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 thereā€™s one travel thing I splurge on each year, itā€™s amazing hotel stays. Iā€™ve no regrets, because they so often make for a next-level vacation.

This year ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų sent me and some of our other travel writers and editors to check out new, recently revamped, or iconic properties that have been on our radar. Talk about unique adventuring in gorgeous locationsā€”one is in a deep red-rock canyon, another in a secluded dark-sky area, and still another has its own private entrance to a national park.

These are the places that blew us away. Weā€™d return to any of them again.

Enchantment Resort

Sedona, Arizona

Price: From $400

Set amid the stupefying red-rock wonder that is Boynton Canyon, one of four major vortex sites in Sedona, my fall stay at Enchantment was emotional but also grounding. I hiked with one of the resortā€™s vortex experts, whose sage ceremony at a viewpoint overlooking the high-desert landscape made me feel lighter than I had in months. And my chakra-balancing treatment and sound bath at the guests-only Mii Amo spa were as fantastically spiritual and woo-woo as I hoped theyā€™d be.

You could easily spend four days hiking or mountain-biking around Sedona. The propertyā€™s on-site Trail House is home to equipment and guides for both, and staff can organize far-flung excursions to the Grand Canyon in a helicopter and Prescott for climbing adventures, if your time and budget allow.

The resortā€™s Southwestern adobe architecture is designed to blend into the surrounding scenery, the indoor-outdoor restaurants are upscale but not stuffy, and the range of outdoor activities and classes is impressive: pop between its four pools, play tennis or pickleball, or sign up for yoga or . Staff are incredibly friendly, which is to be expected at destination resorts, but one thing that really stood out for me.

Of all the trips I took in 2024, my memories of this property have stayed with me most. And since my review came out, Iā€™ve received feedback from other guests who shared similarly moving experiences at Enchantment. Itā€™s that powerful a place.

What Iā€™d do differently if I returned: I wanted to head to one of the pools late at night and float around staring up at the stars, since Sedona is a Dark Sky Community. But the hiking and spa treatments had me fairly worn out by dayā€™s endā€”and sleeping soundly through the night.

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Cannonville, Utah

Price: From $525

When Alison Osius visited this new Clear Sky Resort in August, she was ready to spend hours admiring the starry skiesā€”the main draw for guests who look forward to gazing up at the firmament from their own geodesic dome. Unfortunately, it rained during her short stay.

But Osius didnā€™t let bad weather dampen her exploration of Bryce Canyon National Park, just a 20-minute drive from the property. She motored around the park with a fourth-generation guide, hitting highlights like Natural Arch and the Bryce Amphitheater, both beautifully shrouded in mist, and got a hoot out of hearing about local escapades of legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy. Eventually, the clouds did clear and she was able to hike the 1.8-mile .

Clear Sky has some unique amenities, including a robot concierge who offers outdoor-recreation beta, a cafƩ with a gleaming boomerang-shaped bar, fire pits and cornhole, and stargazing tours. The domes themselves are fun, futuristic, and encourage group visits. Osius was surprised to learn that one has a dance floor, disco ball, and flashing lights.

Off-site, she was won over by the barbecue in a joint called in the town of Tropic, and loved the live cowboy music at in Bryce Canyon City. Her vacation gave her different viewpoints of the West and an appreciation of this areaā€™s otherworldly landcapes, which include the greatest concentration of hoodoos in the world.

What Osius would do differently if she returned: A second visit would ideally happen when the stars were out and shining, said Osius, though she did think it was cool to watch rivulets of rain run down her dome. And the next time, sheā€™d stay longer and hike way more in Bryce Canyon.

Lodge at Marconi

Marshall, California

Price: From $299

Iā€™ve visited several outdoor-adjacent properties in the Bay Area over the years, but none within a state park. The experience felt like a sophisticated, laid-back,Ģż improved version of summer camp. Lodge at Marconi is a newly remodeled, 45-acre property that spans from the waterā€™s edge of eastern Tomales Bayā€”an hourā€™s drive north of San Francisco on Highway 1ā€”to bluffs with incredible views westward to Point Reyes National Seashore and north to the Pacific Ocean.

The weekend I was in town, the property was hosting an indoor-outdoor wedding as well as young couples there with their toddlers and dogs, day-trippers picnicking beneath shady oaks, and friends using it as a base camp for a local foodie tour. Come dusk, everyone gathered around the massive communal fire pit and hung out for hours, occasionally popping into the on-site store for a bottle of regional wine.

This is a fantastic place to do some wildlife- and bird-watching. Wild turkeys were running around while I was there, and I spent 15 minutes one morning looking down at a huge school of fish feasting on bugs in the bay. Tule elk wander Point Reyes and elephant seals laze on its beaches. Bring your best binoculars.

One of the best things about Marconi, though, is its quick access to fantastic eating in these parts. The waterfront Marshall Store is just a mile away, the must-visit Hog Island Oyster Company a mile farther (take the tour and then have lunch), and, after that, Nickā€™s Cove, where I love to have a casual seafood dinner and drink. This trip I also wandered around the town of Point Reyes Station, eight miles south, where I discovered buffalo-milk soft serve and a sandwich shop with 18 gooey melts. Delicious, both.

What Iā€™d do differently if I returned: The next time, Iā€™m bringing my girlfriends, renting out Marconiā€™s spacious A-frame cabin, and enjoying an evening at its cute new little cocktail bar and restaurant, Mableā€™s, which I missed because it opened two weeks after my visit.

Phantom Ranch

The Grand Canyon, Arizona

Price: From $213.50 for two people

Itā€™s really hard to get a reservation to Phantom Ranch, a group of historic cabins and dorms at the floor of the Grand Canyon, and you have to try for one 15 months in advance. But Stephanie Vermillion lucked out and snagged a last-minute winter opening. Her review of the property offers tips to scoring a stay there, too.

If you are able to book Phantom Ranch, you also have to be prepared to get there. Vermillion chose the easier route down, from the South Rim: a seven-mile (one-way) zigzagging descent via the South Kaibab Trail that you have to then ascend after check-out. Pack lightā€”no need to bring food, because you can pay for hot meals at the ranchā€”and take your trekking poles. Itā€™s about a vertical mile of elevation gain each way.

Worth it, said Vermillion, to stay in the stone cabins designed by renowned architect Mary Jane Colter. And to amble along the mightly Colorado River; if you have more than one night at the property, Vermillion suggests hiking the to Phantom Overlook. Itā€™s nine miles round-trip but youā€™ll see parts of the canyon seldom explored by visitors.

What Vermillion would do differently if she returned: Iā€™d go lighter on the camera gear I broughtā€”the weight of two cameras and a bulky tripod made the tough uphill return trip even more challenging.

Dunton Hot Springs

Dolores, Colorado

Price: From $1,165 for two people

Weā€™re recommending this ghost-town hot-springs resort, because itā€™s a secluded slice of the Wild West where you can not only soak to your heartā€™s content but also fish for trout, hike and bike the Rockies, and dine at a saloon. Writer Emily Pennington said it was the best wellness retreat sheā€™d ever been to.

Dunton is located in southwestern Colorado, about 30 miles from beautiful Telluride. In the late 1800s it was a mining settlement, and Butch Cassidy actually scratched his name into the bar, which you can pony up to while youā€™re visiting. The 15 log cabins are cozy and encircle the wooden bathhouse home to a pool with rich mineral waters and decorated with a hammock and a small fireplace. When Pennington visited in March, the snow was coming down and the hot springs were just the respite she was looking for.

As anyone who lives in Colorado can tell you, March does not mark the end of winter. Pennington took a cat-ski ride up to Dunton Meadows and spent a few hours snowshoeing (the resort loans out gear). The next morning she took a yoga class. She made use of her roomā€™s clawfoot tub. And she and the other five guests there at the time ate incredible meals, including blue-corn johnnycakes and house-cured bacon for breakfast, a hearty Mexican posole and tostadas for lunch, and a multi-course dinner that featured bison one evening. The whole experience was something sheā€™d looked forward to for monthsā€”and it did not disappoint.

What Pennington would do differently if she returned: As an avid hiker, Pennington loves the idea of exploring the stunning San Juan Mountains in the summer months. And that steamy, historic hot-spring building would look even more tantalizing after a thigh-busting trek, she said.

