14 best US spring break destinations in 2025

When the sky’s been gray for weeks, the furnace can’t keep up with the chill and you’re tired of deicing the driveway, going somewhere warm for even a week can be the secret to maintaining your mental health.

Even if you’re lucky enough to live where it doesn’t snow, you’ve likely been rained in for weeks and are desperate to travel to a destination where you can bask in the warmth of sunshine and explore the outdoors without bundling up head to toe. And if it’s a dog-friendly getaway you’re after, all you want is someplace where you won’t have to do a major wipe-down after every damp and gloomy walk.

Here are 14 of the best spring break destinations in the US, whether your ideal vacation involves sinking your toes in the sand, seeking out spring wildflowers, tipping back a beer on a lakeside dock or testing your mettle with a boundary-pushing adventure.

Monterey, California

Sheltered within the horseshoe curve of Monterey Bay, this former center of the fishing industry made famous in John Steinbeckʻs “Cannery Row” has grown into a marine science destination of international stature.

At the groundbreaking Monterey Bay Aquarium, which will celebrate its 41st anniversary in 2025, you can witness the antics of playful sea otters, circling sharks and chirping penguins diving into their pool. A leader in conservation science, the facility continues to unveil exhibits like Into the Deep, which mimics the near-freezing, high-pressure environment of the deep sea floor, where creatures found nowhere else have adapted to life in almost total darkness. Other highlights include the jellyfish tank, where the mysterious, transparent creatures seem to dance through the water, the Rocky Shores touch pool and timed events such as sea otter feedings, which you won’t want to miss.

Another must-see attraction is Cannery Row, which in addition to shops and cafes features Treasure Hunt: The Ride, an immersive, interactive attraction that opened in 2023 and reenacts the escapades of captain Hippolyte Bouchard, who attacked Monterey in 1818.

Related: 8 best theme parks in California for thrill-seekers and families

Possible whale sightings at various times during spring include humpbacks, grays, blues and even orcas. The best way to see them is on a boat tour such as those offered by Princess Monterey Whale Watching, which puts a marine biologist or naturalist on board to locate marine life and explain what you’re seeing.

If certain locations in Monterey look familiar, it’s because the town and surrounding area provided the setting for the hit TV miniseries “Big Little Lies,” which featured the iconic Bixby Bridge in the opening sequence. It’s only half an hour from Monterey to the bridge, the first stop on the classic cliff-hugging Big Sur road trip. While U.S. Highway 1 remains closed beyond Rocky Creek until summer 2025 for repairs due to landslides and rockfalls, you can still visit many of Big Sur’s most famous sites, including Pfeiffer Beach, McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and Nepenthe.

With fresh seafood unloaded from local fishing boats daily and the harvest bounty of Carmel and Salinas Valley on the table, dining is one of the best parts of the Monterey experience. Donʻt miss Wild Fish, renowned for its creative takes on the daily catch and uber-locavore sides like sauteed locally foraged seasonal mushrooms. For a hearty breakfast served all day, try Wave Street Cafe, where specials like Querida’s corned beef hash and huevos rancheros augment more traditional dishes and the dog-friendly patio offers a glimpse of the sea.

Where to stay

You’ll find the full resort experience at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course, which spans 22 private acres just outside the town center on the edge of the Del Monte Golf Course. Take advantage of two outdoor pools, three on-site restaurants, a seasonal beer garden and the cushy Spa Adeline. Rates start from $220 or 17,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Related: What makes a good destination for a company retreat — and why TPG chose Monterey

Or choose from one of the three local boutique hotels in the Four Sisters collection: Gosby House Inn and Green Gables Inn in Pacific Grove at the end of the Monterey peninsula, and Coachman’s Inn in neighboring Carmel. Rooms at all three start in the range of $225 to $350 per night and include luxury amenities like fireplaces, jacuzzi tubs, wine and cheese hours and a full breakfast. All three have dog-friendly rooms bookable in advance.

Lake City, Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida

Once you know that Lake City, Florida’s Springlands, an hour east of Jacksonville, features more than 900 freshwater springs and 350 miles of rivers, you’ll wonder why this watery fantasia isn’t better known.

