The Best Places To See Cherry Blossoms In America This Spring, According To Travelers

For many, cherry blossoms are most commonly associated with Japan. The Japanese even have a specific word for flower viewing — hanami — but you don't have to plan a vacation to Japan to see cherry blossoms this spring. There are plenty of cities in the United States where you can view the beautiful flowers. Of course, there is still a link with the Far East; the nation of Japan and many of its organizations have gifted sakura trees to different parts of the U.S., from the Northeast to the Deep South. 

You can find pink and white cherry blossoms at different public parks, in some of the best botanical gardens in the country, and even on college campuses. The wide range of weather conditions in the United States also means that the cherry blossom trees bloom at different times, so you can even visit multiple destinations for cherry blossom viewing. A cherry blossom road trip? Sounds like a fantastic idea. To help you plan that itinerary, these are the best places to see cherry blossoms in the U.S.

Our nation's capital is perhaps one of the most famous cherry blossom destinations in the United States. There are 3,700 cherry trees on the famous National Mall, and the ones surrounding the Tidal Basin (with the Jefferson Memorial in the background) make for a particularly picturesque scene. The first cherry blossom trees in Washington, D.C., were planted in 1912 as a gift from Japan, and most of them are of the Yoshino variety (although there are about a dozen different types planted here).

The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., draws around 1.5 million visitors to the area annually. A variety of events take place during the almost-month-long festival, including a street festival featuring live performances and artisan vendors, a parade, a kite festival, and more. The festival is organized for late March and early April to coincide with the blooming of the cherry blossoms in D.C.

Macon (Georgia) is an under-the-radar destination that deserves more spotlight, particularly when discussing cherry blossoms. There are over 300,000 cherry trees in and around the city, far more than the number found in the other destinations on this list. That has rightfully earned Macon the nickname of the "cherry blossom capital of the world." The Yoshino cherry trees typically bloom during the last week of March, and while there are a couple of concentrated spots in downtown Macon, the city also has a handy driving map for the cherry blossom trail you can find online.

Visiting the city during cherry blossom season is about more than just the trees; there is an entire festival built around the occasion. Macon's International Cherry Blossom Festival is typically held in mid to late March, and several fun events during the festival celebrate all things pink, from a cherry blossom ball to a parade to a pink pancake breakfast. There are plenty of adventures to be had during the 10-day festival, making this arguably the best time to visit marvelous Macon.

Known for arguably the best coffee in America, Portland (Oregon) is nicknamed the Rose City, but the cherry blossom trees also put on a show every spring. The trees typically bloom between mid-March and early April, and the most popular spot to see them in town is Tom McCall Waterfront Park. At the park, 100 cherry blossom trees line the pathway next to the Willamette River and display gorgeous pink flowers in season. Take a stroll or a bike ride when the blossoms are at the height of their powers, or maybe plan a romantic picnic under the trees. Or maybe even a romantic bike ride, of course.

In addition to the Waterfront Park, you can find fabulous cherry blossom trees inside the Portland Japanese Garden. The garden has both Yoshino and weeping cherry trees that typically bloom in mid-March. Other places in Portland where you can find cherry blossoms include the Hoyt Arboretum, Laurelhurst Park, and the campus of the University of Portland. 

It might be a shopper's paradise by the sea, but Michigan's Traverse City isn't your typical cherry blossom destination. This part of the Wolverine State is known for its cherries, but that means actual cherry orchards as opposed to cherry blossom trees in parks. The primary difference between the two is that ornamental cherry blossom trees are bred to produce beautiful flowers but only offer small fruits that are not really edible. The cherry trees in Michigan are bred for the fruits, but the flowers still bloom each spring before they turn into fruits.

There are three different areas around Traverse City where you can do a whole cherry blossom tour. Driving the Old Mission Peninsula or Leelanau Peninsula means you can combine cherry blossom viewing with some wine tasting at local vineyards, and you can also get great views of Grand Traverse Bay. The cherry trees here typically bloom in early to mid-May. 

The city of Athens in Ohio is another unexpected destination for cherry blossoms, and the best place to see these beautiful blooms is on the Ohio University campus. The more than 200 cherry blossom trees on this college campus in Athens were gifted by Japan's Chubu University in 1979 in honor of Ohio University's 175th anniversary. The trees now commemorate the ongoing academic partnership between the oldest public university in Ohio and Chubu University in Kasugai.  