The Nami Project

Ucluelet, British Columbia

Price: From $343

Western Vancouver Island is a known storm-watching destination, and ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų travel columnist Jen Murphy had to experience it firsthand herself. So we sent her to Nami Project, a collection of suites that overlook the ocean, to watch the winter swells roll in from her roomā€™s floor-to-ceiling windows.

But the views were too stunning for staying holed up inside. Murphy donned rain gear and set out to explore neighboring , hiking amid the tall Sitka spruce on a trail that hugs the coast. During the wildest storms, you can watch 20-foot-high waves crash into the coast. After braving the elements, Nami Projectā€™s cedar hot tubs, sauna, and heated floors felt pretty great.

Tide-pooling, surfing, and hiking through the rainforest are popular activities year-round, and in the warmer months, you can rent a bike and pedal the 15 miles up to Tofino. Murphy, who is a foodie, also raved about the area fare, especially the hyperlocal tasting menu at the restaurant .

What Murphy would do differently if she returned: Witness the world’s largest gray-whale migration while soaking from her roomā€™s hot tub. As many as 20,000 whales can be spotted swimming offshore beginning in February.

The Swag

Waynesville, North Carolina

Price: From $875, all-inclusive

Graham Averill and his wife spent a few glorious days holing up at The Swag and hiking from its 250-acre premises directly into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a perk that offers your own private entrance to a lesser visited corner of Americaā€™s most visited national park.

The couple, who visited in late summer, spent an afternoon trekking through rhododendron tunnels and past a waterfall, topping out at a knob with valley views. Averill also did some trail running along a 5,500-foot ridge with spectacular panoramas to the distant Black Mountains. There were lawn games and a pool, and Averillā€™s room had a fireplace and an outdoor shower. Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton were in regular rotation on the house playlist.

Needless to say, you can work up an appetite here, and the reward is getting to indulge in home cooking. Averill couldnā€™t get enough of the grilled pigeon. And the iced tea. And the smoked Old Fashioneds. And the chocolate-chip pie served with ice cream. ā€œEvery course set in front of me was the best thing Iā€™d ever had, until the next course came out and it became the best thing Iā€™d ever had,ā€ he wrote.

The experienceā€”the scenery, the proximity to the park, the opening drive from parking to the property in an electric Volvo XC90ā€”was top-notch from start to finish. ā€œImagine if your grandmother had generational wealth, exceptional taste, and lived to spoil youā€”thatā€™s what a stay at The Swag feels like,ā€ he said.

What Averill would do differently if he returned: The Swagā€™s super complex wooden jigsaw puzzle baffled Averill on his last visit, and heā€™d like to spend more time sipping cocktails in front of the fireplace while trying to put it together.

TashaĢżZemke is ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazineā€™s managing editor and a member of the ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online travel team. She still has yet to satiate her wanderlust, and next year sheā€™s most looking forward to attending Mountainfilm, in what her colleague called Coloradoā€™s most beautiful town; hiking with friends in Ireland; and kayaking off Baja Sur, Mexico.

The post 7 Amazing Resorts in the U.S. and Canada That Weā€™d Love to Return To appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

The Grand Canyon is stunning. At ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų, weā€™re in love with that giant ditch, and chances are, you are, too. This river canyon, measuring 278 miles long, roughly 10 miles wide, and in places more than a mile deep, is unlike anything else in the country. Artists paint pictures of it. Musicians write songs about it. Scientists read the history of North America in the layers of its rock walls. The Grand Canyon is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, with other standouts like Mount Everest and the aurora borealis.

Iā€™ve been fortunate enough to explore the Grand Canyon a handful of times, trekking from rim to river within the national park and exploring lesser known aspects beyond park boundaries. The beauty and sheer volume of the ditch gets me every time. Some people are moved by the quiet of the landscape or the depth, which can be awesome in the literal sense of the word, but personally, Iā€™m struck by the time it took the Colorado River to carve through all those layers of rock.

Weā€™re talking about 6 million years of slow, steady work, which seems like forever, but that timeframe is just a blink when you stack it up against the two-billion-year-old layers of rock inside the canyon. Staring into the Grand Canyon is like staring at time itself. How can you not ponder the brevity of your own time on this planet here?

But not everyone is impressed. Lately, on a notion, I dug into online reviews of our most famous river gorge and found a decadeā€™s worth of angsty complaints, with people moaning about everything from the weather to the lack of trees.

Here, and always with a nod to the classic , are the (best) worst reviews of the Grand Canyon, one of the most magnificent natural landmarks in the world:

ā€œA great example of uncontrolled erosion leaving a dangerous and ugly scar on an otherwise beautiful forest. The park service personnel were nice and friendly, however. We probably need a dam to stop erosion and refill this hole.ā€ ā€”Yelp

ā€œI would really love help understandin[sic] what is so grand about a canyon.ā€ā€”Yelp

ā€œWent to the Grand Canyon this past week and let me tell YOU it’s a big ole waste o[sic] time! There was dirt EVERYWHERE and the hiking trail was too long! Also where are the vending machines?? And nowhere to charge my phone! It’s way too deep to even see the bottom! ā€¦Grand Canyon more like grand blandyon.” ā€”Yelp

ā€œThere is nothing there! It looks like California’s drought that I am dreading of. Easy place to commit murder. Just push the dude over the cliff.ā€ ā€”Yelp

ā€œOnce you have been to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon is a joke, and I’m an Arizona native. There are no animals, no greenery, no clear blue streams… just a muddy river, rock, and sheer cliffs. You’ll go ā€˜oohā€™ and ā€˜ahhā€™ for 30 seconds.ā€ā€”Yelp

ā€œI have been to Yellowstone twice, with buffalo herds walking near my car, an entire elk herd passing me when I went hiking, bald eagles so big I thought it was Jurassic Park, bears twice, and even a wolf trying to steal a baby buffalo and the standoff among a herd. And at the Grand Canyon? A hole. A very, very large hole.”ā€”Yelp

ā€œ[P]retty much all of the really awesome things you could potentially do in the Grand Canyon are basically off-limits for a day tripper:

• Hike down to the Colorado River. You need a minimum of two days. Yes, people have done it in one day before, but many have also died trying, and the park service does everything short of an outright ban to discourage anyone from attempting it [too quickly], for good reason.
• Raft down the Colorado River with spectacular canyon walls towering over you on either side. You need a minimum of seven days.
• Follow a stream down a narrow side canyon and see waterfalls and springs. This is a multi-day backpack from the rim or accessed from the river during a rafting trip (see above).

ā€œI just don’t understand why they won’t build a road, aerial tramway, elevator, or SOMETHING that gives easier access to the canyon’s depths?ā€ ā€”Yelp

ā€œDude seriously itā€™s just a big hole in the ground and itā€™s all dirt. No shade trees, nothing interesting at all. Honestly, the desert is all just dirt so that was no surprise but the way everybody talks about the Grand Canyon I thought thereā€™d be some stuff to do thereā€¦. Oh yeah thatā€™s rightā€¦you can walk around on the dirt and look at the giant gaping hole in the ground and take pictures of the dirt. Big whoop.ā€ ā€”TripAdvisor

ā€œIt was pretty cool I guess, the canyon. A bit much though. Maybe less canyon next time would be better if you guys can fix that.ā€ā€”TripAdvisor

ā€œDon’t go in early October. We was[sic] expecting sunshine like in las vegas where we was[sic] staying. We got there we had rain. You could not actually see the canyon. Was covered in fog so a wasted journey.ā€ā€” Google Maps

ā€œGrand Canyon? More like average canyon. Seen better.ā€ ā€”Google Maps

ā€œNot that big, bad weather, bad food, too many people. Also why would they put so many trees everywhere. Terrible design, just terrible.ā€ ā€”Google Maps

ā€œWORST wonder of the world! ā€¦. Only a big hole in the ground.ā€ā€”Google Maps

ā€œVery underwhelming experience. Totaly [sic] an overrated location. Cluster of ugly looking rocks and a gorge that runs for miles. Boring is an understatement. Don’t waste your time visiting.ā€ā€”TripAdvisor

ā€œNot much different from pictures. Besides, the views are about the same everywhereā€¦the only reason to go to GCNP is to be[sic] see one of the Seven Wonders in the world. But after gazing at the canyon for 3 minutes from the rim, you have seen it all.ā€ ā€”TripAdvisor

ā€œNo lift, no real chapel, no real movie theatre… You really know how to make a hole in the ground a hole in the ground.ā€ ā€”TripAdvisor

ā€œLook, donā€™t get me wrong, the views were ok. However, I just find it unacceptable that in this day and age wifi was non-existent. I had lots of good photos but was unable to Snapchat them!ā€ā€”TripAdvisor

ā€œI guess I was seeking some sort of deep existential revelation that so many of my friends experienced, but I got nothing. I planned on spending a few days here but left after five hours.ā€ ā€”TripAdvisor

From the author: Despite what you may have gathered above, the Bright Angel Trail was one of the greatest hiking experiences of my life. I do agree with the reviewer above that you donā€™t want to try it it one day. For most, that is folly or worse. But as for the hike itself, itā€™s a panoply of views all the way, and it opened my eyes to what space could be.

