I have a confession: I might get some of my kicks on Route 66. For an outdoorsy explorer, this may sound sacrilegious. At first glance, Route 66 seems to be mostly about driving long hours between hole-in-the-wall diners, hubcap museums, gas-stations-turned-dive-bars, and vintage motor-hotels.

But there’s a more adventurous side to the Main Street of America. On its way from Chicago to Los Angeles, this historic 20th-century highway makes a 2,500-mile dash across some of the most rugged landscapes in the U.S. Along the way, there’s a mix of famous national parks, like the Grand Canyon, and plenty of lesser-known outdoor spots, like spring-fed rivers, ancestral ruins, and volcanic trails.

For me, it took years of accidentally stumbling across Route 66 on my way to other adventures before I recognized the value of seeking it out. A key realization was that, for outdoor travelers, it’s best to bypass the drive-every-mile obsession. Instead, my wife and I just dropped in here and there when things lined up. By approaching the route this way, we came across a mix of quirky stops and adventurous highlights we might otherwise have missed.

For us, tacking on the tacky things—like a micro-brewery at an old junkyard or a forest made of bottle trees—was much more rewarding after a day spent outdoors than if we’d made the highway the main event. Below is an east-to-west summary of some of the best outdoor opportunities along the way. This is not a mile-by-mile guide: it starts at the Mississippi River and ends at the Grand Canyon, north of Flagstaff, Arizona. But consider this your first taste of şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Route 66.

The Chain of Rocks in St. Louis, Missouri

The first place I recognized the compelling overlap between Route 66 and outdoor adventures was, counterintuitively, in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. The old Chain of Rocks Bridge, with its famous 22-degree bend in the middle, is one of the most iconic crossings over the Mississippi River. But this revelation didn’t occur while walking across a curious span of steel girders. It happened while kayaking the rapids below.

It’s easy to forget why this strange angle was built into a bridge that carried cars along Route 66 from 1936 to 1968 and today sees only pedestrians and cyclists. The Chain of Rocks is a series of exposed bedrock ledges that was once disastrous for ship navigation, but later made for great whitewater playboating. When the bridge was built in the late 1920s, the piers needed to anchor into strong bedrock, and the middle support needed to line up, as close as possible, to a midchannel water tower. That way, riverboats could quickly navigate the swift currents past both obstacles before plummeting through the Grand Canyon-sized waves below.

In the early 1950s, a shipping canal was built to bypass the Chain, which rendered this whole set-up irrelevant. After a sordid history of semi-abandonment and near-destruction, the restored bridge became a great place for a walk or bike ride while viewing the rapids below with the Gateway Arch in the distance. Alternatively, class III paddlers with a solid roll can slip their boats into the water—typically on the Illinois side, upstream of the old bridge—and ferry for nearly a mile from pier to pier. Next, stay river-right of the low-head dam recirculation before dropping into a series of ledge holes and waves.

Of course, there are plenty more adventures to be had in St. Louis. The 12-mile is a paved bike path connecting the Chain of Rocks Bridge to Gateway Arch National Park. This atypical NPS unit is a quintessential Route 66 site, built in the 1960s. Cram inside a space-age pod that zigzags up through the arch legs and makes an Apollo capsule feel like a 747. Atop the observation deck, you may wonder, what am I supposed to be looking at? Fair. May I suggest gazing west, the favored direction of travel along Route 66.

Just five miles out is the 1,300-acre Forest Park. There you’ll find plenty of paths and a lake basin, built for the 1904 World’s Fair, where you can paddleboard past fountains and the free art museum. For a beer or some BBQ in the park, check out the Boathouse, run by . More great restaurants can be found in the nearby Delmar Loop, along with the , a popular hotel and rooftop lounge.

The Missouri Ozarks

Heading west, you have two parallel options to drive: sections of historic roadway or the faster I-44. Either way, the next adventurous detour is south into the Ozarks, a lesser-known region of rugged limestone hills that hides many great trails and spring-fed rivers.

