Prettiest Spring Destinations in the United States

When we think about spring, we all picture the same vibrant and colorful things: flower fields in bloom, a warm breeze, melting snow, and fluffy cherry blossom trees. Spring is a time to be outdoors after a winter spent inside by the fire. Fortunately, the United States gives us such a massive and varied landscape that there is no end to the unique and beautiful spring destinations from the West Coast to the East.

Wherever you are in the US, you’ll find somewhere nearby to provide you with a perfect springtime experience. These are eight of the prettiest spring destinations in the United States.

Portland, Oregon

The state of Oregon is known, not just in the United States, but around the entire world for being an evergreen, mountainous, tranquil place. That, alone, makes it a great spring destination but what makes the city of Portland one of the very best spring destinations in the United States is its cherry blossoms and unique Japanese garden.

Portland is a city with streets lined by cherry and plum trees. Come spring, Oregon turns into Kyoto; the city bursts into colorful life with pinks and white flooding the streets. It feels like taking a giant leap across the Pacific and wandering the iconic sakura-lined paths of Japan, right here in the US.

Doubling down on this Japanese influence is the Portland Japanese Garden. The trees and features of this legendary garden were actually gifted to the city of Portland by Japan several years ago. Today, it’s one of the city’s big tourist destinations.

In the springtime, you can walk pathways and visit Zen gardens coated with the last remnants of winter snow as a waterfall flows in the background and the cherry blossoms start to bloom. It is a majestic, magical place and it makes Portland one of the best spring destinations in the United States.

Washington D.C.

If you happen to be based on the East Coast, rather than the West, and Portland is simply too far for you to travel, then our nation’s capital will give you the same cherry blossom magic. In fact, Washington D.C. may be even more famous than Portland is for its spectacular cherry blossoms circling the Tidal Basin.

When spring hits the US capital, the streets and parks erupt with floral splendor. What makes this such a special and unique occurrence in D.C. specifically is that many of these cherry blossom trees blossom around the city’s most iconic monuments.

Lining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the Washington Monument, all the way up to Union Square and the Capitol Building are hundreds of blooming cherry blossom trees. The blue sky and green grass hypnotically blend with the vibrant pinks of the sakura trees to bring the city’s most beautiful monuments and buildings to life.

Spring is when Washington D.C. looks its most beautiful. If you’re planning a trip to our nation’s capital, make sure you take that trip in the spring months when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. After a long walk, hit some of the city’s best restaurants to dine outside as the petals fall around you.

San Francisco, California

California is a hot and sunny state. Everyone from Tokyo to Timbuktu knows that. It’s why LA was chosen as the home of American cinema — the chances of filming outside on a sunny day were almost guaranteed all year round. But not everyone likes the heat, so if you’re planning on visiting California, you need to be strategic and pick your season.

Fortunately, Northern California is a little cooler and breezier than Southern California and, come spring, San Francisco is the perfect temperature to be enjoyed by anyone and everyone, whether you prefer the heat or the cold.

San Francisco is known for its food scene. The city has the oldest and largest Chinatown and the vegetarian/vegan scene is endless. That means lots of eating outside come spring. Outdoor seating at San Francisco’s best restaurants and picnics in the park. Food, warm air, and a cool breeze make San Francisco one of the best spring destinations in the United States.

Hudson Valley, New York

If you’re not in the mood to spend springtime in New York City, then take a short drive upstate to the Hudson Valley and you’ll find a fresh, quiet, and almost endless spring wonderland waiting for you. Drive, walk, and hike across varied and beautiful terrain as the snow melts and gives way to spring.

The Hudson Valley is a wild and rugged landscape filled with hills, mountains, forests, and quaint hidden towns to explore. During the spring months, Hudson Valley still offers visitors picturesque scenes of snow-capped hills and snow-dusted evergreen forests, but the air is mild and the breeze is warm.

Vineyards and orchards can be visited and explored; the areas of Westchester and Albany offer historic sights and friendly locals to meet and talk with. Hudson Valley is a friendly, warm, and inviting place that feels at its coziest as winter turns to spring, making it a fantastic spring destination in the United States.

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is the city on everyone’s lips right now. It’s a city that grows and gets liveler all the time as its art, culture, and food scenes continue to expand. How we once talked about New York City, then Portland, we now turn our attention to Asheville.

This alone makes Asheville a great spring destination in the United States, as the restaurants burst into life and the streets fill with noise and activity. However, surrounding the city of Asheville are North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, perfect for lovers of hiking and camping. Come spring, these hills are at the coolest, calmest, and most perfect for visitors desperate to stretch their legs and explore North Carolina’s rugged landscape.

The burgeoning art scene of Asheville, coupled with the spring season’s blue skies and warm breeze, make it an electric city to visit and explore once the winter months have passed.

Texas Hill Country

Located just north of San Antonio, Texas evokes a landscape that bring to mind romantic images of rural France and England. In the spring months, this endless expanse of rolling green hills bursts into color. Much like how the lavender fields of Japan dye the land purple, the Texas bluebonnets turn these green hills into an ocean.

If you’re looking for a place in the United States that captures the European romance of blossoming flower fields, rolling grassy hills, and powerful standing oak trees, Texas Hill Country is where you’ll find it.

This part of Texas is also famous for its wineries, which means vineyards and plenty of wine tasting opportunities. Wine, warm breezes, and flower fields are what springtime is all about, and you’ll find them all in Texas Hill Country.

Holland, Michigan

When we think of Holland, we often picture the flat fields of The Netherlands: tulips in bloom, gently turning windmills, and an undisturbed landscape that stretches onto the horizon. Well, take a trip to Michigan and you’ll find that Holland has come to us, quite literally.

Holland is a town in Western Michigan that was settled by Dutch immigrants. They named it after one of the provinces of their home country and filled the area with their national flower: the tulip.

When winter melts into spring, the green grass grows and the tulips come into bloom. Reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, and whites. Rows and rows of soothing, calming, beautiful colours. You’ll even find a few windmills dotting the landscape.

If you’ve ever wanted to take a trip to The Netherlands during the spring to catch the tulips in bloom, just head over to Western Michigan and let Holland, and its tulip fields, come to you instead.

New York City

New York City may not be the first place you think of when looking for the best spring destinations in the United States. Cities like Portland and Washington D.C. have done a better job at marketing the springtime beauty, but that doesn’t mean you should count New York City out. Not by a long shot.

New York City in the winter is brutal. Maybe not quite Chicago levels of brutal, but certainly not far off. Come spring, however, NYC is at its most warm and welcoming. Just walking the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn are a pleasure in the spring months, and that’s to say nothing of the festivals and events that compliment the blossoming of New York City’s flowers.

Inspired by the hanami (flower-viewing) festivals of Japan, Brooklyn Botanical Garden celebrates its own sakura matsuri (cherry blossom festival) when the cherry blossoms start to bloom in April. Couple that with the Macy’s Flower Show and the Orchid Show at New York Botanical Garden and NYC offers spring visitors plenty of natural splendor to enjoy.

Then there are the classic reasons people visit NYC: Broadway shows, street photography, and some of the best food in the United States. All these things are best enjoyed with the blue skies and warm breeze of New York City in the springtime.