Graham Averill is ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazineā€™s national-parks columnist. Heā€™s visited the Grand Canyon many times and never had an existential revelation there, either. But thatā€™s probably his fault, not the canyonā€™s. Heā€™s also never left a bad review on TripAdvisor or Yelp. Graham recently covered ā€œThe 9 Wildest Golf Courses in America,ā€ Ģżā€œ9 Most Underrated National Parks for Incredible Fall Foliage,ā€ and ā€œ8 Surf Towns Where You Can Learn the Sport and the Culture.ā€ His essay ā€œThis Is What Itā€™s Like to Live in Asheville After Hurricane Heleneā€ was an on-the-ground account of experiencing the life-changing natural disaster.

The post The Grand Canyon Is One of Our Most Beloved National Parks. These Reviewers Beg to Differ. appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Well, folks, itā€™s election season again. Between that, , the war, the other war, climate change, and the rising cost of your favorite breakfast cereal, it sometimes feels like weā€™re all just a hair-trigger away from absolutely losing it. Weā€™ve all tried doomscrolling. Some of us have even dabbled in worse coping mechanisms, like drinking heavily or . But none of that worked, either. So, whatā€™s left? How can you shake the existential stress?

Sure, you could walk it out, or meditate, or lament the evils of this world to an expensive therapist. But sometimes, thereā€™s only one cure for the bottled-up panic that lives rent-free inside you. And thatā€™s to step up to the edge of the void, and scream into it.

To help you on your quest, weā€™ve compiled this handy list of our favorite cliffs, canyons, and chasmsā€”all places with plenty of vast, cold, emptiness to ugly-cry into. Pick your favorite and let it all out.

North Rim Trail, Black Canyon of the Gunnison

If we got word that the gates of hell had opened up somewhere in the Western U.S., the is the first place weā€™d look. Donā€™t get us wrongā€”this national park is a gorgeous swath of wilderness and a world-class hotspot for climbers, campers, and fly-fishers alikeā€”but itā€™s also a massive, black gash in the earth. The dark granite walls plunge more than 2,000 feet deep, and at its narrowest point, the canyon is a mere quarter-mile wide. The place feels ancient and solemn. And with far less visitation than the Grand Canyon, it also has an intimate feel thatā€™s conducive to a nice, relaxing mental breakdown. This is a chasm that cares about your problems. Or, at the very least, itā€™ll put on a good show of listening. We recommend the 2.9-mile round-trip hike along the . Start from the North Rim Visitor Center and end at the aptly named Exclamation Point, a perfect, vertigo-inducing overlook.

Hanging Rock Trail, Hanging Rock State Park

Hanging Rock is one of North Carolinaā€™s most popular hikes, thanks to its namesake cliff, which hangs over the edge of a plunging valley like Pride Rock in the Lion King. We recommend doing the 3.6-mile hike on a foggy day. On some fall mornings, when mist settles into the hollows between the mountains, the rolling green carpet of Appalachian forest disappears. All that remains is a shard of rock jutting out into cold, white nothingness. Socked in, youā€™ll finally feel fully and completely alone. Dig deep, embrace it, and scream yourself hoarse at will.

Pacific Valley Bluff Trail, California

If you need an emotional release ASAP, this short trail will have you at the edge of the vast Pacific in under a mile. The trail, which starts alongside Highway 1, lines a series of steep cliffs and promontories that butt right up against the crashing sea foam far below. Head west from the trailhead, then follow the northern spur until its end. On a windy day, youā€™ll be able to feel your hair whipping around your face as you gaze into the blue beyond, which adds a nice dramatic effect to any nervous break.

Shovel Point Trail, Tettegouche State Park

Minnesotaā€™s Tettegouche State Park is home to sheer rhyolite cliffs that rise straight out of the steely waters of Lake Superior. You could target Palisade Head, which sits at the southern tip of the park and is home to the tallest cliffs, but then youā€™d have to do your screaming from a parking lot filled with smiling tourists. Instead, we recommend Shovel Point, a popular that traces a 200-foot-high cliff band high above the water. Go during shoulder season, when youā€™re more likely to encounter moody weather. This is also the best time of year if youā€™re worried about feeling your feelings in front of an audience; the young families tend to clear out come fall, giving way to RV-driving retirees who probably could relate.

Horseshoe Mesa Trail, Grand Canyon National Park

When it comes to , thereā€™s no place that does it better than the Grand Canyon. This is Americaā€™s foremost chasmā€”our very best voidā€”and weā€™d be remiss not to include it on this list. To escape the majority of the crowds, head to the Grandview Trailhead and hike , a two-pronged promontory that juts into the Big Ditch. The hike ends at an overlook at the mesaā€™s eastern tip. Downside: Youā€™re not likely to have it entirely to yourself. Upside: Its position and exposure make it ideal for a cathartic lung-busting scream sesh. When youā€™ve had your fill of wailing and gnashing of teeth, give your fellow hikers a polite nod, and turn to trudge back the way you came.

Endless Wall Trail, New River Gorge National Park And Preserve

The New River Gorge also does a great riff on the chasm theme. While this oneā€™s not quite as deep as the Grand Canyon or Black Canyon, it still provides a number of dizzyingly steep cliffs that gaze out over empty space. We particularly like the 4.8-mile out-and-back along the . Not only is the name appropriately theatrical and existential, but the hike itself also traces a sheer cliff edge. The views across the gorge are some of the most dramatic in the park, and the plentiful tree cover provides just a touch of privacy in case you need to let out a little sob or two.

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One person is dead and several dozen are lucky to be alive after heavy monsoons flooded parts of Grand Canyon National Park.

On Sunday, Park Service officials of Chenoa Nickerson, 33, an Arizona woman who had been swept into Havasu Creek by a flash flood on the afternoon of Thursday, August 22. According to an official release, Nickerson was discovered at mile 176 of the Colorado River by a commercial rafting tripā€”nearly 20 miles downstream from where she had gone missing.

Nickerson’s family revealed the news in a on social media, before asking for privacy. “Chenoaā€™s light will forever be a part of all of us, and we will ensure that her spirit continues to shine brightly,” read the statement. “Her memory will never fade, and we will honor her by carrying forward the joy and love she brought into all of our lives.ā€

Nickerson’s recovery marked a grim bookend to a terrifying ordeal and massive rescue effort that impacted more than 100 people on the Havasupai Reservation,Ģżwhich is located on the southern flank of Grand Canyon National Park. On Thursday afternoon, of Havasu Creek, the tributary that flows over Havasupai Falls, across the reservation, and through a slot canyon on its way to the Colorado River. The floods washed through an area with campgrounds and .

showed the usually calm waters, known for their ethereal blue tint, transformed into a muddy and raging torrent. The creek, which is a popular destination for tourists, is prone to flash floods. , a spring storm transformed the area into a raging torrent and stranded several dozen hikers. A 1996 report by the United States Geological Society titledĢż references major floods in 1990, 1992, and 1993.

BREAKING: Catastrophic flooding has cut off all access to Supai and Havasupai Falls. The tribal council has decided to close their lands. Gov. Hobbs has activated the national guard to assist. Hundreds of hikers are still stranded. Watch at 5 for the latest.

ā€” Trenton Hooker (@trentonhooker)

Rochelle Tilousi, a local resident, told that Thursday morning had been clear and sunny, but storm clouds rolled in around 11 A.M. and quickly doused the area with rain. The downpour lasted for 30 minutes, she said, and transformed the dry landscape into a flood zone.

“As soon as that flood came through, a huge piece of cottonwood tree came through and knocked the whole culvert through,” she said. “Kids were stranded. Visitors were stranded on this side where our house is.”

