Here Are The 15 Absolute Best Places To Visit In March Across The United States

Whether March follows the saying, “in like a lion, out like a lamb” in your part of the country, why not just skip all of that nonsense and travel somewhere interesting, warm, and sunny, (or even snowy – if you are chasing one last ski trip)? We’ve put together a little guide to March travel so you can find new ideas for your travel plans this year. So let’s get right to it; here are some of the best places to visit in the U.S. in March.

This article is part our Best Places to Visit in the USA series. If you’re looking for the top places to visit around the country in each month of the year then look no further, our guides will give you all the seasonal travel inspiration you need to find the perfect location for your next getaway:

Best Places to Visit in The USA In March

When March rolls around, it is time for many of us to ditch winter jackets and thirty-pound snow boots in search of interesting places to travel with beautiful views and warm sunny days. Let’s check out some of the best March vacations in the US, shall we?

Destin, FL 32541, USA

Art Wager / E+ via Getty Images

• Location: Destin, FL
• Why Visit In March: Visiting Destin, Florida in March is just about perfect for Mac and Cheese lovers - the annual NoMi Mac & Cheese Fest warms up tummies in Griffing Park in early March.
• Where To Stay Nearby: Enjoy the gorgeous views of the Gulf Coast when you stay at this premier resort. The Emerald Grande is right on the beach, and this spacious three-bedroom condo will treat you like royalty.

Destin is a pretty happening place in March, with several festivals and events going on. Besides the ultimate Mac and Cheese Festival, you'll also want to partake in the St. Patrick's Day Grogg March. You'll want to hit up AJ's Oyster Shanty before the march because the parade starts there and travels down to the HarborWalk Village. All throughout that area, you'll find festivities going on. Add to that the mild temps in the 70s with a cool ocean breeze, and you have one fantastic vacation in Florida on your hands.

Savannah, GA, USA

joe daniel price / Moment Getty Images

• Location: Savannah, GA
• Why Visit In March: Visiting Savannah, Georgia in March, you just know they will go all out for St. Paddy's Day. But did you know there is a huge vegan food festival too? The Savannah Veg Fest in Forsyth Park will treat you to amazing vegan food, guest speakers, and live entertainment - all for free!
• Where To Stay Nearby: The charming and beautiful Captain's Cottage is very near the iconic River Street in the Savannah Historic District. It is a renovated cottage built in 1900 with a blend of antique and modern charm with room for four guests.

Savannah, Georgia is such a wonderfully charming town with cobblestone streets along the historic River Street, which runs beside the Savannah River. It is a hot spot for restaurants, live entertainment, and shopping. Then you have Forsyth Park, a 30-acre park filled with enchanting Spanish moss trees drooping over the road. The park is always a great place to look for fun events and festivals throughout the year. In March, the fountain is dyed green in celebration of Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities. You'll definitely want to look out for all of the fun activities around March 17.

Advertisement

Houston, TX, USA

Shobeir Ansari / Moment via Getty Images

• Location: Houston, TX
• Why Visit In March: When visiting Houston, Texas in March, you'll want to head to Memorial Park, the largest city park, to enjoy the blooming Bluebonnets. The Texas State Flower blooms from mid to late March.
• Where To Stay Nearby: Enjoy stunning skyline views of downtown Houston in this quiet luxury townhome only a mile from downtown.

Houston is a vibrant modern city that comes alive in March. If you want to get away from the city, a trip to Brazos Bend State Park would treat you to wildflowers, hiking trails, and plenty of songbirds welcoming you to spring. Of course, March is rodeo season in Texas, so make sure you pack your cowboy hat and spurs to join in on one of the most iconic Texas activities. You also can't come all the way to Houston without taking part in Texas Fest toward the end of the month, about 40 miles north of the city. It is a grand celebration with live music, craft beer, car shows, and a frisbee dog show.

Advertisement

Best Attractions To Visit In The USA In March To Avoid Crowds

Check out these places to go in March in the USA if your ideal vacation takes you away from typical tourist attractions. Because there is plenty to see and do that isn’t in every travel guidebook.

Colorado Springs, CO, USA

Merilee Phillips / Moment via Getty Images

• Location: Colorado Springs, CO
• Why Visit In March: Colorado takes its St. Patrick's Day festivities pretty seriously, so visiting Colorado Springs in March around that time is a pretty exciting time. Expect around 35,000 people to join you for the parade, green beer garden, and Leprechaun fun run. If your aim is to avoid crowds, plan your trip later in the month.
• Where To Stay Nearby: Colorado Springs has such a wonderful walkable downtown with shops, brew pubs, restaurants, and entertainment options. Staying at the Wildflower Colorado bungalow right near downtown gives you a cozy place to stay within walking distance of a whole ton of fun.