One warm May, we were paddling and camping at the forested Current River in , an NPS unit protecting 150 miles of clear-water streams. At a nearby campsite there was an outdoorsy pair of Route 66 pilgrims from Austria, home of the Alps. This late-twenties couple had stumbled into the Ozarks a week before and hadn’t stopped canoeing, fishing, and hiking.

“You gotta get moving west!” I blurted, genuinely concerned for the breadth of their Route 66 experiences. “You’re going to miss so much, like stone arches and petroglyphs and saguaro cactuses. You’re going to miss the effing Grand Canyon.”

“We like it here,” said one, and they both shrugged. I later learned from social media that they stayed another week after discovering the shut-ins of the Jacks Fork, the other stream in the area protected by the park service. Then the couple sprinted through the rest of the route without any regrets.

Meanwhile, one of Missouri’s top Route 66 stops is . This famous limestone cave system is said to have once been a stop on the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, it held a Union gunpowder factory that was blown up by Confederate rebels. Jesse James was allegedly among the guerillas, and the infamous Missouri outlaw may or may not have later used the caves as a hideout.

Regardless, the James Gang caused mayhem all over the remote Ozarks, including areas around Montauk State Park, where a massive spring forms the headwaters of the Current River. Another possible hideout was around the Irish Wilderness, part of Mark Twain National Forest. This 16,000-acre hardwood forest has hiking trails leading to bluffs overlooking the Eleven Point, a National Wild and Scenic River that’s great for overnight paddling trips.

Elsewhere in Missouri, classic Americana stops include the in Springfield, with over a hundred restored vehicles from automotive history. Or, I don’t know, how about the World’s Largest Rocking Chair in Cuba, Missouri?

Northwest Arkansas

While none of Route 66 passes through the , plenty more adventures can be found by detouring 60 miles south of Joplin into the state’s northwest corner. Over the past decade, the area has developed into a mountain biking hub with over 250 miles of singletrack.

A few years ago, some friends and I discovered how Bentonville offers a particularly Route-66-like adventure. During a long weekend, we rode bikes away from our hotel each morning. We locked up downtown and had breakfast on the square. At the corner was the original Walton 5-10 next to a creative Walmart advertisement—I mean, Walmart Museum!—which traces the local company’s rise from a mom-and-pop shop to corporate juggernaut. Then we left all that behind by dropping into some 65 miles of linked trail systems, like , Blowing Springs, and the Back 40. In the evenings, we checked out the growing brewpub scene, with options including and .

Other great mountain biking can be found around Eureka Springs, 40 miles east of Bentonville. Meanwhile, nearby water activities include wilderness paddling on the Buffalo National River, a few hours to the southeast. Or there’s  a surprisingly sporty in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, on the way back to Route 66 in the city of Tulsa.

Oklahoma

Continuing west leads away from the rolling Ozarks and toward the wide-open expanses of the Great Plains. This is often the part of Route 66 that many cross-country travelers speed through, and I’ve been guilty of this myself. But there are definitely some adventure-worthy stops to consider.

In particular, Tulsa is known for outdoor spaces, including the , which offer 26 miles of paved multi-use paths along the banks of the Arkansas River. For something more rugged, divert into the , an area of forested hills with about seven miles of dirt trails.

The city’s top indoor highlight for outdoor explorers is the Gilcrease Museum. Sadly, it’s closed for construction during 2023, but hopefully will reopen in a year or two. This beloved institution houses the largest public collection of artwork and artifacts from the American West. Favorites include landscape paintings by Thomas Moran and fascinating Native American objects like ceremonial dresses and beaded moccasins from tribes like the Crow and Sioux. Until the Gilcrease reopens, . Plus, the nearby has a Route 66 exhibit through September 2023.

Next, beyond Oklahoma City, road trippers will leave I-44 behind and continue on I-40. The historic roadway usually runs parallel, often serving as the business loop through towns. Along the way, there are plenty of roadside highlights, including historic airplanes and rockets at the impressive in Weatherford. The towns of Clinton and Elk City each have a Route 66-focused museum—think classic cars, old timey gas pumps, luggage-themed dioramas, and enough garish neon to be visible from space.

