Snowbirds, Here’s How to Add Some Dazzle to Your Return Trip North: Follow the Spring Wildflowers Along the Spacious Skies Campgrounds Spring Bloom Trail
BERNARDSVILLE, N.J., Feb. 1, 2024 – Campers who traveled south to spend their winter months in warm-weather locations now have a dazzling new option for extending the fun when it is time to return home: the Spacious Skies Campgrounds Spring Bloom Trail. This 15-stop trail that connects campgrounds from Georgia to Maine coincides with the spring wildflower bloom in each location.
Adding to the fun, many of the campgrounds along the route are located near charming towns that stage spring festivals and special events.
“As camping enthusiasts know, savoring the journey is a big part of the camping experience, and the Spring Bloom Trail offers a great way to do just that,” said Ali Rasmussen, co-founder of Spacious Skies Campgrounds. “Why rush home when there are so many beautiful ways to make your way slowly back north?”
Campers who can time their visits for a weekend can experience an added treat. That’s when Spacious Skies Campgrounds stages weekly themed events. For example, during the first weekend in April, the theme is “When You Wish Upon a Spacious Skies Star,” celebrating the solar eclipse. Other spring themes include “Birds Bonanza” and “Fiesta,” celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
THE SPACIOUS SKIES CAMPGROUNDS
SPRING BLOOM TRAIL
Here are the stops along the Spacious Skies Campgrounds Spring Bloom Trail:
1
Spacious Skies Savannah Oaks, Savannah, Ga.
- Location: Steps from Ogeechee River west of the historic city of Savannah.
- Open: Year-round.
- Bloom begins: March.
- Wildflowers: Azaleas, camellias, dogwoods.
- Where to spot: Forsyth Park, Bonaventure Cemetery and the Historic District.
- Fun facts: While the city of Savannah is renowned for its Southern charm and history, it is surrounded by natural areas for spotting wildflowers and other plant life as well as abundant wildlife.
- What to do: Savannah and its famed River Street, Golden Isles, Tybee Island, Okefenokee Swamp Park, Wormsloe Historic Site, Midway Colonial Museum, Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden, Fort Frederica National Monument, Fort James Jackson and Fort Pulaski.
- Festivals: Savannah Music Festival, March 28 – April 13.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Peach Haven.
- Drive time: 276 miles, 4 hours, 11 minutes.
2
Spacious Skies Peach Haven, Gaffney, S.C.
- Location: The Upstate of South Carolina in the midst of farmland and rolling hills not far from Greenville.
- Open: Year-round.
- Bloom begins: March.
- Wildflowers: Oconee Bell, Trillium, Balloon Vine, White Baneberry, Bulbous Buttercup, Bloodroot, Eastern Red Columbine, Butterflyweed, Narrowleaf Evening-Primrose.
- Where to spot: Devils Fork State Park, Table Rock State Park.
- Fun facts: More than 680 species of wildflowers bloom in the state of South Carolina. The rare Oconee Bell is only found in a few places in the Southern Appalachians, and it only blooms for two or three weeks, from mid-March to early April. The wildflower even has its own festival – the Oconee Bell Fest at Devils Fork State Park. The poinsettia appeared for the first time in the United States in Greenville when Joel Roberts Poinsett, a minister and amateur botanist who kept greenhouses on his Greenville plantation,found the poinsettia plant on a trip to Mexico in 1828 and sent cuttings home.
- What to do: Peachoid Water Tower, Cowpens National Battlefield, Trillium Trail at Nine Times Preserve.
- Festivals: Piedmont Plant & Flower Festival, late April.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Belle Ridge.
3
Spacious Skies Belle Ridge, Monterey, Tenn.
- Location: Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau between Nashville and Knoxville.
- Open: Year-round.
- Bloom begins: late March.
- Wildflowers: Endangered Virginia Spirea, Purple Phacelia, Spring Beauty, Oxeye Daisy, Sweet White Trillium, Chicory.
