After a long winter’s hibernation, visiting a national park with the kids is one of the best family vacation ideas for spring. In March, April, and May, national parks tend to be less crowded and not as hot as they are during the peak summer vacation months, which means plenty of outdoor space to stretch out and burn off energy. This time of year is also prime season for marveling at spring wildflowers and hitting the hiking trails.
The best national parks to visit in spring
Whether you’re planning a family camping trip, a couples getaway, or even a skip-gen vacation for grandparents and grandkids, the exceptional public lands of America’s national parks will help you reconnect and reboot. And as an added bonus, April also brings the annual National Park Week (usually the third week of the month), a celebration that offers free admission and special junior ranger programs for kids.
1. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia
West Virginia’s New River Gorge was elevated to national park status in 2021, focusing national attention on the beauty of one of the East Coast’s most beloved natural playgrounds.
“The New River is one of those places that gets under your skin and stays with you, especially if you’re someone who enjoys outdoor activities,” says Roger Wilson of Adventures on the Gorge, a travel outfitter that runs tours in and around the gorge. Spring at New River Gorge National Park means whitewater running through deep canyons, making it a perfect backdrop for thrilling family rafting trips.
Where to stay at New River Gorge
Situated along the New River Gorge rim, Adventures on the Gorge serves as a basecamp for family-friendly adventures such as hiking, biking, climbing, swimming, and paddling. The range of accommodations (from camping to unique private luxury cabins) provides plenty of options for all kinds of budgets.
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2. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Spring at Shenandoah National Park brings blooming wildflowers and trees, flowing waterfalls, and migrating songbirds. Only 75 miles west of Washington, D.C., Shenandoah is an easy escape from the bustle of the city. A park hallmark is Skyline Drive, the scenic family road trip byway that runs 105 miles north and south along the mountaintop ridge.
To escape any April showers, duck into Luray Caverns, located just outside park boundaries, for a cave exploration filled with towering stone formations and massive caverns.
Where to stay near Shenandoah National Park in spring
Massanutten Resort occupies 6,000 acres in the Shenandoah Valley just minutes from both the national park and Skyline Drive and offers year-round activities including water parks, biking, golf, skiing, and snow sports. Accommodations at the resort range from modest hotel rooms to multi-bedroom luxury condos.
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3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Each spring, the hollows of Great Smoky Mountains National Park bloom with ephemerals such as trillium, lady slipper orchids, bleeding hearts, violets, and other native flora. For more than 70 years, wildflower enthusiasts have enjoyed the show during the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, and these days the Smokies are widely recognized as one of the best spring break destinations for families. Later in spring, synchronous fireflies light up the woodland glens.
Where to stay near Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa is situated on 20 acres next door to Dollywood theme park. Just 10 miles from the national park entrance, the resort embraces families with Southern hospitality, a farmhouse restaurant, large rooms with bunk beds, rocking chairs on the front porch, and spectacular views of the Great Smoky Mountains.
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4. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most scenic drives in the eastern United States. Designed to “lie gently upon the land,” this National Park Service corridor stretches from Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offering scenic mountain views and plenty of hiking opportunities along the way.
During spring on the Blue Ridge Parkway, families will find a mix of wildflowers and tree blossoms, including dwarf iris, tulips, violets, and various species of rhododendrons and dogwood trees. Craggy Gardens (at milepost 364.6) has a particularly spectacular rhododendron bloom in late spring.
Where to stay in the Blue Ridge Parkway area
A luxurious hotel built in 1913, the The Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa in Asheville offers sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, historic Arts and Crafts-style rooms, and a subterranean spa. The on-site Nantahala Outdoor Center helps guests get out and enjoy the area.
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5. Everglades National Park, Florida
Spring in the Everglades comes toward the end of its dry season and is the best time for wildlife viewing in Everglades National Park. (And bonus, there are fewer mosquitos.) Birds from all over North America—and the world—flock to southern Florida to escape the cold, nest, lay eggs, and care for their young. Manatees bob up and down, grazing on seagrass.