In stark contrast to the spring break throngs overwhelming many of Florida’s more famous destinations, you’ll be thrilled at the peace to be found as you hike in the area’s thick pine forests, delve into its aquatic caves, trek to waterfalls and explore its nine state parks.

Related: The best state park in every US state

Lake City calls itself the “Springs Capital of the World,” and you won’t disagree when you see Ichetucknee Springs State Park, where people tube and kayak through waterways populated by otters, soft-shell turtles, wild turkeys, wood ducks and the striking long-billed limpkins. While some areas of the park were damaged by recent hurricanes, prime attractions like Blue Hole Spring and Headspring remain open.

Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park, named after a well-known cave diver and underwater photographer, protects one of the most extensive underwater cave systems in the continental U.S., where more than 33,000 feet of caves have been documented since the mid-1950s.

It’s worth the two-hour drive to St. Augustine to tour a real-life fort, the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, built by Spanish colonists in the 17th century. You’ll want to add a tour of Villa Zorayda, built to resemble a mini-Alhambra complete with Moorish-influenced tile work.

If you’re thinking of visiting later in the spring, time your visit to experience Jacksonville’s celebration of Juneteenth, a high-spirited celebration that kicks off with a Freedom Walk and continues with the Melanin Market, which brings together more than 150 Black-owned businesses and features music, food trucks, craft booths and pop-up boutiques. The Jazz Discovery Series at James Weldon Johnson Park draws big-name musicians.

Where to stay

Convenient to Ichetucknee Springs, the Home2Suites by Hilton Lake City has a large pool enclosed in a sunny patio area, offers pet-friendly rooms and includes breakfast, making it a great home base from which to explore the area. Rates start from $134 per night or 39,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and San Luis Valley, Colorado

Who knew that the largest sand dunes in the world are not along the coast but rather deep in the interior of the U.S.? Left behind when massive Lake Alamosa receded some 440,000 years ago, the sand was sculpted by high desert winds into peaks as high as 750 feet, all of which are open for climbing.

But not just climbing — the big fun in Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is sandboarding, an extreme sport similar to snowboarding. Sandboarding is not for the faint of heart, given the speeds at which boarders whizz down the steep inclines — and the frequency with which they wipe out. But it’s just as much fun to climb the dunes and gaze out across the enormous expanse of sand as it gradates from gold to pink in the changing light.

And yes, there’s actually a beach here, too, created by Medano Creek, which emerges mysteriously from the base of the dunes when fed by spring runoff. In warm weather, Medano Beach, as locals call it, resembles any other beach scene, with colorful umbrellas dotting the sand and hardy swimmers splashing and tubing in the rippling waves created by the current.

Related: 12 best national parks to visit with your kids

There’s no question the weather in the San Luis Valley is iffy in the spring — snow can fall as late as April given the park’s elevation, which ranges from 7,520 to 13,604 feet, but the warm sun typically melts the snow off the dunes within a day. Medano Creek reaches peak flow in April, but it’s not warm enough for most swimmers until May.

You’ll find plenty more to explore among the dramatic landscapes of southern Colorado, including four public hot springs surrounding the town of Alamosa, which range in vibe from family-friendly Splashland to romantic Joyful Journey.

You’ll also want to make the trek to Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge to witness the sandhill crane migration that takes place from March through early April and, if possible, attend the annual Monte Vista Crane Festival held from March 7-9, 2025, to go on guided bird-watching walks and attend photography workshops or various bird seminars.

Where to stay

Retro-cool Mellow Moon Lodge in the town of Del Norte has free bikes on-site for guests, welcomes dogs and wows with its midcentury modern decor. Rooms start at $130 per night. Families like the Holiday Inn Express in Alamosa for the pool, hot tub and included breakfast. Rooms start at $108 or 20,000 IHG One Rewards points per night.

The Finger Lakes, New York

What can’t you do in the Finger Lakes region of New York, where eleven different lakes offer seemingly endless possibilities for hiking, biking, boating, swimming and kicking back in the ubiquitous Adirondack chairs that adorn every porch and dock?