LaTricia Eubanks, 49, a tourist from Mississippi, toldĢż that her hike turned into a “life or death” situation after she saw waterfalls begin to burst over the side of the canyon amid the downpour. The mixture of water and mud transformed the river into a brown torrent, she said. “That’s when I realized this was not just a thunderstorm that was going to go away. I knew we were about to be in big trouble,” she said.

A visitor named Lauren Fischbeck that she sought refuge atop a picnic table after oncoming floodwaters inundated a campground. “The picnic table I was on started moving because the water level had gone up to where the seats were, and then kept on rising,” she said. “So then, it started pushing it towards where the trees were. So I was nervous. I got off and just started holding on to a tree.”

VIDEO from the dangerous flash flood at Havasupai Falls in the Grand Canyon this week. Sent to me from hiker Latricia Mimbs who was rescued.

One woman is still missing who was swept in.

The reservation town of Supai, still recovering from extensive damage.

ā€” Lillian Donahue (@LillianDonahue)

Shruti Chopra, a visitor trapped in the area, that she and her husband sought refuge in a cove near the creek when the rain began to fall. The two banded together with a family of four and worked together to reach higher ground. “For three hours we crossed rivers, formed human chains, and hacked through the thorny bushes and cacti,” she said.

Visitors congregated in Supai Village, which is approximately 11 miles from the Colorado River. Eubanks said 200 or so drenched tourists stayed overnight in a school cafeteria.

Tribal leaders closed the area to additional visitors and eventually declared a state of emergency. On Friday, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs ordered the Arizona National Guard to help rescue those who were stranded. The next day, crews flying a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter evacuated 104 tourists and tribal members from Havasupai Village.

Nickerson disappeared on Thursday shortly after the flooding began. Officials said that she had been hiking alongside her husband along Havasu Creek approximately 100 yards upstream from its confluence with the Colorado River. Along that stretch, the creek passes through a narrow canyon with steep rock walls. According to theĢżLos Angeles Times,Ģż. The two had been visiting the canyon from Gilbert, a suburban community outside Phoenix.

Nickerson’s death comes after a string of fatalities in the parkā€”according to The Associated Press, hers is the 12th of 2024. Visitors have died from a variety of causes, including heat, dehydration, and falls. Earlier this month a man named Justin Guthrie, 43, died while BASE jumping into the canyon.

The post A Hiker Is Dead After Flash Floods Hit the Grand Canyon appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

When Justin Guthrie, 43, of Saint Anne, Missouri, died while illegally BASE jumping in Grand Canyon National Park earlier in August, one of the nation’s preeminent BASE instructors bristled at calling it a BASE jump.

According toĢż, rangers found Guthrieā€™s body and a deployed parachute 500 feet below the south rim of the canyon. Guthrie had apparently jumped from Yavapai Point, an overlook popular with tourists for its stunning views.

Tom Aiello, a leading BASE instructor, says Yavapai Point is not an ā€œexit point.ā€ Exit points are jump sites that are widely accepted by the international BASE (an acronym which stands for the features that participants jump from the most: Bridges, antennae, spans, and earth) community as safe, from a technical perspective. ā€œItā€™s too short, the cliff is underhung, thereā€™s no landing area, or a very, very bad landing area,” Aiello says. “And doing it in the middle of summer when itā€™s hot indicates turbulence from thermal air.” In other words, an experienced BASE jumper would not have thought to jump off Yavapai Point.

Aiello is the owner and founder ofĢż in Twin Falls, Idaho, the home of Perrine Bridge, a popular destinationĢżfor introductory training. He oversees a staff of instructors and has been teaching the sport for 20 years.

The general consensus among the BASE jumping community is that practitioners should begin with skydiving to develop both freefall and canopy skills. There is no BASE licensing system, but most instructors and equipment retailers will want proof of canopy skills before teaching you or selling you gear. According to , the recommendation is to get a skydiving license and jump 150-200 times before your first BASE jump. USPA (skydivingā€™s governing body) maintains an of everyone who has completed the pre-requisite training. Justin Guthrieā€™s name is not on the list.

But in a sport with such a renegade history, it’s unsurprising that some practitioners will flout the recommendations and take a leap of faith. Aiello says people attempting first-time BASE jumps DIY-style are, unfortunately, on the rise. He toldĢżŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų that there have been a number of recent cases in which “somebody who was able to access gear but didn’t know anything about BASE jumping went out and tried to jump off and object and either critically injured or killed themselves.”

Last year in Yosemite National Park, a 17-year-old with no experience packed a rig (the term for the BASE canopy system), took a running start, and leapt off of El Capitan. The young manā€™s GoPro helmet cam captured the experience, which he posted to Reddit. The has since been deleted, but the comment threadā€”including harsh criticism from the BASE communityā€”remains.

In it, the 17-year-old detailed that he lied about his skydiving and BASE experience to the person who sold him his rigā€”and that his parents had no clue what he was doing. Though the video has been deleted, users describe the jumper getting his canopy lines tangled and firing his brakes early, which could have led to him spiraling uncontrollably. A video showed him getting his canopy back under control a few hundred feet above the valley floor. ā€œEssentially he had followed some videos on the Internet trying to figure out how to do it,ā€ Aiello says. ā€œHe did so many things wrong, it was shocking that he didnā€™t die.ā€

A BASE jump from the Grand Canyon requires at least intermediate-level skills. After learning to skydive, a new BASE jumper would start with a tall bridgeā€”like 486-foot Perrine Bridge in Aielloā€™s hometown or 410-foot Limska Draga in Croatiaā€”where thereā€™s no rock face to contend with, just open air. Their first EarthĢżjump would be from a place likeĢżBecco dell’Aquila, the ā€œEagleā€™s Beakā€ exit point, located on a massively overhung wall of Monte Brento in Italy. By the time they stood on the lip of the Grand Canyon, a more challenging ā€œbig wallā€ due to being a shorter jump with a more vertical face, they would have completedĢżhundreds of successful BASE jumps.

BASE jumping is technically illegal in National Parks without a permit. But Aiello says legality is not the first consideration for determining an exit point. ā€œWe look at whether itā€™s possibleā€”physically possibleā€”to make a jump and to successfully deploy a parachute from this point.ā€

He says that there is a long history of BASE jumping into the Grand Canyon, both inside and outside the National Park boundary, and that the canyon walls contain multiple well-established exit points. , a big-wall climber who served in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Military, was one of the pioneers of BASE jumping in the Grand Canyon in the 1980s. Bowlin died there in 1993, when his canopy released prematurely and became entangled with another jumperā€™s after launching off a rock protrusion known as ā€œThe Noseā€ on the east side of the canyon.

Miles Daisher, a BASE jump stuntman and member of Red Bullā€™sĢżĢżwith more than 10,000 skydives and over 6,000 BASE jumps under his beltā€”perhaps best known for working as Tom Cruiseā€™s BASE instructor inĢżMission Impossible: Dead Reckoningā€”has been featured in multiple clips of BASE jumps into the Grand Canyon. One of them, the 2017 YouTube shortĢżĢżcalls the Grand Canyon ā€œa dream destination for base jumpers.ā€

For Justin Guthrie, it was a nightmare. The National Park Service is still investigating the incident, and therefore not able to comment on Guthrieā€™s gear or BASE experience. Aiello hopes that publicizing the death wonā€™t draw inexperienced BASE jumpers to the Grand Canyon, but instead serve as a wake-up call that BASE is not a do-it-yourself sportā€”increased availability of gear and online instructional material notwithstanding. ā€œIf you canā€™t climb 5.14, trying to free-solo a 5.14 will not kill you because youā€™re not even going to get off the ground,ā€ Aiello says. ā€œBut the equivalent in BASE jumping will.ā€

The post What Went Wrong in a Fatal BASE Jump into the Grand Canyon? appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

We get itā€”not everyone wants to pitch a tent and forego showers when visiting our public lands. And honestly, because of a recent boom in new national-park lodging, you donā€™t have to. In 2020, I moved into my minivan and traveled to nearly every park in the U.S., penning dispatches about them for ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų. When I wasnā€™t catnapping in the back of my vehicle, I occasionally splurged on fun motels and lodges in gateway towns.

Whether youā€™re headed to the rust red maw of the Grand Canyon or the wooded summits of Great Smoky Mountains, loads of new hotels and glamping retreats are popping up to meet the demands of park visitors, whose numbers have exploded since the pandemic. From retro-futuristic roadside motels to Dolly Parton-themed resorts and remodeled national-park lodges, thereā€™s a little something for everyone on this list.

