in 2024, and the search volume for each park on the website.
According to the site, visits to national parks hit a record high in 2024, making a comprehensive list of which parks to visit more valuable.
The list also ranked other categories among the 20, such as visitors’ score, search score, and price for people looking to filter the parks through other criteria.
Among the rankings were two Northern California parks. Lassen Volcanic National Park in Mineral was No. 9 on the list while Sequoia National Park in Central California was No. 13.
Here are some tips if you want to visit the two California parks.
When should I visit Sequoia National Park?
The best months to visit Sequoia National Park are from May to September, when late winter snows have likely thawed. Some roads may also be closed in the winter, restricting access to the park, the Record Searchlight previously reported.
The park also has free entrance days are some free entrance days for the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Summer: May – September
Summers in Sequoia & Kings Canyon are generally sunny and dry, with thundershowers in the afternoon and lightning storms on occasion. Sunscreen is a backpack essential at this time.
The average temperatures during the day are in the mid to upper 70s. Nights are in the upper 30s and lower 40s. If traveling to higher elevations, temperatures can reach the 20s at night.
Fall: September – December
The colorful foliage of fall is a crowd favorite in the parks, despite the weather’s unpredictability. Snowstorms come with more frequency as winter approaches, with accompanying drops in temperatures.
Highs during the day average from the 40s to the 60s. Nighttime temperatures average around 30 degrees in September, dropping to between 10 and 22 degrees in October and November.
Winter: December – March
Winters can be bitterly cold in Sequoia and Kings Canyon parks. Warm Chinook winds blow in on occasion, pushing temperatures up into the 40s.
Winter temperatures during daylight hours often hover near zero but can get into the upper 20s. Nighttime temperatures commonly go subzero. As spring approaches, the weather gets better, with highs averaging in the 30s and 40s and lows in the teens.
Spring: March – June
Clouds and rain are more abundant in the spring in Sequoia & Kings Canyon, with cold and snow lingering, often into May. Daytime temperatures average from lows in the 40s to highs in the 70s, with nights falling to the 20s and 30s.
When is Sequoia National Park fire season?
Summer is the most pertinent time for wildfires in Sequoia National Park. The official fire season is from late spring to early fall, particularly during periods of dryness and high winds.
Campfire restrictions are often implemented by the National Park Service during fire season. Visit https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/index.htm for fire updates.
When should I visit Lassen Volcanic National Park?
Summer: July – September
The most popular season in the park offers the widest selection of activities and services, according to the park’s website.
The weather tends to be warm in the daytime and cool in the evening. Occasional thunderstorms can occur and winter snowpack could linger on trails through the summer season. The average summer temperature is 82 degrees Fahrenheit on the high end and 39 F on the low end.
Hiking trails are popular despite snow occasionally keeping some trails closed. A free permit is required to backpack.
Wildflowers peak in high elevation throughout the season in high elevations, although some wildflowers at lower elevations such as Manzanita and Butte Lake appear later in Summit Lake and Lassen Peak areas.
All park campgrounds are closed in winter and into spring and openings are dependent on weather and park roads opening.
Campgrounds can be reserved through recreation.gov. The southwest parking area allows self-contained vehicle camping year-round.
Spring: April – June
The conditions vary and are hard to predict, but the month of April historically brings in the year’s deepest snowpack. Snow depth reaches on average 10-12 feet.
Layers, sun protection and waterproof outerwear are recommended. Conditions vary and hard to predict. Winter chill and snow could continue into July or summer heat may arrive early.
Fall: Mid-September – November
Conditions may vary and hard to predict during the season. Lasting summer heat and smoke from summer wildfires may continue into fall months or winter chill and snow could arrive early.
Maximum average temperatures were 72 Fahrenheit for September, 58.7 F for October, and 47 F in November through the years 1990-2020.
Winter: December – March
The main park road, Highway 89, closes when snow settles in and vehicle access is limited to Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Loomis Plaza/Manzanita Lake parking area.
The road typically closes for the season in mid-to-late November.
Roads to outlying park areas such as Butte Lake, Juniper Lake and Warner Valley may close with winter conditions.
The park has advised visitors to be prepared for prepared for rapidly-changing, severe weather conditions. Wear layers, waterproof gear and outerwear, and sun protection.
The park can receive up to 30 feet of snowfall during the snowy season, typically from November to May. Sunny skies are common between short snowstorms. .
When is fire season at Lassen Volcanic National Park?
Fires in the region or in the park during summer or fall make the conditions hazy or smokey.
Lightning-caused fire occurs naturally in the forests and some areas of the park may have prescribed fires.
Other parks on the list?
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Affordable national park vacation spots ranked. Where do these two California parks land?
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo and McKenna Mobley, Ventura County Star / Redding Record Searchlight
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