March through May
Spring
Last updated October 15, 2026.
On the coast
Air warms before the ocean does. A walk is the reliable plan. A swim is a cold-water choice until late in the season, the kind that makes you yelp and then pretend you meant to. Crowds are thinner than in June, and a lot of seasonal counters reopen on their own schedule rather than on a shared opening day.
Memorial Day weekend is the hinge into summer rental season for many houses. It's also when the single bridges remember they have a job.
In the mountains
Waterfalls are full. Trails are muddy. A late freeze is still possible on Beech Mountain and the high ridges into April. Wildflowers start lower and climb the slopes behind them.
Ski areas are usually finished by sometime in March. The closing day is an announcement, not a date this guide will lock in during October.