Base your stay in and around Seneca Lake, the largest and best known of the group. Visit the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls to better understand the history of the suffrage movement and women’s roles in abolition and other social movements. Over in the town of Auburn, the Harriet Tubman Home tells the life story of one of the key figures in Black history in America, who helped organize the Underground Railroad and led enslaved people to freedom.

Outdoor attractions abound, including the many waterfalls that tumble over and through the areaʻs characteristic layered limestone cliffs. The top place to experience these is Watkins Glen State Park, which has no fewer than 19 cascades near the south end of Seneca Lake. (Pack a poncho, as you’ll walk underneath many of them along the Gorge Trail.) Equally unmissable, Taughannock Falls State Park, near Cayuga Lake, featureʻs one of the stateʻs tallest waterfalls at 215 feet.

Situated along several miles of Seneca Lake shoreline, the bustling hamlet of Geneva takes its cue from its Swiss namesake, studding the streets of its well-preserved 19th-century downtown with flower boxes and closing several blocks for pedestrian-only strolling on spring and summer weekend evenings. The many wine shops and wine bars reflect Geneva’s close relationship with the surrounding wine country, where tasting rooms abound along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.

Related: The 12 best road trips to take with your family this summer

For some big-city fun in nearby Rochester, wander the Neighborhood of the Arts with its many museums and galleries before relaxing in 150-acre Highland Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park fame.

At the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House, you’ll continue your suffrage journey by sitting in the rooms where the pioneering women’s rights leader strategized with other heroines of the movement and lived until her death in 1906.

The Rochester Lilac Festival, held annually in May, celebrates a collection of more than 12,000 lilacs in full bloom (America’s largest collection). The largest living history museum in New York, Genesee Country Village & Museum, immerses visitors in 19th-century life with costumed guides demonstrating barrel-making, ceramics, blacksmithing and more. Going further than most such attractions, the museum offers craft workshops and a chance for kids to try stilt-walking, hoop-rolling and other old-fashioned games.

Where to stay

In Geneva, choose 41 Lakefront Hotel, part of Wyndhamʻs Trademark collection, for the prime lake views from its spacious rooms, glass-fronted restaurant and lawn sloping down to the waterʻs edge. Rooms start at $94 or 30,000 Wyndham Rewards points per night.

The historic Gould Hotel in Seneca Falls has 48 high-ceilinged rooms with crystal chandeliers and other touches of bygone elegance. Its cozy restaurant serves glammed-up comfort food like cowboy Denver steak, roasted duck and Parmesan-crusted salmon. Rooms start at $244 per night.

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Most people know the Willamette Valley for its world-class pinots and artsy cuisine-centered villages. But thanks to its location halfway between the Cascade range and the even wilder West Cascades, this bucolic swath of central Oregon has become a premier destination for waterfall enthusiasts between March and July when rivers are running high. Another new draw is central Oregonʻs agricultural bounty, which in recent years has become more accessible through farm tours, seasonal events and farm stays.

The Trail of Ten Waterfalls in Silver Falls State Park edges around and across a series of limestone terraces to access caves behind 100-foot cascades. And if your ambitions for adventure include climbing — or even sleeping in — a towering pine or cedar, Tree Climbing at Silver Falls offers guided climbing and rappelling adventure tours and even the opportunity to sleep suspended high in the canopy.

In McDowell Creek Falls County Park, an easy two-mile loop winds through mossy woods to access four different falls; highlights are 120-foot two-tiered Royal Terrace Falls and Majestic Falls. Reopened last spring after being closed by wildfire in 2020, 100-foot Shellburg Falls is one of central Oregon’s most beloved and dramatic cascades and also one of its best-kept secrets. Spirit Falls, which plummets into a mossy basalt grotto, is reachable via a flat 0.6-mile round-trip hike, making it perfect for families.

Traffic-free roads, little-known trails and wildly varying terrain make central Oregon an ideal cycling destination despite the state’s reputation for unpredictable weather. Road bikers of all levels will find a route to please along the 134-mile Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway, which follows the river from Salem to Eugene. Experienced gravel and mountain bike riders rise to the challenge of the Benton County Winery and Historic Route, which climbs 3,500 feet while passing wineries, ranches and a long-running country store and crossing a turn-of-the-century covered bridge. With dozens of wineries and tasting rooms welcoming visitors year-round, it’s hard to know where to start, but the Willamette Valley Wine Trail offers maps, suggested itineraries and recommendations tailored to various tastes.

