Spring has sprung so that means plenty of new blooms to see along your travels. We’ve rounded up some places to see the magnificent colors that explode each spring and summer thanks to the abundance of sunshine these seasons offer. If you miss a bloom, just schedule it for next year when blooming season rolls around again!
California
If you find yourself camping in California this spring, don’t miss the spectacular nature show at the Carrizo Plain National Monument when fields and hillsides alike bloom with seasonal colors. Book a stay at Pacific Dunes Ranch RV Resort in Oceano and you’re less than 30 minutes from this one-of-a-kind display of spring wildflowers. Daisies, coreopsis, and all kinds of wildflowers bloom from March through April and blooms typically remain through June.
Colorado
Planning to visit the newest campground in the Thousand Trails family? Then you will be happy to know that Blue Mesa Recreational Ranch is a great place to stay if you want to take in the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, set this year for July 8-17 in Crested Butte, which is known as the Wildflower Capital of Colorado. Events include classes, garden walks, and guided hikes to see the beautiful Colorado wildflowers. For details, visit crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.org.
Michigan
Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan, is an experience not to be missed if tulips are your thing. The 2022 Tulip Time Festival will run May 7 to 15 and in addition to the millions of blooming tulips, there are all kinds of events including an Artisan Market, a Carnival Midway, several walking tours, and the magnificent Tulip Immersion Garden. Plan a stay at nearby Bear Cave RV Campground and take in Tulip Time. Tulip Time is an annual event that has taken place since 1929! For details, visit holland.org/events/tulip-festival.
North Carolina
Azaleas, dogwood trees, tulips, roses, and wisteria are all ready to spring to life at Grand Gardens at Biltmore House just outside Asheville. Beginning in April, forsythia blooms and daffodils get things going followed by tulips and blooming dogwood trees. Early May brings millions of azalea blooms and the month ends with an explosion of roses in in the Rose Garden. Biltmore Blooms will run from April 1 through May 26. Information can be found at biltmore.com. Plant yourself at Lake Myers RV & Camping Resort to experience the gardens which are just over an hour’s drive away.
Oregon
Oregon has plenty of flower festivals to take in and they include the annual Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival each March; the Camelia Festival in April; the Rhododendron Festival and Keizer Iris Festival, both held in May; and the Dahlia Festival in late August. Come July, it’s all about the lavender fields near the Hood River which are celebrated with the Lavender Daze Festival. Check out which event you want to see by visiting traveloregon.com/things-to-do/events/the-bloom-beat-flower-festivals-statewide and then go to thousandtrails.com to see which campground is conveniently located to all the blooming fun!
Texas
Texas has several scenic drives where wildflowers are the main event. If you are staying at Medina Lake RV Resort, consider the 100-mile Bandera Loop or the Willow City Loop that will take you through Hill Country. The Bluebonnet, Texas’ state flower, is on display as well as sunflowers and verbena. If you like sunflowers and our Lake Conroe campground, check out two of the best sunflower farms in the area. Dewberry Farm hosts a Sunflower Festival in May and P-6 Farms in nearby Montgomery has sunflower fields (check their website for specific 2022 dates at p-6farms.com).
Virginia
Just about an hour’s drive from Chesapeake Bay RV Campground, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden offers their celebration of spring with “A Million Blooms,” which runs from April 1 to June 1, 2022. In addition to the gorgeous blooms that will be highlighted, including tulips, roses, and peonies, other events include Butterflies LIVE and PlantFest (set for May 13-14), which is more than just your average plant sale as the event also features live music and plant experts.
Washington
We’ve got next spring covered with a road trip for tulips that begins in early April. Book a stay a La Conner RV & Camping Resort and prepare to experience the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The festival began as a 3-day event back in 1984 but has since grown into a month-long celebration that has all kinds of events in addition to the fields of flowers that are scattered between the towns of Mount Vernon and La Conner. The tulip fields are different each year so you can never say, “been there, done that.”