Pick a canyon hike or a shorter viewpoint walk
For a hike: Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral is a 3-mile (4.8 km) out-and-back rated moderate by NPS. Completing it requires minor rock scrambling over ledges and under low overhangs. Choose it for your ability and the day's conditions, not simply because January is cooler.
For a shorter walk: Zabriskie Point is a quarter-mile (400 m) uphill walk from the parking lot on a paved trail. It gives you a badlands view without committing to the canyon route.
Cold nights change the packing list
A warm outer layer matters for an early start, a late viewpoint stop or a night outdoors. NPS notes occasional freezing winter nights in the low valley. A monthly average low is not the coldest temperature you might encounter.
Do not use Furnace Creek's numbers for mountain plans. Higher elevations are cooler, and the low station's snowfall normal does not establish whether high routes are snow-free.
Compare winter dates without guessing daily crowds
January's average count is lower than December's 115,548 and February's 118,305. If you prefer a warmer valley afternoon, February's normal high is 74°F (23°C).
New Year's dates and holiday weekends cannot be separated from these monthly totals. Confirm your accommodation and check road and trail conditions plus facility hours before finalizing the day's stops.
Questions about January
What is the weather like in Death Valley National Park in January?
At Furnace Creek, the normal high is 67°F (20°C) and low is 43°F (6°C). Those low-valley averages support planning for cool walks and cold nights; they are not a daily forecast or mountain conditions.
Is January quieter than December?
January averages 93,132 recreation visits versus December's 115,548 across 2021–2025. That does not identify the quieter day, trail or holiday weekend.
Sources and limits
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals: DEATH VALLEY NP, CA US (USC00042319), -194 feet. Normal high: 67.2°F (19.6°C); normal low: 42.5°F (5.8°C). These are long-term averages, not a forecast.
NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package, 2025: 2021–2025 average recreation visits for Death Valley National Park (DEVA). The January 2025 count is 123,593. Counts measure visits, not unique people or a day's parking pressure.
Compare your dates
Independent site. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Data comes from the official NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package, 2025; editorial analysis is ours. The NPS Arrowhead and other NPS marks are not used.