When is the best time for an RV trip in the US?

It depends what you want to see. Spring brings wildflowers, cherry blossoms and peak waterfalls; summer is salmon runs, fireflies and the coast; fall is foliage, the elk rut and harvest country; winter is the northern lights and holiday-light drives; and stargazing, meteor showers and tide pools reward good timing in any season. Pick the spectacle, then plan the rig around its window.

What can I see in winter besides snow?

Winter is prime time for the northern lights (dark, clear nights from roughly September to March) and holiday-light drives in late November and December. It's also a strong season for certain whale migrations depending on the coast.

When to go

The best time to see America's natural spectacles

18 of the country's great seasonal sights — from spring super-blooms to winter aurora — mapped to the months they actually happen, so you can time the rig to the spectacle instead of the other way around.

Spring

March – May

Cherry blossoms
late Mar – Apr
Peak-bloom windows from the Tidal Basin to the Pacific Northwest.
Wildflower super-blooms
Mar – Apr
Desert and grassland blooms after a wet winter.
Waterfalls at peak flow
Apr – Jun
Snowmelt drives the biggest cascades of the year.
Spring bird migration
Apr – May
Flyway hotspots fill as millions of birds head north.

Summer

June – August

Synchronous fireflies
late May – Jun
A few protected forests where fireflies flash in unison.
Salmon runs
Jul – Sep
Rivers and bear-viewing platforms as the salmon return.
Whale watching
varies by coast
Humpback and other species by region and season.
Coastal towns
year-round, summer peak
Classic beach and harbor basecamps by the water.

Fall

September – November

Fall foliage
late Sep – Oct
Peak-color timing state by state.
Elk rut & bugling
Sep – Oct
The bugling season at the best viewing meadows.
Pumpkin & apple harvest
Sep – Oct
Fall agritourism country, region by region.
Covered bridges
Oct (with foliage)
Historic bridge country, best framed by autumn color.
State fairs
Aug – Sep
The big late-summer and early-fall state fairs.

Winter

December – February

Northern lights
Sep – Mar
Dark, cold, clear nights at the best aurora latitudes.
Holiday-lights drives
late Nov – Dec
Drive-through and walk-through light displays.

Year-round

any season — time it right

Dark-sky stargazing
new-moon nights
Certified dark-sky places, best near a new moon.
Meteor showers
peaks all year
From the Perseids in August to the Geminids in December.
Tide pools
lowest tides
Rocky shores, best at the lowest tides of the cycle.