Iā€™ve spent the last two decades exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and have become utterly fascinated by itsĢżduality. On the one hand, GSMNP is the epitome of a ā€œdrive throughā€ park, with a scenic road and bevy of easy nature trails. On the other, itā€™s a rugged expanse of wilderness packed with steep cliffs, remote hollers, and wild trout streams. Some of the parkā€™s gateway towns are packed with waterslides and chain restaurants, while others have quaint main streets. Over the years, Iā€™ve sat in traffic jams inside the park, but also crawled through dense backcountry forests. Iā€™ve fished streams and hugged massive old growth trees and spotted elk at dusk and climbed some of the tallest peaks in the eastern U.S. all within the borders of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

What Iā€™ve discovered is that you need time to fully appreciate this landscape. You need to spend days on end here, fishing and hiking and picnicking your way through these impressive mountains. That means youā€™ll need a place to lay your head and recover from the dayā€™s adventure. While camping inside GSMNP is great, sometimes you need a few more amenities, like a hot tub or game room, to truly round out your vacation.

For this sort of trip, I usually turn to Airbnb, which has hundreds of cabin options you can rent for a night or more, within a stoneā€™s throw of the park. Here are eight properties Iā€™d recommend that hit the sweet spot of perks, location, and high reviews from other travelers. Any one of these would make the perfect basecamp for exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Know Before You Go: Last September, Western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. I wrote about my experience in the storm at the time, but I want readers to know that the region is healing, and many communities are open to tourism again. Great Smoky Mountains National Park did not receive the brunt of the storm, and most gateway towns saw minimal damage compared to other communities. But keep the storm and its lasting impacts in mind when youā€™re traveling to the region. Some roads might still be closed, and some areas will still look scarred.

Creekside Chalet

Why We Love It: The A-frame, ski-chalet vibes

Price: From $190 per night

Built into the side of a mountain in the sixties, this kitschy A-frame chalet has been completely remodeled into a modern gem that sits just outside the hustle and bustle of downtown Gatlinburg. The two-bedroom cabin has a large living room that makes the most of the A-frame design with towering vaulted ceilings and floor to ceiling windows, but I also love the front porch, which has its own hot tub. The cabin feels secluded, thanks to the surrounding forest of hardwoods, but itā€™s actually on the edge of Ober Gatlinburg, a family-friendly ski resort thatā€™s the perfect place to take your first turns. Youā€™re also just tenĢżminutes from the Gatlinburg entrance to the park, with quick access to the trails off of Newfound Gap Road, which cuts through the center of the park. Plus, it perfect for larger crews, as it sleeps up to six people with two bedrooms, a sleeper sofa, and has two baths.

Cabin in the Clouds

Why We Love It: The epic view from the hot tub

Price: From $250 per night

I like the quieter North Carolina side of the park and this new, two-bedroom mountain-top cabin near Bryson City makes the most of the area thanks to a wall of glass and expansive porch that takes in the surrounding mountains. The living room is the definition of ā€œairy,ā€ with vaulted ceilings and an exterior wall full of windows, which leads onto the expansive deck where a hot tub sits in the corner. Soaking in the tub while you enjoy mountain vistas by day, or starry skies by night, has to be the highlight here, although I also like the firepit complete with a built-in national park-style charcoal grill. From here, youā€™ll have quick access to Lake Fontana and the Deep Creek area of the park, which is packed with waterfalls and adventurous tubing. The home sleeps up to six people, with two bedrooms and two baths.

Riverfront Glass House

Why We Love It: The fire pit right next to a world-class trout stream

Price: From $299 a night, 2-night minimum

This large home sits on a peninsula at the confluence of a small creek and the Little River, with steps leading down to a grassy ā€œbeachā€ thatā€™s perfect for lounging or casting for trout. Thereā€™s a shaded patio with a hot tub and a lounge area complete with an outdoor TV, not to mention an outdoor shower. Hardwoods throughout and big picture windows show off the surrounding forest and mountains from the inside of this updated home, but its location is the real draw. Not only will you have private access to the river, but the house, which sleeps up to six, is only two miles from the Foothills Parkway, a scenic two-lane road that wraps around the border of GSMNP, and the Airbnb is only 12 miles to the closest entrance to the park.

Clever Cubs Cabin

Why We Love It: The built-in game room and close proximity to family fun

Price: From $233 per night; 3-night minimum

You never know how your kids will respond to that five-mile hike you have planned, but I guarantee theyā€™ll love the full-sized arcade games, pool table, and karaoke machine that occupy the bonus room in this three-story cabin. Older kids will appreciate the photogenic murals crafted inside and outside of this home, and as an extra perk, the cabin is located near Sevierville, which is packed with family adventures, from zip line courses to gem mines. The wraparound porch has a putting green, and thereā€™s a lower deck with a fire pit and a tiki bar for the adults. As for the cabinā€™s proximity to the park, youā€™re about 30 minutes from Sugarlands Visitor Center, where you can pick up the scenic Newfound Gap Road, which cuts through the heart of the Smokies, or break off to Cades Cove, a former farming community with historic buildings scattered throughout the valley. This cabin sleeps up to eight people.

The Smoky Mountain Treehouse

Why We Love It: The 40-foot swinging bridge

Price: From $275 per night

This custom-built tree house has story-book weekend written all over it, from the 40-foot long swinging bridge you need to cross to enter the home, to the architectural details that make the cabin one-of-a-kind. The kitchen is compact, but a rolling ladder leads to a loft, live edge countertops grace the bathroom and kitchenette, and you get views of the surrounding mountain from your king bed. The outside living space is even better, with an outdoor shower, cedar hot tub, and a hammock built into the floor of the deck. The location is prime, as this treehouse sits just off the Foothills Parkway on the western border of the park, close to the Abrams Falls and Goldmine Trailhead. It can sleep up to four, but this perch is best for a romantic coupleā€™s getaway.

Eagleā€™s Landing

Why We Love It: The view from the porch of the lake below

Price: From $225 per night

Is it crazy to rent a cabin just for the view? Depends on what youā€™re looking at. Eagles Landing is a two-bedroom cabin that sleeps up to six perched on a bluff overlooking a quiet corner of Lake Fontana, a finger-lake body of water that forms the southern border of GSMNP. The firepit and front porch have the best views of the vistas below, showing off green slopes that rise directly from the water. Head down the mountain to paddle Fontana in search of rope swings, jumping rocks, and waterfalls (all of which can be found nearby). If youā€™re looking for land-based activities, the Appalachian Trail crosses Fontana Dam and climbs to Shuckstack Tower, a decommissioned fire lookout with views of Lake Fontana.

Secluded Cabin

Why We Love It: The remote setting and quick access to the park.

Price: From $145 per night

Tucked into Pisgah National Forest, near the north-eastern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this small, one-bedroom cabin is surrounded by Pisgah National Forest, with nothing but dense hardwoods for neighbors. There are no frills in this remote outpost, which has two beds and sleeps up to four, but the interior is nicely finished and has a wood stove to keep you warm at night, while a covered porch and fire pit give you the outdoor space you need for soaking in the surrounding wilderness. The location is prime for exploring the eastern side of the park, where the Mount Sterling fire tower looms tall and swimming holes like Midnight Hole beckon during the summer. Itā€™s dog-friendly too, and is accessible by unmaintained forest roads, so if you visit during a winter snow storm, youā€™ll need a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Vista Heights Lodge

Why We Love It: The private pool and outdoor living space

Price: From $441 per night

Big groups need room to spread out, and not only does this large cabin near the western border of the park have plenty of space (it sleeps up to 12 with 5Ģżbedrooms and 5.5 baths), it has a gorgeous screened-in porch complete with a wood-burning fireplace, an indoor/outdoor heated pool, and a game room with a pool table. Enjoy expansive views of the Smokies from many of the bedrooms, or spend your time hopping between the hot tub and the pool. Thereā€™s even a Peloton bike if you feel the need to burn calories. The cabin sits on the edge of the park, near the Little River Gorge and Elkmont Campground, with a dozen trailheads under 30 minutes from the front door.

Graham Averill is ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazineā€™s national parks columnist. Heā€™s been exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area since he was a kid. In those days, his family camped, which is great, but he definitely appreciates a cabin with a hot tub and pool table. He has recently written about the best national parks for spring break, and the ones that you can enter for free this year.

The post Headed to Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Book One of These 8 Airbnbs. appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

I always wanted a treehouse growing up. Who didnā€™t? Thereā€™s something magical about the idea of a tiny cabin, vaulted above the ground and surrounded by strong trees, where you could peek out the window and find yourself at eye level with birds and branches. I envisioned sleepovers in the backyard with friends and secret meetings where my siblings and I could look out over the neighborhood or watch squirrels scramble up close by.

While I never got that treehouse as a kid, I can rent one for the night now if I want. From a lookout tower with a wood-fired sauna in Idaho to a sleek cabin with volcano views in Washington to an architect-designed treehouse on a pond in New York, these nine grown-up-worthy treehouse vacation rentalsā€”which are all built to avoid harming the woods around themā€”will help fulfill your wildest childhood dreams.

Score Views of Mount Adams From This Modern Treehouse in the Columbia River Gorge

Location: White Salmon, Washington

Price: From $280 per night

Youā€™ll come for the view of 12,281-foot Mount Adams at sunset through the 18-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling windows in this modern, sleekly designed treehouse vacation rental, which sits in between three hearty Douglas firs near the town of White Salmon, Washington, across the Columbia River from Hood River, Oregon. This 500-square-foot pet-friendly cabin comes with minimalist Scandinavian furnishings and maximalist amenities, like an outdoor shower, on-the-ground fire pit, and coffee-making equipment of the highest Pacific Northwest-approved quality. Cell service and TVs donā€™t exist here. The place sleeps up to six in a private bedroom and an open sleeping loft equipped with two queen beds.

Donā€™t Miss: From here, youā€™re just 15 minutes from the in Hood River, a prime spot for mountain biking, and even closer to the windsurfing and kiteboarding that the Columbia River Gorge is famous for. Otherwise, hike to a waterfall like or and end the day with nachos and live music at , a localā€™s favorite pub in White Salmon.

Spare No Comforts in This Studio Treehouse in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Location: Travelers Rest, South Carolina

Price: From 379 per night

The small town of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, 25 minutes outside of Greenville, is as charming as it sounds. And this thoughtfully designed treehouse on a quiet 16-acre property in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is the sweetest place to call home while youā€™re there. The studio-sized treehouse sleeps two in ultra-comfortable accommodations, complete with an outdoor shower on the back deck and yoga mats for morning stretching. At night, youā€™ll hear the resident owl, named Betty, hooting a welcome. This treehouse has a two-night minimum, is available for long-term stays, and intentionally doesnā€™t come with WiFi, though it does have cell service.

Donā€™t Miss: Youā€™re just 10 minutes from downtown Travelers Rest, where you can ride bikes along the , a 28-mile multi-use pathway. The hiking trails in are 20 minutes away, and thereā€™s wine tasting and an outdoor sculpture park at , five minutes down the road.

Sleep 40 Feet Off the Ground in a Far-Out Lookout Tower in the Forested Midwest

Location: Bradleyville, Missouri

Price: From $295 per night

Youā€™ll drive two miles down a gravel road to reach this remote two-story lookout tower, which is located about 20 minutes outside the tiny outpost of Bradleyville, Missouri. (The nearest grocery store is 30 minutes away, so pack supplies.) This one-bedroom treehouse-style tower was built to resemble the historic fire lookout towers once used to spot fires in rural areas. Two such remaining towers still exist around the , 15 minutes away, which has 32 miles of hiking trails. This is the kind of Airbnb that comes with a welcome basket and a hand-written note from your hosts, making you feel right at home when you arrive. Put your belongings into a winch-operated luggage elevator while you climb the 40 stairs to the top level. Too windy? Thereā€™s a cellar storm shelter you can hide out in until the bad weather passes. Nice amenities include upgrades like plush bathrobes, a telescope for night stargazing, and a rock-lined hot tub. Plan to unplug: Thereā€™s no TV or WiFi.

Donā€™t Miss: About an hour from the tower, you can dine on farm-to-table ingredients or take a workshop on soap making or floral bouquets at in Ozark.

