15 Best USA National Parks To Visit In The Spring

The spring can be a splendid time to visit a National park. Parks start thawing, flowers start blooming, temperatures are pleasant, animals wake up from hibernation, and waterfalls start flowing. It can be a perfect time to visit the national parks in the USA before summer crowds flood the scene.

Below I have listed my all-time favorite national parks to visit during the Spring. I have visited all of these parks and trust me; they are outstanding!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, I may receive a small commission (for which I am very grateful for) at no extra cost to you.

What To Pack

1. Sunscreen: Even in the spring these parks can get HOT!  >Buy Sunscreen
2. Hiking Boots/Shoes: If you use tennis shoes, you can easily hurt your toes hitting a rock by accident (Trust me, I have done it so many times before). >Check Out My Hiking Shoes
3. Hiking socks: Having the correct socks helps you prevent getting blisters. Smart Wool is probably my favorite brand out there. I also love how they now have pink socks too 🙂 >Buy Hiking Socks
4. Water Reservoir: Water reservoirs help prevent me from getting dehydrated while hiking. The great thing about this reservoir is that it doesn’t have the plastic taste. >Here Is My Water Reservoir
5. Water: Stay nice and hydrated.
6. Sunglasses: It can get sunny so make sure to pack some sunglasses. >Check Out These Sunglasses
7. Snacks: The best snacks are jerky, nuts, energy bars. Clif Bars are great for hiking.
8. Camera: The Sony A6000 was one of the first cameras I started traveling with. The Sony A6000 is an excellent camera for people that want to start improving at travel photography.  >Buy Sony Camera Here
9. First Aid Kit: This is one of the first things I bought when I first started going on adventures. It is super portable. >Buy This Awesome First Aid Kit Here
10. Day Pack to carry all your things: To carry all your gear, water, and food, you need a good backpack. Osprey is known to have some of the best backpacks in the market. >Buy This Great Quality Backpack
11. Headlamp: A headlamp is an absolute must in case you get stranded in the dark! It is a lot more portable and easier to use than a flashlight. >Buy A Headlamp Now
12. Leggings or Hiking Pants: I always wear leggings while hiking because it is what I feel most comfortable with! >Click For My Favorite Hiking Leggings
13. Breathable sweat-wicking shirts: Cotton shirts soak up your sweat when hiking, so make sure to wear something breathable. >Check out this awesome breathable shirt here.
14. Mid Base Layer: If you are hiking in the winter this might be a great idea. >Check Out My Sweater Here
15. Sports Bra: For women.
16. Jacket: In case you get chilly at night.  >Buy My Favorite Jacket
17. Tripod: This is an optional item, but it is excellent for getting the ideal sunset pictures. >Check out this tripod
18. Knife: I always carry a knife in my backpack just in case. >Check Out My Knife Here

Best USA National Parks To Visit In The Spring

Olympic National Park

Spring is a great time to have a fantastic Washington coast road trip through Olympic National Park. Olympic National Park has such a unique landscape. It is filled with tall mountains, lush rainforests, and stunning beaches. Locals take advantage of the fewer crowds and flock here to experience some of the best sunsets in the state of Washington.

Since the elevation isn’t high in all areas of the park, it is easy to hike through the national park in the Spring. There are so many waterfalls like Sol Duc Falls, Royal Basin Falls, and Marymere Falls. There is also the famous Hoh rainforest that is filled with mossy trees. One of my favorite backpacking trips was at Enchanted Valley in May, and that was filled with stunning mountain views and lush rainforests. Let us not forget the coast. With stunning beaches like Rialto Beach, Second Beach, Ruby Beach, and Kalaloch beach, you will fall in love with this place!

I wrote a whole blog post on Olympic National Park: Click Here To Read More

Death Valley National Park – California

Death Valley National Park is known to be one of the hottest places on earth. In fact, It holds the world record for the hottest temperature, which is 134 degrees Fahrenheit. Visiting this national park during the summer is not an ideal time. So visit in the Spring!