The Texas Panhandle

Upon reaching the Texas state line, you’ll cross the 100th Meridian, the approximate transition between the greenery of the humid east and the red-rock deserts of the semi-arid Southwest. As you approach Amarillo, a pair of parks just off the route are definitely worth a visit.

About 35 miles north is , one of the least visited units in the National Park System, seeing fewer than 10,000 people annually. For thousands of years, Native Americans—from the Clovis culture of the Ice Age to more recent Apaches—used flint from this region for tools and arrowheads. Today, the only way to explore this archeological treasure is on a fascinating two-mile hike guided by a ranger.

For a more eccentric outdoor experience, continue the detour another three hours north to , the highest point in the Oklahoma Panhandle. This little-known desert hike involves a steep ascent to the summit of a mile-high mesa. But once on top, it’s as flat as a parking lot. The reward for reaching the highpoint monument is a view of…well, not much. How Route 66!

Meanwhile, back in Amarillo, 30 miles  south of town, the plains drop away into rugged . Called the Grand Canyon of Texas, this is one of the first classic Southwestern landscapes encountered along the route. There are colorful rock layers, nice campsites, and plenty of trails for mountain biking and hiking. One popular path leads to Lighthouse Rock, an iconic photo spot for adventurous Route 66 pilgrims.

For food challenge enthusiasts, between one to five hikes may increase the appetite for Amarillo’s world-famous Americana restaurant, the . I’ve never stopped myself, because, honestly, just the road signs are hard to stomach. Yes, this is the infamous home of the 72-ounce steak. The meal is free to the few adventurous souls who can devour 4.5 pounds of beef in one hour. FYI, the side dishes are also mandatory: baked potato, buttered roll, shrimp cocktail, and, bizarrely, a salad. This fun place is a favorite for many Route 66 diehards.

Eastern New Mexico

Upon reaching New Mexico, a number of classic Route 66 sites cluster on the eastern side of the state, like Tee Pee Curios and the in Tucumcari. Further west, in Santa Rosa, you’ll find the Route 66 Auto Museum and another type of site for outdoor recreation.

On the edge of town, is a sparkling clearwater cenote, an 81-foot-deep sinkhole fed by a gushing spring. In addition to being popular for swimming on hot days, the 61-degree water is known for scuba diving, and a dive shop is located onsite. This clearwater pool is the northernmost of many cenotes along the Pecos River, which formed from dissolution of the gypsum bedrock. Further south, similar features can be found at Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Bottomless Lakes State Park (not a reference to swimsuits).

Beyond Santa Rosa, there are two historic Route 66 alignments, with the older, northern route leading to several worthy outdoor sites. One is , an NPS unit preserving the Pecos Pueblo, also known as the Cicuye Pueblo, which once housed several thousand Ancestral Puebloans. The highlights include short trails, restored ceremonial kivas, and the dramatic ruins of a 17th-century Spanish mission.

Past Santa Fe and its famous adobe old town, a northern detour to offers short trails leading to more fascinating ruins, especially a series of cave dwellings that you can explore via stairs and ladders. Returning to the route in Albuquerque, Petroglyph National Monument has more short trails leading through hilly sites with numerous ancestral rock carvings. Kitschy ABQ stops include ghost tours in the old town or a stop at the , where the classic rattlers are behind glass instead of lurking near your heels. When the day is done, the restaurant and beverage scene is booming here. There’s too much worth mentioning, but several times we’ve had good luck with microbreweries, like and , which have rotating food trucks.

Western New Mexico

The western half of Route 66 through New Mexico was long a blank spot for me and my wife. But just last spring we were in southwestern Colorado when a cold front came through. Seeking warmer weather, we drove south from Durango, with a quick off-trail hike through the . Then we homed in on the Mother Road using our hybrid approach.

