Spring-time travel destinations calling your name
Although summer travel gets all the headlines, you would be mistaken for sleeping on one of travel’s greatest seasons. I’m not talking about spring break traditions here, I’m looking at off-season specials that will save your wallet and fill your dreams all at the same time. Read on for the USA’s best in spring travel.
ON THE GRID // Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas.
There’s a certain art to off-season travel. Not too hot, or too cold - neither are great for quality of life. I’m talking about finding $600 a night accomidation for $200 when the weather is perfect and only the locals are in town. Yes, these mythical locations do indeed exist, even if I’m still perfecting them after more than 30 years of emerging from the winter cold looking for a place to run towards. What you’ll find below is a mix of classic with a few more adventurous destinations. If you’re willing to risk the chance of rain, sleet or otherwise inclimate weather - the world of USA travel can really open up as soon as the thermometer cracks above freezing.
If you’re looking for more year round destinations, I maintain an always growing library of travel content here on this website. I only comment on places I’ve actually been and am not sponsored or affiliated with any organizations to buy your eyeballs on where to go. Check it out and hope to see you back for the best in USA travel destinations! Now go plan a springtime trip with the resources below!
Rosemary Beach, Florida //
If Hallmark designed a utopian beach set for their latest romantic comedy film, it would look at lot like the town of Rosemary Beach. Instead, Rosemary was designed by architectural firm Duaney Plater-Zyberk & Company (see now doesn’t that just sound expensive???). You do have to give them credit, their vision for a beach town designed in 1995 feels remarkably modern. Classic and timeless are probably better adjectives. It’s what happens when you let the designers run amok with no regard for the end bill.
The View // Where metallic credit cards reign supreme
If you can save up enough $$ to rent a carriage house for the weekend like we did recently, you will be thrilled with what you find alongside 30A. Established on the ideals of New Urbanism, Rosemary invites visitors into a world where every detail is thoughtfully integrated into the surrounding natural landscape. The town's design, inspired by the timeless charm of West Indies architecture, features narrow, winding streets that lead to stunning beachfronts and cozy courtyards. It's that perfect beach town where the boundary between the indoors and outdoors seamlessly blends, encouraging a slow-paced, pedestrian-friendly lifestyle.
There are many ways to experience 30A, but the most economical is to rent a carriage house in Rosemary proper. These can be had for less than $200 a night in the off-season, but unlike the rest of Florida you will find Rosemary nearly empty during the month of February.
Reservation details are important, because Rosemary Beach itself is almost all private access, and access requires a special access card you will soon attach to your wrist until you depart. These passes are not just to enter the beach - but also to exit. The epic benefit here is that it comes with access to Rosemary’s four private pools and town gym (depending on your booking), all of which are heated to the perfect temperature. Three of the pools are outdoors, with one indoors if the weather manages to be truly terrible.
The Outer Banks National Seashore, North Carolina //
Driving East along N.C. 64 towards Cape Hatteras, the western most approach to the Outer Banks feels like walking on water - or at least driving a car in places only a boat should go. Walk, drive, kayak - it doesn’t really matter your mode of transport, making your way to the best spots on the Outer Banks is going to take some time.
The View // Entering the twilight zone with night’s in Rodanthe.
I have an unpopular opinion to share: the best time to visit the Outer Banks is in the early spring. I recently ventured to all five outer banks lighthouses in a confused quest to come full circle on appreciating the innumerable amount of lighthouses I was dragged to as a child under the guise of vacation.
What I learned along the way should have you packing your bags to drive east, just literally as far east as you can get. As you finally complete the suspension shocking, brain jostling road conditions that represent the last few miles of bridges on N.C. 64, make a right and head south towards Rodanthe. My preferred home base for the start of any OBX journey are the small communities of Waves and Rodanthe. Two of my three favorite campsites on the East Coast are within a 20-minute drive, and the best Airbnb I’ve stayed at in years is a link you are going to want. Until you make that decision, for now I’ll toss you a freebie for making it to week two - the Waves Market is legendary. You will not find a better convenience store, market, and deli counter on the island.
Savannah, Georgia //
America’s most haunted city awaits your arrival. The rare urban area to make the list here as far as anything on this website goes, Savannah has long captured the heart and mind. Loaded with incredible places to eat and plenty of old-world America ready to see, plan to spend two or three nights here before venturing out to the surrounding Tybee and Jekyll Islands.
The View // The Wormslo Historic site is famous the world over. Come for a quiet tour of Colonial American and expirence the presence of planning a hundred years in advance.
Start your coastal Georgia vacation with two or three nights in Oglethorpe’s city. Loaded with history from its days as a strategic port during the American Revolution, you will not run out of things to discover in my favorite urban area of the South. The weather from March to July is just spectacular. You’re early enough to have missed the bugs, but still have plenty of nice cool evenings perfect for strolling America’s most haunted city.