Frogs and toads gather and sing in a loud chorus. Spring is also American alligator courtship season, when you might glimpse (from a safe distance, of course) the mating rituals that can last for several hours.
Where to stay in Everglades National Park
The eco-tents at Flamingo Campground are safari-style platform “glamping” tents located inside the national park. Tents have one queen or two double beds, a sitting area, floor fans, dressers, and electricity. In addition to accommodations, Flamingo Adventures also offers fishing, kayaking, and boat tours.
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6. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
A natural scenic refuge close to—yet worlds away—from Ohio’s urban centers of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the perfect spring backdrop for hiking, biking, and spotting wildlife.
The park’s centerpiece is the 60-foot-tall Brandywine Falls, and there’s no better time to see it on a Midwest family vacation than in spring, when it’s fed by streams swollen with ice melt. There are plenty of hiking trails around the falls where you can see springtime vernal pools, breeding salamanders, and wildflowers.
Where to stay in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The Inn at Brandywine Falls is a small, six-room bed-and-breakfast that’s inside the national park and overlooks the waterfall. Each room includes an elegant candlelight breakfast with the rate.
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7. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan
Way up in the northwest corner of Michigan’s lower peninsula lies Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The 450-foot-tall sandy bluff and sweeping beach along Lake Michigan offer both spectacular views and plenty of water recreation.
Let the kids stretch their legs and burn off stored-up winter energy playing in the sand and running to the bottom of the dunes. Everyone will certainly sleep well at night following the long climb back to the top. In the springtime, cherry blossoms transform the surrounding Leelanau Peninsula.
Where to stay near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
The Homestead is located in the woods six miles from Sleeping Bear Dunes. The resort offers a variety of accommodations, including beachfront hotel rooms, condos, and rental homes, and has family-friendly activities for all seasons including hiking, skiing, golf, and lake fun.
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8. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
What feels better than a warm soak after a long, cold winter? At Hot Springs National Park, families can enjoy a traditional thermal bathing experience in the park’s soothing mineral water. If the kids won’t sit still long enough for a soak, there are still places within Hot Springs National Park where they can get close and touch the water.
And don’t worry: Even though the water is a truly hot 143 degrees Fahrenheit when it comes out of the ground, it’s cool enough to touch by the time it reaches the accessible pools.
Where to stay in Hot Springs National Park
Built in 1892, Hotel Hale is one of the historic bath houses within the national park. At this hotel on Bathhouse Row, hot spring mineral water is pumped directly into every room, which all have large soaking tubs. Families can step back in time with this uncommon experience that has access to all park facilities.
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9. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Spring is a great time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park—the wildflowers are starting to bloom, weather is mild, and best of all, the crowds are smaller than during the popular summer months. You might spot wildlife like elk, mule deer, moose, and black bears. But snow is still a possibility, so be prepared for that.
Where to stay near Rocky Mountain National Park
Bordered on three sides by Rocky Mountain National Park and set within 860 acres of ponderosa pines, YMCA of the Rockies—Estes Park Center offers scenic views in every direction. Families can rent lodge rooms or private cabins and enjoy activities like archery, disc golf, challenge courses, and crafts.
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10. Zion National Park, Utah
As the snow melts, Zion National Park’s waterfalls flow, the Virgin River swells, and wildflowers and cottonwood trees bloom. If you avoid spring break and holidays, it will be less crowded than summertime. But in spring, it’s important to avoid slot canyon hikes as flash flooding can occur.
Opt for the family-friendly Riverside Walk and look for early blooming wildflowers such as desert marigold, slickrock paintbrush, and western columbine. If your family is lucky, you just may catch a glimpse of baby animals, including wild turkey chicks, mule deer fawns, and bighorn sheep.
