Don’t plan it all. Let life surprise you a little.
—Julia Alvarez
Julia Alvarez is an award-winning Dominican American poet, novelist, and essayist who drew national attention with her popular 1991 novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and 1994’s In the Time of the Butterflies in which this quote appears. These simple words encourage us not to undervalue spontaneity: While we’re busy grasping for control, our most meaningful experiences are often the result of life’s unexpected twists and turns.
Some travelers plan trips minute by minute. Others take a more carefree approach. But, RV travel requires planning. If you’re driving a Class A motorhome, you’ll at least need to know which country roads have low bridges. The smallest RVs, like tiny teardrop trailers and pop-ups, lend themselves to the fancy-free lifestyle where knowing the twists and turns of every route isn’t as critical.
The shoulder season in travel is the best time to visit popular places. March may have weather risks but you may have a place to yourself. Some of the most popular national parks may not be entirely accessible in March. Places like Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Tetons, and Rocky Mountains National Park may have blizzards, ice, and impassible roads to get there or in the park. Going-to-the-Sun Road, for example, is a popular attraction at Glacier that usually doesn’t open until May.
That said, even in March, you can find enough places at lower elevations or with passable access to stretch your legs and breathe crisp air. If you want to have less travel weather risk, try some of the national parks in warmer and more temperate climes. You’ll enjoy your time spent in these places especially when your mode of travel is in an RV.
Planning an RV trip for a different time of year? Check out my monthly travel recommendations for the best places to travel in January and February. Also, check out my recommendations from March 2021.
Zion National Park, Utah
Spring in Zion National Park may have cold nights in March but the days should be beautiful. The tram through the park is running and most of the trails are accessible. This popular park is gorgeous this time of year. Wildflowers will be blooming and trees will be greening, depending on the weather as snow will fall in higher elevations of the park during the month. There are hikes of all levels including the infamous and challenging Angels Landing. Depending on how much rain falls, The Narrows may be closed.
The park is a popular spring break destination and you may find some crowds. Of course, it will be much less crowded than it is in the summer months. There is a lodge within the park that hosts a restaurant and there also is a fast food cafe on site. The little town of Springdale is right at the entrance gate and has many restaurants for visitors. The park tram goes all the way up to The Narrows and makes a number of stops along the way where you can get off to a picnic, get on a trail, or marvel at the sights, like the Court of the Patriarchs.
Watchman Campground opens in March but books far in advance. Zion River RV Resort is just outside Springdale and there are more parks in nearby Hurricane. If you like to camp off-grid, there are a number of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) parcels from St. George to Springdale on Route 9 (which leads into the park).
Related: The Absolute Best Places to RV This March
Joshua Tree National Park, California
If rugged scenery, hiking, and wilderness are what you are looking for, then put Joshua Tree on your list of destinations. Located in the southern end of California, this park is known for its distinctive trees and its craggy and rocky landscape filled with desert flora and fauna.
It’s halfway between Los Angeles and Phoenix and is indeed a world away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. There’s no cellphone access in the park and no gas or food for sale. Bring water, food, and enough gas to get around the park before you get here. Indio, California, is 30 minutes west of the park from the south entrance and Twentynine Palms, California, is just outside the north entrance.
Plenty of daytime activities are available inside the park and the most popular is hiking (with one paved trail that is accessible). There is climbing, birding, biking, horseback riding, and a driving tour you can take. There are 93 miles of paved roads. Dirt road enthusiasts can enjoy miles of backcountry roads to get a glimpse of old mines, Eureka Peak with a view of Palm Springs, and roads that lead to bike trails. There are three visitor centers in the park as well as an accessible nature center with a boardwalk that depicts the desert cacti and bighorn sheep that populate the area.
The parkland began as a national monument in the 1930s, became a designated wilderness area in 1976, and became a national park in 1994. You may feel like you’re on the set of an old movie in Joshua Tree and you are because numerous Westerns were filmed here.
There are 500 camping spots inside the park. The popularity of the park makes getting a reservation challenging. There are numerous RV parks nearby and BLM land is available for camping on the north side of the park.
Big Bend National Park, Texas
This may be one of the more crowded national parks in March because the weather is particularly appealing before the brutal summer temperatures arrive. Big Bend National Park is very large, many of the roads are unimproved, and the nearest towns are Terlingua and Lajitas. There is a gas station and a small grocery inside the park but it’s best to bring food and water for your stay. The park, located on the Mexican border in southwest Texas, will bloom with wildflowers depending on the weather.