Take a Detour on Your Highway 1 Road Trip to Stay at This Magical Treehouse Along the Pacific Coast

Location: Watsonville, California

Price: From $696 per night

Youā€™ll park your car and meander on foot down a wooded pathway before arriving at this picturesque one-bedroom treehouse vacation rental, suspended in a grove of redwoods outside the town of Watsonville, California, known for its plethora of artichoke farms. The bathhouse at this treehouse has its own separate building, accessible via vaulted plank from the main cabin. The house comes stocked with board games and has sliver views of the Pacific Ocean from the wraparound deck. The popular beaches of Santa Cruz and Monterey arenā€™t far, or stay close and take a stroll on the sand dunes at .

Donā€™t Miss: Farm stands are abundant in the area. Buy an olallieberry pie or pick your own apples or strawberries at or stop into the shop for fresh artichokes or artichoke dips and sauces, depending on the season. Hike the five miles of woodland trails or spot sea otters by kayak on the wetland waterways of the . rents kayaks and leads guided tours.

Explore Glacier National Park from this A-Frame Treehouse Nearby

Location: Columbia Falls, Montana

Price: From $341 per night

You might never want to leave the comfortable confines of this two-bedroom A-frame cabin thatā€™s suspended in the trees 10 minutes outside Columbia Falls, Montana. That is, until you realize youā€™re just 30 minutes from the west entrance to Glacier National Park. This well-appointed treehouse is situated on a 5-acre forested property thatā€™s also home to a second neighboring treehouse, but both are positioned to preserve a sense of privacy. In the winter, youā€™re just 15 minutes from skiing at Whitefish Mountain Resort. In the summer, head to Whitefish Lake and the charming lakeside town of Whitefish or go for a scenic drive or hike in Glacier National Park.

Donā€™t Miss: During peak season from June through September, youā€™ll need a to drive Glacier National Parkā€™s famous Going to the Sun Road, but itā€™s worth it for the views along this scenic mountain roadway. In the warmer months, park at the Logan Pass trailhead to hike a section of the 11-mile , which goes point to point along the Continental Divide past the , a historic, romantic backcountry lodge within the national park.

Disconnect at this Architect-Designed Treehouse in the Catskills

Location: Woodstock, New York

Price: From $500 per night

This 500-square-foot tiny house is situated on a private wooded property 15 minutes from the town of Woodstock, New York. Designed by architect Antony Gibbons as a whimsical family escape for these Airbnb hosts, this unique, stilted, stand-alone cabin has massive windows that look out into the Catskill Mountains and to the on-site pond. The quarters are quaint: A lofted, open-air bedroom sleeps two. Pick up bagels and coffee at the in Woodstock to have on hand. In the winter, thereā€™s downhill skiing and an uphill policy at , a 30-minute drive away.

Donā€™t Miss: From spring to fall, tackle the 6-mile hike to the , which starts just up the road, or take the short but scenic walk to. There are plenty of lakes and swimming holes to jump into in the area, but why bother going anywhere else when you have a swimming pond in the backyard of your treehouse vacation rental? A wood-fired cedar hot tub awaits you on the edge of the pond. Thereā€™s no cell service or WiFi.

Enjoy a Wood-Fired Sauna at This Lookout Tower in Remote Backcountry

Location: Fernwood, Idaho

Price: From $271 per night

This structure wasnā€™t built to look like an old fire lookout towerā€”it actually is an old lookout tower. Originally built in 1959 atop a peak in eastern Washington, it was relocated to western Idaho in 1983 and completely remodeled as a year-round no-frills guest house in 2018. Itā€™s surrounded by 13 acres of forest land on Crystal Peak outside the tiny hamlet of Fernwood, Idaho. In the summer, you can drive to within 50 feet of the lookout, but youā€™ll need an all-wheel-drive car (the road in is pretty rugged); in the winter, youā€™ll need to ski tour, snowmobile, or catch a lift from the caretakerā€™s off-road vehicle for an additional fee. Thereā€™s no bathroom in the lookout; youā€™ll need to climb down the ladder to the ground level to use the outhouse.

Donā€™t Miss: Youā€™ll likely spend your days wandering around the hutā€”you can forage for huckleberries or morel mushroomsā€”then light up the wood-fired sauna, located on its own deck.

Bring Your Family to This Cozy Treehouse in the Foothills of the North Georgia Mountains

Location: Dahlonega, Georgia

Price: From $294 per night

You wouldnā€™t guess youā€™re just an hour north of Atlanta when you settle into this peaceful abode built around a massive oak tree. For families or groups, four people can sleep in bunks and a queen bed stacked in various nooks and this treehouse vacation rental comes with kidsā€™ books and toys if youā€™re bringing little ones. Thereā€™s a short nature trail out the door. Three other vacation rental cabins sit on the same 7-acre property, but theyā€™re well spaced apart from each other.

Donā€™t Miss: Downtown Dahlonega, a few minutes away, is listed on the National Historic Register as the site of one of Americaā€™s first gold rush towns. You can learn more about the areaā€™s history at the Visit the 729-foot high waterfall in or hike the 8-mile that connects to the 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail near its southern terminus at Springer Mountain.

Ski Sunday River from This Chalet in the Trees

Location: Woodstock, Maine

Price: From $470 per night

Youā€™ll sleep 20 feet off the ground in a 300-square-foot tiny house designed and built by The Treehouse Guys, made famous on a DIY Network show. This cabin, in Woodstock, which can sleep up to four in two small, lofted spaces, is surrounded by maple and hemlock trees and just 10 minutes from the town of Bethel, Maine. It comes stocked with a record player, a ukulele, and a hot tub. The hosts call this pad The Ski Haus for a reason: Skiing at is less than 15 minutes away and skiing and summertime lift-accessed mountain biking at is just five minutes away. Or donā€™t leave the grounds: You can reach seven miles of hiking and snowshoeing trails from this treehouse vacation rental within the surrounding 634-acre Bucks Ledge Community Forest.

Donā€™t Miss: Thereā€™s ice skating midwinter on North Pond, a short walk from the treehouse, or in the summer, the place comes with access to paddleboards and kayaks.

Megan Michelson is an award-winning journalist who covers travel and the outdoors for a wide range of publications, including ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų, from her home base in Tahoe City, California. She’s always dreamed of staying in a treehouseā€”even from childhoodā€”and can’t wait to hit up these spots on her 2025 vacation list. She’s recently written about the coolest off-grid Airbnb in Colorado, how this woman pulled off buying a one Euro home in Italy, and these 10 vacations that might even help you live longer.Ģż

The post 9 Sublime Treehouses for Ridiculously Cool Vacation Stays appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

The post The Ultimate Road Trip appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Last year was a dream for astronomy enthusiasts like me, with brilliant low-latitude auroras, a total solar eclipse, and a bright comet that was easily visible to the naked eye. The good news is Iā€™m just as excited for stargazing in 2025.

North America will enjoy an exceptional cadence of astronomical sights every season, starting with a buzzed-about planet parade on show now through late February, with a total lunar eclipse to follow in mid-March.

This is also a great year to be an aurora chaser. Now that the sun has entered solar maximum, weā€™ll enjoy heightened northern- and southern-lights activity. This phenomenon occurs roughly once every 11 years, and it could continue until at least this fall, and potentially into 2026. So now is the time to plan a trip to see the auroras; here are the destinations I recommend to do just that.

As an astrophotographer, I travel the world seeking dark skies free from light pollution, but I also love watching interstellar magic from my backyard in Cleveland, Ohio. This year, backyard astronomers across the U.S. can enjoy all kinds of night-sky events, most visible even through city lights.

Here are the astronomical sights and events Iā€™m most excited about in 2025, with tips on where, when, and how to make the most of them.

February

Prime Milky Way Season Begins

Under dark skies, you can technically see the Milky Way all year long, but not all sightings are equally astounding. This month the view improves as the dynamic and photogenic galactic center of our spiral galaxy, known as the Milky Way core, reappears in the southeast at night.

Hereā€™s why: Earth is located on a spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy, roughly two-thirds from its center. Between November and late January, Earthā€™s orbit puts the sun between us and the Milky Way core. So instead of seeing its center, which is always found within the Sagittarius constellation, we only spot thin wisps of the galaxyā€™s outer fringes. Itā€™s still a beautiful band of stars, but not the same. See below:

Come February, weā€™ve transited far enough around the sun to once again start seeing that luminous core, which consists of dense gas, stars, and dust. You can admire it a few hours before dawn this month; the farther south you are, the earlier it rises. The sight will only improve as the year goes on. Summer, when the galactic center is visible most of the night, is my favorite time to photograph it.

Tips and Tricks: Location is critical. Youā€™ll need a dark sky and dim moon to fully appreciate the galactic center, which is apparent to the naked eye and especially dazzling in photographs. Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adjust to the dark to see it best. And donā€™t travel too far north; the galactic center is only visible below 55 degrees latitudeā€”roughly Edmonton, Canada. Dark-sky destinations farther south, like those in New Mexico, Texas, or Arizona, provide the best views in the contiguous U.S.

Extra! Extra!: Start your pre-dawn core-watching with some evening awe. Just after sunset in late February, stargazers can admire a planet parade, with all seven of our neighboring planetary bodies. Hereā€™s how to watch this rare alignment.

March 13-14

Total Lunar Eclipse

If thereā€™s one stargazing sight you absolutely should not miss this year, itā€™s the total lunar eclipse above North America. Overnight from March 13 to 14, Earth will slide between the sun and full moon, casting a shadow that dims the latter. The indirect sunlight will turn the moon a haunting tangerine hue, which is why itā€™s known as a blood moon.

Tips and Tricks: The entire event will occur over six hours, starting just before midnight Eastern Time on Thursday, March 13. But the full eclipseā€”when Earthā€™s shadow covers the entirety of the moonā€”will run from around 2:30 to 3:30 A.M. Eastern Time on Friday, March 14. (Exact timing depends on your viewing location; download a stargazing app to determine your local watch time.)

Lunar eclipses are not only visible to the naked eye; theyā€™re observable from light-polluted cities. I watched last yearā€™s partial lunar eclipse from my front porch in Cleveland and used to zoom in on the action.

Extra! Extra!: The moon may get all the attention this month, but keep an eye out for auroras, too. The northern lights are said to be especially powerful around the equinoxes, due to our planetā€™s tilt, and this yearā€™s spring equinox happens on March 20. Hereā€™s my step-by-step guide to catching auroras in the lower 48 states.

June 21ā€“28

Grand Canyon Star Party

While you can spot many sights on this list from home, thereā€™s nothing like admiring the cosmos with an expert. Thatā€™s why the ā€”the National Park Serviceā€™s largest night-sky gatheringā€”is on this list. The annual summer event, set in the DarkSky-certified Grand Canyon National Park, draws hundreds of astronomy enthusiasts and thousands of visitors for a week of laser-guided stargazing, astrophotography workshops, and telescope sessions to check out everything from Jupiterā€™s great red spot to star clusters and nebulae. Volunteers set up around 50 telescopes each night.

This yearā€™s free festival will be spread across two locations: on the South Rim outside the visitor center, run in partnership with the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, and on the North Rim at the Grand Canyon Lodgeā€™s porch, with the Saguaro Astronomy Club of Phoenix.

Tips and Tricks: The full festival schedule will be released in Marchā€”check the for the latest newsā€”but itā€™s a good idea to book your stay at the Grand Canyon now, due to the eventā€™s popularity, combined with the fact itā€™s held in the high season. And if youā€™re after a real red-rock treatā€”stargazing from the floor of the Grand Canyonā€”donā€™t miss my guide to snagging a reservation at the iconic Phantom Ranch.

Extra! Extra!: While the Grand Canyon hosts the Park Serviceā€™s largest night-sky bonanza, many other national parks also put on star parties throughout the year. Those to consider include the , in Utah, which runs from June 25 to 28; the , in Nevada, from September 18 to 20; and Theodore Roosevelt National Parkā€™s , in North Dakota, from September 19 to 21.