Where to stay

Picture an upscale hobbit hole with boutique amenities and dramatic valley views and you’ll grasp the appeal of Inn the Ground, a unique and supremely green hotel about 40 miles southwest of Portland where rooms are built into the hillside under a sod roof. Rooms start at $481 per night.

Families and vintage car fans will love The Vintages Trailer Resort, where 34 retro rolling homes, each one a different model, have been updated in chic midcentury modern style and fitted with private decks furnished with chairs and tables. At this resort just outside of McMinnville, guests have access to free cruiser bikes, a general store with supplies and a festive group fire pit area. Trailers start at $89 per night and go up depending on size, number of beds and amenities.

Tucson, Arizona

An hour’s drive from the Mexico border, Tucson is the perfect place to savor the Southwest’s cultural mashup, which extends to the city’s extraordinary cuisine that earned it a place on the world food map with its designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. And, indeed, the Arizona Star newspaper has mapped out a taco tour listing 25 different taco restaurants and food trucks clustered in five sections of the city.

In between meals, explore the Mission San Xavier del Bac, a Spanish Catholic mission dating to 1699, as well as the Pima Air & Space Museum and the Titan Missile Museum. Tucson is famous for hosting the biggest gem and geology event in the world, so it’s no wonder that the University of Arizona opened the Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum in 2022.

In addition to being a popular place to go hiking during the day, Saguaro National Park was certified as an official Urban Night Sky Place in 2023. This designation recognizes sites that use planning and design to support an authentic nighttime experience despite being in settings with high levels of ambient light.

Related: Planning a stargazing expedition? Here’s everything you need to know about Dark Sky Places

Adult spring breakers will appreciate Tucson’s new four-day Agave Heritage Festival, the first festival in honor of the desert native, which has grown in this region for more than 1,000 years. The festival, which takes place April 10 to 13, honors community, culture and conservation through mezcal tastings, culinary events, educational seminars and more.

Where to stay

You can have the full luxury resort vacation just half an hour from downtown at the adults-only Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa, which is well worth the drive for its three pools, acres of hiking trails and the Life in Balance Spa. Rooms start at $1,447 or 50,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Maui, Hawaii

Spring is whale watching season in Maui, and what amazing whale watching it is. While the devastating fires in 2023 destroyed much of the historic whaling town of Lahaina and its busy harbor, rebuilding is well underway, and you can support the region by visiting nearby Kaanapali, one of the best spots to catch the migrating humpbacks that give birth in Hawaii’s warmer waters before departing for their summer home in Alaska.

Closer marine life encounters require joining a boat trip, and, luckily, there are plenty to choose from. Ask whether there’s a naturalist on board, and some boats even feature hydrophones that amplify the eerie sound of whale song.

Of course, you’ve come to Maui to go to the beach, and Maui’s varied topography means you’ll find every kind, from swathes of white sand to secluded rocky coves; Wailea, Kaanapali and Napili Bay are all perennial crowd-pleasers.

You’ll find some of Maui’s best food outside the resorts at the Kahului food trucks favored by locals and in the chef-centered establishments that line Main Street in the surf town of Paia.

Take a day to drive the Road to Hana, which snakes along the sheer cliffs on the island’s west side and will have you stopping at every turn to photograph waterfalls and dramatic ocean views.

On the way, stop at the Kahanu Garden, a National Tropical Botanical Garden, where you’ll find one of the island’s largest forests of native hala. Many visit the park to see the National Historic Landmark Pi’ilanihale Heiau, a massive lava rock shrine thought to be the largest ancient human-made structure in Polynesia.