Most of the trees are planted on part of the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, which runs along the Hocking River. The bikeway itself is 22 miles long from Nelsonville to Athens, but you'll find the cherry trees where the bikeway traverses the university campus. Strolling or biking on the bikeway under the blossoming flowers is undoubtedly a lovely way to spend a spring day, and the flowers typically bloom around late March to mid-April. 

Texas probably isn't the first state to come to mind for cherry blossom viewing, but the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden puts on quite a show in the spring. There are over 100 Japanese cherry blossom trees around the arboretum's Pecan Grove. The trees in the arboretum are Yoshino cherry blossom trees that were planted over a period of 10 years. 

Those visiting in the spring will get to view plenty of blooms other than cherry blossoms within the arboretum's 66 acres of ground. The fabulous Yoshinos are just a part of Dallas Blooms, the arboretum's annual floral festival that is the largest in the Southwest. During this spring event, visitors can also see over 300,000 tulips, hyacinths, azaleas, and much more. Dallas Blooms takes place from late February to mid-April, but for those seeking out cherry blossoms specifically, the Yoshino trees here typically bloom in mid to late March.

You can find cherry blossom trees at different locations in this iconic New England city. One of the best places to see the flowers in Boston is along the Charles River Esplanade, where dozens of cherry blossom trees are planted along the river that flows through Beantown. Boston Common and Boston Public Garden are gorgeous places for strolling or picnicking whenever the weather is warm, and the two are also home to some stunning cherry blossom trees. You'll find Yoshino and Kwanzan cherry trees here, making the famous green spots particularly enchanting in the spring. 

Another lovely spot for blossom viewing is Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park in Chinatown along the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. Here, you can see the Yoshino cherry blossoms with the traditional Chinatown gate as a backdrop, and it makes for a quite magnificent scene. The cherry blossoms in Boston typically peak in mid to late April. For even more blossom beauty, the Arnold Arboretum is home to six different types of cherry trees that bloom at different times throughout the month. 

Nashville is home to 1,000 cherry blossom trees that were planted between 2009 and 2018. The city holds a one-day cherry blossom festival at Nashville Public Square during the blossom season, which includes a cute "Pups in Pink" parade. However, the trees aren't just located in the Public Square; these beauties can be found across the city. There is even a 2.5-mile cherry blossom walk starting from Nashville Public Square, and the walk is incorporated as part of the annual cherry blossom festival. 

Cherry blossom trees can also be found at Shelby Avenue Arboretum. This isn't your typical stand-alone arboretum; it is a 2-mile-long celebration of flora incorporated within an urban neighborhood, with trees planted along the sidewalk in a gorgeous marriage of nature and urbanity. The project has planted over 680 trees on Shelby Avenue in an area of the city that experienced significant tornado damage years before. Cherry blossom trees in Nashville typically start blooming at the end of March to early April, and the cherry blossom festival is usually held in April. 

Wahiawā is a town in the central upland part of O'ahu with cooler temperatures compared to other parts of "the Gathering Place," allowing cherry blossom trees to grow here. The first sakura trees here were brought from Okinawa, Japan, in the early 1950s. Since then, many residents have also planted cherry blossom trees, and there are now about 500 cherry trees in these parts. The best way to appreciate them is by taking a scenic drive or stroll through the neighborhood to view them in bloom. It is just about as serene as it gets.

In Wahiawā, the best place to find cherry blossoms is at the Wahiawā Botanical Garden — which is free to visit. Because of the warmer climate, the cherry blossom trees here bloom early, typically at the end of January or early February. There is an annual trolley ride tour of Wahiawā offered called Sakura Safari, and it is every bit as visually spectacular as you may assume. 

In Seattle, the most popular spot for cherry blossom viewing is perhaps the Quad on the University of Washington campus. The Yoshino cherry trees here were originally planted at Washington Park Arboretum but were moved to the university in 1962. Set in front of the university's historic buildings, the cherry blossom trees attract thousands of visitors each spring — the food and drink companies in and around the university even offer cherry blossom-themed food and drinks during this time.

You can also see cherry trees in bloom in front of the historic Pike Place Market. These trees serve as a remembrance of the Japanese and Japanese-American farmers who used to make up the majority of Pike Place Market vendors. Seward Park is another great spot for cherry blossom viewing (it is home to around 3,500 trees), or you can head to Point Defiance Park in Tacoma. The cherry blossoms in Seattle typically bloom around mid to late March.  