We visited Death Valley National Park in April, and it was a fantastic time. But I will warn you that this park can still be hot as hell during this time. I suggest checking out the best spots right after sunrise and right before sunset.

Death Valley is filled with such bizarre formations such as the bright white salt flats, mountains splashed with the pastel colors of pink/purple, blue/green, and yellow/orange, jagged, sharp, brown formations of salts, and eerie rocks that move all on their own (yeah this isn’t a joke). Death Valley is a fascinating place that you need to see with your own eyes.

I wrote a whole blog post on Death Valley: Check Out That Post Here

Grand Canyon National Park – Arizona

I visited the Grand Canyon in March, and it was a perfect time to visit! I will warn you that it is still crowded to the extreme (I mean it is the Grand Canyon). But the temperature was perfect for the type of activity we were doing. Hiking this beast of a canyon is NOT easy. The temperatures were pretty chilly during this time of year. I had to wear a jacket, and there were many areas with ice, and even then I couldn’t imagine ever hiking here in the summer. I just can’t. So yes, Spring is an excellent time to visit this world-famous park. I encourage it!

I wrote a blog post on one of the hikes in the Grand Canyon: Check Out The Post Here

Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Tennessee & North Carolina

Spring is an excellent time for hikers to explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Flowers such as trilliums, orchids, violets, and iris bloom throughout the area. The weather starts to get warm, and the waterfalls are flowing more than usual. Some of the best trails include Clingmans Dome, Laurel Falls Trail, Andrews Bald Trail, Cades Cove, Rainbow Falls Trail, Mount LeConte, and Alum Cave Trail, Abrams Falls Trail, and Chimney Tops Trail.

One of my favorite parts of the Great Smoky Mountains was experiencing Cades Cove early in the morning with the fog surrounding us.

I wrote a whole blog post on the Great Smoky Mountains: Check Out The Post Here

Great Sand Dunes National Park – Colorado

Ahhhh, the Great Sand Dunes National Park. I was here in May a few years ago, and it was a fun time. This national park is filled with extremely tall sand dunes. Seriously very tall. I know that the picture above does not do it justice, but these dunes were massive compared to many dunes I have seen. Plan on about 5 hours round trip to hike Star Dune, the tallest dune in North America at 750 feet 😱 .

The springtime was a perfect time to visit. The sand is not hot to the touch like in the summertime. You can also rent some sand boards and go sandboarding. I will warn you that sandboarding can be a little more complicated then snowboarding, but it is still a fun time!

White Sand Dunes National Park

White Sands National Park just became a national park. Oddly enough, I visited this park in the spring the year before it became an official national park. It was chilly in the morning and also windy. The springtime can bring in some strong winds, so pack an extra warm jacket and a wind jacket. Long day hikes might be challenging if the wind is too rough. In April, a unique plant blooms at White Sands National Pack. The yuccas. You can call the visitor center ahead of time to see if the flowers are blooming.

Arches National Park

Visiting Arches National Park during the springtime is ideal. The park will still be crowded, but you will get some great temperatures compared to the summer. I highly recommend completing the Delicate Arch hike at sunrise, so you have a better chance of having this beauty to yourself.

I wrote a whole post on the Delicate Arch Hike: Check Out The Post Here

Canyonlands National Park

Due to the scorching hot summer temperatures in the summer, most people visit this national park during April and May. So if you do come in the spring, you will be met with crowds. Canyonlands consists of the four following districts: Islands in the Sky, The Maze Canyonlands, The Rivers, and The Needles. Islands in the sky is the most popular hike as it is close to Arches National Park and Moab. That is why I highly suggest exploring other less trafficked areas like The Needles or the Maze. I will warn you that it is more challenging to get to the less-trafficked districts.