There are many trails to hike, you can boat on the Rio Grande, and there are breathtaking drives on paved roads to take you into the Chisos Mountains and through other parts of the park. If you stay inside the park in the Chisos Lodge or snag a camping spot, you will see a wondrous night sky of stars as this is dark sky country. Cell phone reception is hit and miss and mostly not available in this park. There are three trails and four visitor centers.
Picacho Peak State Park
Picacho Peak State Park is named for its 1,500-foot spire visible from downtown Tucson (45 miles away) and Interstate 10. Used as a distinctive landmark by travelers for centuries, Indigenous peoples built irrigation canals, ball courts, and agricultural settlements in the area which is also home to desert cottontail rabbits, mule deer, and badgers.
Related: 10 Amazing Places to RV in March
Enjoy the view as you hike the trails that wind up the peak and, often in the spring, overlook a sea of wildflowers. The park and surrounding area are known for their unique geological significance, outstanding and varied desert growth, and historical importance. The unique shape has been used as a landmark by travelers since prehistoric times. One of the first recordings was in the 1700s by the Anza Expedition as it passed through the area.
Today, the park has a visitor center with exhibits detailing the region’s history, picnic spots, and a campground. With 85 electric sites for tent and RV camping, Picacho Peak State Park is a great place to stay while exploring nearby Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, Saguaro National Park, Biosphere 2, and the Old Pueblo.
Bring plenty of food and water and wear proper footwear. Enjoy the beauty of the desert and the amazing views.
Vermont Maple Syrup
Vermont Maple has been the standard by which all syrups are judged. I think you can taste eight generations of experience in Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks. The Morse Family has been making maple syrup and related products in Vermont for 200 years. And their folksy maple farm is an interesting place to visit any time of year.
Nestled on a hilltop just 2.7 miles outside of Montpelier, the smallest state capital in the U.S., Morse Farm is a throwback to a simpler, quieter time when generations of the same family worked together to carve out a living on the land.
You’ll hear an informative and fascinating presentation about the history and operation of the farm and you can take a stroll on the trail among some of the sugar maple trees. There are farm animals to feed and of course, there is a gift shop with a wide assortment of the farm’s products for sale.
Take note of the books for sale written by Burr Morse, a seasoned member of the clan collecting colorful stories about the maple syrup trade over the years. Burr is a congenial and funny character who does some of the presentations. He also does the whimsical wood carvings that are on display.
Open daily, with slight variation in hours by season. No admission charge. The harvesting season is mid-March to Mid-April. Ample parking is available, including pull-through parking for RVs.
Deep South Charm
If you’re a history buff, you’ll love Charleston. Avid tourist? Charleston is the city for you. Lover of good food and charming scenery? Charleston has your number.
Charleston is home to one of America’s most intact historic districts. Nestled along a narrow peninsula—where the Ashley and Cooper rivers meet and empty into the Atlantic Ocean—it exudes Deep South charm. With very few tall buildings, Charleston instead offers quaint cobblestone roads, colonial structures, a unique culture, and gobs of history.
With a celebrated culinary scene, luxurious accommodations, historic architecture, and big events on the 2022 calendar, Charleston remains a perennial favorite destination.
Founded in 2005, the Charleston Wine + Food Festival infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, experts, and food enthusiasts from around the globe. The city’s popular culinary festival is a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March (2-6, 2022).
The anticipated International African American Museum Center for Family History which explores the city’s role in the history of slavery is also set to open early in the year. This one-of-a-kind research center dedicated to African American genealogy is a part of the International African American Museum. The museum sits on the shoulders of 18 strong columns. On the ground level, the African Ancestors Memorial Garden highlights the original shoreline—the exact spot where so many captive Africans first set foot in America.
Related: Best Places for RV Travel this March
Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains
A world-renowned location for bird watching, Madera Canyon is a major resting place for migrating species, while the extensive trail system of the Santa Rita Mountains is easily accessed from the Canyon’s campground and picnic areas.
In the northwest face of the Santa Rita Mountains, one of southeast Arizona’s forested Sky Islands, the cool refuge of Madera Canyon is just 25 miles south of Tucson and 12 miles east of Green Valley. This is part of the Coronado National Forest.
