Cheap Spring Break Trips For Families In The U.S.

Spring break – a time to exchange the cold, dreary weather for some warm sunshine & fun in the sun. Instead of breaking the bank this year, check out these cheap spring break trips for families. We have been to these places over spring break, and trust me – they won’t disappoint! Plus when your vacation is over, you’ll head home with money still in your pockets.

Some of our cheap United States spring break trip ideas include beautiful beaches, national parks, amusement parks, and more. Your whole family is sure to have a blast on any of these spring break trips.

Helpful articles that can save you more money on your spring break
How To Travel On A Budget
Food For Road Trips

Utah’s National Parks

Located in Southern Utah – Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef & Zion national parks are easy to get to. Many people fly into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, rent a car, and drive to each national park. You can save more money by choosing to drive instead of flying and renting a car.

Five national parks in one week? It sounds a bit ambitious, but it’s completely doable (each national park is a short drive from the other). Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef & Zion national park have vastly different sceneries, they are one of a kind and should not be missed. Spring break is the perfect time to visit these national parks because the temperatures are mild and there are fewer crowds. In the summer, temps easily climb to over 100 degrees and some trails offer little shade.

All of these national parks offer ample hiking with mesmerizing things to see. Some of them allow you to take in the sites by rock climbing, canyoneering, ATV tours, horseback riding, and more.

Do not miss:
Arches National Park – Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, Sand Dune Arch, Double O Arch, Windows Loop & Turret Area

Bryce National Park – Sunrise at Sunset Point, Queens Garden Trail, Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive, Mossy Cave, and Turret Arch & Little Windows Trail

Canyonlands National Park – Mesa Arch Trail, Grand View Point Overlook, Upheaval Dome, Aztec Butte, and Whale Rock

Capitol Reef National Park – Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, Hickman Bridge Trail, and Petroglyphs

Zion National Park – Hike to Scout’s Lookout, Hike the Riverside Trail or the Narrows if the water level is tolerable for your entire family, and Emerald Pools Trail.

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Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach is located in South Carolina along the ocean. You can easily fly into Myrtle Beach International Airport. If you are flexible on your dates you might be able to score some great deals on flights. But with the cost of airfare being at an all-time high, your cheapest option would be to road trip to Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach is the perfect destination for a family spring break trip. It is a resort community with over 60 miles of coastline! While early April brings warm weather (low 70s) keep in mind that the ocean temp averages in the mid-60s. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ocean. You can still take a quick dip, lay in the sun, build sand castles, look for sea creatures, and stroll the beach. Aside from the ocean, Myrtle Beach has so much to offer. From the skywheel, to dolphin excursions, museums, and dinner shows, there’s literally something for everyone.

One of the best things about Myrtle Beach is its inexpensive hotel rates. If you are lucky enough to have your spring break fall just outside of ‘peak’ spring break, you can often get hotel rooms starting at $70 a night. These aren’t your ordinary hotels either. These are massive family-friendly hotels on the ocean. Many have their own water parks, water slides, lazy rivers, hot tubs, outdoor pools, and plenty of activities for everyone. Myrtle Beach is your best bet for cheap oceanfront hotels.

Do not miss:
Skywheel, Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, and the ocean.

New Mexico Road Trip

Why not plan an exciting family road trip to New Mexico? New Mexico is full of stunning mountains, deserts, and vibrant cities. Though they aren’t necessarily near each other which is why this vacation would be best as a road trip. If that’s not your thing, you can fly into Albuquerque International Sunport or Santa Fe Regional Airport and explore the city you chose to fly into. Both cities offer an abundance of things to do.

New Mexico has something for everyone. From hiking in the mountains, exploring ancient ruins, wondering in amazement at Meow Wolf, or navigating Carlsbad Caverns National Park, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your time in this stunning southwestern state. And the weather is perfect for exploring outdoors in the spring.

Meow Wolf blew our minds! I can’t explain it. Just go. Your entire family will love it.

Do not miss:
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Bandolier National Monument, Meow Wolf

St. Louis

Although St. Louis is located near the border of Illinois and Missouri, its home state is Missouri. If you are looking to fly into St. Louis you’re in luck. You can easily fly into the St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL).

Many people often opt for a spring break destination near the ocean, but trust me when I say St. Louis is an awesome place to spend spring break. It is the only destination that we have visited at least 7+ times. Why do we keep going back? It has nice weather and an endless supply of unforgettable things to do, many of which are FREE.

With many of the activities being free in St. Louis, a big chunk of your money will be spent on hotels. If you want to save money look into hotels in Illinois right along the border. It’s a quick easy drive to St. Louis and the hotels are typically cheaper.