- Where to Spot: Cummins Falls State Park, Burgess Falls State Park, Spacious Skies Belle Ridge UTV and hiking trails, Tennessee Central Heritage Rail Trail.
- Fun facts: More than 40 miles long, the Cumberland Plateau is the world’s longest plateau of hardwood forest. The plateau is home to nearly 60 threatened or endangered species.
- What to do: Monterey Depot Museum, Civil War Trail, Lake at Meadow Creek Park, Cummins Falls State Park and Burgess Falls State Park.
- Festivals: Blooms, Bluegrass and BBQ Festival, early May.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Bear Den.
- Drive time: 4 hours, 5 minutes, 223 miles.
4
Spacious Skies Bear Den, Spruce Pine, N.C.
- Location: One-half mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina and 15 minutes from the charming town of Spruce Pine.
- Open: March – November.
- Bloom begins: late March.
- Wildflowers: Buttercups, Eastern Redbud, Queen Anne’s Lace, Wild Geranium.
- Where to Spot: Along the trails at Linville Falls, at the Blue Ridge Parkway Craggy Picnic Area, along the shoreline of Julian Price Lake, Mount Mitchell State Park.
- Fun facts: The highest point in the Eastern U.S., Mount Mitchell offers protection to some of the rarest wildflowers in the region including White Snakeroot and Pink Turtlehead. Western North Carolina is home to numerous species of Trillium. Look for these showy woodland flowers in shady areas.
- What to do: Blue Ridge Parkway, Linville Falls Winery, Julian Price Lake, Linville Gorge, Mount Mitchell, Grandfather Mountain, Elk Mountain Riding Company.
- Festivals: Fire on the Mountain, late April.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Hidden Creek
- Drive time: 27 miles, 42 minutes.
5
Spacious Skies Hidden Creek, Marion, N.C.
- Location: Blue Ridge Mountains, 40 minutes from Asheville, in Buncombe county near the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa
- Open: Year-round.
- Bloom begins: late March.
- Wildflowers: Rhododendron, Mountain Ash, Daisies, Dogwood.
- Where to spot: Craggy Gardens Pinnacle Trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Max Patch Summit in Pisgah National Forest, Lake James State Park, Biltmore Estate, North Carolina Arboretum.
- Fun facts: Since elevations along the Blue Ridge Mountains vary widely, visitors will find a huge array of wildflower species and a months-long, ever-changing wildflower bloom. The National Park Service reports that of all of the 1,600 plant species along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the north of the campground, 80 percent are wildflowers.
- What to do: River Arts District, Biltmore Blooms, Daffodil Flats.
- Festivals: WNC Bigfoot Festival, May 18.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Sandy Run
- Drive time: 235 miles, 3 hours, 45 minutes.
6
Spacious Skies Sandy Run, Fayetteville, N.C.
- Location: Carolina Sandhills in the heart of Cumberland County.
- Open: Year-round.
- Bloom begins: March.
- Wildflowers: Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Creeping Phlox, Ironweed, Cardinal Flower, Flowering Dogwood, Siberian Wall Flower.
- Where to spot: Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Bayard Park & Nature Center.
- Fun facts: The North Carolina Department of Transportation features a wildflower program that seeds roadside wildflowers, ensuring that any spring road-trip in the state will be a colorful one. The department offers a free booklet to help visitors identify the flowers. The Siberian Wall Flower is one of the first blooms to appear.
- What to do: Catch-and-release fishing pond, Fayetteville Motorsports Park, Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Clark Park & Nature Center, Cultural Heritage Trails.
- Festivals: Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, late April.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Shenandoah Views.
- Drive time: 5 hours 29 minutes, 331 miles.
7
Spacious Skies Shenandoah Views, Luray, Va.
- Location: Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, near Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive.
- Open: Year-round.
- Bloom begins: early April.
- Wildflowers: Hepatica, Aster, Turk’s Cap Lily, Spiderwort, Anemones, Wild Azaleas.
- Where to spot: Along Skyline Drive, hiking trails in Shenandoah National Park.