Our first stop was a detour into . This NPS unit preserves the ruins of an ancestral pueblo village atop a 200-foot sandstone bluff rising like a monolith from surrounding grasslands. Around 750 years ago, El Morro was a spring-fed watering hole on an ancient trade route called the Zuni-Acoma Trail. Over a century, the pueblo expanded to around 350 rooms before being mysteriously abandoned. This left El Morro as a dramatic landmark on an ancestral Route 66 that saw the passing of Native Americans, Spanish conquistadors, and European settlers. Each group left petroglyphs and inscriptions at El Morro, which the Zuni call Atsinna, meaning “the place of writing on rock.” Our early morning walk took us on a two-mile loop to the ruins atop the bluff. Near the base we saw the waterhole and hundreds of rock carvings.

On the drive to our next stop, we passed a through-hiker following Highway 53 between two backcountry sections of the . The southern end of this 3,000-mile hiking route, currently about 95 percent complete, passes through New Mexico. After crossing , the CDT takes a unique turn and follows Historic Route 66 for nearly seven miles into downtown Grants, before ascending the volcanic cone of Mount Taylor to the northeast.

Our aim was something shorter at El Malpais, a fairly empty NPS unit protecting about 180 square miles of volcanic badlands. Several trails and dirt roads explore the periphery, and we chose the five-mile El Calderon loop. This hike led us past different lava features—caves, tubes, trenches—to the rim of a cinder cone and over a lava flow topped by sparse pine forest.

We finished our day in Grants at the , where we sipped beers next to classic cars on the auto-shop floor. While playing chess on an oversized board, we joked with some bikers—the leather-clad motorcycling kind—about how bad we all are at chess. It was one of our favorite days of the cross-country road trip, and we never would have found it without Route 66.

Eastern Arizona and Flagstaff

Continuing west, the first outdoor highlight is a smaller NPS unit that often gets skipped. Petrified Forest National Park sees only a half million visitors per year, despite straddling I-40. Like other road-trippers, my wife and I were guilty of skipping past this park several times before stopping and being impressed. Here you can explore an eroded landscape of fallen petrified logs, both on-trail and off into the backcountry. The park is home to a stretch of original Route 66 roadway, marked by the rusty frame of a 1932 Studebaker. Meanwhile, overlooking the colorful badlands of the Chinle formation, the Painted Desert Inn is a historic adobe structure converted to an NPS museum.

Two more classic Route 66 stops can be found nearby. One is the quaint downtown of Winslow, made famous by the song lyric “Standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona,” from the Eagles song “Take it Easy.” Today, a city art installation called Standin’ on a Corner Park is a fun selfie spot for tipsy visitors spilling out of nearby brewpubs like the popular , across the street.  Just south, Meteor Crater is worth a detour, especially for enthusiasts of other-worldly landscapes. A moderate entry fee allows access to a meteorite museum and outdoor viewing platforms perched on the 0.75-mile-wide rim of the world’s best preserved impact crater.

The hub of Route 66 in Arizona is definitely Flagstaff. Like many outdoor explorers, I first stumbled into Flag on my way to the Grand Canyon. Initially I went for backpacking and hiking. Later I came as a river runner lucky enough to row three trips-of-a-lifetime, one each during the winter, spring, and summer seasons (maybe fall will be next). By frequently returning to this excellent mountain town, located beneath the San Francisco Peaks, I witnessed the importance of Route 66 to the local community.

There are impressive murals, including half a city block behind the excellent , which depicts Route 66 through the decades. Or head down the street to , another great microbrewery named for the route. Downtown you’ll find eclectic shops and historic hotels like the , opened in 1900, and the , opened in 1927. Both properties would see famous guests–artists, authors, and movie stars–who were traveling or working along Route 66. Learning about these places really impressed upon me the cultural significance of a classic American highway that I had previously skipped past on my way to other places.

Just outside of Flagstaff there are several outdoor highlights to explore. is a mouthful of a name with a handful of trails winding through jagged lava fields and over cinder cones. Nearby is , which protects three of the most impressive Ancestral Puebloan complexes in the region. For me, the restored ballcourt brings back memories of exploring archeological sites in Latin America. Just south of town is , essentially a miniature Mesa Verde with a jaw-dropping density of cliff dwellings.