August 12ā€“13

Perseid Meteor Shower

The most popular and prolific meteor shower of the year, the Perseids, will peak the night of August 12, with some potential for interstellar fireworks early on the mornings of August 11 and 12, too. This powerful shower can produce up to 100 soaring meteors per hour at its peak, but sadly 2025 isnā€™t the best year for itā€”that night in particular, the moon is quite full (85 percent), so itā€™ll wash out all but the brightest of them. That said, donā€™t skip this yearā€™s Perseids, but do optimize your viewing.

Tips and Tricks: Head to a DarkSky-certified park, or better yet, book a night at a stargazing retreat and plan to stay up late. The best viewing typically happens after midnight and into the wee hours of the morning. Thatā€™s when the meteor showerā€™s point of origin, located in the Perseus constellation, is at its highest point in the sky. Plus, the Perseids are known to generate bright and colorful fireballs, often vivid enough to shine through moonlight and light pollution.

Extra! Extra!: Thereā€™s plenty to admire while you await those shooting stars. Approximately three hours before sunrise on both August 12 and 13, bright Venus and Jupiter will appear close together above the eastern horizon, not far below Perseus. The moon and Saturn will also travel near each other the nights of August 11 and 12, rising in the east roughly two hours after sunset.

August 19ā€“20

Fall Planet Parade

Weā€™ll have a pause in planet parades after February 2025ā€™s seven-planet gathering, but the fun returns mid-Augustā€”and Iā€™ll have my camera ready for this one, because it promises to be quite photogenic. In the pre-dawn hours of both August 19 and 20, roughly an hour before sunrise, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter will appear in a diagonal line above the east horizon, with the waning crescent moon just to their left.

This autumn planet parade will be particularly spectacular because elusive Mercury, often obscured due to its proximity to the sun, will be visible. (Itā€™s at its farthest distance from the sun from August 19 to 20.) That means weā€™ll have almost an hour of solid planet-parade watching before dawn.

Tips and Tricks: Continue to follow the diagonal line up the sky, above the northeast horizon, to see Uranus near the Pleiades star cluster. While Uranus typically requires a telescope for viewing, you can spot around six of the Pleiades stars unaided as well. Saturn is also easily visible atop the southwest horizon. Neptune is beside the ringed planet, too, but youā€™ll need a telescope to spot it.

October 6

A Supermoon Trio Starts

In October, supermoon season will finally be upon us, and it kicks off a string of three consecutive, brighter than average full moons to close out the year. The first supermoon is theĢż October 6 Hunterā€™s Moon, which will appear larger and more vivid than normal.

The full Beaver Moon on November 5 will be the largest of the year, and the Cold Moon on December 4 will be the last full supermoon until December 2026.

A full supermoon doesnā€™t differ all that much from your average full moon; it appears about 7 percent bigger and 15 percent more luminous, according to . The phenomenon occurs when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth during its full-moon stage.

Tips and Tricks: I like to photograph supermoons in the evening hours when they rise above the horizon just before sunset. Thatā€™s when something NASA calls the ā€œā€ makes itĢż appear larger on the horizon than it is when itā€™s higher in the sky. For photographers, objects on the horizon (like skyscrapers, animals, or trees) can also add scale to make the moon look exceptionally dramatic. Another great reason to watch a supermoon above the eastern horizon just before dusk: it turns a gold hue.

Extra! Extra!: Adding to the awe is Saturn, which rises just to the right of the moon on October 6. The November and December supermoons will rise above the northeast horizon before sunset, too.

October 9

The Moon Covers Pleiades

Hereā€™s another marvel that even city dwellers can enjoy. On this night, the nearly full moon will cross in front of the Pleiades star clusterā€”one of the brightest objects we can see outside of our solar system, with around six stars visible to the naked eye.

Watching a bright moon slide in front of any distinguishable space sight is thrillingā€”and many U.S. stargazers learned this firsthand with last monthā€™s . The U.S. wonā€™t see the moon cover another planet until 2026, but this lunar occultation of Pleiades, a deep-space object known for its cobalt-blue stars, will put on quite the show, and you need not travel far to see it.

The Pleiades cluster boasts over 1,000 stars, and you can spot the brightest of them even amid light pollution. So get out and enjoy this event from right outside your doorā€”no gear required. In fact, the Pleiades star cluster is one of my favorite sights when stargazing at home in Cleveland.

Tips and Tricks: During this event, the moon will begin to travel in front of the Pleiades stars around 11 P.M. Eastern Time, concealing several of the blueish flecks as the night goes on. The stars will reappear as the moon reaches the other side roughly three hours later. (Use a stargazing app to determine exact timing.)

You can catch the show in the northeast sky; those on the West Coast will need clear views to the horizon since it will happen soon after the moon rises.

November 7ā€“9

Aurora Summit

The boom in northern lights will continue through much of 2025, and you can hone your auroral hunting, and learn more about those dreamy sky swirls, at the annual Aurora Summit, this year in Red Cliff, Wisconsin. Now in its eighth year, the festival brings together night-sky enthusiasts for a weekend of seminars, photography workshops and forecasting tutorials by day, and, of course, guided aurora chasing by night.

This gathering takes place in my favorite region in the contiguous U.S. for aurora huntingā€”the Great Lakesā€”with the picturesque backdrop of Lake Superior and the scenic Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. While star parties abound in the U.S., this is one of the nationā€™s only festivals dedicated entirely to the northern lights.

Tips and Tricks: Bookings open on the in June. Consider the pre-eventā€™s astrophotography boot camp if you want to elevate your night-sky photgraphy skills.

December 13ā€“14

Geminid Meteor Shower

If thereā€™s one meteor shower you should witness in 2025, itā€™s the Geminids. Under pristine skies free of light pollution, this year-end spectacle can produce upward of 150 meteors per hour when it peaks overnight between December 13 and 14. The best viewing starts after 10 P.M. and continues through the night. The waning crescent moon wonā€™t rise until 2 A.M. local time, so youā€™ll have several hours of prime meteor-shower watching sans moonlight.

Tips and Tricks: Stargazing from a DarkSky-certified destination will improve your viewing. And I recommend using a light-pollution map, like , to locate a nearby stargazing perch thatā€™s spared from city lights. Look for a spot with clear views to the eastern sky, where the showerā€™s origin point, located near the Castor star in the Gemini constellation, rises. Bright Jupiter, located right within Gemini the night of December 13, can aid your viewing.

Iā€™m a big fan of the Geminids, not just for the abundance of meteors but their striking beauty. These interstellar fireworks are vivid and speedy, and can come in all sorts of colorsā€”notably white, yellow, and greenā€”due to the remnants of metal. In December 2023, I even watched a bright-red Geminid streak through the sky above my house, creating a trail of shimmery scarlet as it traveled.

5 Ways to Enhance Your Stargazing Experiences

1. Download a Stargazing App

A night-sky app like ($20 for the Pro subscription, which I use) or (free) can do wonders for your stargazing. These apps use live night-sky simulations to help you navigate the heavens and locate both obvious space objects, like planets, as well as more obscure stars, galaxies, or star clusters.

2. Use Red Lights

It can take our eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark after exposure to bright white lights. Red lights, on the other hand, are much less disruptive. Use a ā€”or cover your white light in red cellophaneā€”to preserve your night vision in the field. I also use to turn my iPhone light red so I can still use it when needed.

3. Learn to Photograph with Your Smartphone

The cameras built into todayā€™s smartphones are astounding, especially for astrophotography. If youā€™re interested in snapping pics of the night sky but donā€™t want to invest thousands of dollars in an astrophotography kit, learn to use your smartphone to take night photos. I wrote this guide to photographing the northern lights with your smartphone, and you can use many of the lessons in that piece to shoot the stars with your phone as well.

4. Visit Your Stargazing Perch by Day

If youā€™re stargazing in a new destination, stop by the site in the daytime so youā€™re familiar with the parking situation, any safety hazards, and the best place for sky-viewing. When hiking at night, remember to stick to the trail and follow Leave No Trace principlesā€”pack out all that you bring in, let wildlife be, and donā€™t veer off the established route.

5. Stargaze with a Buddyā€”or Better Yet, a Guide

While Iā€™ve spent many a night stargazing solo, Iā€™m more at ease when Iā€™m with a friendā€”and even more so with a local guide, especially if Iā€™m in a new locale. If youā€™re heading out alone at night, tell someone where youā€™re going, and pack extra safety items, like a portable charger for your phone, a headlamp with spare batteries, and a satellite communicator for emergencies.

Stephanie Vermillion is °æ³Ü³Ł²õ¾±»å±šā€™s astrotourism columnist and author of National Geographicā€™s , which was published in December 2024. Sheā€™s planning her 2025 travels around many attractions on this list, from chasing the auroras in Yukon and Norway to photographing the Milky Way core in the Southwest. You can follow her adventures on .

The post 9 Brilliant Astronomy Events to Be Sure to See This Year appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Washington, DC is justly famous as Americaā€™s capital city and home to many of the worldā€™s best free museums and monuments. That distinction alone makes it well worth a visit, but those who scratch the marble faƧade will find a city bubbling with energy and full of surprises. Long celebrated as Chocolate City, DCā€™s cultural cake is now layered with flavors from every corner of America and the globe, adding breadth to the cityā€™s world-class dining, music, and art. A bright, modern Metro system teleports visitors to dozens of neighborhoods, each with its own history and charm, spread over geography thatā€™s uniquely suited to outdoor adventures. Itā€™s a city of two rivers, crisscrossed with protected bike lanes and trails, and brimming with free attractions, including miles of greenspace plus Americaā€™s oldest urban national park. So how would you spend a long weekend in the District? Start with this sample itinerary that includes DCā€™s most accessible and interesting adventures.

The post Discover the Adventurous Side of Washington, DC appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldnā€™t it be something to stay there? We do, tooā€”all the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

Ten feet overhead in a desert canyon in Utah, a jammed log spanned the gully, left by a recent flash flood. In the next passage in Harris Wash inĢżGrand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah, our group gazed up at a tangled brown stripe of debris from the same flood, adorning a green cottonwood tree like Spanish moss.

All our lives we marvel at natureā€™s power. Here we also appreciated the immovability of geologyā€”rock wallsā€”as our group of nine, all staying in the region atĢżthe complex, at first walked and then arduously wormed through a narrowing slot canyon. When the sides pinched down to only a foot wide, my friend DeMarco Williams, athletic and deep-chested, said from two feet ahead, ā€œI donā€™t know if I can do this.ā€ He was pinned.

Ofland Escalante, two miles from the town of Escalante, is situated amid the landscape of the national monument and between two national parks. (Video: Eric Vega)

I had it easier, being smaller. As a climber, Iā€™ve been in squeeze chimneys before; they can be awful and claustrophobic, and you just want out, but have to make it happen.

DeMarco pressed on, and something gave, and he scraped through the constriction. I followed, ducking, and emerged into the light, where he waited smiling. At each obstacle, following canyoneering practices shown us by Rick Green, owner of the guiding outfit , one of us waited to help the next person.

This trip last August was to the treasure that is Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where friends and I all stayed two nights at Ofland Escalante, an ideal, central base located within the national monument and two miles west of the pioneer town of the same name. (Harris Wash was some 25 miles from town, with much of the drive on a washboard road.)

Not everyone in our group loved our several-hour canyoneering experience. Some cried, and some half-laughed, half-cried. But no one will forget it.

Toward the end, having split into two groups (one with Amie Fortin of the same outfit), we all convened for lunch in a bowl among blunt buttresses that were once ancient sand dunes, the slickrock around us inscribed with fine criss-cross lines. Sage and grasses waved in the wind, with hardy piƱon-juniper trees in clumps nearby. Paiute, Ute, and Navajo tribes once dwelled in this region. So did dinosaurs. We saw no one else all day.

As we all looped back out of the canyon, we scrambled a little, but much of the return was just a quiet, reverent walk through washes and passages. Tracing the undulating wind- and water-sculpted walls, I peered into natural niches like little altars, holding swirls of sediment.

The Lodge

Closed each winter but slated to reopen March 12, Ofland Escalante is located just off Highway 12. Opened in 2021 on the site of an old RV park and drive-in movie theater, the place was in recent years, per the website, a ā€œluxury RV parkā€ known as Yonder Escalante. In May 2023 the new owners added ā€œdeluxeā€ cabins, and last year renamed the place (ā€œOflandā€ is for ā€œof the landā€). Ofland has varying services and prices, and brings people together in communal spaces.Ģż

The place offers four types of accommodations. I bunked in a Deluxe Cabin, simple and boxy with floor-to-ceiling windows, able to sleep up to four people. Also available are vintage Airstreams, tiny cabins, and campsites.