I wrote a whole post on backpacking Canyonlands: You can read all about it here

Capitol Reef National Park

The perfect time to visit Capitol Reef National Park is the Spring. This national park is severely underrated! One of the least visited national parks in Utah, Capitol Reef is an absolute gem. If you visit in the Spring, you will most likely avoid the crowds and have this magnificent place all to yourself! The hikes here are exposed to the sun, so you don’t want to come in the summer to go hiking.

This is an excellent time to visit because of pi day. March 14 is when the Gifford Homestead opens its doors up to some delicious pies!!!! 🥧 The fruit orchards will also be blossoming so you can start picking some of your fruit, or you can take pictures of these lovely trees.

I wrote a whole post on Capitol Reef National Park: You can read about it here

Big Bend National Park

The best time to visit Big Bend National Park is in the spring. Many of the cactus in Big Bend bloom in late spring, and you might get lucky and get views of the official Texas Flower, the Bluebonnet. Locals take pictures with these Bluebonnets each year. I know because my Facebook is usually flooded with these yearly spring Bluebonnet pictures.

In the summer, the weather is too sweltering hot to enjoy, and they even close some of the visitor’s centers. Trust me, my friend, I am from Texas, and the day I left Texas, I promised myself never to come back in the summer. It is hot!

But I will say that Big Bend is a beautiful place! The most popular things to do are Hot Springs Trail, The Lost Mine Trail, Window View Trail, Grapevine Trail, Boquillas Canyon Trail, Santa Elena Canyon Trail, South Rim Trail, and Emory Peak. You can even cross the border and enjoy Mexico as well as Kayak down the Rio Grande.

I wrote a Whole Blog Post On Big Bend National Park: Check Out The Post Here

Joshua Tree National Park

Spring is the best time of year to visit Joshua Tree National Park. The temperatures are cool, and the wildflowers are blooming! The problem with this is that everyone else knows that Joshua Tree is great to visit this time of year, so you won’t be the only one there.

There are so many activities at Joshua Tree. There is hiking, climbing, stargazing, and experiencing some of the best sunsets, you will ever see.

I wrote a whole blog post on Joshua Tree National Park: You can read about it here

Zion National Park

There is almost no way to beat the crowds at Zion National Park anymore, but the springtime does offer fewer people than the summer. There is still a chance of hot weather in the Spring but an excellent chance to get some great cool weather as well.

Zion was the first national park I have ever visited, and it became my favorite national park. And it still is my favorite national park. There is something truly extraordinary about these colorful pink and orange canyons and sandstone cliffs. Something about it that will make you fall in love with this national park.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon is like many others on this list; hot as hell in the summer. So, of course, Springtime is the perfect time to visit. Even though Bryce Canyon is very close to Zion National Park, the weather here is a lot more extreme then Zion due to the elevation gain. Making wintertime a bit more challenging to visit. Hence why Springtime is perfect! There is a minimal chance of snowfall or thunderstorms, so you get incredible views of the Hoodoos. Just note that this national park is pretty small, so you only need a few days to enjoy it.

Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park is probably the most underrated national park on this list. It is only a few hours away from Los Angeles, and it is isn’t even close to being visited as much as Yosemite or Joshua Tree. So, you need to take advantage of this! Especially in the Spring. The grass is green, the wildflowers are blooming, and you will have a lot of the hikes to yourself. Plus, you can take sea kayaking cave tours, or you can even snorkel.

I wrote a whole post on this National Park: You can read more here

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite is known to hold some of the most breathtaking waterfalls in the country. That is why Spring is a fantastic time to visit this national park. When the snow starts melting, the waterfalls start flowing to the extreme. Some of the most famous waterfalls are the Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls, and Horsetail Falls.

Conclusion

I hope you can pick one of these national parks to visit this spring! If you need any more information on national parks, check out my post below:

• Best National Parks to Visit in the Summer
• USA National Park Checklist
• Best USA National Parks To Visit in the Fall
• How To Plan A National Park Road Trip
• Best National Parks To Visit In The Winter

Pin For Later