The Grand Canyon

The final stop on our abbreviated tour across şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Route 66 is none other than Grand Canyon National Park. Route pilgrims typically aim for the South Rim, where the scenic Desert View Drive leads to the canyon’s most 66-ish roadside attraction: the Desert View Watchtower. On the way, consider a walk to viewpoints along the rim. Or take a hike down inside, with one excellent choice being a steep mile on the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh-Aah Point.

While staring out at this vast and colorful chasm, it’s worth contemplating how many adventures you can have at this 1,900-square-mile world wonder. You can strenuously backpack to the Colorado River at or other wilderness camp (reservations/permits required). You can explore the North Rim, including mountain biking the Rainbow Rim Trail just outside the park. You can run the river for a week or more through sheer granite gorges with dozens of raging rapids (outfitter reservation or permits also required). Frequent onshore attractions basically make it Colorado River Route 66, including fossilized dinosaur tracks, riverside caverns, hidden waterfalls, and cliff-perched granaries.

The Grand Canyon is not the end of the adventure, just like Flagstaff isn’t the end on this mother of a road. There’s much more to discover—both behind and ahead. Continuing west into California leads to roadside kitsch like and detours like Joshua Tree National Park. Or venture past the “End” sign near the Santa Monica pier and take a ferry to Channel Islands National Park. But the Grand Canyon is a great place to part ways on our abbreviated tour along şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Route 66. Finding the rest is just part of the fun.

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When you think about a ghost town, maybe you picture a spooky, abandoned collection of old buildings where you poke around curiously for a half hour. Or a tourist trap with pricey boutiques and bistros tucked inside old-timey facades.

Those ghost towns certainly have their place, but there’s another kind: the wild ghost towns on public lands, where getting there is half the fun and exploring them is an adventure. Whether traveling on foot or by boat, inside a 4×4 or on a bike, here are some of the best ghost towns across the U.S.

Animas Forks, Colorado

High in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, you’ll find Animas Forks, a preserved alpine mining camp with all kinds of accolades for elevational prowess. Established in the mid-1870s, it’s one of the highest ghost towns in the country at 11,200 feet. By the mid-1880s, it was home to 450 people and a newspaper with the highest elevation printing press in the U.S.

The town was abandoned by the 1920s. The area is now by the BLM, and is a can’t-miss stop on the . This 63-mile 4×4 route travels through some of the tallest mountains in Colorado, and skilled drivers will have to navigate challenging terrain and two rugged passes—Cinnamon Pass at 12,600 feet and Engineer Pass at 12,800 feet—to get there.

If you want a more direct route to the town, the easiest access is by a mellower spur of the Alpine Loop that starts near Silverton, Colorado, and follows the upper Animas River through pristine mountain terrain. This road is unpaved and rough but can be navigated by experienced drivers in high clearance 2WD or AWD vehicles. Four-by-four vehicle rentals and guided tours can also be .

Old Cahawba Archeological Park, Alabama

Ruins from the past five centuries live in the center of Alabama’s Black Belt region. At one time a village home to numerous Southeastern Indigenous tribes, the site of Cahawba became Alabama’s first state capital from 1820 to 1825. The now-abandoned town was later a Confederate prison during the Civil War and a village of freed slaves during Reconstruction.

It’s this history and more which seeks to preserve for active exploration. Visitors can walk or bike through what was once a grid of city blocks, today lined by dense foliage instead of buildings. Along the way, explore the remaining structures, including antebellum brick columns rising up from rubble piles. There’s also a nature trail and two canoe ramps, which allow for a three-mile paddling trip on the Cahaba and Alabama Rivers. Paddlers will need to bring their own boats or rent from outfitters around nearby cities like Montgomery or Birmingham.

Kirwin, Wyoming

Near the headwaters of the Wood River, in the little-known Absaroka Mountains, is one of the best-preserved ghost towns around. Gold was discovered in 1885, and soon a bustling mining community followed.