Where to stay near Zion National Park in spring
Beautiful and convenient Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort is a fantastic home base for family adventures. There are plenty of accommodations options here, including two-room cowboy log cabin suites, covered wagon glamping sites, and camping. The ranch offers a variety of recreation options as well, including swimming, kayaking, hiking, and a climbing wall.
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11. Glacier National Park, Montana
With its northern Montana location on the border between the U.S. and Canada, spring is late arriving at Glacier National Park. Chillier temperatures drive down spring break prices, creating plenty of hotel deals at this time of year. Like many other mountain parks, spring means melting snow, rushing water, greening valleys, blooming flowers, and animals—lots of animals.
The park’s most famous drive, Going-to-the-Sun Road, does not open in its entirety for vehicles until late June at the earliest. But the road is open for cycling before it opens to vehicles come summer.
Where to stay in Glacier National Park
The Glacier Park Lodge was the first hotel built by the Great Northern Railway. With its more than 100 years of history, stepping inside is like stepping back in time. Douglas fir logs tower over the lobby, a fire crackles in the stone fireplace, and guests linger to share stories of the day’s activities.
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12. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
RV and campground expert Jeff Crider recommends Mesa Verde National Park, especially for people interested in Native American monuments and history. Tours of the cliff dwellings begin in May, but early spring travelers won’t miss out, since cliff dwelling structures like Cliff Palace and Spruce Tree House can be viewed at overlooks year-round.
Prior to May, the park is quieter, with fewer crowds and more moderate temperatures. Crider also recommends a less-visited site nearby: Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, which has more than 8,300 documented sites, including villages, kivas, field houses, cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and ancient roadways.
Where to stay near Mesa Verde National Park
Kids and adults love the vintage-style rooms, lawn games, and grill areas at the Retro Inn at Mesa Verde. The motel is located in Cortez, Colorado, in between Mesa Verde and Canyons of the Ancients—and only 10 minutes from the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park. Breakfast is included with the room rate.
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13. Big Bend National Park, Texas
With smaller crowds than some of the other national parks, Big Bend National Park is a perfect place for getting away from it all. Springtime at Big Bend National Park means cooler temperatures, wildflowers, uncrowded hot springs, and plenty of migrating birds. And of course Big Bend National Park is always a great place to explore the Rio Grande River, which here is framed by sheer canyon walls.
Where to stay near Big Bend National Park
Located in Terlingua just minutes from Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Station offers lodge rooms and a campground where families can make their home base. There’s an on-site deli and store where you can grab supplies for a day of hiking, horseback riding, or floating on the river.
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14. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
With more than 119 caves below the surface of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, families won’t have to worry about bad weather on a trip to this outdoors destination. Below ground, stalactites line cave ceilings and decorative rock formations keep youngsters enthralled along the Big Room Trail.
Above ground, the yucca bloom, cacti send out yellow arms, and mescal plants blossom across the Chihuahuan Desert landscape. Carlsbad Caverns is famous for its bat flight program, and the Brazilian free-tailed bats make their migratory journey back to the park in late spring.
Where to stay near Carlsbad Caverns
The family-friendly Carlsbad KOA Holiday opened in 2000 and, in addition to tent camping and RV sites, also features a number of cabins. Kids can splash in the heated pool or play on the playground, and you can all end the day with a barbecue feast (complete with sides and dessert) that the owners will deliver to your site.
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15. Saguaro National Park, Arizona
Spring is the perfect time to slip in a visit before the triple-digit summertime temperatures descend at Tucson’s Saguaro National Park. The region’s giant saguaro cacti are an iconic symbol of the Southwest, and families are bound to see plenty of them along hiking trails and driving routes through the east or west section of the park. Spring is also when the giant saguaro produce dramatic white and yellow flowers that attract pollinating insects, birds, and bats.
Where to stay near Saguaro National Park
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa offers a luxurious desert oasis. Set in the Sonoran Desert with sweeping views of the Santa Catalina Mountains, the resort offers amenities that include outdoor pools with a waterslide for the kids, a swim-up bar for adults, waterfall features, and plenty of lounge chairs.