Where to stay

Situated at Pu’u Keka’a (Black Rock) with 23 acres of spectacular Ka’anapali Beach oceanfront, the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is beloved for its 142-yard lagoon-style pool divided into numerous areas connected by black lava rock paths and bridges, but youʻll also love the multiple dining options and fun highlights like bean bag-style floaties. Rooms start at $471 or 58,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Related: The 18 best hotels in Maui, from luxury stays to family-friendly resorts

Breckenridge, Colorado

In search of fresh powder, rather than soft sand? You wonʻt do better than Breckenridge, which enjoys one of the longest ski seasons in the continental U.S. thanks to its location at 9,600 feet elevation in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The BreckConnect Gondola, beloved by visitors for providing a car-free vacation experience, operates until April 28, after which buses transport skiers and riders up the mountain. Late-season skiers can also enjoy the Peaks & Beats Music Series (April 25-27) with live bands on multiple stages and a festive sink-or-swim pond crossing contest.

Breck, as regulars call it, may be best known for skiing and snowboarding, but is quickly gaining popularity as a four-season destination. The spring shoulder season feels particularly relaxed, as locals venture out to gather in popular cafes and watering holes and a gentler mood prevails in the sometimes overly buzzy downtown.

Those who prefer hiking, biking and rafting will have to wait until May, when the first trails — those in the valley — begin to clear of snow and wildflowers make their first appearance. Be prepared for mud, however; locals and regular visitors affectionately refer to April and May as “mud season,” and many prefer it for the lack of crowds and bargain lodging rates. Mud-tolerant mountain bikers hit lower-elevation trails starting in May, but the resort doesn’t open its official biking season — and beloved bike haul lift — until mid to late June.

Rent your preferred set of wheels from one of numerous local outfitters and bike or e-bike on the 7-mile Blue River Recreation Path (called the Rec Path by residents), a paved bike and pedestrian route that follows the Blue River, passing the High Line Railroad Park. Or hike from the base of the resort’s Snowflake lift to Sawmill Reservoir, a gentle 1.5-mile ascent perfect for all ages.

If the weather really warms up, paddle boarders head for Dillon Reservoir and Maggie Pond; you can join them with a rental from Charter Sports. At the Country Boy Mine, guides take you deep into the tunnels that in the 1880s were rich with gold ore, including the 13.5-pound gold nugget nicknamed Tom’s Baby.

Spring is also wildflower season in Breckenridge, when alpine valleys sport blankets of yellow arnica and sneezeweed, blue flax, scarlet gilia and tri-color columbine, the state flower. The Mohawk Lakes, Sawmill Creek and Cucumber Gulch are particularly prime viewing spots, with pasqueflowers, snowdrops, marsh marigolds and low chiming bells appearing in April and later-blooming varieties like lupine and paintbrush continuing through summer.

The Breckenridge Distillery, which claims to be the highest-altitude distillery in the country, regularly earns accolades like the double gold from the New York International Spirits Competition. Take a behind-the-scenes tour, held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, to learn what goes into making their signature whiskeys, gins and vodkas. Or take advantage of the distilleryʻs tastings, which offer two complimentary pours and additional samples for just $1. When food is required to soak up the spirits, duck into the adjacent dining room for prime rib, smoked pork and red rockfish ceviche.

Where to stay

Brand new to the Hilton portfolio, the expansive 205-room Hotel Alpenrock Breckenridge, part of the Curio Collection, has it all — direct ski-in access along with a free shuttle into town and pet-friendly rooms. Rates start at $295 or 70,000 points per night.

Corpus Christi, Texas

With 150 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline and nine beaches, there’s far more to Corpus Christi than Padre Island National Seashore, though the wild dune-studded coastline of this barrier island is a must, especially in May when sea turtles begin to hatch. Mustang Island State Park is almost as popular. One thing that sets Corpus Christi’s coast apart from other coastal destinations is that camping is allowed right on the beach, including primitive campsites on both Padre and Mustang islands.

You can saddle up right on the sand at Horses on the Beach and you can also drive right onto the sand at many beaches (as well as build bonfires), so things can get a bit rowdy at the height of spring break, to the delight of some visitors and the irritation of others. Horace Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas on Mustang Island is a favored base for fishing and water sports.

When you can drag yourself away from the beach, head to the Texas State Aquarium, the fourth largest in the U.S. It pushes boundaries with in-the-water experiences like snorkeling with sharks. There’s also the USS Lexington Museum, which has the unusual feature of escape rooms on board.