The central common area draws visitors with a fire pit, picnic tables, complimentary hot drinks, and shelves of books, board games, and cards. Our crew brought over sā€™mores supplies from our rooms and gathered at the tables for spirited rounds of Uno.

On Ofland Escalanteā€™s 22-acre grounds, you can still enjoy the vintage outdoor ā€œdrive-inā€ theater, where you watch from inside one of nine in-situ classic cars. Other property diversions include a hot tub and swimming pool.

But the big deal is the placeā€™s location amid the wonders of the Utah desert. The nearby town of Escalante is on the northern border of the 1.87-million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and just off the 123-mile-long U of scenic highway 12, which runs between Panguich, 67 miles west of the town, and Torrey, 65 miles north of it. Escalante sits between two national parks, about 50 miles east of Bryce Canyon and 67 southwest of Capitol Reef. Highway 12 links them all.

ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Intel

Escalante (and Ofland Escalante) are in road-trip reach of five national parks, four state parks, another national monument, and the vast Dixie National Forest, all boasting a myriad of .

Youā€™re also in the high-elevation desert here. The town of Escalante is set at 5,800 feet, and the surrounding area rises to about 8,600 feet, while reaches 9,000 feet. So ascend gradually and, while you are outside and exerting, pay attention to your water intake.

Escalante is famous for its slot canyons, and Excursions of Escalante can take you out, set up rappels, and use their guidesā€™ situational experience to avoid dangerous floods. The outfitters gave us packs, helmets, and water bottles, but you should arrive wearing good trail shoes and clothes that take being abraded.

A little on-site commentary from a canyon in Harris Wash, the Utah desert (Video: Neil Tandy)

A Utah friend tells me that , a 6.7-mile out-and-back starting 19 miles northeast of Escalante, is her favorite hike ever. It has birdwatchingā€”for hawks and ravens, and she once saw a condorā€”and ā€œa little of everythingā€ else, from steep sections to sandy patches and a 125-foot waterfall.

For me, a dark-horse favorite was also . We hiked the Rainbow section (and added a few other loops), where we saw petrified wood in scattered chunks, from wastebasket- to coffee-table size, with hues of sulphur yellow and iron red but also deep blues and violet. The starts on an uphill past a tram-size balanced rock overlooking Wide Hollow Reservoir, where you can camp, swim, or .

Please do not pocket any pieces of petrified wood. Things in the desert are supposed to stay there. Besides, I’ve , and taking one only brings you ill luck.

Choice Rooms

My Deluxe Cabinā€™s outside shower was heaven. The water was plenty hot, and I could gaze out at the sky and the surrounding scrub-covered dun bluffs.

The Deluxe Cabins (from $259 per night) are the most cushy places, the only ones with private bathrooms and their own driveways. Each has a kitchenette and Wi-Fi, a deck with picnic table, and a queen bed and pull-out sofa such that it can sleep up to four. From the cabins itā€™s a five-minute walk to the main lodge. ADA cabins are available as well, and the lodge has golf carts for transport around the property.

Other options include vintage Airstreams ($175 per night), which sleep up to three people, and tiny cabins ($169), located just paces from the common area. The cabins have front decks and the Airstreams step out to picnic tables and fire pits. Both use shared bathrooms with amenities and open-air showers.

Ofland also has five campsites (from $99, per night). Each comes with a picnic table, grill, fire pit, filtered-water hookup, power, and bathroom access.

Eat and Drink

Pop over to the on-site food truck, prepare your own meals in your kitchenette, or go out for dinner at in the delightfully small and funky town of Escalante. 4th West offers 30 types of beers; burgers, paninis, and nice spicy tacos; a pool table, where my friends played half the night; and a nice local vibe. The evening was cool, so we skipped the outdoor seating, but in warm temps it would be wonderful to enjoy the view from there over dinner.

, 14 miles east of town and located within the national monument, is a magical-looking complex overlooking the startlingly green forest lining the Escalante River. It offers vegetarian-friendly Southwest fare, indoor and outdoor seating, and lodging.

Thirteen miles farther north is in the town of Boulder. The place, which has a devoted following, features ethically sourced ingredients and its own organic garden. The owners practice Buddhist principles and are committed to social responsibility.

At the end of Highway 12, in the town of Torrey, is the family-owned Wild Rabbit Cafe, with an on-site coffee roaster, and vegan and vegetarian options.

When to Go

Ofland Escalante is open mid-March through October. Spring and fall will have you cozying up around the fire pits, and maybe hitting the hot tub. Summer is bound to put you in the swimming pool. All indoor accommodations have heat and A/C.

How to Get There

The small Bryce Canyon Airport is just four miles north of Bryce Canyon National Park, 48 miles from Escalante. Most visitors and rent a car for the amazing 294-mile drive south and back with its section on Highway 12.

Donā€™t Miss

Hike to the 100 Hands Pictograph Panel, actually site of three major rock-art panels, via a family-friendly 1.2-mile round-trip off Highway 12, starting from the Escalante River Trailhead 14 miles east of Escalante. Ancient petroglyphsā€”sheep, deer, a snakeā€”are visible just five minutes along the trail. The trail contours up to an alcove where you see the 100 Hands (more like 160 Hands) panel, and beyond that is the Shaman and Hunter panel, with a bowhunting scene and collection of shaman figures wearing headpieces.

Forty miles beyond Escalante, stop and get out at the Homestead Overlook, at 9,600 feet elevation, to see the tableau of the Grand Staircaseā€“Escalante National Monument, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Waterpocket Fold of Capitol Reef National Park, with their oceanic deposits and sedimentary layers, red and gold desert against the bumpy skyline of the Henry Mountains. Descending, you pass the Fishaven Reservoir and may see some sandhill cranes, before winding through the treed hamlet of Boulder, volcanic rocks and basalt scattered along the roadway.

Details

Price: From $99

Address: 2020 UT-12
Escalante, UT 84726

Alison Osius is a senior editor in travel at ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazine and ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online. She is a longtime climber and a former editor at Climbing and Rock and Ice magazines. She’s recently written about seeing the Utah desert from a lodge made of glass sky domes; hiking the memorial Storm King Trail, scene of one of our country’s greatest firefighting tragedies; and how to approach traveling to altitude (which starts with: paying attention). Oh, and if you were wondering, here are 8 simple rules for visiting your friends in mountain and waterfront towns.

The post Want to Wake Up in Utah Canyon Country? We Do, Too. appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Central Floridaā€™s interior harbors natural wonders that will wow first-time visitors: 1,000 lakes to explore and waterways galore, trails of every kind, and a vacation-friendly climate nearly year-round. Itā€™s an adventure paradise, and itā€™s just a short drive from Orlando International Airport. Since few know a place like its locals, we tapped Lake County native Arden Tilghman for her top recommendations. Tilghman has a deep appreciation for her homeā€™s outdoor activities, and as founder of , an outdoor tour company, sheā€™s made getting Lake County visitors outside her business. If you want to explore the best of what the area has to offer, these tips are sure to deliver a getaway thatā€™s a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation.

ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Whatā€™s one thing every traveler should know about Lake County?

Arden Tilghman: The variety of things to do. Weā€™re best known for our water-based adventures, but we also cater to every kind of outdoor interest imaginable. Whether youā€™re seeking thrilling experiences or peaceful escapes, weā€™ve got something for everyone. The sheer variety of recreational options is something many overlook when they think about visiting our area, and itā€™s one of the best-kept secrets here.

Whatā€™s something that you can do in Lake County that you wonā€™t find in many other places?

These are just a couple of the distinctive activities that make our region so special and full of surprises:

: These mini catamarans are perfect for anyone seeking a rushā€”they satisfy the need for speed and provide a thrilling way to explore the water. After completing any necessary prerequisites, youā€™ll be in the driverā€™s seat, leading your own adventure.

: Lake County is home to Americaā€™s Seaplane Cityā€”Tavares, Florida. Booking a seaplane tour is one of the most extraordinary and unforgettable ways to experience the area. You can get a birdā€™s-eye view of the Harris Chain of Lakes and the St. Johnā€™s River, the countryā€™s only north-flowing river. Plus, itā€™s hard to beat the excitement of taking off and landing on the water.

How can active travelers burn off some energy while exploring Lake Countyā€™s outdoor attractions?

For those seeking an adventurous, energy-burning activity, my top recommendation will always be a . Weā€™re surrounded by stunning forests, parks, lakes, rivers, and trails, and thereā€™s no better way to experience all of that than from horseback. Iā€™ll admit, Iā€™m a little biasedā€”I grew up on a horse farmā€”but it truly is a special way to explore the county.

Whatā€™s out there for on-water adventurers?

You can on every body of water in the county, offering another great way to get active while soaking in the Florida sun.

When Iā€™m in the mood for a peaceful paddle, I love venturing along the ā€œin betweenā€ waterways. The are a favorite, where I can glide through wetlands, streams, and creeks that link the regionā€™s vast network of lakes. These hidden corners of our waterways are filled with a variety of bird species and an astonishing richness of life, offering a tranquil escape into natureā€™s abundance.

What are some of the best hiking and biking trails to explore?

Lake County has hundreds of miles of maintained trails across its state and city parks. Whether youā€™re around the Crooked River Preserve or riding on the , thereā€™s a trail for everyone.

The hiking trails in are very well-maintained and easy to navigate. The park has short, family-friendly trail options as well as longer, more challenging routes. You can also join a guided ecotour to learn more about the flora and fauna while you explore the parkā€™s natural beauty.

Central Florida attracts a lot of visitors to its subtropical climate and theme parks. Lake Louisa State Park is the perfect place for them to tap into our outdoor scene, too. Visitors can even stay in a and spend a night under the stars in style.

Once youā€™ve had your fill of hiking, biking, and paddling, whatā€™s the best way to relax and unwind?

Thereā€™s nothing quite like enjoying a good meal and a cold drink by the water, and Lake County has no shortage of options. Grab a cocktail at the , or have a bite at Salt Shack on the Lake in . There are plenty of waterfront bars and restaurants to choose from. The waterfront in Tavares is one of my favorite places for a laid-back vibe. For a bit more of an indulgence, Mount Dora also offers wonderful options for wining and dining after a day of adventure.

But honestly, what really calls to me is a campfire. Lake County has plenty of glamping options, which means you can stay in nature without sacrificing comfort.

Discover Lake County, Florida invites visitors to tune out the noise and chaos of everyday life and tune in to the natural sounds, stunning landscapes, and outdoor adventures of Lake Countyā€”only 30 miles outside Orlando. and start planning your trip to Floridaā€™s lakeside escape: Lake County, Florida!

The post Floridaā€™s Undiscovered Outdoor Paradise appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Donā€™t get me wrong, I love a good campsite. But sometimes after a big day of adventure, I crave the comfort and ease of a great hotel with a friendly staff, farm-to-table meals, gear rentals, and maybe even a sauna and cold plunge. Both in the U.S. and abroad, a plethora of brands are catering to guests who love the outdoors, such as glamping masters Under Canvas and community-centric LOGE camps.

But we all have limited vacation time and need to pick our getaway stays thoughtfully. As someone who’s on the road half the year, I can assure you that these are worth traveling for.

The newest outposts that excite me most are popping up in perfect locations, from the doorsteps of popular national parksĢż to some urban gems bringing nature indoors with innovative biophilic design. Hereā€™s my hotel hot list for 2025.

Snow Peak Campfield Long Beach

Long Beach, Washington

Iā€™ve long been a fan of the Japanese gear company , not only for its design-minded outdoor equipment, but also the creative ways it brings its brand to life. For example, the company flagship in Portland, Oregon, features an excellent, wood-fire-focused Japanese restaurant, Tabiki.