Yes, you can look for the famed bench from Forrest Gump in Forsyth Park (absolutely worth your time) but tragically it doesn’t exist. As a set piece used for the movie and added to the gorgeous 1700’s era park - it lives full time in a museum. The city is incredibly walkable - and aside from making sure to keep your wits about you as you should in any urban area, is a real pleasure to stroll without much of a plan.
Personally, we opted for a pub-crawl ghost tour, comprising a mix of real stories, strong cocktails and perhaps a bit of made up bullshit. We had a blast. Once you’ve soaked up all the architectural marvel of a city can offer - it’s time for island life. Start on Skidiway, and check out the gorgeous Skidiway Island State Park. Not only is there a fantastic campground you can find more about here (including the best specific site numbers for camp) - but there’s a walking path taking you through a bird sanctuary with gorgeous coastal views. Don’t miss the famed Wormslow Historic Site, pictured just above for that classic Savannah photographic opportunity and a day exploring colonial Georgia.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona //
Looking for an outside the box destination and willing to brave the elements? Look no further than the Grand Canyon. In March of last year, we went to sleep in 50 degree temperatures and awoke to five inches of snow outside the Airstream. Although a blizzard can indeed limit your activities here at one of the country’s finest natural formations - the South Rim alone is loaded with things to do on a snow day.
The View // As Chris Pratt once asked in Parks in Rec “how long does one have to look at the Grand Canyon before you can leave?”. The answer - at least a little bit longer.
You never know what sort of weather you can expect in the Grand Canyon in March or April. Despite a 5” snowfall, we had a blast exploring the history of the South Rim. This is a National Park you could spend a lifetime visiting and not see it all. An introductory trip in the spring can really help set you up for a return trip knowing exactly what you want to do. After all, the first time you come here - all you’re going to be doing is standing at the edge and staring. This alone could keep you busy for several days.
Once you’ve collected yourself and cried a little, you can move onto driving the South Rim. An epic tram system also exists if you’re traveling in a rig too large to drive away from camp. We stayed at “trailer village”, the South Rim village’s only campground with full hook-ups. If you’re traveling along Interstate 40, just West of Flagstaff in the town of Williams lies the ultimate travel hack - the Grand Canyon Railway. From Williams, tickets can be had from as little as $117 and takes about 2 h 15m each way.
Asheville, North Carolina //
It’s impossible to talk about Western North Carolina without discussing Hurricane Helene, which devastated the area in September 2024. I’m sending you here because in addition to being a stellar area to explore - the region really needs our tourism dollars. Asheville itself is an iconic food city, but after spending your day exploring downtown - carve out some time to visit the historic Biltmore Estate. It also suffered immense damage, but repairs have been made and the Vanderbilt palace is second to none. After visiting here for a few hours, you can begin to understand why the family choose this region as a summertime hunting outpost from which to explore all the modern day Blue Ridge Parkway has to offer.
The View // Craggy Gardens overlook - on the Blue Ridge Parkway
A springtime trip to drive the parkway is just what I would point you to do. One of the greatest accomplishments of the CCC, you could get lost just driving the same sections over and over again with any vehicle you choose that’s not a Prevost Bus. I choose a Triumph Scrambler 1200XE and took my best friend for the motorcycle touring trip of a lifetime.
Yakima, Washington //
If you’re looking for a little wine and a lot of solitude, Yakima in the spring is calling your name. Once you’ve checked out all of the areas winery’s and orchards, make sure to snag a view of Mount Adams (12,281 ft) before heading riverside for some real outdoor adventures.
The View // What’s not to love about fly fishing straight from camp?
Accessing Big Pines Campground is a scenic journey in itself. Starting from Ellensburg, travelers take Highway 821, also known as Canyon Road, and head south through the Yakima River Canyon. This route offers captivating views of the river, flanked by massive basalt cliffs and rolling desert hills, leading to the campground situated at milepost 10.
Once you pull in, head straight to the check-in post to start your paperwork. You can check the current regulations in the link just above, but when we arrived it was first come first serve - pick your spot on arrival.
Big Pines Campground is split down the middle by an access loop road, dividing the campsites into riverside vs. desert. They all have wonderful paved and level pads and allow you to back in the biggest rig you can pick out at camping world.
Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas //
Step back into the time of gangsters and roaring twenties with your trip to Hot Springs National Park. The ancient thermal springs have been drawing visitors for all of recorded history. Going strong as a longstanding National Park since 1921, Hot Springs is the oldest maintained by the National Park Service. Today, you’re here to expirence all the history, visit the bathhouses, and soak in all the Gilded Age architecture. A great stay if you’re traveling overland is Catherine’s Landing Resort - accommodating all size RV’s - smack on the banks of the river and just minutes from the park.
NOTE // As with all things on this website, I’m not sponsored and have ZERO affiliate deals with these companies. I’m telling you about these locations from an editorial standpoint because I spent my own time traveling here to see for myself. That’s a far cry from most travel content where your eyeballs have already been bought and paid for. I maintain an always growing database of editorial and inspirational travel locations within the United States, including 50+ campgrounds and boondocking locations to visit - you can find The Travel Library linked here. Now go travel!