1. Ofland Escalante

Closest national park: Bryce Canyon, Utah

Best for: Chic glamping, tiny homes, post-hike hot tubs

With its modernist cabins, spa-inspired bathhouses, and food truck that serves up Americana fare (like meatloaf patty melts and cornbread French toast), this newer outpost on Southern Utahā€™s stunning Highway 12 just rebranded and added deluxe cabins in 2024 and is a true outdoor-loverā€™s paradise. Situated a mere ten minutes from Hole in the Rock Road, the washboard byway leading to many of Grand Staircase Escalanteā€™s top slot canyons, is the ultimate, pet-friendly base camp for exploring the Beehive Stateā€™s red-rock country.

An hourā€™s drive delivers you to the colorful hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, while a 90-minute car ride gets you up to my personal Utah fave, Capitol Reef. In the evening, enjoy a steamy outdoor shower, followed by a drive-in movie with free popcorn at Oflandā€™s own big-screen theater, or plop into the propertyā€™s pool and hot tub before enjoying the snap, crackle, and pop of your personal fire pit. If itā€™s not too hot, spend an afternoon clambering around in Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons.

2. Populus Hotel

Closest national park: Rocky Mountain, Colorado

Best for: Eco-friendly amenities, luxe dining, nearby art museums

Set in downtown Denver, a stoneā€™s throw from the State Capitol, the Denver Art Museum, and Civic Center Park, is making history in 2024 as the nationā€™s first carbon-positive hotel. It has been designed from the ground up to utilize solar and wind power, highlight locally sourced ingredients from Colorado in each of its dining concepts, and closely monitor all emissions so that remaining carbon is balanced out by supporting projects that capture carbon elsewhere. The hotel has already planted over 70,000 trees (and counting).

A stay at Populus is ideal for the Denver-bound traveler who wants to experience the best of two worlds: city-focused creature comforts with the option to hike amidst the Rocky Mountain National Park tundra or scramble up . With the Wild Basin entrance roughly 66 miles away, itā€™s an easy day trip to the park. Rooms here are jaw-droppingly gorgeous and themed after the stateā€™s famous aspen trees, with ultra-soft earth-toned bedding, natural forest sounds in the elevators, and eyelet-shaped windows overlooking the Denver skyline.

Chow down on post-hike grub with dreamy sunset views at the on-site rooftop restaurant Stellar Jay or enjoy fresh, seasonal Colorado fare at the downstairs restaurant Pasque, both helmed by executive chef Ian Wortham.

3. The Pathmaker Hotel

Closest national park: Acadia, Maine

Best for: Exploring downtown Bar Harbor, ocean strolls, simple elegance

With a primo location in downtown Bar Harbor, two blocks from the Bar Island Trail, whale-watching tours and the delicious, creamy rolls at Stewman’s Lobster Pound, opens in late 2024. Featuring suites, double queen, and classic king-sized rooms decorated in elegant neutral tones, this hotel also offers kitchenettes with mini-fridges and microwaves. Whatā€™s even better is that breakfast is included, making it easy to start your morning hike up neighboring or a stroll around Sieur de Montsā€™ historic gardens with a full belly.

Itā€™s also worth noting that Acadia is home to 45 miles of crushed-stone carriage roads, which are all bike- and dog-friendly. Rent a bicycle at Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, a five-minute walk from the hotelā€™s front door, and spend a day zipping around the park without your car before relaxing with a pot of tea and freshly made popovers at Jordan Pond Houseā€“it was one of my favorite things I did on my giant parks road trip.

4. The Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa

Closest national park: Grand Teton, Wyoming

Best for: Spa getaways, Jackson ski and hiking trips, luxury mountain vibes

Just remodeled and reopened in early July, following a devastating 2019 fire, this Jackson Hole favorite is back and better than ever. rooms and suites boast a bit of a chic hunting-lodge feel, complete with stone fireplaces, tufted headboards, and the occasional pop of cowboy-themed art.

Fly fish in the Snake River, feel the leg burn on a hike up , or pop on over to the nearby National Elk Refuge for a . When youā€™re done exploring the toothy Teton Range, fill up on Idaho Trout Saltimbocca at the lodgeā€™s Wild Sage Restaurant, or indulge in a CBD-infused herbal sugar scrub at its Body Sage Spa. Either way, youā€™ll leave feeling full and rejuvenated.

5. Wildhaven Yosemite

Closest national park: Yosemite, California

Best for: Affordable glamping, Yosemite Valley exploration, communal hangs

is making waves this year as the newest glamping resort outside the Free Solo-famous Yosemite National Park. Situated 34 miles from the Arch Rock Entrance Station on 36 rugged acres of rolling Sierra Nevada foothills, the property offers 30 safari tents and 12 tiny cabins, well-appointed with amenities like fire pits and private decks.

A communal BBQ area boasts grills and shaded picnic tables, while glamping sites share communal bathrooms and showers. After a day of hiking and snapping photos of from Cookā€™s Meadow, recharge your electronics with electricity access in every tent.

Complimentary coffee and tea help start your day off, and every stay at Wildhaven includes access to on-site classes and events, like Yogasemite yoga classes and Sierra Cider tastings, for when youā€™re not huffing and puffing up Upper Yosemite Falls for those epic views. Looking for even more regional glamping news? A top national-park lodging purveyor, , has announced that itā€™s also opening a brand-new Yosemite location near Big Oak Flat in 2025.

6. Field Station Joshua Tree

Closest national park: Joshua Tree, California

Best for: Mountain bikers, large groups, pool hangouts

are designed with the intrepid outdoorsperson in mind. Bike racks for your hardtail are in every room, hooks for hanging packs are in ample supply, and an on-site gear shop makes it easy to grab any of the Ten Essentials you might have forgotten before speeding off and into the park, which is just 13 miles (a 20- to 25-minute drive) away by car. If youā€™re a diehard coffee drinker, youā€™ll be thrilled that the lodge has a small espresso bar, Little Station Coffee & Kitchen, which serves everything from cold brew to toasted bagels to start your morning out right.

Choose between standard king-bed rooms and double-queen bunk rooms (which sleep up to 10) and have plenty of space for your whole crew to spread out and save cash, then head on over to the North Entrance (itā€™s the closest one) of Joshua Tree and enjoy epic trails like the or bouldering along the formation-filled .

When youā€™re not adventuring in the park, donā€™t miss the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Museum in town, which exhibits loads of large-scale found-object art, like TVs and rubber tires.

7. Dollywoodā€™s HeartSong Lodge & Resort

Closest national park: Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina

Best for: Families, pool time, East Coast hikers

Opened in November 2023, seems tailor-made for families traveling with young kids. Even the hotelā€™s standard-issue rooms offer fun extras, like murphy beds, sleeper sofas, clothing-storage space, and mini fridges. Lovely mid-century modern furnishings combine with a massive stone fireplace in the four-story, atrium-style lobby, where guests can chill out when theyā€™re not splashing about in the large pool complex or dining at one of the lodgeā€™s four restaurant options.

Though the resort is clearly geared towards travelers heading into the Dollywood theme park (thereā€™s complimentary trolley service from the hotel), itā€™s also a brief 15-mile (20-minute) drive to Great Smoky Mountainsā€™ Sugarlands Visitor Center. From there, visitors can easily drive to the exceedingly popular , or gaze out at verdant, forested hills at Newfound Gap, which marks the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Best of all, adjoining rooms and roomy family suites with cozy bunk beds make it easy for you and your loved ones to spend loads of time together, whether thatā€™s in the lodge or trekking to the parkā€™s many rushing waterfalls.

8. Flamingo Lodge

Closest national park: Everglades, Florida

Best for: Birders, paddlers, Tropical Florida ambiance

Initially opened in the 1960s as part of the National Park Serviceā€™s retro-futuristic Mission 66 Project, Flamingo Lodge was forced to shut its doors in 2005, after suffering extensive damage from Hurricane Wilma, when storm surges swelled up to nine feet. Thankfully, , which is named after the distinctive pink birds that once migrated to the area in droves, before plume-hunters nearly poached them out of existence, has been fully rebuilt and reopened in October 2023.

Itā€™s the only non-camping, non-houseboat option for accommodations inside the parklodging available inside Everglades National Park, and given the parkā€™s enormous acreage (at 1.5 million acres, it is roughly twice the size of Yosemite), creates a welcome bastion for beachgoers exploring the stateā€™s coastal prairie and boaters enjoying the sunshine and warm, tropical air of the Florida Bay.