Where to stay

Step straight onto the sand from the DoubleTree by Hilton Corpus Christi Beachfront, where rooms start at $115 or 37,000 Hilton Honors points per night. Marriott Bonvoy members can choose from several options including the Residence Inn Corpus Christi South where rooms start at $126 or 23,000 Bonvoy points a night.

Fort Myers, Florida

There’s water everywhere in Fort Myers, with more than 100 barrier and coastal islands and all the exciting wildlife you’d expect given its location on the Gulf of Mexico and rich topography of mangroves, lagoons and sheltered Gulf Shore beaches.

And, of course, there’s sun, too, and plenty of it thanks to the Gulf Coast’s tropical climate, which makes it easy to spend entire days swimming, hunting for shells and just plain lounging at popular beaches like Lighthouse and Tarpon Bay on Sanibel Island, Bonita Beach on Little Hickory Island and Boca Grande Beach on Gasparilla Island. Many visitors also set sail on guided tours or private boat charters to North Captiva, Cayo Costa and Cabbage Key.

To see eagles and gopher tortoises, venture into one of the area’s 47 nature preserves, among them Six Mile Cypress Slough, with its wetlands boardwalk, and J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, where 51 types of reptiles and amphibians, 32 mammal species and more than 245 species of birds, including the rare roseate spoonbill, roam 7,600 acres of mangroves.

Or, visit the Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs, which shelters rescued, rehabilitated and nonreleasable animals from alligators and pythons to vivid flamingos, macaws and Chinese golden pheasants. Manatee fans can view the friendly and absurdly photogenic mammals from the boardwalk or even kayak and paddleboard among them in Manatee Park, where they take shelter in the warmer waters during February, March and sometimes into April.

Car and history lovers will gawk at the antique cars and futuristic inventions of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford housed in their former winter estates, which also feature a 20-acre botanical garden designed by Edison himself that’s a riot of color in the spring.

Known as the City of Palms, Fort Myers is located inland on the Caloosahatchee River, and the downtown River District celebrates its historic charm with boutiques, restaurants and cafes housed in 19th-century colonial-style buildings.

You can also feel good that your travel dollars are helping a region that was hit hard by Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and suffered additional damage from flooding during Helene and Milton in October, 2024. But the area has made a remarkable recovery thanks to hard work and a tourism industry eager to welcome back visitors.

Where to stay

Just say waterslides, lazy river and boat rides to the kids and you’ll have the family on board for a stay at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa, which also appeals to adults with two additional pools, one adults-only and access to a semi-private island reached by a 15-minute ferry trip with departures every hour. It’s also dog-friendly, allowing up to two dogs per room. The resort is a Category 5 property, with rooms starting at $342 or 17,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Related: 12 best all-inclusive resorts in Florida

Pigeon Forge and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park turns technicolor in spring when wildflowers like trillium blanket the forest floors while valleys burst out in a fiery bouquet of orange, yellow and purple. While Hurricane Helene caused flooding and other damage to the easternmost portion of the park, roads and trails are largely reopened. Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and other towns on the Tennessee side of the park were little affected. And while Asheville, North Carolina, was hit hard, the community is pulling together in a remarkable rebuilding effort and encourages visitors to return and support the local economy.

Wildflowers are one of the Smokies’ claims to fame, and prime viewing spots abound. Try Porters Creek for trillium and the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail to see expanses of flowers spread across the valley. The park celebrates its bounty of bloom April 23-26 with the three-day Wildflower Pilgrimage.

If you’re a country music fan or visiting this area with kids in tow, you’ll want to hit up Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. The country music-themed attraction features a theater with regular concerts and rides like the Lighting Rod roller coaster, the Dollywood Express locomotive and the newest addition, the Big Bear Mountain roller coaster.

In true Dolly spirit, day passes are ridiculously reasonable, and if you stay in one of the park’s hotels, you receive discounts and perks like TimeSaver skip-the-line passes.

Related: My ‘9 to 5’ sent me to sleep in Dolly Parton’s $10,000 tour bus suite — here’s what it was like

Where to stay

Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort, the newest addition to the Pigeon Forge complex, manages to combine classy with rustic, a hard blend to carry off. And it does a great job catering to families with suites and double rooms. Rooms start from $152 a night.