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16. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Similar to Saguaro National Park, travelers will find cooler spring temperatures at Grand Canyon National Park. In fact, RV and campground expert Crider says there’s even a chance of snow in spring along the South Rim: “It’s so beautiful to see the canyon that way, when there is a little snow along the rim and down a few hundred or a thousand feet or so.”
The possibility of rain and snow, combined with more breezes and skies clear of haze and smog (that tends to drift from Las Vegas and Southern California), make spring an ideal time to see the canyon in all its drama and beauty.
Where to stay in Grand Canyon National Park
The historic El Tovar Hotel opened in 1905 as one of the most elegant inns in the American West. Today, the El Tovar still holds a prestigious place on the rim of the Grand Canyon and offers panoramic views of the national park below.
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17. Death Valley National Park, California
The lowest point in North America is also the hottest and driest, making springtime an excellent time to visit Death Valley National Park ahead of the summer blaze. If the previous fall and winter brought rain and snow, then there is a good chance of wildflower displays in Death Valley in spring. If conditions are perfect, Death Valley fills with a riotous super bloom about once every decade. In spring 2026, the park is having the best bloom year since 2016.
Where to stay near Death Valley
The Oasis at Death Valley is two hotels at one location. The AAA Four Diamond Inn at Death Valley is a luxurious historic resort with a natural spring running through the hotel and a spring-fed pool. The Ranch at Death Valley is a former working ranch that’s been transformed into a 275-room family-friendly resort with horseback and carriage rides, 4×4 rentals, sports courts, and spring-fed pool.
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18. Joshua Tree National Park, California
Summer gets hot in the desert, but spring is the perfect season to visit. With its location within 1,200 square miles of the Mojave and Colorado desert ecosystems, Joshua Tree National Park shines in spring. Not only will you enjoy milder weather, you might also be treated to spectacular springtime displays of lupine, poppies, and (some years) even the Joshua tree blooms. Just stay clear of major spring holidays like Easter weekend to avoid lines to enter the park.
Where to stay in Joshua Tree National Park
Jumbo Rocks Campground—the name says it all. Located a short hike from Skull Rock (one of the coolest rock formations in Joshua Tree), this family-friendly campground is ringed by large boulders (the jumbo rocks). Kids can scramble for hours on the rocks, and then come back to rest by the campfire.
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19. Yosemite National Park, California
As the snow melts in the high Sierras, rivers, waterfalls, and ponds swell in Yosemite National Park. Waterfalls throughout the park usually reach their peak in mid-May. Campground expert Crider says, “May is also a really good month to see the dogwoods in bloom in Yosemite Valley.” Flowering dogwood trees are found all over the park, but to see the densest displays of these flowering trees, head to the Yosemite Valley.
Where to stay at Yosemite National Park
The Ahwahnee is set in a prime location in the Yosemite Valley near the base of Half Dome. One of the most popular Yosemite hotels, The Ahwahnee was designed to complement its sublime natural surroundings. Even if your family is not staying at the hotel, The Ahwahnee is worth a visit—perhaps as a destination dining spot. The Ahwahnee Dining Room offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
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Bonus: Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
Located north of Zion, Cedar Breaks National Monument is a 10,000-foot hidden gem, a wide red rock amphitheater similar to Bryce Canyon. Spring arrives a little later at this higher elevation, but when it does, the meadows blaze with the brilliant colors of wildflower blooms. Be sure to hike to Spectra Point to glimpse the park’s bristlecone pines, some of which are estimated to be more than 1,600 years old.
Where to stay near Cedar Breaks National Monument
The rustic Point Supreme Campground lives up to its name. The campground is surrounded by wildflower meadows and has a designated night sky area for stargazing. Take the easy half-mile hiking trail from the campground to the visitors center for stunning views of the Cedar Breaks amphitheater.
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