Across Japan you can stay overnight at 13 Snow Peak campgrounds, but last summer the company debuted its on Washingtonā€™s rugged Long Beach Peninsula, 110 miles west of Portland near the mouth of the Columbia River. The 25-acre siteā€”no surpriseā€”feels like an outdoor concept store, showcasing Snow Peak products like folding chairs and fire pits. Book one of 48 campsites and bring your own gear (or rent theirs), or glamp it up in spacious tent suites or minimalist wooden Jyubako cabins (the latter for up to two adults and two kids) designed by Japanese starchitect Kengo Kuma.

The area is full of adventure options, like kayaking Willapa Bay and hiking in Cape Disappointment State Park. My plan is to visit this winter specifically to enjoy long soaking sessions in the campā€™s onsen-inspired .

Price:ĢżCampsites from $77, tent suites from $119, and Jyubako cabins from $219

Populus

Denver

may be downtown, but the propertyā€™s biophilic design is meant to make guests feel as if theyā€™ve entered a large grove of aspens (Populus tremuloides), with 365 eye-shaped windows that allow light to filter in. The nature immersion continues at every step: the front desk is crafted from fallen cottonwood trees, the soundtrack of birdsong recorded in nearby Estes Park plays in the elevators, and the lobby bar is adorned with hanging reishi mushroom skins.

The hotel opened in October as the nationā€™s first carbon-positive hotel. It boasts 100 percent renewable-energy, eco-friendly materials, like low-carbon concrete and leather made from reishi mushrooms, and a biodigester that composts all of its food waste, which is then returned to local farmers. Moreover, the property plants a spruce tree in Colorado for every night booked.

Its sustainable initiatives convinced me to stay, and the friendly service, stellar farm-focused food, outpost of Little Owl Coffee, and welcoming coworking space and gym have given me many reasons to return. The Populus also overlooks Civic Center Park, where the ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Festival and Summit will take place from May 30 to June 1, and ticket holders get special deals on rooms booked here through .

Price:ĢżFrom $299

Under Canvas Yosemite

Near Groveland, California

Scoring camping reservations in Yosemite can feel like winning the lottery. Donā€™t want to gamble? Treat yourself to a cushy stay at the new , slated to debut May 15 with 71 tents just ten minutes from the parkā€™s west entrance on Route 120.

The upscale glamping brand is known for hotel-worthy touches like West Elm furnishings in its spacious safari tents and daily programming that might include yoga classes or nightly sā€™mores sessions. This 85-acre site is no exception.

You donā€™t even have to deal with the stress of taking your car into the park itselfā€”this Under Canvas location is across from a Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) stop with regular park service to three major destinations.

Return at dayā€™s end to a menu of California cuisine served beneath soaring black oaks and live music by the campfire. Families will love the El Capitan Suiteā€” two connecting tents, each with ensuite bathrooms; it can sleep up to six people.

Price: From $319

Firefall Ranch at Yosemite

Near Groveland, California

The Yosemite area has never had more choice for boutique accommodations, and this is another property on Route 120 Iā€™m eager to recommend. The 300-acre opened last summer and is made for the active crowd. You can look forward to a spacious saltwater pool (complete with shave-ice service), forest disc golf, bouldering, and beach volleyball.

Pick up picnic supplies at the on-site general store or dine at the casual tavern or more ambitious restaurant, YOVA, which features dishes like salmon and caviar and boar chops, complimented by an impressive wine list.

For families, roomy accommodations include 55 standalone one- and two-bedroom cottages or three-bedroom villas with private decks and indoor-outdoor gas fireplaces.

Fun fact: this property was a stop on the original stagecoach route to Yosemite in the 1870s.

Price: From $650

Yellowstone Peaks Hotel

Island Park, Idaho

Wyoming and Montana are most often associated with Americaā€™s first national park. But 1 percent of Yellowstoneā€™s 2.2 million acres lies within Idaho (an underrated state for adventure, in my humble opinion). The parkā€™s west entrance is just 30 minutes away from the small town of Island Park, whichĢż recently welcomed the family-owned .

The propertyā€™s 19 Scandi-inspired accommodations are the epitome of cabin porn. Each A-frame cabin can accommodate up to six guests and has its own cedar-wood-fired soaking tub. Thereā€™s also a communal area with saunas and cold plunges.

While proximity to the park may lure you here, its location across the street from the fly-fishing mecca that is Henryā€™s Fork River will appeal to anglers. Nearby but off-the-radar attractions include the Caribbean-esque Wade Lake and the 114-foot-tall cascades of Mesa Falls.

Price: From $440 per night, two-night minimum

Cascada

Portland, Oregon

Portland is home to plenty of nature fixes, but the newest is the underground thermal-springs experience at the recently opened, 100-room (pronounced cascade) hotel in the Alberta Arts District. The Conservatory, the heart of the thermal-springs area, was designed by landscape experts, including members of the Portland Botanical Garden, and features a with a 25-foot-tall living wall and rare flora planted throughout the space.

Soak and socialize in the mineral-infused vitality pool, or complete a sauna, steam, and ice-bath hydrotherapy circuit in the silent sanctuary space. If youā€™re passing through the city en route to a wilderness adventure, you can still enjoy a soak, but youā€™ll need a reservation ($100 for two and a half hours). You can feel good about knowing that Cascada is committed to using ethically sourced spa products.ĢżRounding things out are an excellent restaurant, Terra Mae, that fuses the flavors of Portugal and Japan (think: tonkatsu and linguica croquettes), as well as zero-waste kitchen practices.

Guest rooms feature kitchenettes, balconies, and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Price: From $299

Edgecamp Pamlico Station

Outer Banks, North Carolina

One of my goals this year is to improve my kiteboarding skills, and I canā€™t imagine a better place to get back on the water than the Outer Banks. With steady winds, an abundance of sandy beaches, and calm, shallow sounds, it lives up to its nickname as the kiteboarding capital of the East Coast.

Professional kiteboarder Rita Arnaus takes off in Pamlico Sound. (Video: Courtesy Edgecamp Pamlico Station)

Thanks to the recent debut of , a 14-suite boutique hotel at Edgecamp Sporting Club on windswept Hatteras Island, travelers finally have a stylish base that offers everything from an on-site kiteboarding school with equipment rentals and lessons to a wellness deck boasting a sauna, cold plunge, and hot tub.

I love that the suites feel like residences, each with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, living room, wood-burning fireplace, and work desk. And after a day of kiting, youā€™ll appreciate having in-room amenities like a Therabody massage gun and foam roller at your disposal.

Price: From $189

Trailborn Grand Canyon

Williams, Arizona

Iā€™m embarrassed to admit that, for as much traveling as I do, I still havenā€™t visited the Grand Canyon. I really have no excuse now that , a new outdoorsy-focused hotel brand, is opening its fourth location in the town of Williams. The 96-room hotel is just down the road from the Grand Canyon Railway, the train that deposits visitors at the South Rim entrance of the national park.

Trailborn has partnered with hiking outfitter to run guided excursions in the park, like a private day hike along the challenging, eight-mile round-tripĢż ($600) or a group excursion that takes in the South Rimā€™s greatest hits, like the ($340).

On property, a saloon-style Camp Hall hosts free concerts, movies, and bingo nights, and for $35 families can have their room transformed into a camping-inspired slumber party. This spring the property will open Miss Kittyā€™s steakhouse and bar.

Price: From $175

The Wildbirch Hotel

Anchorage, Alaska

For years I viewed Anchorage as nothing more than a gateway to epic wilderness adventures. When a cancelled flight stranded me in the city for 24 hours, I discovered that, actually, Anchorage was a destination in its own right, home to seriously great restaurants, a cool urban-arts scene, and a 500-plus-mile trail network that connects some 200 green spaces.

InĢż April, the city will get its first true boutique hotel when the opens in the Mushing District. The 252-room property will showcase works by local craftspeople, such as carved topographic maps that double as headboards, and an art collection curated by the nearby Anchorage Museum. An on-site brewery, outdoor decks with fire pits, and sweeping views of Mount Susitna and Knik Arm are sure to attract just as many locals as visitors.

With the world-class salmon fishing of Ship Creek steps away and guest rooms that overlook the ceremonial starting line of the Iditarod sled-dog race, held each March, you canā€™t ask for a better address.

Price: From $199

LOGE

St. George, Utah

During the height of the pandemic, I rooted for a few fledgling brands. , which is pronounced ā€œlodgeā€ and stands for Live ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų, Go Explore, is one of them. The original LOGE Camp launched in 2017 in coastal Westport, Washington, and I loved its adult-summer-camp vibes and affordability.

There are camp or RV sites, or choose from a variety of room configurations. All the gear and amenities you could wish for are available to rent, from Traeger grills to Wave Bandit and Lib Tech surfboards. The brand launched similar concepts in mountain towns in the Pacific Northwest, and Iā€™m stoked to see it expanding into the Southwest in 2025. Iā€™ve marked my calendar for early February, when LOGE St. George starts taking bookings for its April opening.

The hotel will be a sweet base camp less than two miles southwest from the heart of the city. Perks include a hot tub, pool, and mountain-bike rentals, and the trails of nearby Zion National Park and Snow Canyon State Park are a short drive away.

Later this year, LOGE will open a handful of East Coast properties. Host towns include Asheville, North Carolina; the Catskills of New York; Mount Snow, Vermont; and Southport, Maine.

Price: From $137

Foreign Properties I Have My Eye On

The Caribbean and Mexico

Salterra Resort and Spa

On February 15, American Airlines will introduce direct flights twice a week from Miami to South Caicos in the Turks and Caicos. Around the same time, this up-and-coming island will welcome , a sustainably minded hotel that will offer adventures like kiteboarding, bonefishing, kayaking, and diving. But it doesnā€™t come cheap.

Price: From $1,300

Hotel Humano

Iā€™ve been plotting a surf mission to Puerto Escondido and am hoping to base myself at the new , located steps from famous Zicatela Beach (a.k.a. the Mexican Pipeline).

Price: From $190

Amet

On a recent trip to Cabo San Lucas, a guide clued me in to , an intimate new nature retreat in the town of Santiago on Bajaā€™s Central Cape. You can choose between suites or glamping tents, and excursions range from hikes to nearby hot springs to ATV drives to waterfalls.

Price: From $315

Argentina

Glamping Los Palmares

El Impenetrable National Park in northern Argentina is a wilderness mecca, home to giant anteaters and jaguars, as well as a swath of Gran Chaco, one of the worldā€™s fastest disappearing forests.Ģż recently opened on the parkā€™s northern border with just four tents overlooking the Bermejo River.

Price: From $359, all-inclusive

Finland

Kotona Manor

If youā€™ve jumped on the cool-cation travel trend, you should have Finland on your travel list and in particular. The family-owned, 11-suite waterfront property willĢż debut in the Lakeland region this summer. Seasonal activities range from bear watching to snowmobiling and sailing.

Price: From $1,530

Madagascar

Voaara

One of my favorite far-flung places is Madagascar, and not just for the mind-boggling amount of biodiversity but also for the amazing, crowd-free adventures, like kiteboarding, freediving, snorkeling, and hiking. I visited last December and got a sneak peek at the newly opened , a barefoot luxe hotel on idyllic Isle St. Marie, just off the countryā€™s northeast coast. Guests can snorkel the vibrant house reefs, whale-watch with the resident marine biologist from June to September, and learn to wing foil with pro surfer Willow Hardy.

Price: $1,230

Jen Murphy is an ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazine correspondent and frequent contributor to ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online. (Most recently, she wrote a guide to maximizing winter fun in Coloradoā€™s mountain towns and reviewed the best compression socks for long-haul flights.) Murphy has been lucky enough to stay in some of the worldā€™s best hotels, both rustic and luxe, and believes that warm service truly makes a stay.

The post 16 New Outdoor-ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Hotels We Canā€™t Wait to Visit appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

If you’re asking yourself where you should go on vacation this year, you’re not alone. And thereā€™s no shortage of ā€œwhere to goā€ lists this time of yearā€”competing compendiums of new hotels and resorts, trendy neighborhoods, and cultural hotspots to check out in the year ahead.

This is not that list. Not exactly, anyways.

As adventure addicts, we wanted to craft a roster of amazing destinations where you can get outdoors, camp, paddle, surf, hike, and crush some dynamic singletrack. Our overriding parameters determining what made the cut was simple: whatā€™s cool and fresh in the world outside?