Greater Palm Springs, California

The spring bloom in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts and Coachella Valley is deservedly world-famous, with carpets of poppies, lupine and desert sunflowers contrasting photogenically with cholla cactus, fan palms and other desert favorites.

See them in the Mission Creek Preserve, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the Randall Henderson Trail in the San Bernardino National Forest, or get farther out into rugged canyon country with a guided Jeep tour. And, of course, you’ll want to visit Joshua Tree National Park, entering via the west entrance closer to Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs or the less crowded South Entrance near Coachella.

And you don’t even have to give up the beach by choosing the desert: The Palm Springs Surf Club, which opened in 2024, features the ultimate modern wave pool designed by professional surfers to provide an authentic wave riding experience for those at all levels. Beginners will appreciate that it features two distinct breaks: The first of two breaks, the outer reef is designed for intermediate to advanced surfers, while beginners can hone their skills at the Reform Wave section as well as take advantage of surf lessons on offer.

Newly reopened in 2024 after a top-to-bottom renovation, the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert in Rancho Mirage features a wealth of interactive, hands-on exhibits designed especially for children under 8, including those with learning challenges.

Anyone who appreciates soaking in a natural mineral pool should visit the Spa at Sec-he in Palm Springs, which is owned and operated by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The mammoth 73,000-square-foot spa complex features 22 private mineral baths and extensive facilities including halotherapy salt caves, quartz beds, a beauty and hair salon and a 17,000-square-foot pool deck surrounding a resort-style waterfall pool. The treatment options, which are based on the Cahuillas’ deep traditions of healing, have continued to expand since the spa’s opening and include float therapy, cryotherapy, body scrubs and wraps, and massage therapies including quartz cupping massage and restorative energy.

Where to stay

One of TPG’s favorite hotel openings of 2024, the Thompson Palm Springs has 168 rooms decorated in a chic midcentury modern meets Mediterranean design scheme. Rates start at $450 or 17,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Related: Best hotels in Palm Springs that are an oasis in the desert

The Catskills, New York

Though there may still be snow on the ground in April in the Catskills, a spring getaway provides plenty of activities for families as the mountains just north of New York City unthaw. Among the region’s top attractions is the Catskill Mountain Railroad in Kingston, run by a railroad heritage organization dedicated to preserving the rail corridor for recreational use. Hop on board The Bunny Express, which features an Easter egg hunt on April 12, 13 and 19.

Explore the mountains and valleys on horseback at Bailiwick Animal Park & Riding Stables, which reopens for the season on April 19, or indulge your appreciation for animals at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, home to more than 200 horses, sheep, pigs and chickens all rescued and well cared for. Day passes, which must be booked in advance, are available starting April 1 and continue every weekend through November.

Where to stay

You’ll find an authentic, family-friendly Catskills lodge experience at The Chatwal Lodge, which occupies 100 lakeside acres in the southern Catskills and is part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection. All-inclusive rates start at $738 or 58,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Moab, Utah

The up-and-coming outdoor hub of Moab, located between Arches and Canyonlands national parks, offers the perfect home base to explore both, as well as Dead Horse Point State Park, which many consider on par with the state’s sublime national parks. In addition, Moab is surrounded by numerous state parks as well as public open space managed by the Bureau of Land Management where itʻs possible to hike among hoodoos, arches, rock spires and red rock canyons without the crowds.

One of the top mountain biking destinations in the country, Moab lures riders with hundreds of miles of slickrock trails, among them the beloved Moab Brand Trails. While riding on slickrock is a challenge prized by experienced riders, Moab has plenty of beginner-friendly bike trails as well, and bike rentals are plentiful. Moab is also where you’ll embark on one of the river rafting adventures that ply the Green and Colorado rivers.

Where to stay

Stay at the Red Cliffs Lodge Moab, which just joined the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. The summer camplike complex features a pool, horseback riding and an off-roading center. Also on the resort property is the popular Moab Museum of Film and Western Heritage, which is undergoing renovations but will reopen in the summer. Rates start at $146 or 71,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

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