Travel

The Best National Parks To Visit In March And All Of Spring

If you’re ready to get outdoors and take advantage of the warming March temperatures, we have a list of the best national parks to visit at this time of year.

Towering rock formations are seen along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park.
(Photo by NPS)

Spring is a great time to get outside and visit many of the national parks across the United States.

By March, many of these stunning sites are coming out of their winter slumber, plants are blooming and temperatures are warming, but the crowds of summer aren’t there. So here’s our short, but not exhaustive list of parks where you can’t go wrong with a visit in March or early spring.

Pinnacles National Park

From its soaring peaks to the depths of the canyon floor, this park in California has options for beginners, seasoned hikers and climbers, and families. It’s also one of the few places where you have the chance to see the California condor in the wild.

Now here’s the bonus to visiting in March through May: March brings the end of the rainy season, so it's the peak blooming season for the park's wildflowers.

Goldfields bloom along the Rim Trail in Pinnacles National Park.
(Photo by NPS/Cindy Martinez)

The average high temperatures are comfortable, staying around 68 degrees.

Big Bend National Park

This park in southwestern Texas is one of the most remote in the country, so the crowds are small. And the park is huge – we’re talking 800,000 acres serving up mountains and desert landscapes filled with diverse flora and fauna.

In fact, a new plant species was discovered there in 2024; the tiny plant growing among the desert rocks was named "Wooly Devil." With average high temperatures in the mid-70s, March is a great time to see a Wooly Devil for yourself.

Close-up view of a Wooly Devil.
(NPS/D. Manley)

White Sands National Park

This park in New Mexico is home to the largest gypsum dunefield on the planet. It’s so large, it can be seen from space.

The white sand dunes can get as tall as 60 feet and sledding on them is one of the most popular activities. It’s one of the newer national parks – it was established in 2019 – and it’s also relatively small, covering just 176,000 acres.

All that wide-open space can be oppressively hot during the summer, but in March, high temperatures hang out in the low 70s and it’s one of the driest months in the region.

A woman sleds down a sand dune at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico.
(Getty Images)

Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park in South Carolina is home to the largest old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the Southeast. A winding boardwalk trail makes it an easy hike for visitors, but you can also canoe and kayak your way through the heart of the park on Cedar Creek.

March is a great time to visit this park because the mosquitoes are not out in full force. And although temperatures usually stay in the high 60s, rainfall is common this time of year, so you could feel a little muggy.

The Boardwalk at Congaree National Park, South Carolina.
(Getty Images)

Biscayne National Park

If you’re looking for a water adventure, Biscayne National Park in Florida is the place for you. Just south of Miami, 95% of the park is water and it’s home to one of the largest coral reef systems in the world. You can kayak, paddleboard, boat, fish, snorkel and scuba dive.

This watery wonderland is ideal in March because the warmer temperatures make the water perfect for diving in. The average high for this time of year is about 77 degrees.