The answer? Plenty.

Hereā€™s Where to Go on Vacation in 2025, If You’re Into These Outdoor Pursuits

Every one of these destinations promises an amazing adventure, whether thatā€™s carving down a fresh-cut ski run, tackling a section of a new thru-hiking terrain, or releasing turtles on the beaches of Mexico. These trips all come with good food, great vistas, and unforgettable cultural experiences. And yes, a few even have luxe places to crash at night, too.

Many of these destinations are in the beginning phases of executing ambitious goals, and we included them to offer a glimpse of whatā€™s to come. Others are perennial favorites that have simply been overlooked by online-influencer culture and thus remain indelibly cool in real life. In other words, weā€™re offering up some new options and some classic standbys. We also included both domestic and international destinations for each type of adventure, in case youā€™re feeling particularly wanderlusty (or a staycation).

Together, they prove, once again, that thereā€™s no shortage of fun to have outside. Hereā€™s where to travel in 2025 if youā€™re up for it.

1. Long Walks (or Runs)

Stay Domestic: Cross Texas Trail, Texas

Beginning this year, Texas will get its own thru-hiking epic, the new Cross Texas Trail, a proposed 1,500-mile-long haul that stretches from the Louisiana border in the east, near the town of Orange, to El Paso in the west. Among the many highlights of the planned xTx, as it is known: panoramic views of Hill Country, the rugged peaks of Big Bend Ranch State Park, East Texas barbecue joints, the crystal-clear Devilā€™s River, and the highest point in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, at 8,751 feet.

The trail, designed for hikers, bikers, and equestrians, is a work in progress, but the route features a mix of singletrack and paved and gravel backcountry public roads. You can ride much of the route now, but the nonprofit behind the xTxā€”led by bike advocate, former community design consultant, and state representative Charlie Gandyā€”is currently working on access to some private ranch land so that riders can more easily enter some sections of state and national parks. In the future, there could even be trailheads equipped with picnic areas, water stations, and campsites, but for now, itā€™s all a self-supported, DIY affair. The trail has a long way to go to match the history of the Appalachian Trail or the sheer beauty of the Pacific Crest Trail, but it could be one of the best, if longest, ways to experience the hardscrabble charm of the Lone Star State.

Go Abroad: Palmilhar Portugal, Portugal

Portugal is about to get its own version of Spainā€™s Camino de Santiago, a new 3,000-kilometer (1,850 miles) loop trail that is being billed as the worldā€™s longest circular hiking route. The trail, called (or ā€œWalking Portugalā€, in English), will eventually pass through over 100 off-the-beaten-path attractions around the country, from windmills and vineyards outside Lisbon to mountain peaks in the north. Most of the trail is still under construction, but initial sections opened last summer, and new routes are being added regularly throughout 2025. While mostly a hiking trail, Palmilhar Portugal will have some sections open to cyclists, too. The team behind Palmihar Portugal plans to launch an app later this year, , that will help visitors look up information about the route and the services along the way, including places to stay, restaurants, and points of interest.

2. Fat-Tire and Mountain-Biking Fun

Stay Domestic: Killington Bike Park, Vermont

In the fall of 2024, , in Vermont’s Green Mountains, was purchased by a passionate group of local investors who promised big changes to New Englandā€™s iconic ski area, including a in capital improvements over the next two seasons. Those upgrades include an expansion to its already impressive bike park, with 30 miles of lift-accessed mountain-biking trails.

Beginning in 2025, the park will get a new trail, accessed by the Ramshead Express Quad, and other improvements are in the works. The new trail (dubbed Ramshead, construction on which starts this spring) will start at the top of the lift and snake down the mountain for more than two miles. Even without the new upgrades, the bike park is one of the best in the East, with features like berms, tabletops, and bridges that cater to intermediate and advanced riders alike. Its signature trail, ā€œ,ā€ is a steep, technical descent with rock gardens and big jumps, but there are plenty of smoother trails for beginner downhillers, too. (One-day passes begin at $65.) Off the trails, Killingtonā€™s base area is buzzing with its new enhancements on the horizon, and everything points to this year being the start of upgraded riding to come for Killington.

Go Abroad: Mogo Trails Project, Australia

Like many areas rich in adventure bona fidesā€”British Columbia, South Africa, New Zealandā€”Australia is investing heavily in new trails for mountain bike aficionados, and one the largest ongoing projects is , in New South Wales.

The expansive trail network, roughly four hours south of Sydney, is being developed near the town of Mogo, a tiny outpost adjacent to the areaā€™s temperate rainforests.Ģż Mogo Trails is being designed for various skill levels, from beginners to advanced riders, with a mix of park-style gravity trails with jumps and cross-country trails.

Currently, there are about 70km of singletrack ready for riders, with a total of 130km planned to be completed in 2025 and beyond. Finished trails are listed on, along with descriptions of each one. If youā€™re coming from Sydney, youā€™ll need to book lodging nearby. Batemans Bay, a version of an Oregon beach town Down Under, has excellent options, including , an upscale motel that also offers easy access to surf breaks just down the beach. (From $140 per night.) The much larger town of Canberra, the capital of Australia, is two hours away. Other nearby mountain bike trails, like the new Narooma Trails, which opened in 2023, are making the area a legitimate international destination for MTB enthusiasts.

3. Fresh Piste

Stay Domestic: Deer Valley Resort, Utah

Over the next few years, Park Cityā€™s Deer Valley Resort is undergoing a , with a new base village, 100 new trails on 2,600 acres of fresh terrain, and more than 10 new lifts to access it all, including a 10-passenger gondola. When itā€™s all said and done, the resort will double in size to over 5,700 acres, making it one of the ten largest ski resorts in the United States.

The transformation is already under way. Debuting for the 2024ā€“2025 season are three new chairlifts, 300 acres of terrain, and freshly cut trails leading to the new East Village. When itā€™s complete, the East Village will offer the same level of premium service that Deer Valley has become known for, with restaurants, retail shops, and an ice-skating facility, among other facilities. Of course, for day skiers, perhaps the biggest draw of the new East Village is that itā€™s located on U.S. Route 40, which allows you to avoid driving through the heart of Park City itself, often crowded with traffic.

For now, the brand-new , with 381 guest rooms and suites, anchors the East Village, and itā€™s the only place to stay on that side of the resort. (From $270 per night.) But the hotel has more than enough amenities to keep you comfortable, including a restaurant and bar, a downstairs speakeasy-style lounge, a coffeeshop, a heated outdoor pool, three hot tubs, and a partnership with Ski Butlers to offer white-glove ski valet service when suiting up for the day. Thereā€™s even a , a High Tea service but instead of tea and hand sandwiches, you get hot chocolate paired with sā€™mores cookies, chocolate snowballs, and other baked goods.

Go Abroad: Andermatt Ski Area, Switzerland

Unknown to most Americans, the combined ski resorts of , an hour and a half south of Zurich, is poised to become one of Europeā€™s premier ski destinations. Over the last handful of years, more than $2 billion has been invested in upgrades, with ten new lifts that allowed you to ski all three by accessing any one of them. Combined, the resorts have more than 100 miles of trails.

The historic village of Andermatt, with cobblestone streets and a very Swiss vibe, has also been undergoing a series of renovations to accommodate the influx of skiers. This winter, for example, it unveiled a brand-new shopping and dining district featuring 35 stores and 10 restaurants. The resort is also on track to become carbon neutral by 2030, a hugely ambitious goal for such a large operation.

For American skiers, itā€™s also become easier to shred: In 2022, Vail acquired majority ownership in the resort, which means that itā€™s now . With over 12 feet of average annual snowfall, a range of terrainā€”from blue and yellow runs to steep couloirs and powder-filled bowlsā€”Andermatt is one of the best resorts in all of Europe. And with a master plan mapped out for the next 30 years, now is the time to go, before the hordes descend.

4. Beach Vibes

Stay Domestic: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

As part of North Carolinaā€™s Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras is known for its expansive East-Coast beaches, world-class kiteboarding, and laid-back charm. Itā€™s also now home to one of the more exciting Atlantic Coast lodging conversions in years: , a 14-room wellness-oriented hotel that faces Pamlico Sound, a vast expanse of shallow water good for both paddling and kiting. The hotel opened last year after owners bought a failed, two-story strip mall and transformed it into a chic hotel with suites designed by world-famous interior designer Jonathan Adler.

If that turns you off, donā€™t let it. The result is a quirky mashup of coastal kitsch and beach sophistication with a focus on outdoor recreation. Thereā€™s even an outdoor deck featuring cold plunges, a sauna, and a hot tub for relaxing in after a long day on the saltwater. (From $179 per night.) And its location, adjacent to the entire length of the Cape Hatteras National Seashoreā€”where windswept dunes and unspoiled stretches of sand offer endless opportunities for surfing, fishing, and paddleboardingā€”leads to a perfect blend adventure and tranquility in one of the most celebrated beach destinations in the U.S.

Go Abroad: Nicaraguaā€™s Pacific Coast

Ģż Nicaraguaā€™s Pacific Coastline has long been considered one of the best stretches of remote coastline in Central America, with excellent surf breaks framed by undeveloped sand beaches and tropical forest. Now, thanks to an ongoing , itā€™s about to get much easier to access much of the coastline.

The countryā€™s new Carratera Costanera Highway, or Emerald Coast Highway, will stretch more than 350 kilometers (217 miles) from the Gulf of Fonseca in the north to Playa El Naranjo in the south, making it smoother and safer to travel along the coastline. Construction has already , near San Juan del Sur, which is known as the countryā€™s surf capital, because of its proximity to some of Nicaraguaā€™s . Up and down the coastline, youā€™ll find a variety of waves, from mellow beach breaks to beefy points, with consistent year-round swell (although the summer months remain the best).

The promise of easy access is already drawing development interest to the coastline and new tourist offerings, like the newly refreshed and reopened , which was the countryā€™s first true luxury eco-resort when it opened in 2013. (From $776 per night.) The resort has direct walking access to a world-class surf break just off of its private beach. While funding is secured for the road construction, the pace of progress is nearly impossible to predict, so donā€™t expect to be driving down a long stretch of empty, freshly paved highway this year. (Also, the U.S. State Department has a for the country, in part because of the government’s arbitrary enforcement of laws, although like Costa Rica or Panama, Nicaragua is generally safe for tourists if you exercise caution). But if you want to experience the surf breaks before the rush on the rapidly developing coastline, now is the time to go.

5. Paddling Pristine Backcountry

Stay Domestic: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota

In January 2023, the Biden administration helped ban mining and geothermal exploration on over 225,000 acres of land in the Superior National Forest, preserving the integrity of the Rainy River watershed and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the process.

With President Trump in power again, however, advocates are once again worried that the BWCAW, one of the most pristine landscapes in the Lower 48, could return to becoming a political football. If so, it could be tossed back into the hands of the Chilean-owned mining conglomerate that has been seeking to open a copper-sulfide mine in the area for years. All of which is a good reason to explore the area now, to see firsthand just how special this landscape is.

Spanning over a million acres of North Woods forest dotted with thousands of lakes, this is a paddlerā€™s paradise, with more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes and 2,000 campsites, most of which are paddle-in only. If you want a break from modern life and all its real-time annoyances and aggravations, the BWCAW has always been one of the best places to do it, and now you can show your tacit political support for the area simply by enjoying a weekend paddle through it.

Go Abroad: Pacuare River, Costa Rica

The Pacuare River, roughly 60 miles east of San JosĆ©, is not only one of the best tropical rafting trips on the planetā€”and by extension one of the best ways to experience Costa Ricaā€™s wild sideā€”itā€™s also ā€œhomeā€ to the perennial favorite . With 20 suites, a restaurant, and a spa set along the riverbank, the lodge has set an impossibly high standard for eco-luxury in the heart of the rainforest. (From $949 per night.)