Madera Canyon, with active springs and a seasonal creek, is a lush oasis supporting an amazing diversity of life zones of the Santa Rita Mountains and Madera Canyon. From Green Valley to the 9,453-foot summit of Mt. Wrightson, the mountains rise nearly 7,000 feet. Moisture increases and temperature decreases 3-5 degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain, creating a succession of four life zones. Each life zone has communities of plants and animals adapted to the environmental conditions found in the zone.
Savannah Musical Events
For more than a decade, Savannah Stopover has been putting on stellar lineups of ones-to-watch, saw-them-whens, and look-at-them-nows of music’s hardest-working touring acts before they get to Austin’s SXSW. This spring, the festival takes place at the Georgia State Railroad Museum where live music will radiate from multiple stages at the historic site. Be sure to arrive early for the opening night event on March 10 at Service Brewing.
Georgia’s largest musical arts event and one of the most distinctive cross-genre music festivals in the world, the Savannah Music Festival is a world-class celebration of musical arts. Find a true medley of melodies where music ranges from country to folk to jazz to chamber. Venues showcase the best of Savannah’s walkable vibrancy and include intimate churches, synagogues and club venues, breezy outdoor streets settings, and revered cultural centers and historic theatre spaces like the Johnny Mercer Theater.
With strength in classical music, Americana, acoustic, and jazz—but also rock n’ roll, dance events, and a variety of world music—the Savannah Music Festival is the tie that binds an immersive, global music experience to peak spring in an iconic Southern city.
And while your evenings will be spent listening to some amazing music, Savannah has a lot of opportunities for arts and culture and amazing outdoor activities. Tack on a few days to visit several of the many world-class museums or historic destinations, talk a walk or bike ride and explore the beautiful squares and parks, or visit Tybee Island for a boat ride or a day at the beach.
Savannah’s cuisine is world-famous and extremely diverse. Sink your teeth into extra-crispy fried chicken, authentic shrimp and grits, and finger-licking-good barbecue.
Upcountry South Carolina Delight
Greenville has flown largely under many travelers’ radar but this special Southern city is worth discovering in 2022. Known for its exceptional beauty, the two most distinctive natural features of downtown Greenville are its lush, tree-lined Main Street and the stunning Reedy River Falls, located in the heart of Falls Park—Greenville’s downtown oasis of green space, waterfalls, flowers, and walkways.
Related: The Best RV Camping March 2021
Greenville owes its existence to the 28-foot falls on the Reedy River that powered 19th-century textile mills making it the “Textile Center of the South.” It took 40 years of cleaning after the mills closed to make Falls Park into a regional jewel, crowned by the award-winning Liberty Bridge that was designed by architect Miguel Rosales with a distinctive curve as it pitches toward the falls.
Set on a historic rail bed that in places runs alongside the Reedy River, the 22-mile Swamp Rabbit Trail is one of Greenville’s most popular and accessible recreation options. The paved path bisects Falls Park on the Reedy.
Be one of the first visitors to the stunning new 60-acre outdoor park, Unity Park in an area west of downtown Greenville. Located right along the 22-plus mile Swamp Rabbit Bike Trail, it’s set to open in the spring. That’s right around the same time as NCAA March Madness comes to town, too. Greenville will host games from the first two rounds of the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament from March 18 and 20 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
San Bernardino National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest has many special places including three National Monuments, eight designated wilderness areas, three Wild and Scenic Rivers, and numerous noteworthy and beautiful locales.
Rising abruptly from the desert floor, the Santa Rosa and the San Jacinto Mountains National Monument reaches an elevation of 10,834 feet. Providing a picturesque backdrop to local communities, visitors can enjoy magnificent palm oases, snow-capped mountains, a national scenic trail, and wilderness areas. Its extensive backcountry can be accessed via trails from both the Coachella Valley and the alpine village of Idyllwild.
Palms to Pines Scenic Byway runs from Palm Desert past snow-peaked mountains to Banning Pass. This 67-mile route offers a full variety of ecosystems in the Lower Sonoran region. From clusters of desert palms to high country conifer forests and snow-capped mountains, experience a contrast of ecosystems within a short distance. Admire fantastic views of the urbanized valley floor below, craggy mountains, and the San Gorgonio Wilderness area to the north on the Banning Pass section of the byway.
Worth Pondering…
In March the soft rains continued, and each storm waited courteously until its predecessor sunk beneath the ground.
—John Steinbeck, East of Eden