In February 1907, after nine days of heavy snow, a massive avalanche roared down from the 12,000-foot mountains above the town. Several buildings were swept into the river, and three people died. The town was mostly abandoned the following spring. In later years, the area became home to a dude ranch and was visited by Amelia Earhart, who was having a cabin built here when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

Today, the ghost town is part of Shoshone National Forest. You can explore the many intact buildings and hike upstream for about a mile along the Wood River to the remnants of the Amelia Earhart cabin site. Reaching Kirwin from the town of Meeteetse is itself an adventure. A 4×4 vehicle is required for crossing several streams and rough stretches of road.

Vehicle rentals are available in and Cody, Wyoming. If you’re not up to the drive, sign up for a from Cody.

Paria Townsite, Utah

In the southwest corner of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a pair of dirt roads snake through jagged desert terrain toward the . A small Mormon farming community originally settled there in the late 1860s, but the soil was too dry for sustained irrigation. In the early 20th century, residents attempted to mine for gold, but those efforts proved equally limited. A lone prospector remained until 1929, after which the townsite was finally abandoned. The following decades saw the arrival of film productions, primarily Westerns, including The Outlaw Josie Wales in 1976.

Sometimes called Old Pahreah, the highlight here is hiking either of two routes through an unreal valley in the chinle geological formation, which resembles a red velvet cake, with layers of rock. The easier access is via Paria River Valley Scenic Backway, a rough dirt road leading north from US-89 at milepost 31, and then walking a short sandy trail and crossing the river. The longer option is the Paria Box, a partially wet hike through a box canyon, requiring stream crossings and hiking shallows for about two miles to the ruins. The Paria Box trailhead is accessed via , an unpaved scenic backway, which runs from US-89 through the Cockscomb to near Grosvenor Arch.

Because this site is in a sensitive desert environment, please limit your steps to paths regularly tread by previous visitors.

Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Instead of a single ghost town, how about a ghost river? Along its 150-mile course through the northwestern Arkansas Ozarks, the passes remnants of frontier-era settlements. From old homesteads to abandoned cabins, at this National Park Service unit, two sites in particular offer a glimpse of the old days on the Buffalo.

The ghost town of Rush, on the lower Buffalo, was once the location of a zinc boom. The mining rush began in the 1880s and peaked during World War I before the bottom dropped out. Upstream from Rush Landing, there’s a perfect 7.5-mile canoe trip which starts from Buffalo Point. The river on this section is a mellow class I and II, with towering bluffs rising overhead. Downstream from Rush Landing, there’s a 23.5-mile run through the Lower Buffalo Wilderness, which most paddlers do as a two- or three-day overnight trip.

On the upper Buffalo, the Boxley Valley Historic District preserves structures from the 1870s to 1930s, with family farms continuing the traditions of the original homesteaders. Nearby, the Buffalo River from Ponca to Kyles Landing offers a 10.5-mile run mostly through the Ponca Wilderness. Much of this class II trip is lined by sheer limestone bluffs. There’s also a side hike to Hemmed-in-Hollow Falls, which at 209 feet is the tallest waterfall between the Rockies and Appalachians.

The National Park Service maintains a for boat rentals and shuttle services along the upper, middle, and lower sections of the Buffalo National River.

For more information about rivers in the area, check out , by Mike Bezemek.

Create custom maps to explore each of these ghost towns by . Join thousands in planning and discovering 550,000+ miles of off-road trails.

The post The Most Adventurous Ghost Towns to Explore Across the U.S. appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

You’ve probably heard the story. In 1869, a one-armed Civil War major named John Wesley Powell led a ragtag crew of mountain men and former soldiers 1,000 miles down the Green and Colorado rivers. Their goal was to explore the final “blank spots” on the U.S map, particularly the great unknown of what was then called Big Canyon. Wild rumors reported plunging waterfalls or that the river vanished into the earth.

On May 24, 1869, the ten-man expedition launched from Green River Station in Wyoming Territory in four wooden rowboats. Rations and equipment, expected to last ten months, were secured in the hatches. But three months later, only six emaciated men in two boats emerged from the Grand Wash Cliffs in what is now western Arizona. What had happened along the way quickly became the stuff of legend.