Inside the lodgeā€™s four eco-friendly container buildings are 24 spacious guest rooms, ranging from studios to two-bedroom suites, in clean neutral hues with the occasional pop of tropical jewel tones. Also onsite are a restaurant serving organic, locally sourced cuisine (think breakfast burritos and pineapple pulled-pork sandwiches) and a marina, where visitors can rent anything from bicycles to double kayaks and pontoon boats. Spend a day cycling the and keep your eyes peeled for huge herons.

9. Americana Motor Hotel

Closest national park: Grand Canyon, Arizona

Best for: Travelers with dogs, EV road trips, hipster pool scene

Thereā€™s so much to love about the Jetsonsā€™-style that itā€™s hard to fit it all into a single paragraph, but weā€™ll do our darndest. Set in the northern Arizona city of Flagstaff, one hour from the Grand Canyon and 90 minutes from Petrified Forest, this vintage-style motor lodge should check every box on your Route 66 daydream list. First of all, there are EV chargers aplenty, free morning coffee, and communal fire pits with outdoor hang space.

But this site truly goes above and beyond the standard-issue motel amenities by offering loaner telescopes for optimized night-sky viewing, year-round heated pool, and a fenced-in ā€œbarkyardā€ with a dedicated dog-wash station to rinse off your muddy trail pooch. Theyā€™ve even got free hotel bicycles for those wishing to take a spin around Flagstaff.

The interiors of the rooms are just as fabulous as the resortā€™s exterior, with space-age dĆ©cor (think astronaut sculptures and galaxy wall art), walk-in showers, and disco balls. Hungry? After a trek down to or a stroll along the Grand Canyonā€™s South Rim, fill up at the Americanaā€™s Pacific Mexican seafood truck, Baja Mar, which dishes out badass shrimp ceviche and battered fish tacos to hungry hikers.

Emily Pennington is a freelance journalist specializing in outdoor adventure and national parks. Sheā€™s traveled to public lands on all seven continents and visited all 63 U.S. national parks. Her book, , was released in 2023. This year, sheā€™s getting more acquainted with her new backyard, Rocky Mountain National Park.

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I shrieked like a kid on a carnival ride the first time I saw a fireballā€”an exceptionally bright and colorful meteor. It was autumn 2022, and I was on a northern-lights road trip in Iceland. Iā€™d spent hours watching the sky fill with green swirls, but this surprise, teal-tinged streak stole the show.

I expect to see more of these cosmic marvels when the yearā€™s most powerful meteor shower, the Perseids, peaks on August 12. According to the , the spectacle could produce up to 100 meteors per hour as debris from the showerā€™s parent comet, Swift-Tuttle, strikes earthā€™s atmosphere, creating the effect of shooting stars that could be visible for up to several minutes. Thanks to the cometā€™s above-average size, says the Perseids produce more fireballs, which can have subtle blue and red hues, than virtually any other shower.

Weather permitting, and in areas without light pollution, this yearā€™s Perseids could put on an exceptional display between midnight and early morning from August 11 to 13. Thatā€™s because around midnight each night, the waxing gibbous moon will slide beneath the horizon, eliminating lunar light that diminishes stargazing.

How to See the Perseid Meteor Shower

The Perseids appear near the Perseus constellation, which will climb higher in the northeast-east sky throughout the night. (Download a stargazing app beforehand if you need help locating Perseus.)

Seek out a viewing spot with as few overhead obstructions as possible, such as a hillside above the treetops, a sprawling desert, or an open field. While the bulk of activity will happen eastward, keep your eyes peeled across the sky for any Delta Aquariid meteors; says this Southern Hemisphere shower is expected to speckle our sky on these nights, too.

Hereā€™s a time lapse of last yearā€™s Perseid shower in Californiaā€™s Joshua Tree National Park, to give you an idea of how a night might go:

Itā€™s important to know that, unlike the powerful May 10, 2024 aurora show, which was so strong it dazzled Americans in the lower 48 with colorful ribbons in even the most light-polluted cities, you canā€™t watch the Perseid meteor shower just anywhere. In addition to clear skies with few clouds, you need to set yourself up in a spot with minimal light pollution, as city lights can obscure all but the most powerful meteors.

To help you find those dark skies, and make the most of the yearā€™s grandest meteor shower, Iā€™ve picked seven of the best national parks for Perseids peeping, including many Iā€™ve stargazed from myself. Read on for my recommendations of exactly where to watch within each park, as well as educational ranger-led events taking place.

The Best Dark Sky Parks to Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower

1. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Grand Canyon is lauded for its ancient rock layers, but in recent years, its nightscapes have become just as beloved. According to ranger and dark-sky advocate Rader Lane, stargazing is now the parkā€™s most popular programming, with a special celebration for the Perseids.

The Grand Canyon, which is certified as a Dark Sky Park by light-pollution authority DarkSky International, will host astronomical events at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, on the South Rim, from August 9 to 13 beginning at 9 P.M. In addition to watching for meteors and admiring the Milky Way, guests can enjoy laser-guided constellation talks led by rangers.

To chase the Perseids on your own, hit the South Rim Trail, which is open 24/7. Or snag a spot at the (from $18, with availability as of publication) and then stroll to the adjacent Desert View Point to watch for fireballs, with an otherworldly backdrop of the Elephant and Cardenas Buttes.

If youā€™re feeling lucky, apply for a backcountry permit via and head down into the canyon for a night of camping (from $10 per permit, plus a nightly charge of $15 per person), or even better, see if you canā€™t get a last-minuteĢżPhantom Ranch reservation (from $213.50 for two people per night), to watch the sky burst with comet confetti from my favorite Grand Canyon stargazing perch: the remote floor.

2. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

What makes Voyageurs great for national-park aurora huntingā€”massive lakes with open, unobstructed sky viewsā€”sets it up for ideal Perseids watching, too. More than a third of this Dark Sky-certified park is actually water, with front-country lodging and backcountry island camping promising picturesque shooting stars that reflect off glassy lakes.

Pre-game the Perseids with the , which takes place in the evenings from August 8 to 10. Scheduled experiences include telescope sessions, expert-led stargazing, and paddling under the stars (and potentially a few meteors).

Come Perseids peak, Voyageurs National Park suggests basing yourself at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center or the Meadwood Road Day Use Area near the Ash River Visitor Center for ideal sky watching. I had exceptional luck stargazing at the on Kabetogama Lake in 2020, with amazing panoramas of not only the Milky Way but that summerā€™s night-sky showstopper, Comet Neowise.

Another alternative for seclusion beneath the stars is camping on the islands that dot the parkā€™s backcountry. Just make sure to avoid any spots with forested obstructions to the northeast-east sky. Campsites like Peary Lake, Namakan Island, and Sexton Island are all great; are required for backcountry camping (from $16), with canoe rentals available from the park (from $14).

3. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Alien-like sedimentary rock shapes at Badlands look even more extraterrestrial beneath a star-dotted sky. From this remote park, over 7,500 stars are visible on a given night, according to the park website, with skies dark enough to admire the Milky Way and the Perseids.

Badlands, which is being considered for Dark Sky International certification, runs a every evening at the Cedar Pass Amphitheater throughout the month of August, including during the August 11 to 13 Perseids peak. Guests can take a gander at the heavens via telescopes while listening to the parkā€™s night-sky experts.

Many overlooks and open grasslands offer stellar meteor-shower views, too. Ed Welsh, an education specialist for Badlands National Park, suggests the Fossil Exhibit Trail (map below) and areas in the parkā€™s north unit, which are farthest from city lights. The Pinnacles Overlook and are good plans as well.

If youā€™re craving particularly impressive starscapes, head to the nearby Badlands Observatory, less than 30 miles from the north unitā€™s Ben Reifel Visitor Center, for a of the night sky at 9:30 P.M. (from $29.70).

4. Glacier National Park, Montana

With virtually no light pollution, Glacier National Parkā€”open all day and nightā€”is a stargazing oasis. Itā€™s also the first Dark Sky-certified park project to cross international borders, encompassing Glacier and its northern neighbor, Waterton Lakes National Park, in Alberta.

Skies here are about as inky as the Mountain West gets, making it the perfect setting for catching a meteor shower. And the spectacle will be enhanced by on August 11, 12, and 13; the ā€œHalf the Park Happens After Darkā€ event, which begins at 10 P.M. at the Apgar Visitor Center, includes astronomer-led sky tours and telescope experiences.