Do not miss:
Gateway Arch, St. Louis Zoo, City Museum, Lone Elk Park

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Free Things to do in St. Louis

Houston

Located in Southeast Texas, Houston is easily accessible by car or plane. The closest airport is Houston Airport which is about 23 miles north of downtown Houston.

Houston is a perfect spring break destination because you can enjoy both city and beach life. It’s the best of both worlds. Use a CityPass to take in the city’s top attractions at a discounted rate. With the CityPass, you can explore Space Center Houston and then choose 4 other attractions ( Downtown Aquarium, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo, Kemah Boardwalk, Children’s Museum of Houston, & Museum of fine arts, Houston). When you need a break from the city spend a day at both Kemah Boardwalk and Galveston.

With mild temperatures, sunny days, and stunning beaches, Galveston is the perfect place to spend the day relaxing beachside and exploring its unique attractions. While in Galveston keep an eye out for tide pools. Our kids were so excited to see them in the wild. Also, I highly recommend taking the Galveston – Bolvar Ferry. It’s a free way to possibly see dolphins. We saw a whole pod of them.

Kemah Boardwalk Houston is an iconic amusement park, restaurant, and entertainment complex located on the beautiful Galveston Bay. The Boardwalk offers a variety of activities, such as a carnival-style amusement park, live musical performances, shopping, and a variety of dining options. Kemah Boardwalk also includes a luxury marina offering direct access to the Gulf of Mexico. We really loved the unique experience of Kemah Boardwalk. There’s a lot of fun to be had for both kids and adults.

Do not miss:
Space Center Houston, Kemah Boardwalk & Gavelston

Shawnee National Forest

Located in the heart of Southern Illinois, Shawnee National Forest is most accessible by car. The closest international airport is the St. Louis Lambert Airport. If you flew into this airport it would require a 2 hr and 20-minute drive to Shawnee.

Shawnee National Forest is a great place for a spring break getaway. With its warm weather, incredible hiking trails, waterfalls, wildlife & scenic overlooks Shawnee is sure to keep the whole family entertained.

If you’d like a more relaxed spring break, Shawnee National Forest offers plenty of those activities as well. Canoe down the Big Muddy River, explore the lakes, or fish in the ponds.

Avoid crowds by visiting Shawnee National Forest. It is the least crowded place on this list of cheap spring break trips for families.

When one of our spring break trips fell through, we were left scrambling for some place to go that was closer to home. We settled on Shawnee National Forest. It was the best thing that ever happened to us. We had the best time! My whole family would visit again in a heartbeat. I’m not sure why more people don’t talk about Shawnee. It’s absolutely beautiful and not crowded at all.

Do not miss:
Little Grand Canyon, Cave in Rock, Garden of the Gods

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The nearest airport is located 25 miles northwest of Smoky Mountains National Park. It is McGee-Tyson Airport (TYS) which is just south of Knoxville, TN.

Eastern Tennessee is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here you can enjoy plenty of outdoor activities. With over 800 miles of hiking trails, you can explore waterfalls, streams, wildlife, and take in some of the most breathtaking views of the park. Whether you’re hiking with young children, older kids, or a group of adults, The Great Smoky Mountains offers plenty of hiking trails ranging from easy to difficult.

When you’ve had your fair share of hiking, check out the historic small town of Gatlinburg, The SkyBridge, one of the fun museums in Pigeon Forge like the Titanic, or have fun at the Dollywood theme park.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be extremely busy over spring break. The park is big enough that it doesn’t really matter until you try to do a very popular hike in the afternoon. It’s then that you might have some issues with parking.

Do not miss:
Clingmans Dome, Cataract Falls, Gatlinburg

Helpful Resources We Can’t Live Without

Accommodations- We love and swear by HiltonHonors, but when we want to stay someplace different, we use Hotels.com. You can search for deals on hotels, cabins, houses & more.

Getting There- Roadtripping with our car is how we prefer to travel. That being said, Skyscanner has great deals on flights and RVShare has deals on RV rentals.

Other Favorites-
Save money on gas- Upside
Find pit stops on your route- RoadTrippers
Deals on local food & attractions- Living Social
Explore top city attractions at a fraction of the price- CityPASS

Looking for gear? See the best deals on clothing & gear here, & best travel essentials here.
Looking for road trip food ideas? Check out food for road trips you’ll love.
Learn how to travel on a budget.
See the best hiking apps

As you can see there are plenty of options for cheap spring break trips for families. Your entire family is sure to have a great time at any of these destinations and the best part is that you’ll still have money in the bank when your vacation ends.

Which of these spring break vacations would you choose? Have you been to any of them? Share your experience in the comments below.

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