If you truly want to avoid the crowds in Colorado Springs, the Garden of the Gods is calling your name. This sacred space is simply magical any time of year. You can take the 5.6-mile scenic drive through the park to get an idea of its magnitude, but the best way to enjoy it is by getting out there with a pair of well-worn hiking boots and seeing where they will take you. Instead of starting out at a visitors center like most state and national parks, you simply get out at various scenic overlooks along the drive and start hiking.

Skagit Valley, Washington 98284, USA

Edmund Lowe Photography / Moment via Getty Images

• Location: La Connor, WA
• Why Visit In March: Visiting Skagit Valley, Washington in March is typically a little early for tulip season, but we have something extra special for you - the La Conner Daffodil Festival!
• Where To Stay Nearby: This beautiful spot near Mount Vernon has six whole acres of private land for you to enjoy the charming cabin on a pond with room for four guests.

Skagit Valley's claim to fame is the incredible tulip fields that cover the already beautiful landscape. In April, hundreds of thousands of visitors descend on this area to partake in the epic tulip festivals. That's why we are planning our Skagit Valley vacation for March. Late March, in particular, can be blessed with an early bloom so you can enjoy the incredible beauty of this iconic feature without suffering through the mass of tourists. Skagit Valley also has a surprise for you in March - bright yellow daffodils! These March bloomers are just as stunning and cheerful as the tulips.

Asheville, NC, USA

Fine Art Images by Rob Travis Photography / Moment via Getty Images

• Location: Asheville, NC
• Why Visit In March: When visiting Asheville, North Carolina in March, make sure you make it to the North Carolina Arboretum for Meditative Mornings on the first Tuesday of the month. The whole park slows down, and you can enjoy a quiet walk through the budding trees and early-flowering wildflowers. It is such a peaceful way to start your day.
• Where To Stay Nearby: One of our favorite places to stay in Asheville is a cozy mountain cabin. Enjoy views of Spivey Mountain from the warmth of your hot tub on a cool March morning as the birds come alive in the forest - it's pure magic.

Asheville, NC is an absolutely beautiful destination in the spring when winter releases its hold on the land and nature breathes new life into the Blue Ridge Mountains. March may be a little early for blooming flowers, but you can tell they are yearning to peek forth very soon - if you come in late March, you'll most likely be blessed with some early bloom on those stunning mountain hiking trails. If you are hoping to avoid crowds, this is the perfect time when the weather is starting to warm up and the streets are fairly quiet. Be sure to partake in a few St. Patrick's Day events in mid-March with pub crawls and lots of green treats. With ten breweries all within walking distance, this is one of the best cities for St. Patrick's Day fun.

Best Places To Visit In The US In March For Outdoor Adventure

These next two destinations are some of the best places to travel in March in the USA for amazing, and possibly unexpected, outdoor adventures. If breathtaking views and ragging rapids are your thing, that is.

Grand Canyon, Arizona 86052, USA

Putt Sakdhnagool / Moment via Getty Images

• Location: Grand Canyon, AZ
• Why Visit In March: If you are up for a serious adventure, visiting the Grand Canyon in March allows you to take on the fiercest rapids on the Colorado River - expect tours to start around mid-March.
• Where To Stay Nearby: Stay at a 30-acre ranch only 20 minutes from the Grand Canyon's southern entrance, with gorgeous views everywhere you turn. This three-bedroom home is cozy, comfortable, and modern, so you'll feel right at home.

If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon, you might just think it is a big dusty desert canyon - whoop-de-doo! But when you stand at the edge of Toroweap Overlook with nothing around you but death-defying drops and the sound of the wind egging you on - you'll change your mind mighty fast. For outdoor adventurers or simply those who really appreciate the natural world around us, the Grand Canyon is incredibly magical. From rafting on the Colorado River to paddle boarding on Havasu Creek, surrounded by sheer cliff walls, the possibilities for adventures are pretty limitless.

Related Stories

I Took 13 Overnight Trips Last Year, And Here Are 13 Travel Products My Family Can't Live Without

We Can't Resist The 51 Most Playful Airbnbs In America, One For Each State

Here Are The Top 15 States In America For A Summer Road Trip, According To OnlyInYourState Readers

Santa Fe, NM, USA

Michael Dunning / The Image Bank via Getty Images

• Location: Santa Fe, NM
• Why Visit In March: Visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico in March is the perfect time to go on an epic rafting trip on the Rio Grande - the water is rough, and the turns are tough. But it is an adventure you will always remember. If the trails are clear of snow, mountain biking on the La Tierra Trails is another adventure to put on your list. Of course, there are miles and miles of hiking trails to explore too.
• Where To Stay Nearby: After a long day of outdoor and indoor fun, you'll want to retreat to this beautiful historic adobe home with a cedar hot tub and an incredible private back patio. You can even explore downtown Santa Fe with the four bicycles that are free to use.