- Fun facts: There are more than 850 species of flowering plants in Shenandoah Valley, and the destination is considered one of the best places in the country to observe wildflowers. The region’s wildflower bloom lasts well into October.
- What to do: Wildflower Weekend, Shenandoah Heritage Village – Luray Caverns, River Hill Distillery.
- Festivals: Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, April 26 – May 5.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Country Oaks.
- Drive time: 4 hours 52 minutes, 243 miles.
8
Spacious Skies Country Oaks, Dorothy, N.J.
- Location: Southern New Jersey, within an easy drive of Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
- Open: Year-round.
- Bloom begins: mid-April.
- Wildflowers: Sea Rocket, Sea Lavender, Black-Eyed Susan, Purple Loosestrife, Crimson Eyed Rose Mallow.
- Where to spot: Warren E. Fox Nature Center, New Jersey shoreline.
- Fun facts: A wildflower called Sea Rocket grows in the sand dunes along New Jersey’s shoreline.
- What to do: Balic Winery, Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary.
- Festivals: Doo Dah Parade, Mid-April.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Woodland Hills.
- Drive time: 4 hours 59 minutes, 259 miles.
9
Spacious Skies Woodland Hills, Austerlitz, N.Y.
- Location: Taconic and Berkshire mountain ranges of Upstate New York near the Massachusetts border and close to Boston, New York City, Providence and Albany.
- Open: May – October
- Wildflowers: Red Trillium, Wild Blue Phlox, Northern Wood Sorrel, Queen Anne’s Lace, Bee Balm, Goldenrod.
- Bloom begins: early April.
- Where to spot: Berkshire Botanical Garden, Vanderbilt Mansion.
- Fun facts: Wild Carrot, also known as Queen Anne’s Lace, is a medicinal herb that can be eaten when the plant is young.
- What to do: Norman Rockwell Museum, Mount Greylock.
- Festivals: Hudson Valley Pirate Festival, mid-May.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Adirondack Peaks.
- Drive time: 2 hours 7 minutes; 133 miles.
10
Spacious Skies Adirondack Peaks, North Hudson, N.Y.
- Location: Adirondack Mountains, near Lake Champlain and the northern reaches of the Hudson River.
- Open: May – October.
- Bloom begins: early April.
- Wildflowers: Blue Flag, Cardinal Flower, Cottongrass, Pickerelweed, Northern Pipewort
- Where to spot: Along walking trails at the campground, Hammond Pond Wild Forest.
- Fun facts: Wildflowers in heavily forested areas like the Adirondack Mountains emerge before the trees of the forests leaf out, and they provide an important food source for insects. Spring wildflower season coincides with mud season in the Adirondacks, and one of the great ways to avoid the mud – and enjoy wildflowers along the shoreline – is by paddling the region’s many ponds, lakes and rivers.
- What to do: Rent a pedal bike, Adirondack Buffalo Company, Fort Ticonderoga, The Wild Center.
- Festivals: Adirondack Woof Stock, early June.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Minute Man.
- Drive time: 4 hours 9 minutes, 202 miles.
11
Spacious Skies Minute Man, Littleton, Mass.
- Location: Eastern Massachusetts, close to the heart of Boston.
- Open: May – October
- Bloom begins: late April.
- Wildflowers: Wild Orchid, Foxglove, Rosebay Willowherb, Meadowsweet.
- Where to spot: Nashua River Rail Trail, hiking and biking trails at Oak Hill Park.
- Fun facts: Littleton was first settled in 1686. Nearly a century later, the minutemen and militia of the town fought at Concord.
- What to do: Paddle the Nashua River, Doe Orchards, Trail of Flowers.
- Festivals: Boston Pizza Festival, June 23, 24.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Seven Maples.
- Drive time: 1 hour 14 minutes, 44 miles.
12
Spacious Skies Seven Maples, Hancock, N.H.
- Location: Southwestern New Hampshire in the Monadnock Region, known for hilly terrain and abundant outdoor recreational activities.
- Open: May – October
- Bloom begins: mid-May.