Itā€™s hard to top the scene at mirror-still Lake McDonald, according to the . Much of the park lodging is booked during this time, but as of press time, you could still find a glamping tent at nearby , located just nine miles south of Lake McDonald (from $329). While towering pines obscure the stars above most tents, you can find open-sky vistas near the fire pits if you donā€™t want to head the short distance to the park.

5. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

Enjoy a clear, unobstructed night sky in remote Great Sand Dunes, a Dark Sky-certified park thatā€™s also open around the clock. Grab a towel and walk into the dunes to rest on the sand and patiently watch Perseus. Or for an even more remote view, thereā€™s still availability for a permit via for the backcountry dunes (from $6) at least 1.5 miles or more into this massive swath of sand.

For a particularly space-like night, head roughly 30 miles west of the park visitor center to the quirky ā€”a roadside attraction dedicated to chasing extraterrestrials, with an on-site tower, exhibit, and campsite (from $20). Closer to the small town of Del Norte, you might opt for a night in the ā€™s yurts or steelmaster sheds, which include access to 3D-printed, adobe-style Skylos rooms that look up into the open night sky.

6. Zion National Park, Utah

Zion leaves visitors slack-jawed at all hours, but nighttime is extra specialā€”especially when shooting stars and fireballs soar overhead. The Dark Sky-certified park is open 24 hours, and one of my favorite places to enjoy wide-open views is the , accessible from the park visitor center and the South Campground. This area may be closer to the town of Springdale, but in 2023, the community actually became DarkSky-certified. The viewpoints like Lava Point Overlook and Wildcat Canyon Trailhead along Kolob Terrace Road for stargazing, too.

As of publication, there are still a few available spots at the visitor-center-adjacent (from $130) during the peak August dates. You can also spot the meteor shower nearby at astro-friendly properties like (from $252), which opened last summer with glamping tents, Airstreams, and accessible cabins.

7. Wrangellā€“St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Remote barely begins to describe Wrangellā€“St. Elias, one of the least visited and largest national parks in the country. This isolation may make getting here hardā€”expect long transit times from Anchorage via car and bush planeā€”but when the midnight sun begins to wane and the parkā€™s dark, starry nightscapes reappear, youā€™ll appreciate the effort.

While minimal light in small park towns like McCarthy promises stunning Perseids sightings, your best bet is to get into the parkā€™s wilderness. For that, try an overnight backpacking trip on the Root Glacier with (from $580) This outing includes crampon hiking across the paper-white glacier, then sleeping on it, surrounded by not one but four mountain ranges. I recently camped here on the longest day of the year, but Iā€™m already dreaming of a trip back to watch Augustā€™s potential two-for-one interstellar show: the Perseid meteor shower and the northern lights.

Stephanie Vermillion is an adventure and astrotourism writer and author of the upcoming National Geographic book , out December 3.

Editorā€™s note: Leave No Trace principles are just as important after dark; stick to the designated trails and viewing areas, pack out all that you bring in, and turn off your flashlight once youā€™ve arrived at your viewing spot to ensure others can enjoy the sights, too.

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Hiking in our national parks is high on the list of many visitors, and long trails donā€™t always equate to the best views. In fact, many short, scenic options are just as worthy.

I love a good short hike, and on my adventures to all 63 U.S. national parks, I discovered that you donā€™t always have to go big to get big views. Maybe you have young kids in tow or are simply seeking a mellow day in nature. So Iā€™ve compiled a list of my favorite short hikes in national parks, each of which is postcard-worthy. All distances mentioned are round-trip.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Trail name:

Distance: 2.1 miles

Iā€™ve raved about the Bar Island Trail for ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų before, naming it one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in the country. I still maintain that this gravel strip north of downtown Bar Harbor is one Acadiaā€™s most unique hikes, because itā€™s an utterly accessible stroll thatā€™s technically off-trail. Grab a , because the pathway trail is only water-free for 90 minutes before and after low tide, and say goodbye to those storybook cottages in favor of Bar Islandā€™s rocky beaches.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Trail name:

Distance: Ģż1.6 miles

When I visited Big Bendā€™s Santa Elena Canyon in 2020, I rushed to get there just as the sun was setting, so I could watch that big fireball in the sky paint the limestone walls of the canyon in hushed, warm hues. But take your time driving the 30-mile to the trailhead, too. Itā€™s home to the aptly named Mule Ears rock formations, as well as impressive Chihuahuan Desert vistas.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

Of all the trails Iā€™ve hiked on my three trips to Moab, Utah, this trek over to Grand View Point in Canyonlands has got to be the best low-effort, high-reward journey. Start from Grand View Point Overlook and, if youā€™re not afraid of heights and cliff edges, meander along tangerine-tinted cliffs on a relatively flat, 0.9-mile trail, with views stretching into a maw of the earth, where the Colorado and Green Rivers converge.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Trail name:

Distance: 1.25 miles

I couldnā€™t create a list of the best easy national-park hikes without including something from Carlsbad Caverns, one of the most family-friendly and wheelchair-accessible parks of the lot. This trail can be accessed via the visitor centerā€™s elevator, which travels 750 feet into the belly of the earth, or the 1.25-mile Natural Entrance Trail (yes, you can take the elevator back up to ground level). Then get ready to marvel at thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, many of which resemble hanging jellyfish and posh chandeliers.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

July is my favorite month to summit 7,881-foot Watchman Peak, when the high-elevation wildflowersā€”purple lupine and bright fuchsia beardtonguesā€”are in full bloom. Not only will you glean better views of Wizard Island as you climb, but from the top, you can check out a .

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Trail name:

Distance: 2 miles

There arenā€™t many maintained trails in Denali (or Alaska, for that matter), but the Savage River Loop is an excellent choice if youā€™re on one of the parkā€™s famous hop-on, hop-off green transit buses that run between the entrance and the deep interior. In summer, enjoy the verdant tundra and views of the Alaska Rangeā€™s foothills as you follow the rushing Savage upstream for a mile before turning around. Bring your bear spray if youā€™re hiking in Denaliā€“this trail was closed to hikers when I visited in 2020, due to a surly mama bear.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Avalanche Lake Trail is one of the most popular in Glacierā€“itā€™s shaded, has moderate elevation gain, and ends at a mirror-clear alpine lake, studded with waterfallsā€”the scene is like one from middle-earth. You can extend your trip into a six-mile journey if you stroll along the shoreline to escape the throngs at the turnaround point. Pro tip: if you plan to picnic at the lake, be sure to hide your food from crafty marmots out for a free lunch.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Trail name: South Kaibab Trail to

Distance: 1.8 miles

When I first laid eyes on Ooh Aah Point, I chuckledā€”here was one of the most appropriate signposts for a view that Iā€™d ever seen inside a national park. From this drop-dead gorgeous spot, located just 0.9 miles and 600 feet below the South Kaibab Trailhead, youā€™ll be able to take in a mind-blowing assemblage of rust-red sandstone plateaus and mesas, stretching out as far as the eye can see. Feeling frisky? Extend your hike to (3.1 miles round-trip) for even more canyon magic.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Trail name: (also known as String Lake Loop)

Distance: 3.6 miles

For easy hikes in Grand Teton, Iā€™d stay near the parkā€™s shimmering , which boast impressive views of the immense, pointed mountains and but are home to trails that are relatively flat. This particular loop circumnavigates String Lake, with scene-stealing vistas of Rockchuck Peak and Mount Saint John along the way. Bring your SUP along and ply the lakeā€™s cool waters after your jaunt.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

When I hiked this path with my partner in late May 2020, we ended up breaking trail in thigh-deep snow, but from June through September, this is an easy trek to many of the oldest trees on earth. Meditate among these gnarled beauties in the shadow of Wheeler Peakā€”the stateā€™s second highest, at 13,065 feetā€”and its myriad boulders. Want a longer variation? Continue along the same path to the Wheeler Peak Glacier for a 4.4-mile trip.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Trail name:

Distance: 2.6 miles

Beat the heat in Americaā€™s most-visited national park on this shaded stroll to a cascading waterfall, bookended by mossy boulders. Youā€™ll likely spot salamanders near the cool creek as you stroll through an old-growth hemlock forest and end up at the 25-foot-high Grotto Falls. Dip your feet into the refreshing water before turning back the way you came.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island

Trail name:

