I always wanted a treehouse growing up. Who didn’t? There’s something magical about the idea of a tiny cabin, vaulted above the ground and surrounded by strong trees, where you could peek out the window and find yourself at eye level with birds and branches. I envisioned sleepovers in the backyard with friends and secret meetings where my siblings and I could look out over the neighborhood or watch squirrels scramble up close by.

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

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

Location: White Salmon, Washington

Price: From $280 per night

You’ll come for the view of 12,281-foot Mount Adams at sunset through the 18-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling windows in this modern, sleekly designed treehouse vacation rental, which sits in between three hearty Douglas firs near the town of White Salmon, Washington, across the Columbia River from Hood River, Oregon. This 500-square-foot pet-friendly cabin comes with minimalist Scandinavian furnishings and maximalist amenities, like an outdoor shower, on-the-ground fire pit, and coffee-making equipment of the highest Pacific Northwest-approved quality. Cell service and TVs don’t exist here. The place sleeps up to six in a private bedroom and an open sleeping loft equipped with two queen beds.

Don’t Miss: From here, you’re just 15 minutes from the in Hood River, a prime spot for mountain biking, and even closer to the windsurfing and kiteboarding that the Columbia River Gorge is famous for. Otherwise, hike to a waterfall like or and end the day with nachos and live music at , a local’s favorite pub in White Salmon.

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

Location: Travelers Rest, South Carolina

Price: From 379 per night

The small town of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, 25 minutes outside of Greenville, is as charming as it sounds. And this thoughtfully designed treehouse on a quiet 16-acre property in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is the sweetest place to call home while you’re there. The studio-sized treehouse sleeps two in ultra-comfortable accommodations, complete with an outdoor shower on the back deck and yoga mats for morning stretching. At night, you’ll hear the resident owl, named Betty, hooting a welcome. This treehouse has a two-night minimum, is available for long-term stays, and intentionally doesn’t come with WiFi, though it does have cell service.

Don’t Miss: You’re just 10 minutes from downtown Travelers Rest, where you can ride bikes along the , a 28-mile multi-use pathway. The hiking trails in are 20 minutes away, and there’s wine tasting and an outdoor sculpture park at , five minutes down the road.

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

Location: Bradleyville, Missouri

Price: From $295 per night

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

Don’t Miss: About an hour from the tower, you can dine on farm-to-table ingredients or take a workshop on soap making or floral bouquets at in Ozark.

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

Location: Watsonville, California

Price: From $696 per night

You’ll park your car and meander on foot down a wooded pathway before arriving at this picturesque one-bedroom treehouse vacation rental, suspended in a grove of redwoods outside the town of Watsonville, California, known for its plethora of artichoke farms. The bathhouse at this treehouse has its own separate building, accessible via vaulted plank from the main cabin. The house comes stocked with board games and has sliver views of the Pacific Ocean from the wraparound deck. The popular beaches of Santa Cruz and Monterey aren’t far, or stay close and take a stroll on the sand dunes at .

Don’t Miss: Farm stands are abundant in the area. Buy an olallieberry pie or pick your own apples or strawberries at or stop into the shop for fresh artichokes or artichoke dips and sauces, depending on the season. Hike the five miles of woodland trails or spot sea otters by kayak on the wetland waterways of the . rents kayaks and leads guided tours.

Explore Glacier National Park from this A-Frame Treehouse Nearby

Location: Columbia Falls, Montana

Price: From $341 per night

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

Don’t Miss: During peak season from June through September, you’ll need a to drive Glacier National Park’s famous Going to the Sun Road, but it’s worth it for the views along this scenic mountain roadway. In the warmer months, park at the Logan Pass trailhead to hike a section of the 11-mile , which goes point to point along the Continental Divide past the , a historic, romantic backcountry lodge within the national park.

Disconnect at this Architect-Designed Treehouse in the Catskills

Location: Woodstock, New York

Price: From $500 per night

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

Don’t Miss: From spring to fall, tackle the 6-mile hike to the , which starts just up the road, or take the short but scenic walk to. There are plenty of lakes and swimming holes to jump into in the area, but why bother going anywhere else when you have a swimming pond in the backyard of your treehouse vacation rental? A wood-fired cedar hot tub awaits you on the edge of the pond. There’s no cell service or WiFi.

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

Location: Fernwood, Idaho

Price: From $271 per night

This structure wasn’t built to look like an old fire lookout tower—it actually is an old lookout tower. Originally built in 1959 atop a peak in eastern Washington, it was relocated to western Idaho in 1983 and completely remodeled as a year-round no-frills guest house in 2018. It’s surrounded by 13 acres of forest land on Crystal Peak outside the tiny hamlet of Fernwood, Idaho. In the summer, you can drive to within 50 feet of the lookout, but you’ll need an all-wheel-drive car (the road in is pretty rugged); in the winter, you’ll need to ski tour, snowmobile, or catch a lift from the caretaker’s off-road vehicle for an additional fee. There’s no bathroom in the lookout; you’ll need to climb down the ladder to the ground level to use the outhouse.