Santa Fe is a crazy cool town with something for everyone. But you are looking for outdoor adventures, aren't you? First, let's look at a fascinating and fun indoor adventure - Meow Wolf. This incredible interactive house of magic, for lack of a better term, is so unique you have to see it to believe it. It is mind-bending fun for all ages from toddlers to stodgy old men - but we think one look at Meow Wolf will turn that frown upside down. Back to our regularly scheduled program - outdoor adventures. You've got everything from a cool and casual Santa Fe River Walk to hiking the Nambe Lake Trail to a crisp alpine lake. Finish off your rugged day of adventure with a brewery tour or even a fancy cocktail at the Meow Wolf bar.

Advertisement

Best Places To Visit In March For Events

March is the time we start to wake up from a long winter. What better way to do that than by having a little party? March is filled with many fun events and festivals all around the nation, so it isn’t hard to find a fun place to travel. Here are a couple of our favorites.

Austin, TX, USA

Stephen Olker / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

• Location: Austin, TX
• Why Visit In March: If you plan on visiting Austin, Texas in March, get ready to party with big-name celebrities at SXSW. South By is an epic film and music festival in mid-March that takes Austin from a really cool city to the epicenter of fun.
• Where To Stay Nearby: Stay in the heart of Austin in this incredible Costa Rican-inspired glass treehouse! Five bedrooms surrounded by windows make for a breathtaking home base for your SXSW getaway.

Austin, Texas is one of our favorite cities - if you love craft beer, food trucks, and vibrant nightlife, we think you'll love it too. Just hit up Sixth Street any time from Thursday night through Saturday night, and you'll have an endless supply of evening fun. After a night out, make sure you take some time to chill and recoup at Zilker Metropolitan Park with its beautiful botanical gardens, a natural spring-fed pool, and a wide open green space for a little frisbee or early afternoon picnic. Austin is one of the best cities to visit in March in the USA for music and film buffs, too, with the iconic SXSW festival.

Richmond, VA, USA

Sky Noir Photography by Bill Dickinson / Moment via Getty Images

• Location: Richmond, VA
• Why Visit In March: Make sure you are visiting Richmond, Virginia in March for Shamrock the Block - a free street festival that Shamrock's the heck out of St. Paddy's Day. Look for it the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day each year.
• Where To Stay Nearby: A delightful place to stay in Historic Ginter Park is this elegantly remodeled home with easy access to restaurants, breweries, and cute boutique shops. It is also close to the botanical gardens and Bryan Park.

From early March wildflowers peeking through left-over fall leaves to an explosion of spring blossoms in late March with cherry and apple trees getting ready to bear fruit - Richmond, Virginia is a beautiful destination in the spring. A wonderful place to get the full effect of spring's arrival is the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. If you visit in the first week of March, make sure you get tickets for Smoked! at the Virginia Wine Expo. It is a signature event featuring wine, whiskey, smoked BBQ, wood-fired pizza, and a whole lot more! March can't come soon enough.

Best Hidden Gems to Visit in the US in March

If you are looking for where to visit in March in the United States, discover a new favorite destination with this list of hidden gem vacation ideas.

Mystic, Stonington, CT, USA

Walter Bibikow / DigitalVision via Getty Images

• Location: Mystic, CT
• Why Visit In March: If you are visiting Mystic, Connecticut in March, make your way to the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center for a fun spring hike, wildlife exhibits, and Maple syrup demonstrations and samples.
• Where To Stay Nearby: This charming carriage house in the epicenter of historic downtown Mystic is a lovely place to stay. In its day, it was owned by an 18th Century sea captain - Captain William Morgan.

This beautiful coastal town was a thriving seaport and shipbuilding community in the late 1700s. Now, it is a charming village of around 5,000 residents. It is one of those quiet coastal towns where you know you are in for amazing seafood and a welcoming vibe. There are a number of events and activities going on in March, from whale-watching opportunities to the Mystic Irish Parade and Festival with live music, great food, and a good chance of a green beer or two. March is also a nice time of year to take a drive along the Connecticut coastline - Route 1 or Route 146 will give you stunning views of the ocean and treat you to more charming towns to explore.

