Spring break is coming up soon, and it doesn鈥檛 have to be synonymous with expensive or crowded. You can get away from it all on a dime if you know where to go.听Plus, you鈥檒l find plenty of good reasons to travel at this time of year, from blooming wildflowers听迟辞听corn snow.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
The wildflowers in 620,000-acre听, two hours northeast of San Diego, are stunning come springtime. Take a hike along 18.9 miles听of the Pacific Crest Trail, which cuts through it, or the four-mile , and you鈥檒l spot blooming yuccas, cacti, sunflowers, dandelions, and desert lilies. The flowering usually starts in late February or early March and lasts through May, but call the park鈥檚 wildflower hotline (760-767-4684) for the latest update. Stay at the 15-room听 (from $175), or use Hipcamp to find听a听听at a nearby retreat center听(from $80).听 rents mountain bikes and offers听guided bike tours in the park.
Rossland, British Columbia
Hostels aren鈥檛 what they used to be.听Expect听the affordable, communal vibe听but in a much more听upscale package. Take, for example,听, a design-forward hostel that opened in late 2018 at the base of听, outside the town of Rossland. You can get private rooms or bunks starting at $30 a night, whip up a meal in a sleek shared kitchen, and tap into high-speed Wi-Fi in the lounge. Plus, spring skiing at Red听Mountain is always a good time. The resort closes for the season on April 5, but before then, you鈥檒l find zero crowds and plenty of corn snow, as well as听pond skimming, concerts, and end-of-season parties.
Reed Bingham State Park, Georgia
Want to stay on your own private island for just $35 a night? At听, 20 minutes east of the town of Moultrie, Georgia, you can do just that. Rent a canoe from the park (from $60) and you can paddle a short distance to a primitive, remote campsite on Eagle Island, smack in the middle of the park鈥檚 375-acre Lake Reed Bingham. From there, you can fish, swim, or explore the island. Or paddle back to shore to hike seven miles of trails. In spring, keep your eyes open for baby bald eagles hatching and leaving their nests.
Portland, Oregon
So you want to go camping for spring break, but you don鈥檛 want to fly with all your camping gear.听 in Portland recently partnered with gear-rental company听 on a听 that solves that problem. Stay a few nights in the hotel and then a few nights road-tripping and camping along the Oregon coast. The package starts at $210, which includes one night in the hotel and one night of camping. That also includes 20 percent off your room rate and gear rental. Your kit鈥攕leeping bags and pads, tents, a propane stove, kitchen supplies, camp听chairs, a cooler, and more鈥攃an be arranged for pickup or delivered directly to the hotel. Xscape Pod鈥檚 campsite concierge can help you book a location,听or try central Oregon鈥檚听 (from $21), a stunning campground on a sandy beach, perfect for whale-watching.
Playa Guiones, Costa Rica
Located on the Pacific coast鈥檚 Nicoya Peninsula, Playa Guiones is a four-mile-long, white-sand beach with a stellar surf break. Stay at the听 (from $179), a shorefront hotel that has an on-site surf school for lessons, rentals, and guided outings. Don鈥檛 miss the property鈥檚 weekly live music听and daily yoga classes.听 rents mountain bikes and leads tours of surrounding听trails, and just听north, you can watch nesting turtles this time of year at . Liberia International Airport is about two and a half hours away, and the hotel can arrange for an airport shuttle, but flights from the U.S. into (five hours away) tend to be considerably cheaper.
Washington, D.C.听
In the spring, the nation鈥檚 capital city turns pink with blooming cherry blossoms. The four-week-long听 takes place from March 20 through April 12 and includes free events like kite festivals on the grounds of the Washington Monument and street parades down Constitution Avenue. The听 (from $153),听minutes from the听, has a hip bar and lounge stocked with board games. Take a hike or run in 1,754-acre听, one of the country鈥檚 largest city parks, which has 32 miles of trails.