The best part, however, is that arriving at Picuare requires getting on the water first. With no road into the property, guests float down the Pacuareā€™s class IIā€“V rapids, through canyons and untouched jungle, and arrive via boat on the lodge’s front steps. Despite its remoteness, itā€™s full of amenities. Each suite has a range of luxuries like outdoor showers, spring-fed fountains, and plunge pools. The restaurant serves exceptionally high-quality, fresh ingredients and the spa has wellness programs that include open-air yoga sessions and treatments inspired by indigenous traditions. The surrounding forest is home to toucans, sloths, and howler monkeys, and non-river activities include guided rainforest hikes to see the wildlife, zip-lining, and visiting local CabĆ©car communities. The lodge itself is worthy of a visit alone, but combined with its entrance theatricsā€”a float down the whitewater of Pacuare Riverā€”the experience may just offer the perfect balance of adventure and indulgences for a weekend jungle-induced rejuvenation. Pura vida indeed.

6. Camping (with Creature Comforts)

Stay Domestic: Yosemite, California

Outdoor-oriented hospitality group is expanding once again, this time to an 80-acre camp near Yosemite National Park. Ever since it started with a single glamping resort in West Yellowstone in 2012, the company has grown year over year to offer overnight access to some of Americaā€™s most iconic destinations, including Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, and Moab (thanks to its luxury offshoot ULUM Moab).

is the companyā€™s first foray into California, and it will feature the same safari-inspired tentsā€”with king-size beds, a private deck, and ensuite bathroomsā€”that have made its 13 other locations so popular. There will also be regular activities in the camp, such as live music, morning yoga, and nightly fires with sā€™mores. (The seasonal camp runs from May 15 to October 27 in 2025, and rates start at $349 per night, meals not included.)

But perhaps the best reason to book a stay here while visiting Yosemite National Park is the easy access it affords. The camp is located just ten minutes from the west entrance to the park and, more importantly, across from a bus stop for the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS). Without a reservation in summer, you are no longer allowed to enter the park by car. So staying at Under Canvas Yosemite means you not only get all the amenities, but you also get easy, car-free access to the park.

Go Abroad: Playa Viva, Mexico

On a remote beach 35 miles south of Zihuatanejo lies one of the most ecologically sensitive, off-grid, wellness-focused resorts on the planet: . This is far from camping, but the 19 open-air treehouses and casitas, designed with bamboo and other sustainable woods, will make it feel as if youā€™re poaching a nap on the last stretch of perfect sand in all of Mexico.

Each room has unobstructed views of the beach, with nothing to be seen either direction besides palm trees, Pacific waves, and the occasional breaching whale. Set on 200 coastal acres, Playa Viva is home to a vibrant turtle sanctuary, a regenerative farm, and mangrove forest. The resort supports local communities through various initiatives and actively works to help restore surrounding ecosystems. Guests can even participate in activities like helping release baby sea turtles (during the fall hatching season).

The on-site restaurant even serves farm-to-table dishes that celebrate the regionā€™s culinary heritage. Think fresh-caught seafood, handmade tortillas, and tropical fruits picked just steps from your casita. Daily beachside yoga classes and a variety of massage services round out the offerings. Again, youā€™re not exactly roughing it, but the resort is a world away in a wild, pristine corner of Mexico. (Summer low-season rates begin at $240 per night.)

7. Wildlife Encounters

Stay Domestic: American Prairie Reserve, Montana

When it was established in 2004, ā€”a private, nonprofit effort to create the largest wildlife reserve in the continental U.S. at three million acresā€”seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream. But the group has steadily managed to acquire an impressive amount of land on Montanaā€™s Northern Great Plains in their effort to reestablish a functioning ecosystem that supports free-roaming wildlife.

In December, APR , which brings their total to over half a million acres of deeded land and leased public property. Thanks to all the efforts over the years, the reserve is now home to a wealth of iconic wildlife, including herds of bison, elk, and pronghorn. It also contains some of the most remote areas of the lower-48 states, with a diverse landscapeā€”from sagebrush plains to riparian areas to the steep hills of the Missouri Breaksā€”that offers visitors the chance to see wildlife in their natural habitat.

The APRā€™s National Discovery Center has excellent exhibits about the prairie ecosystem, and is the best place to learn about the reserveā€™s hiking, biking, and camping opportunities, especially considering that it continues to expand its offerings, which includes interpretive programs. But as a quick-start option, one of the best ways to experience the wildlife is by camping at , located four miles north of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge on the rolling shortgrass prairie. (RV sites are $19 per night and tent sites are $13.) Here, youā€™re almost certain to see plains bison and pronghorn roaming past prairie dog towns and get a much deeper connection to one of the most overlooked landscapes in the U.S. The American Prairie Reserve isnā€™t just a trip, itā€™s a chance to witness (and participate in) conservation history in the making.

Go Abroad: Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, British Columbia

Tucked into a Pacific Ocean inlet on Vancouver Islandā€™s wild west coast, is perhaps the most luxurious gateway to British Columbiaā€™s wildlife-rich temperate rainforest. It may also be the best way to see the area’s charismatic, iconic species, from black bears and eagles to whales and otters.

The lodgeā€™s 25 canvas tents, which are lavishly appointed with specially made furnishings, king-sized beds, and wood-burning stoves, offer guests the perfect blend of off-grid seclusion and high-end comfort. (From $3,300 per night.)

Meals focus on hyper-local, foraged ingredients crafted into exquisite dishes. Committed to sustainability, the seasonal lodge operates with an extremely light footprint, relying on renewable energy to power the camp. It also supports local First Nations communities through cultural exchange programs and eco-tourism partnerships. All of which makes staying here feeling as if youā€™re part of a very lucky family.

But the real reason to come are the wildlife excursions, which includes hiking or horseback rides in the forest to see and sea kayaking outings on the inlet, where itā€™s common to spot whales, porpoises, seals, and sea lions. And this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to the lodgeā€™s eco-adventure program. For those seeking a communion with nature that has more than a dash of indulgence, Clayoquot offers an unforgettable escape into the wild heart of British Columbia.

Ryan Krogh is a writer and editor who lives in Austin, Texas. Among the dozens of destinations that he traveled to in 2024, including Iceland, England, and a road trip through Mexicoā€™s highlands, his favorite was a weekend fly-fishing trip to the Texas Coast. In 2025, heā€™s hoping to see Nicaragua and Portugal for the first time, which is why theyā€™re included here, but he also has plans to explore the new ā€œGulf of Americaā€ coast, whatever that is. He has recently written about the world’s best airports with cool outdoor spaces, the beginner’s guide to carry-on luggage, and the most dog-friendly beaches in the U.S.

The post The 14 Best Vacation Spots in the U.S. and Abroad for 2025 appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Florida might be as flat as a pancake, making you wonder how much adventurous fun you can really have in this state. But the longer I live here (over half my life now), the more Iā€™m convinced we have the most spectacular beaches of any place in the world along our roughly 1,800 miles of coastline.

Iā€™ve spent pre-dawn mornings dodging nesting sea-turtle mothers as they lumber toward the waves, while the sun shimmers across the oceanā€™s surface. Iā€™ve waded along beaches backed by high-rise hotels, next to massive shadows in the water that turned out to be frolicking manatees. And Iā€™ve watched dolphins turn more flips than in any theme park, as if they were celebrating another sublime Gulf of Mexico sunset with just as much joy as me.

Since my college days at the University of Florida in Gainesville, when I traveled with the student outdoors club on weekend adventures that included snorkeling in freshwater springs and paddling canoes through mangrove labyrinths in the wilderness of the Ten Thousand Islands, Iā€™ve dedicated my time in Florida to exploring its wild. And so much of it, it turns out, exists along our easily accessible beachesā€”both developed and remoteā€”and in the shallows, just offshore.

In my opinion, here are some of the best beaches in Florida for first-time visitors and outdoor junkies. As a local, Iā€™d recommend you venture out with your scuba diving certificate, fishing license, hiking shoes, or your treasure hunting-acumenā€”or perhaps, most blissfully, just your bare feet.

From rideable-year-round waves at Sebastian Inlet and Cocoa Beach to hunting for Spanish galleon coins along Vero Beach and scuba diving to World War II shipwrecks off Panama City Beach, these sandy stretches offer mega adventure. Pack the SPF 30 (nay, 50), plenty of water, and get psyched for Floridaā€™s coastline to wow you.

Best Florida Beaches to Beeline to From Orlando

Vero Beach

Location: Along the stretch of Atlantic Ocean roughly 100 miles southeast of Orlando

Why We Love It: You can grab a metal detector after a storm and search for uncovered treasure from 18th century Spanish galleons that wrecked in these waters.

In 1715, a fierce hurricane hit just offshore from Vero Beach, along Florida’s coastline later dubbed the Treasure Coast, and sank eleven of 12 ships in the Spanish Fleet, spilling untold treasures onto the ocean floor. Much of the loot has since been recovered by professional salvage teams. But every so often, especially after a big Atlantic storm, the sandbars below get rearranged, and lucky beachgoers can find items like gold and silver coins and jewelry washed ashore.

Know Before You Go: To ensure itā€™s legal, keep your treasure hunting to the sand between the dunes and waterline (1715 Fleet āˆ’ Queens Jewels LLC owns the salvage rights to the remains of the 1715 Fleet in the water.) Seagrape Trail Beach, in the northern reaches of Vero Beach, is my favorite spot to scour the sand and has parking in a small lot onsite. You might even spot salvage boats bobbing in the waves and hunting for treasure, too.

Cocoa Beach

Location: About 60 miles east of Orlando on Floridaā€™s

Why We Love It: You can chill in the surf lineup for the next set while watching a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, just north.

One of the closest beaches to Orlando, Cocoa Beach puts on zero pretense. This is your classic Florida beach town where locals cut out of work early (or skip it entirely) anytime the surf is up, and mom and pop hotels and restaurants still line State Road A1A.

If you’re a fan and lucky, you might see surf legend Kelly Slater catching a wave, too. (He grew up riding the breaks here, and still has family in the area.) The local nearby pays homage to the GOAT.

Thereā€™s also no cooler experience than waiting in the lineup when a rocket streaks across the sky. This happens several times a month, thanks to SpaceX, just up the road at the Kennedy Space Center (check the and time your visit accordingly.)

Donā€™t Miss: A post-surf pint or piƱa colada served up with a pile of nachos, live music, and ocean views at , a popular locals bar. Consider this an aprĆØs-surf rite of passage.

Sebastian Inlet State Park, Melbourne Beach

Location: About 90 miles southeast of Orlando

Why We Love It: You can explore gorgeous, undeveloped coastline backed by big dunes and lapped by some of the East Coastā€™s best surf waves.

As popular with anglers as it is with the board-riding crew, Sebastian Inlet State Park is one of the prime coastal jewels in Floridaā€™s state park crown (the state has a whopping 175 of them.) It spills its golden beaches across three miles of pristine barrier-island coastline, and spans both the north and south sides of Sebastian Inlet, a saltwater fishing haven where the Indian River Lagoon and Atlantic meet. On the north side of the inlet, the jetty pier stretches 1,000 feet into the ocean, luring those with fishing poles in tow to cast a line for snook, redfish, black drum, king mackerel, and more.

Its two main surf breaks, off both north and south jetties, draw huge crowds when theyā€™re firing and remain rideable most of the year, even when the swell is minimal.

The park has a with 51 sites (from $28 per night) just a short walk from the beach. And (from $32 per night), just outside the park and three miles north, is another of my favorite spots for dark skies and waterfront sites. Make time to visit the fascinating little ā€”on the south side of the state park at the site of the 1715 Fleetā€™s survivor and salvagers campā€”where you can see gems and coins from the galleons as well as dioramas of the ships.

Know Before You Go: Youā€™ll need to secure a saltwater fishing license before casting a line ($17 for in-state residents per year, $47 for out-of-staters, or $17 for three days.) Do this ahead of your trip through the .

Hutchinson Island

Location: About 130 miles southeast of Orlando (or 55 miles north of West Palm Beach)

Why We Love It: It’s one of the few places where you can ride a horse on the beach itself.

Roughly between Fort Pierce and Stuart, this span of two barrier islands fronting the Atlantic has long, lonely stretches of sand because itā€™s mostly residential. In other words, itā€™s never an issue to find an empty swath for yourself. Surfers pad barefoot along the coquina shell path at , on North Hutchinson Island, to paddle out into waves that break cleanest and largest on the incoming tide (preferably with a westerly wind to help them hold their shape.)