Tulsa, OK, USA

DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images

• Location: Tulsa, OK
• Why Visit In March: When visiting Tulsa in March, be on the lookout for jazz jam sessions at any number of venues. During the day, start practicing your jig dancing tricks because the Bassmaster Classic arrives in the back half of March.
• Where To Stay Nearby: Pack your bags and book this charming, renovated home in the heart of Tulsa. It is a cozy quiet oasis with easy access to all of the downtown activities on your itinerary.

You might be surprised to hear it if you aren't from around here, but Tulsa is a pretty hip and happening town for culture and the arts. The Performing Arts Center will treat you to world-class ballet, opera, symphonies, and traveling Broadway shows. With eight walkable districts in Tulsa, you can simply pick a direction and discover new and exciting things to do and see. If you are into architecture, Tulsa is home to an impressive amount of famous well-preserved Art Deco buildings. Since you are in Oklahoma, you can always stop at any number of masterful BBQ joints to get your fingers into some of the best ribs in the South - just bring a bib so you don't get your tux dirty.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada, USA

AvatarKnowmad / iStock via Getty Images Plus

• Location: White Pine County, NV
• Why Visit In March: When visiting the Great Basin National Park in March, be sure to look up! As one of the darkest places on earth without artificial light, it is incredibly beautiful at night. March brings a release from a harsh winter with temps in the upper 40s to low 50s - still a little brisk, but once you get hiking, you'll warm up.
• Where To Stay Nearby: Set up your base camp in this lovely two-bedroom home only five miles from the park entrance. If you need extra room, the wide-open backyard is your campground under the stars with stunning views of the White Mountains.

It might surprise you, but Great Basin National Park is one of the least visited national parks in the US. This hidden gem is a little rugged in the searing heat of summer, but in March, it is just about perfect. If you love an adventure, there is plenty waiting for you with the oldest trees in the world (Bristlecone Pine) having a grand old time reaching for the heavens, and the Lehman Caves, one of 40 known caves in the park, yearning to be explored by beginner and experienced spelunkers alike. If you enjoy a more leisurely pursuit, the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is stunning.

Advertisement

Boise National Forest, Idaho 83637, USA

J Gillispie / iStock via Getty Images Plus

• Location: Boise National Forest, ID
• Why Visit In March: Visiting the Boise National Forest in March is when the Payette River runs quickly with snow melt. If you are up for a challenge, rapids run from Class 1 to Class 4.
• Where To Stay Nearby: Relax on four acres of pristine land surrounded by the West Mountain Range and the Salmon River Mountains in this gorgeous luxury cabin. If you are enjoying the rugged outdoors in the Boise National Forest, you deserve a little pampering when you chill for the night.

The Boise National Forest is an incredible 2.6 million acres of wilderness that calls to outdoor lovers of all kinds. From hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling in the winter. In March, it starts to warm up, so you can enjoy some sunny days in the upper 50s. It may be a bit chilly at night for camping, but you can hole up in a cozy cabin with a warm fire. Since it is still a bit chilly in March, there is no better time to visit one of several hot springs in the region. Three to look for are the Moondipper, Loftus, and Mile-16 hot springs.

St. Louis, MO, USA

DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images

• Location: St. Louis, MO
• Why Visit In March: When visiting St. Louis, Missouri in March, you'll want to make a special trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden to see the bright and beautiful cherry blossoms. With 14 acres of land to explore, and multiple gardens, including a peaceful Japanese Garden, you'll get to enjoy over 40 Yoshino cherry trees and 40 weeping Higan cherry trees at their peak.
• Where To Stay Nearby: This lovely four-bedroom home is in a prime spot to enjoy all of St. Louis - right between the zoo and the botanical garden. Simply walk to amazing restaurants and attractions.

St. Louis is truly a hidden gem that needs to be on your bucket list. In March, there are numerous events and special attractions to enjoy. Not only is it cherry blossom season, but you can catch a beautiful orchid exhibit at the Missouri Botanical Garden. We'd also be remiss if we didn't mention St. Louis' build-up to the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament with its Arch Madness - the Missouri Valley Conference tournament that takes place in the first week of March. Later in March, be sure to check out the Schlafly Stout & Oyster Festival for more than 80,000 fresh-shucked oysters, followed by a stout chaser (or a number of other craft beers from this fantastic Missouri brewery).

For us, March is a time of hope and renewal as winter takes a much-needed break for the year. For some states, March has a pretty fierce grip on winter, so it is nice to get out of town and explore some new and exciting (and warm) destinations. We hope you found a few new places that inspire you to travel. What are some of the best places to visit in the U.S. in March that you have discovered?

If you haven’t already discovered them, we have a travel guide just like this one for every month of the year – take a peek at the best places to travel in October to start planning that fall colors road trip.