- Wildflowers: Golden Alexanders, Wild Columbine, Sundial Lupine, Ohio Spiderwort.
- Where to spot: Monadnock State Park, dePierrefeu-Willard Pond Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Fun facts: Showy Wild Lupin feature purplish pea-like flowers on stems as much as two feet high.
- What to do: Rent a kayak, Visit Franklin Pierce Home.
- Festivals: The Thing in the Spring Music Festival, May.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies French Pond.
- Drive time: 31 minutes, 22 miles.
13
Spacious Skies French Pond, Henniker, N.H.
- Location: Southern New Hampshire, between the Merrimack Valley and Dartmouth regions.
- Open: Year-round.
- Bloom begins: early May.
- Wildflowers: Lupine, Bluets, Pink Lady’s Slipper, Fringed Polygala, Blue Violets.
- Where to spot: Clough State Park, Mount Sunapee State Park, wooded areas and creek beds.
- Fun facts: The Pink Lady’s Slipper is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire.
- What to do: Yankee Farmer’s Market, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Henniker Covered Bridge, Hopkinton Fairgrounds, Clough State Park, Sunapee State Park,
- Festivals: New Hampshire Beer & Bacon Festival, June 1.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Walnut Grove.
- Drive time: 1 hour 36 minutes, 75 miles.
14
Spacious Skies Walnut Grove, Alfred, Maine
- Location: Central Southern Maine, with easy access to coastal cities like Portland, Old Orchard Beach and Kennebunkport.
- Open: May – October.
- Bloom begins: late April.
- Wildflowers: Purple Violets, Yellow Violets, Sweet White Violets, White Trillium.
- Where to spot: Wells Reserve. Marginal Way Coastal Walkway.
- Fun facts: Purple Violets bloom in early spring, and they can be found in meadows, woodlands and along the roadside.
- What to do: Farmers markets, Old Orchard Beach Pier.
- Festivals: May Day Festival, early May.
- Where to next: Spacious Skies Balsam Woods.
- Drive time: 3 hours, 162 miles
15
Spacious Skies Balsam Woods, Abbot, Maine
- Location: Located in the heart of the Maine Highlands near Moosehead Lake and vast, unspoiled wilderness areas.
- Open: May – October.
- Bloom begins: mid-May.
- Wildflowers: Painted Trillium, Blue Violets, Trout Lily, Trailing Arbutus.
- Where to spot: Low’s Bridge and the banks of the Piscataquis River, Moosehead Lake, Piper Pond.
- Fun facts: The Trout Lily is one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom, and it can be found in ditches along the roads as soon as the ground thaws.
- What else to do: Springtime fishing, Farmers Markets.
- Festivals: Whoopie Pie Festival, June 22.
Ways to Stay and Save
Spacious Skies Campgrounds offer a variety of accommodations choices in addition to RV sites. Most locations feature cabin options, and many also offer glamping accommodations such as yurts and retro trailers.
Members of the Spacious Skies Loyalty Program, called “Cosmic Campers” can save up to 12 percent on all RV sites, cabins and other accommodations. The annual fee to join the program is $31.90. While the Loyalty Program discount cannot be combined with other discounts, the discount with the greatest savings is rewarded, providing campers with the best possible deal on their stay.
Join the Team
Spacious Skies Campgrounds is actively seeking campground management and staff with a shared passion for the outdoors and an interest in working for a dynamic, fast-growing company. More information about employment opportunities can be found online.
About Spacious Skies Campgrounds
Spacious Skies Campgrounds is a fast-growing owner and operator of RV campgrounds with RV, tent, cabin and glamping sites across 15 locations from Maine to Georgia. The company’s mission is to offer a fun, relaxing and authentic campground experience in destinations with abundant outdoor recreation and attractions. Spacious Skies Campgrounds is executing a regional growth strategy while at the same time improving amenities at all properties to provide guests consistent and reliable accommodations, service and access to the great outdoors. For more information, visit www.spaciousskiescampgrounds.com.
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