Hutchinson Island is one of the only places in Florida where you can go horseback riding on the beach, too. ($50 per hour) offers guided excursions that include a dip in the ocean (up to the horseā€™s knees) at or Ģż (currently closed for upgrades) in Fort Pierce.

Donā€™t Miss: in Jensen Beach is a sweet oceanfront spot to spend the night with the pounding surf as your sleep soundtrack. Sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs here between March 1 and November 15, so you might see one retreating back into the sea if youā€™re up early for dawn patrol.

Best South Florida Beaches for In-and-On Water ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų

Jupiter Beach

Location: About 20 miles north of West Palm Beach on Floridaā€™s Atlantic coast

Why We Love It: Itā€™s home to some of the stateā€™s best scuba diving in the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf Stream, a short boat ride offshore.

Every visitor assumes the Florida Keys is the stateā€™s ultimate scuba diving mecca. But keen and experienced divers know some of the best underwater views are north, just offshore from Jupiter Beach. The Gulf Stream swoops in close to Floridaā€™s flanks here, turning the water gin-clear, bringing with it plenty of open-ocean species to admire.

Head out with , a local dive shop and PADI 5-Star operation, which departs from the inlet for daily two or three-tank charters (from $120, for two tanks) that visit offshore wrecks and reefs teeming with life.

Shark season happens January through March, and divers regularly spot lemon and blacktip reef sharks among other predators. August and September bring goliath grouper to spawn, with aggregations upward of 60 strong, sometimes congregating above wrecks looking to mate.

Donā€™t Miss: Unusual for a Florida beach, limestone rocks line the sand at The Nature Conservancyā€™s (many of which get buried by sand from storms, and later reveal themselves anew.) During high seas and at high tide (check timing ), water forced through the rocks creates plumes that shoot up to 50 feet into the air. Take the 1.4-mile long preserve trail for access to the coolest views.

Hobie Island Beach Park

Location: Off the Rickenbacker Causeway on the shores of Virginia Key, right between downtown Miami and Key Biscayne

Why We Love It: Itā€™s an off-leash paradise for dogs and one of the best places to windsurf and kiteboard in all of South Florida.

Thereā€™s something singular about whizzing across the glassy waters of Biscayne Bay to the skyscraper-backdrop of downtown Miami and Brickell as you catch air at this wildly popular launch beach for kiteboarding and windsurfing. Hobie Island Beach Park is more commonly called Windsurfer Beach, thanks to the local concession thatā€™s been here for decades. You can sign up for lessons ( offers private beginner lessons at $75 per hour) if youā€™re still getting a handle on things. And thereā€™s even free, on-site parking, which is almost unheard of in Miami.

Donā€™t Miss: Hidden away in nearby on Key Biscayne, bar fronts No Name Harbor and serves up Miamiā€™s most gorgeous sunsets, best admired at alfresco picnic tables on the sand. Soak it all in with a glass of watermelon sangria and a side of ceviche, and you might think youā€™re somewhere in the Caribbean.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Location: Roughly 7 miles north of downtown Fort Lauderdale

Why We Love It: You can go lobster and spear fishing on the that bustle with marine life just 100 yards from the beach.

Away from the party-focused crowds along Fort Lauderdale Beach proper (just south), Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is beloved among snorkelers, free divers, and spearfishing anglers, thanks to rubbly patches in the sand and rocky overhangs that harbor abundant marine life. On the reefs closest to shore, you might spot species like turtles, tarpon, snook, and nurse sharks. Manatees also swim here, too. And you can take a short boat trip with ($90 for a tank dive) to reach spots like Nursery Reef and the wreck of 19th century British steel-hulled schooner the , which rests in just 31 feet of water.

Know Before You Go: You can only catch lobster in Florida during the stateā€™s official lobster season, which is a two-part affair. Lobster mini-season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July for residents and non-residents. (Florida residents get a bonus day earlier in the month.) The regular spiny lobster season in Florida runs from August 6 to March 31. Permits cost $5 per year for residents and nonresidents, atop your saltwater fishing license. Be sure to check the to steer clear of no-take zones, which include Everglades National Park and areas within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, among others.

Bahia Honda State Park, Florida Keys

Location: Roughly between Key West and Islamorada, 131 miles southwest of Miami

Why We Love It: You can gaze at dark night skies and stay at crĆØme de la crĆØme beachfront campsites.

The Florida Keysā€”an archipelago of coral cays stretching from just north of Key Largo all the way south to Key Westā€”are not known for their bountiful beaches, which comes as a surprise to most visitors. But here, youā€™ll find some of the best stretches for both snorkeling and camping at this beloved state park, which sprawls 500 acres between Florida Bay and the Atlantic. Plus, it’s home to three natural beaches.

You can rent kayaks and snorkeling gear from the parkā€™s onsite concession ($12 and $18 for single and double kayaks, respectively; $17 for a mask, fins, and snorkel.)Ģż Explore from the shore or take the state parkā€™s catamaran to scour the colorful reefs further offshore within . The parkā€™s has oceanfront and bayfront sites (from $36 per night) as well as spots for RVs and boat slips in the marina if you prefer to sleep afloat.

Bahia Honda State Park also supports one of the Florida Keysā€™ most diverse habitats for birds, including endangered white-crowned pigeons and, during the fall and winter migration, scores of wood warbler species.

Donā€™t Miss: Take a short hike on the .4-mile out-and-back Old Bahia Honda Bridge Trail timed with sunset to reach the eponymous aged Bahia Honda Bridge. It was originally built in the late 19th century by Henry Flagler as part of Floridaā€™s Overseas Railroad. And when the sun melts into the turquoise waters with the old bridge as a backdrop, thereā€™s no better view.

Best Florida Gulf-Coast Beaches for Fearless Frolics

Venice Beach

Location: About 20 miles south of Sarasota on Floridaā€™s Gulf Coast

Why We Love It: You never know when you might find an elusive Megalodon tooth.

Look hard enough and youā€™ll find shark teeth on most any Florida beach. After all, the predators have an endless supply of those pearly whites (which often look black when you find them) thanks to a mouth that regenerates them as they lose ā€˜em. But my local dive buddies confirm Venice is hands down the best beach in Florida place in the state to search for shark chompers, either by combing through the sand or searching underwater via a scuba diving charter.

Megalodon teeth once belonged to the largest predatory shark ever to exist and can stretch over seven inches from top to bottom. Youā€™re more likely to find them in the four to five-inch range, however, when you head offshore with (guided trips from $200 per person)ā€”a husband and wife team offering three dives per day with access to some of the most fertile fossil-hunting grounds. (Chances are, youā€™ll dive to success in just 15 to 35 feet of water.) Winter months tend to be the best for foraging the sandy bottom, thanks to fewer crowds and frequent cold fronts that bring in clearer water.

Know Before You Go: Venice Beachā€™s North Jetty Park was among the many places along Floridaā€™s Gulf Coast devastated by a storm surge during Hurricanes Helene and Milton in September and October 2024, but shark teeth-hunting companies are open for business.

Marco Island, Tigertail Beach

Location: 18 miles south of Naples in Southwest Florida

Why We Love It: Its sugary sands are a stepping-off point to explore the nearby Ten Thousand Islandsā€”a dazzling archipelago of mangrove islets.

Marco Islandā€™s six miles of beach is a Florida-family favorite for molten Gulf-Coast sunsets and sand as soft and blindingly white as it gets. If youā€™re looking to add a jolt of adrenaline to your getaway here, book a guided jet ski excursion through (from $245 per person, for two hours) into the Ten Thousand Islands and Rookery Bay. En route, youā€™ll be escorted into a jungle of mangroves and unique South Florida habitats that regular boats canā€™t access. Youā€™ll navigate through pristine red mangrove forests and over grassy flats, and naturalist guides will point out manatees, dolphins on the hunt, and roseate spoonbills, among more of the regionā€™s prolific wildlife.

Donā€™t Miss: For quieter explorations with birdwatching, shelling, and tidal pools in the mix, drive all the way south to Tigertail Beach, cross five boardwalks (about ten minutes walking), then hike along the lagoonā€™s edge until you reach wide-open white sands.

Best Florida Panhandle Beaches for Diving, Scalloping, and Paddling

Panama City Beach

Location: About 112 miles west of Tallahassee in Northwest Florida

Why We Love It: Itā€™s second only to the Florida Keys for the best wreck diving in Florida.

Serious and beginner scuba divers can look forward to epic and unexpected diving in Floridaā€™s Panhandle, thanks to its artificial reefs in the form of intentionally-sunk shipwrecks offshore from Panama City Beach. Divers with an advanced certification come from around the world to explore the 465-foot Empire Mica, a British tanker torpedoed offshore during World War IIā€”the longest war wreck in the Gulf of Mexico. Trips out with (from $300) to dive the wreck, 60 miles from Panama City, resting in 110 feet of water, take all day but are worth the effort. Closer to shore and shallower, the wreck of the Red Sea is covered with urchins and sponges and is home to goliath groupers that tip the scales over 300 pounds. , sunken bridge parts that once connected Panama City and Panama City Beach, is another stellar and super-fishy dive site clouded with bait balls.

Donā€™t Miss: Every spring (dates vary), the local festival takes over St. Andrews Marina and includes a procession of water vessels and blessings for those bound for the sea. Winter socks are tossed into a fire to burn as a symbol of walking into spring, and itā€™s a fun and free-to-witness vibe.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Port St. Joe

Location: 66 miles southeast of Panama City Beach

Why We Love It: You can scallop from the shore and cook up your feast in a gorgeous state park.

17 miles of white-sand beaches in the Panhandleā€™s Cape San Blas stretch along the Apalachicola Peninsula all the way to another spectacular Florida state park thatā€™s a popular scalloping ground from late summer into early fall. From around mid-August into September (dates vary per year), you can wade waste-deep into grassy areas in the bay, just offshore from the beach, to search for the bivalves (theyā€™re much smaller than their northern Atlantic cousins, but their sweet flesh is delicious sautĆ©ed with butter and garlic.)

Itā€™s also worth heading to the ranger station to get a wilderness permit (first come, first served) to hike into the parkā€™s northernmost reaches along the six-mile . The reward is remote campsites (first come, first served, $5 per night) where you can sleep under a canopy of starlight.

Know Before You Go: If youā€™re going scalloping, bring an inner-tube to float and a bucket to collect your haul. Water shoes are a good bet, too, since the area where the sandy bottom meets the seagrass is a common spot for lurking stingrays.

Grayton Beach State Park, Santa Rosa Beach

Location: About 24 miles east of Destin in Northwest Florida

Why We Love It: Itā€™s one of very few places in the world where coastal dune lakes existā€”and you can paddle around in them.

Along with New Zealand, Madagascar, and a few other places on the planet, is unique for its coastal dune lakes. These rare freshwater lakes lie in dune systems near beachesā€”the result of wind and wave action. Western Lake at Grayton Beach State park is one such example, and paddling a kayak into the 100 acres of glassy waters surrounded by towering longleaf pines gives you an otherworldly, geological thrill. (Rent kayaks from the park for $20 per hour between March 1 and October 31, otherwise plan to bring your own.)

Nearby, the state parkā€™s gorgeous beach itself has a mile of sugar-fine sand that draws anglers for surf fishing and families for beach volleyball. Florida black bear, white-tailed deer, and endangered species like loggerhead sea turtles or the ā€‹ā€‹Choctawhatchee beach mouse are among the parkā€™s extremely diverse coastal fauna.

Donā€™t Miss: The park has tent sites (from $30) and cabins (from $130) for staying overnight. A few miles west, nature lovers can opt to stay at the newcomer (from $130 per night) with hiking trails into accessible just out your front door.

Florida-based travel writer lives in Tampa and writes about scuba diving, and outdoor, family, and cultural travel for ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų, among other publications. Sheā€™s lived all over the Sunshine State since graduating from college and has visited the bulk of Floridaā€™s beaches, too, for everything from scuba diving, snorkeling, and kayaking, to paddleboarding, surfing, and camping. (She also loves searching for shells and shark teeth with her kids.) She canā€™t wait to stay on a houseboat this winter in Everglades National Park, go scuba diving in Biscayne National Park, and hit Homosassa to snorkel with the manatees.

The post The Top 13 Beaches in Florida for Sun and ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.