Distance: 2.9 miles

Itā€™s rare to walk through a tropical rainforest, check out hissing steam vents, and witness an active volcano all in a single trail, but Hawaii Volcanoes is not your average national park. For the best experience, park near the visitor center, hike this well-maintained path at sunset, and try to spot the otherworldly pink glow of lava from the as it gets dark.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Trail name:

Distance: 4.3 miles

If youā€™ve only got one day in Isle Royale, this is the trail to take. Beginning in the popular Rock Harbor area, on the main islandā€™s eastern edge, the trail travels in and out of boreal forest and across dark gray volcanic rocks until it reaches Scoville Point, with its sweeping views of Lake Superior. When youā€™ve had enough of feeling like youā€™re standing at the edge of the known world, return via the north side of the peninsula for even better forest bathing.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Trail name: Brooks Falls Trail

Distance: 2.4 miles

Yes, getting to Katmai is a long adventure that involves a floatplane from Anchorage. Iā€™ve had the distinct pleasure of visiting the park twice, and it blew my mind both times. For starters, itā€™s a fantastic place to watch salmon swimming upstream from July through September. This also means itā€™s one of the best places in the state to watch hungry grizzly bears fattening themselves up on the spawning fish. Stow your food at , then cross the Brooks River on an elevated boardwalk trail. Once you reach the falls, have that camera ready to snap photo after photo of the ornery beasts feeding.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3 miles

Want to be wowed by sizzling hydrothermal features, but donā€™t want to travel all the way to Yellowstone? Lesser-known Bumpass Hell, apart from having an amazing name, is home to some seriously cool steam vents, scalding hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. After stretching your legs on the trail, take a dip in Lake Helen, just across Lassen National Park Highway, and crane your neck up at 10,457-foot-high Lassen Peak.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Trail name:

Distance: 4.7 miles

The Paradise area is my favorite section of this gorgeous park, and while I trekked along this moderate hike, I saw a huge, fluffy mountain goat and had terrific views of Rainierā€™s serrated glaciers. 72-foot-tall Myrtle Falls is the real showstopper, though, because itā€™s perfectly framed by trees beneath Rainier. If youā€™d prefer an ever mellower day out, you can turn this trek into a simple stroll via the Golden Gate Trail.

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Trail name:

Distance: 3.2 miles

Though New River Gorge is perhaps best known for its rock climbing and whitewater rafting, I thoroughly enjoyed hiking its many forested trails when I visited in 2021. This out-and-back to Long Point meanders through a forest of spruce and hemlock before popping you out onto a rocky ledge with one of the best New River Bridge photo ops in the park.

Redwood National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

Youā€™ll need to to hike this lollipop loop, which meanders through some of the tallest trees on the planet, but any hassle is well worth it. Drive down a washboard road just east of Orick for roughly 6 miles and park in the designated dirt lot before descending 700 feet to the Tall Trees Grove, keeping your eyes peeled for epic oyster mushrooms and sword ferns along the way. Iā€™d plan on spending at least an hour quietly perusing these ancient redwoods. This is forest bathing at its finest.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Technically, the Ute Trail is an eight-mile round-trip hike, but the best thing about one-way hikes is that you can make them as short as your heart desires. Beginning at the Alpine Visitor Center, which sits at a lofty 11,796 feet, this trail winds along moderately graded tundra slopes and offers awesome views of the Never Summer Mountain Range. Hike it in the morning to avoid the dangerous afternoon lightning stormsā€”my partner and I once had to jam to find shelter on a too thrilling post-lunch trek.

Sequoia National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

If youā€™re in Sequoia and planning on visiting the , which is the largest by volume on earth), I heartily recommend extending your forest-bathing stroll to include the Congress Trail. A mostly flat lollipop loop, it passes the enormous trees within the Giant Forest. Best of all? A few hundred feet past General Sherman, youā€™ll escape the lionā€™s share of the crowds.

Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

Trail name:

Distance: 2.7 miles

Though this trail starts from an unassuming trailhead, right behind the parkā€™s Cruz Bay Visitor Center, it quickly redeems itself with incredible views of aquamarine water, following a brief climb to 160-foot-high Lind Point. From there, youā€™ll curve through the lush, humid forest and switchback down, down, down to Salomon Beach, which has all the tropical beauty of nearby Honeymoon Beachā€”but none of the crowds.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

After taking obligatory pictures of the and its roaring waterfall, I made a random left turn onto an uncrowded trail and quickly uncovered one of my favorite hikes in the National Park System. This trip out to Point Sublime showcases the churning Yellowstone River, hundreds of feet below, while following a forested edge of the canyon whose crimson-and-marigold-colored slopes plunge toward the current for the entirety of the hike.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 1.5 miles

This is the trail that most people think of when they picture Yellowstoneā€™s most famous attraction, Old Faithful, with that meandering boardwalk stretching far beyond it. And, to be honest, itā€™s pretty darn incredible in person. Cross the Firehole River, and check out one of the worldā€™s largest assortments of hydrothermal features on this flat, wheelchair-accessible loop. Be sure to download the app, which offers info on the predicted eruption times. My personal favorite geyser is Castle, which gushes up to 75 feet high and for as long as 20 minutes.

Yosemite National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 4.4 miles

Sure, this trek might not routinely crack the top tenĢżYosemite trail listicles, but itā€™s the first place I take my friends who have never been to the park before. Youā€™ll set off from the iconic Glacier Point viewing area and then enjoy second-to-none panoramas of Half Dome, Liberty Cap, and 594-foot-high Nevada Fall for nearly the entirety of the hike. Itā€™s also an ideal way to remove yourself from the Glacier Point parking-lot crowds and fully immerse yourself in the surrounds.

Zion National Park, Utah

Trail name:

Distance:Ģż1 mile

Move over, Angelā€™s Landing. In terms of low-effort, high-reward hikes, this is easily the best one in Zion. Park near the Zionā€“Mount Carmel Tunnel, on the less traveled eastern side of the park; from there this path climbs 163 feet, past vermillion layer-cake-like hoodoos and scrubby pinƱon pines. My favorite part is the turnaround point: youā€™re greeted with jaw-dropping views of the craggy Temples and Towers of the Virgin, sandstone monoliths that appear on park postcards. Keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep.

Emily Pennington is a freelance writer based in Boulder, Colorado. Her book came out in 2023. This year sheā€™s tackling loads of short hikes in the Rocky Mountains to get ready for a trip to remote East Greenland.

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A few years after quitting his job to pursue a longtime dream of becoming a whitewater guide on the Colorado River, former ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų senior editor Kevin Fedarko was approached by his best friend, the adventure photographer Pete McBride, with a bold and unlikely vision. Together they would embark on a 750-mile expedition, by foot, through the Grand Canyon, moving from east to westā€”a journey McBride promised would be ā€œa walk in the park.ā€ Fedarko agreed, unaware that the tiny cluster of experts who were familiar with this particular trek billed it as ā€œthe toughest hike in the world.ā€

In keeping with the two menā€™s time-tested habit of cutting corners and flying by the seats of their pants, Fedarko and McBride proceeded to fast-talk a group of long-distance desert hikers into permitting them to tag along for the first part of their own through-hike, which began on September 25, 2016. In an excerpt from Fedarkoā€™s forthcoming book, , he shares the grisly details of what happened on the eve of their departure.

ā€œThereā€™s a lot more coming,ā€ Pete warned when he called me that night to explain that my house would serve as the staging area for all of the equipment, clothing, and food that he was ordering. ā€œYour job is to wrangle everything together and get it squared away. Can you handle that?ā€

ā€œAbsolutely. Consider it done.ā€

Given how many packages were still on the way, I decided it was best to wait a bit before getting to work. When most of the boxes had been delivered, Iā€™d unpack them and start testing important items such as the camp stove, the tent, and the DeLorme InReach, a handheld communicator that enabled two-way text messaging via satellite, but could also be paired with topographic maps on a cell phoneā€”and would, if necessary, transmit an emergency SOS. But for the moment, I simply plucked each new package off the porch, carried it down the driveway, and tossed it into the garage.

I knew that the organizing and testing business was important, and I had every aim of flinging myself into the mission when the moment was right. But, alas, a hundred other urgent and pressing tasks intervenedā€”laundry, napping, mowing the lawnā€”and despite my best intentions, the pile in the garage continued to grow. Then, almost without warning it seemed, September 24 arrived, and it was time to leave for the canyon.

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