Yes, paddling the Grand Canyon, skiing the Haute Route, and climbing Half Dome are all legendary missions. You should totally do those things and other notable泭bucket-list adventures. But theyre outings that most people already know泭about and may be crowded when you get there.泭What are the less known epic trips that few泭people ever do? We found a few.
Scuba Dive with a Navy SEAL in Oahu
Stephen Kaplan and James Beck are retired U.S. Navy SEALs泭who were deployed overseas for years as top combat divers. Now泭theyre teaching others skills, like jumping out of a helicopter into the ocean泭and scuba diving among泭deep-sea wrecks, through their outfitting business,泭, based in the town of Kapolei on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Sign up for the泭three-hour Navy SEAL dive (from $589), and youll get a crash course in underwater travel from literal veterans in the field. No scuba experience is necessary, and all gear comes included.
E-Mountain Bike泭Across the Swiss Alps
You can certainly ride a standard mountain bike in the Alps. But if youre looking to really cover some ground, an e-mountain bike泭could be just the ticket.泭 is offering a new eight-day guided e-mountain-bike trip (from $3,988) across the mountains of泭Switzerland starting this summer. Youll travel on泭trains, gondolas, and trams to reach the trails and stop at classic mountain huts for midday meals and overnight stays. A highlight is riding the 25-mile泭, designated Epic by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. If youre not into e-bikes, you can泭 of the Swiss Alps on a regular mountain bike, too.
Snowkite泭the New Hampshire Backcountry
The泭泭in North Conway, New Hampshire, can teach you traditional skills泭like avalanche education or泭mountaineering as well as how to泭. Its courses (from $150 an hour) are geared toward newbie snowkiters泭and held on frozen lakes and fields in the White Mountains. Lessons include kite泭and harness rentals; youll need your own ski or snowboard gear. Once youve got the skills, you can head out on your own when the wind is up. The school provides information for experienced snowkiters who want to plan a DIY expedition into the backcountry.
Camp in the Countrys Least-Visited泭National Park
Let everyone else swarm the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, and head to泭, one of the most remote national narks in the nation, located in泭the middle of Lake Superior. This park gets fewer visitors per year than Yellowstone sees in a single day. Isle Royale is closed from November to mid-April, but come spring, you can access it via ferry or a chartered seaplane from nearby Houghton or Copper Harbor, Michigan. The backcountry camping here is desolate and beautifulitll just be you and some moose.
Cycle Idahos Route of the Hiawatha
Do this in a day: ride, hike, or run the , a 15-mile rail-to-trail route near the historic town of Wallace, Idaho, along the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains. Youll start near Lookout Pass Ski Area and pedal泭over train trestles and through ten泭tunnels, including the 1.6-mile-long Taft Tunnel, making for a dark and spooky passage (youll need bike lights to illuminate the way). Kids will love it, especially because you can do the whole thing in one directionand all downhillthen泭hop the泭shuttle back to your car. Camp in a nearby泭 (from $45).
Heli-Paddleboard泭in Whistler, B.C.
This summer,泭 will begin offering a new backcountry stand-up-paddleboard half-day adventure (from $1,171). Heres how it works: You and your inflatable Red Paddle Co. loaner board will be loaded onto a helicopter in Whistler泭and whisked to an alpine lake unreachable泭by hiking. There泭youll be treated to a catered picnic lunch and set free to paddle around a body of water thats entirely your own (for a couple of hours anyway).
Climb a Sea Stack in Ireland
Off the coast of Donegal, youll find over 100 craggy sea stacks, or rock towers, that rise hundreds of feet above the ocean. These are among the tallest sea cliffs in Europe. Book a day of guided climbing with local outfitter泭, and itll take you to the top of several泭(from $250). Youll climb, then do a Tyrolean traverse on a rope over the open water, connecting you to neighboring sea stacks. No previous rock climbing experience is necessary. Stay in the 19th-century泭 (from $215), now a five-star hotel, and staff will arrange the adventure for you.
Paddle泭the Barrier Islands of泭Virginia
You dont need to be a seasoned sea kayaker to handle this scenic 70-mile stretch of the Virginia Seaside Water Trail, which connects the states barrier islands. Youll spend several days paddling from Chincoteague to Kiptopeke, the longest undeveloped shoreline on the eastern seaboard, stopping to collect oysters and crabs and staying at quaint, waterfront泭bed-and-breakfasts.泭 offers four-day trips (from $995), where you can stay a couple of nights in an updated 1920s-era fishing lodge called泭, which opens for the season in March.