There are a number of places to see cherry blossoms in the spring within New York's five boroughs, most notably the many city parks. There is even a park in Manhattan called Sakura Park, a beautiful expanse lined with cherry blossom trees planted in 1912. The iconic Central Park also has six different spots for cherry blossom viewing, and the Central Park Conservancy has a cherry blossom tracker on its website for each. There are many different varieties of cherry blossoms in Central Park, from the delicately-colored Yoshino cherry blossom to the bright pink flowers of the Kwanzan cherry trees.

Another great place for sakura peeping is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The botanic garden has cherry blossom trees lining a path called Cherry Walk, on a lawn called the Cherry Esplanade, and within the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Over at Hunter's Point South Park in Queens, Yoshino cherry trees line the edge of the waterfront park, giving a view of the Manhattan skyline behind the blossoming trees. The cherry trees in New York typically bloom in mid-April. 

The Japanese government donated 1,600 trees to the city of Philadelphia in 1926. Now, Philadelphia holds a cherry blossom festival each spring called the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia. The festival typically runs from the end of March until the end of April, highlighted by a three-day main event in the middle called Sakura Weekend.

The cherry blossom festival takes place at the historic Fairmount Park, where numerous cherry trees have been planted. There's a grove of Cherry Allée trees behind the park's Memorial Hall, plus more cherry trees at the Horticulture Center and the Centennial Arboretum. The festival is free to the public and features multiple vendors and live performances, making for a lively weekend.

Fairmount Park isn't the only place to view cherry blossoms in Philadelphia. You can also find cherry blossom trees at the Morris Arboretum and Gardens and Longwood Gardens. The peak time for cherry blossoms in Philadelphia is usually at the beginning of April.

When spring comes to San Diego, locals and travelers flock to the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum inside the world-famous Balboa Park to enjoy the city's most popular spot for cherry blossoms. Balboa Park is a must-visit destination year-round, but cherry blossom season somehow makes it even more inviting. There are around 150 cherry trees in the garden, symbolizing the friendship between San Diego and the city of Yokohama in Japan. 

The cherry blossom trees in San Diego typically bloom sometime in March. The garden hosts a cherry blossom festival each year in early or mid-March with live performances including music from Japanese artists, karate and sumo demonstrations, taiko drumming, and more. There are usually plenty of Japanese food vendors on deck, ready to feed visitors. Of course, if you prefer to avoid the festival crowd, you can visit the garden on another day during the blooming period to enjoy the magic at a more tranquil time.

The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis boasts 230 blossoming trees from the genus Prunus. The trees in the garden include both ornamental cherry blossom trees and fruiting cherry trees, with plenty of beauty all around. There are also apricot, plum, almond trees, and more that produce similar flowers to cherry blossoms. Together, they make quite the spectacle in the spring. 

Be sure to head to the Japanese Garden section of the botanical garden for the highest concentration of cherry blossom trees, including weeping Higan cherry trees and Yoshino cherry trees. Botanical garden aside, you can also see cherry blossoms in downtown St. Louis, including at Kiener Plaza Park. Deep pink-hued cherry blossom trees also flank the Gateway Arch, the city's iconic landmark. Different types of cherry blossom trees bloom at different times, but in St. Louis, they generally start blooming in late March and continue through April (the Yoshino and Kwanzan cherry trees typically bloom in April). 

An annual cherry blossom celebration is held every year at New Haven's Wooster Square Park, where 72 cherry blossom trees were planted in 1973. The trees line the perimeter of the park, which was built in the 1800s and is named after Revolutionary War hero David Wooster. In addition to the park, cherry trees are planted around the historic Wooster Square neighborhood, so take a stroll around the neighborhood — perhaps grab a slice from the famous Frank Pepe Pizzeria just south of the park. Cherry blossoms and pizza? It doesn't get much better than that.

Cherry blossom trees can also be viewed around Yale University. You'll find a few cherry trees in front of the East Asian Languages Department and a couple of Weeping Higan cherry trees on the north side of Branford Court. Because of the cold temperatures of New Haven winter, the cherry blossom trees here typically start blooming in mid to late April. 

To curate this list of the best places to see cherry blossoms in the United States, we scoured cherry blossom festivals across the country, devoured online reviews, and much more. It isn't just about the number of cherry trees you can find (although that is certainly an important element). Some destinations are particularly picturesque, with the cherry trees set along a river or perhaps in a Japanese garden with a traditional pavilion in the backdrop. Some hold cherry blossom festivals, and the events make for a more fun day beyond blossom viewing. The destinations are spread throughout the country, from the Northeast to Texas and beyond. Whether you're looking to visit a big city or a small town, there's a cherry blossom destination that's right for you.