Today, the same rugged topography that once repelled early explorers is a world-famous adventure corridor through Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. (And the topic of my recent narrated guidebook, .) While the route has become a boater pilgrimage due to its amazing whitewater, flatwater, and reservoir paddling, there are plenty of exciting ways to explore this dramatic landscape. Below are seven trips—with quotes from crewmen journals and Powell’s account—to help you discover why the 1869 expedition was one of the greatest adventures in American history.

Visit Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

“The river is running to the south…It glides on in a quiet way as if it thought a mountain range no formidable obstruction. It enters the range by a flaring red gorge.”—John Wesley Powell,

Welcome to . Straddling the Utah-Wyoming border, it’s the first major canyon encountered by the expedition. Today, 90 miles of the Green River are flooded by Flaming Gorge Reservoir. But plenty of stunning scenery remains above water level.

Instead of paddling the entire segment, day trips are possible from many access points. The launches and campgrounds near the Flaming Gorge Dam, like Mustang Ridge or Cedar Springs, are particularly popular. Or check out  for cabins, guided trips, and boat rentals. A drive along UT-44 offers visuals of Powell’s flaring red gorge, while scenic trails can be found atop the canyon rim near the Red Canyon Visitor Center. For a remote experience, consider paddling beneath the Chimney Rocks in Firehole Canyon at the north end of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which Powell described as resembling architectural forms and strange statues.

Explore Red Canyon with Boots, Boats, or a Fly Rod

“All aboard, and off we go down the…beautiful river that increases its speed. The boats bounding through waves like a school of porpoise…we plunge along, singing, yelling, like drunken sailors, all feeling that such rides do not come every day.”—Jack Sumner (lead rower in Powell’s pilot craft, the Emma Dean), June 2, 1869

Today, with constant releases from Flaming Gorge Dam, plus the riverside Little Hole National Recreation Trail, you can have fun in Red Canyon almost any time of year. That said, late spring, summer, and early fall may be best, with several options for exploring the seven miles called A Section or continuing onward into B and C sections. Raft or kayak Class II+ whitewater, hike the trail, or take your fly rod on a guided dory through this world-class trout fishery.

Raft Whitewater Rapids in the Canyon of Lodore, Desolation Canyon, or Cataract Canyon

“[The river] grew worse until we came to the wildest rapid yet seen. I succeeded in making a landing in an eddy…But one [boat] with three men in it…went over the rapid, and though the men escaped with their lives, yet they lost…everything except shirt and drawers.”—George Bradley (lead rower of the Maid of the Cañon), June 8, 1869

Upon seeing the river enter a canyon between stone pinnacles that resembled gates, a crewman on Powell’s expedition suggested the name Canyon of Lodore. The early rapid that destroyed one boat became known as Disaster Falls. In total, it took the men ten days, with countless mishaps and portages, to descend 46 miles that today are a popular Class III trip through Dinosaur National Monument—a trip that’s now typically run in three to five days with modern equipment.

Several other options for whitewater rafting trips of similar lengths exist along the Powell route. For a few days’ float through Canyonlands followed by an exhilarating day or two of Class IV rapids, head to Cataract Canyon. For a five- or six-day trip with Class II–III rapids, plus amazing ruins and rock art, check out Desolation Canyon. All runs can be booked as guided trips through and .

Visit the John Wesley Powell River History Museum

“The river turned into a perfect hell of waters that nothing could enter and live. The boat drifted into it and was instantly smashed to pieces. In half a second there was nothing but a dense foam, with a cloud of spray above it.”—Jack Sumner, June 8, 1869

To see a full-size replica of the No Name, the 1869 boat destroyed in Disaster Falls, head to the  in Green River, Utah. While there, check out exhibits about the expedition, river history, and famous river runners from the region. For the 150th anniversary, though October 4, a special exhibit includes a beautifully illustrated map of the entire 1869 expedition route.

