11 Scenic Spring Road Trips

- A "superbloom" is a rare phenomenon where an unusually high number of wildflowers bloom at the same time. This requires specific conditions, including well-spaced rainfall in the preceding fall and winter, sufficient warmth, and a lack of harsh, drying winds. - In Texas Hill Country, the wildflower season typically runs from March through May, with April often being the peak month for the most variety. The display often includes the state flower, the bluebonnet, alongside Indian Paintbrush and pink evening primrose. - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, sometimes called the "Wildflower National Park," is home to over 1,500 species of flowering plants. Spring ephemerals, which are flowers that bloom and die back in a short two-month period, begin to appear in late winter before the park's deciduous trees leaf out. - The bloom schedule along the Blue Ridge Parkway is heavily influenced by elevation. Wildflowers begin to appear in the lower-elevation valleys and foothills first, with the colorful displays moving up the mountains as the weather warms into late spring and early summer. - Spring is considered waterfall season in Zion National Park, as melting snow increases the flow of the Virgin River and creates seasonal cascades down the canyon walls. - In Yellowstone National Park, spring offers opportunities to see baby animals. Grizzly bears emerge from their dens in March, and visitors may see cubs, wolf pups, and bison calves from April through May. - Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California is another location known for potential superblooms, with Henderson Canyon Road being a popular spot for viewing desert sand verbena, desert sunflowers, and the desert lily. - For over 90 years, the Texas Department of Transportation has maintained a program of planting and preserving native wildflowers along the state's highways.