College students from all of the United States crave great spring break destinations. From beach parties to ski resorts, here the definitive guide to the best spring break destinations in the USA.
Miami is one of the first destinations that comes to mind when you think about college spring breaks. Being in Miami gives you the ability to go to the parties in South Beach as well as the Fort Lauderdale. The nightlife of South Beach is one of the most legendary scenes in the United States. If you do Miami right, you might just feel like you’re living in a movie. If you are lucky you might find a pool party that you could have only dreamed about. Although you might not do cocaine of strippers, you will probably find the perfect function for your crew.
There are also music festivals in Miami throughout the month of March. One of the only downfalls of spring breaking is Miami is the fact that it’s illegal to drink on the beach. People do, however, drink on the beach but you might want to be discrete about it. Many of the nightclubs don’t close until 5am so you have plenty of time to party the night away. There are also 24-hour liquor stores in the South Beach area so you can continue to party after the clubs or start early the next morning.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas has one of the best nightlife scenes in the world. Flights to Las Vegas are typically pretty cheap, especially if you come from the West Coast or the Midwest. Getting to Las Vegas might be the cheapest part of your trip. A night out on the Strip could be the best night of your life or the worst night of your life. Partying through the night (or for more than one night) is a come occurrence in Las Vegas. Obviously, when you think of Las Vegas you think of gambling so make sure to have a game plan when you hit the casinos.
Another thing worth noting is the fact that Las Vegas now has Dispensaries, so if you’re into that you are in luck. The pool party scene in Las Vegas is unmatched. Throughout the month of March, DJs such as Steve Aoki perform at pool parties making them quite the experience. The clubs in Vegas are some of the best in the United States and some even compete on a global scale. Regardless of your game plan for Las Vegas, just know that you will have a great time.
New Orleans
New Orleans is a very underrated spring break destination. With Bourbon Street and the rest of the French Quarter, you are bound to find a bar scene that fits your crew. Saying that New Orleans has one of the best bar scenes in the nation is no lie. They know how to party. Another point to note is that St. Paddy’s day falls on many peoples’ spring breaks. New Orleans throws a major St. Paddy’s day celebration which would be an experience only second to Mardi Gras.
If you get sick of the party scene you can also go kayaking in the bayou or rent a car and go to the beach for the day. Spending the day trying the local cuisine might be one of the best things you could possibly do while in New Orleans. The food culture in New Orleans is unlike anywhere else in the United States so it is a necessity to try some new cuisines during your time in New Orleans. Something to keep in mind is that crawfish are in-season during the month of March. Various festivals go on throughout the month of March so make sure to look into the events going on.
South Padre Island
South Padre Island is the beach scene for getting absolutely plastered. One of the sole reasons people go to South Padre Island is to do a marathon of drink which is totally fine. As one of my friends once said “Padre is a marathon. It’s exhausting drinking day and night for a whole week”. South Padre is also a place where under-aged individuals can blend into the crowds because you don’t need to be 21 to be on the beach. W
ith thousands of college kids swarming the beach, you can expect to have an excellent time. Live DJ performances are part of the scene as well. You can find yourself on the beach all day or at the beach bars. Once the sun goes down you can expect to find yourself at one of the nightclubs. The nightclubs are a great time being filled with plastered and sunburned college kids. A trip to South Padre Island will be one you will never forget and one your liver will hate you for.
Panama City Beach is a legend, to say the least. Some people even claim that Panama City Beach is the spring break capital of the world. When you think about Panama City Beach you might think of the raging beach parties you’ve seen on Youtube but the fact of the matter is drinking on public beaches is now against the law. The locals have tried to tone down the spring break chaos but have only been able to tame the beast slightly.
Beach clubs have emerged and that makes spring breakers flock to various locations. These beach clubs are some of the largest in the world and stay open until 4am so you can party through the night on the beach. Some estimates say that up to 500,000 spring breakers head to Panama City Beach every year. Hotels and condos line the beach for miles so you can find great lodging options, usually for a decent rate.
Spring Break in Panama City Beach
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach is often overlooked because of Panama City Beach and South Padre Island bur Daytona holds its own when it comes beach partying. If you can’t find one of the many pool parties lining the beach, just go to one of the swarms of vehicles forming a drinking scene. Daytona Beach is famous for being people being able to drive their vehicles on the beach.
Once you’ve done your drinking for the day you can find yourself heading to the clubs of Daytona. There are even shuttle buses that run through the night dropping off drunk college kids at their hotels. If you want to take a small break from the party scene you could take a visit to the Daytona International Speedway. With Orlando being close to Daytona, you could also take a day trip to Disney World, Sea World, or Universal Studios.
Breckinridge
Breckenridge is the outlier of this list but a spring break in the mountains is nothing to overlook. Even if you have never been skiing or snowboarding, Breckenridge would be an excellent place to learn. I know a lot of people who have described spring break in Breckenridge as “skiing, drinking, repeat”. The town of Breckenridge has a legendary downtown with many bars to entertain college students.
Deadwood
Terry Peak and Deadwood, South Dakota is a super underrated place to spend spring break. Terry Peak is a good-sized ski resort near the historic town of Deadwood. This might not be a very popular spring break option because there is no major airport close to Deadwood. Similar to the Breckenridge, you can expect to ski all day and hit the bars and casinos in Deadwood. Deadwood is known for its casinos and bars lining the majority of downtown.
Regardless of where you decide to spring break, any of the options above will give you an experience you’re bound to love. This is the ultimate list of the best spring break destinations in the USA.