Paddle and Hike Glen Canyon

“Past these towering monuments, past these mounded billows of orange sandstone, past these oak-set glens, past these fern-decked alcoves, past these mural curves, we glide hour after hour, stopping now and then, as our attention is arrested by some new wonder.”—John Wesley Powell

Most of Glen Canyon is flooded by several hundred feet of water behind Glen Canyon Dam. But much remains to be seen on Lake Powell, including many side canyons perfect for kayaks and paddleboards. For a half-day adventure, paddle west from the Antelope Point boat launch for one mile to access Antelope Canyon. You can travel about two miles into this side canyon and continue on foot to explore the dizzying slots. For novices, consider joining a .

Other worthy sites are nearby. Stop by Glen Canyon Dam to see the colossal and controversial structure up close. Visit the famous Horseshoe Bend viewpoint and imagine Powell’s boats on their way to Grand Canyon. Better yet, join for a float down the 15 miles of Colorado River that still flow through the lofty heights of Glen Canyon.

Take the Trip of a Lifetime Through Grand Canyon

“We are now ready to start on our way down the great unknown…We are three quarters of a mile into the depths of the earth, and the great river shrinks into insignificance as it dashes its angry waves against the walls and cliffs that rise to the world above.” —John Wesley Powell

It was Powell who decided that the name Big Canyon didn’t do justice to the grand chasm they encountered. At the time, Mormon settlers had estimated this little-seen canyon to be 70 or maybe 80 miles long. But the expedition spent a month in its depths, toiling over a much longer distance. The exhausted men ran some rapids, lined others, and often portaged by humping the wooden boats over rocks. Bradley wrote on August 7, 1869, that the “constant banging against rocks has begun to tell sadly on [the boats] and they are growing older faster, if possible, than we are.”

In the end, what became Grand Canyon was 200 miles long. When combined with Marble Canyon, the entire distance between what became Lees Ferry to the Grand Wash Cliffs in known territory was about 275 miles. Along the way, the team encountered more than 100 rapids, ranging from what we now categorize as Class II to Class IV–V.

These days, a river trip through Grand Canyon is an undisputed trip of a lifetime—with a long wait. , or sign up with guide pros or .

Road-Trip the Powell Route

“The general course of the river is from north to south and from great altitudes to the level of the sea. Thus it runs from land of snow to land of sun.”—John Wesley Powell

If you’re curious about the Powell route but want to explore by road, consider this basic itinerary that parallels the Green and Colorado rivers.

Start in Green River, Wyoming, with a visit to Expedition Island, a national historic landmark near the 1869 launch spot. Drive south along the shores of Flaming Gorge Reservoir toward Red Canyon (activities listed above). The western route on WY-530 and UT-44 offers a detour on the Sheep Creek Geologic Loop and a high-ground vista of Flaming Gorge. If you take the eastern route on US-191, drop by Firehole Canyon or Antelope Flat to see the dramatic landscape from reservoir level.

After Red Canyon, head south through Vernal to Dinosaur National Monument, where the Green River emerges from the geologic paradox of Split Mountain. Bonus hikes and the will give you plenty to do.

Stop by the John Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River, Utah, on your way to Canyonlands National Park near Moab. In particular, the Island in the Sky district offers viewpoints above the Green River through Tower Park. It’s an area of ridiculous rock formations and spires that Powell named—and you should see. With a sturdy 4×4 vehicle or mountain bike, the 100-mile White Rim Road is an unforgettable experience ().

Your next stop is Glen Canyon and southern Lake Powell near Page, Arizona. In addition to the spots mentioned above, consider Lees Ferry. Today it’s the launch spot for Grand Canyon river trips, but there are also several great hikes, including the thigh-burning Spencer Trail to the top of the Echo Cliffs, where you can view the growing crack that is Marble Canyon.

End your trip at the South Rim of Grand Canyon, with a hike on the Rim Trail and some views. Powell route pilgrims will want to visit scenic Powell Point, where a plaque commemorates the exploits of 1869 and a second expedition in 1871.

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