Don’t Miss: You’ll likely spend your days wandering around the hut—you can forage for huckleberries or morel mushrooms—then light up the wood-fired sauna, located on its own deck.

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

Location: Dahlonega, Georgia

Price: From $294 per night

You wouldn’t guess you’re just an hour north of Atlanta when you settle into this peaceful abode built around a massive oak tree. For families or groups, four people can sleep in bunks and a queen bed stacked in various nooks and this treehouse vacation rental comes with kids’ books and toys if you’re bringing little ones. There’s a short nature trail out the door. Three other vacation rental cabins sit on the same 7-acre property, but they’re well spaced apart from each other.

Don’t Miss: Downtown Dahlonega, a few minutes away, is listed on the National Historic Register as the site of one of America’s first gold rush towns. You can learn more about the area’s history at the Visit the 729-foot high waterfall in or hike the 8-mile that connects to the 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail near its southern terminus at Springer Mountain.

Ski Sunday River from This Chalet in the Trees

Location: Woodstock, Maine

Price: From $470 per night

You’ll sleep 20 feet off the ground in a 300-square-foot tiny house designed and built by The Treehouse Guys, made famous on a DIY Network show. This cabin, in Woodstock, which can sleep up to four in two small, lofted spaces, is surrounded by maple and hemlock trees and just 10 minutes from the town of Bethel, Maine. It comes stocked with a record player, a ukulele, and a hot tub. The hosts call this pad The Ski Haus for a reason: Skiing at is less than 15 minutes away and skiing and summertime lift-accessed mountain biking at is just five minutes away. Or don’t leave the grounds: You can reach seven miles of hiking and snowshoeing trails from this treehouse vacation rental within the surrounding 634-acre Bucks Ledge Community Forest.

Don’t Miss: There’s ice skating midwinter on North Pond, a short walk from the treehouse, or in the summer, the place comes with access to paddleboards and kayaks.

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

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Don’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 parksĚý to some urban gems bringing nature indoors with innovative biophilic design. Here’s my hotel hot list for 2025.

Snow Peak Campfield Long Beach

Long Beach, Washington

I’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 Washington’s rugged Long Beach Peninsula, 110 miles west of Portland near the mouth of the Columbia River. The 25-acre site—no surprise—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 camp’s onsen-inspired .

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

Populus

Denver

may be downtown, but the property’s biophilic design is meant to make guests feel as if they’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 nation’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 şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Festival and Summit will take place from May 30 to June 1, and ticket holders get special deals on rooms booked here through .

Price:ĚýFrom $299

Under Canvas Yosemite

Near Groveland, California

Scoring camping reservations in Yosemite can feel like winning the lottery. Don’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 park’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 s’mores sessions. This 85-acre site is no exception.

You don’t even have to deal with the stress of taking your car into the park itself—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 day’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 Suite— 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 I’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 America’s first national park. But 1 percent of Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres lies within Idaho (an underrated state for adventure, in my humble opinion). The park’s west entrance is just 30 minutes away from the small town of Island Park, whichĚý recently welcomed the family-owned .

The property’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. There’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 Henry’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 you’re passing through the city en route to a wilderness adventure, you can still enjoy a soak, but you’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.ĚýRounding 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 can’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, you’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

I’m embarrassed to admit that, for as much traveling as I do, I still haven’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-tripĚý ($600) or a group excursion that takes in the South Rim’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 Kitty’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.

InĚý 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 can’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 “lodge” and stands for Live şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř, 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 I’m stoked to see it expanding into the Southwest in 2025. I’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 doesn’t come cheap.

Price: From $1,300

Hotel Humano

I’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 Baja’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 world’s fastest disappearing forests.Ěý recently opened on the park’s northern border with just four tents overlooking the Bermejo River.

Price: From $359, all-inclusive

Finland

Kotona Manor

If you’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 willĚý 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 country’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 şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine correspondent and frequent contributor to şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online. (Most recently, she wrote a guide to maximizing winter fun in Colorado’s mountain towns and reviewed the best compression socks for long-haul flights.) Murphy has been lucky enough to stay in some of the world’s best hotels, both rustic and luxe, and believes that warm service truly makes a stay.

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Traveling itself is believed to help boost longevity, but what if your next getaway had even more long-term benefits?

Picture a reboot that’s good for you. We’re not talking about rigid health camps—we all deserve to enjoy our hard-earned vacations, after all—but rather, trips to beautiful places where mindfulness, wellness, community, and longevity are top priorities.

Wellness travel is booming. Between 2020 and 2022, wellness trips grew by 30 percent annually, according to research by the Global Wellness Institute, which also reported that in 2022, 819.4 billion wellness trips were taken in the U.S. and internationally, making up about 7.8 percent of all tourism.

Clearly, these types of vacations are resonating, with good reason. These are my 10 favorite wellness trips in North America.

1. Soak in Natural Hot Springs

Ojo Caliente in New Mexico

Soaking in natural hot springs makes for easy relaxation and rejuvenation. Mineral baths have been shown to reduce stress, lessen joint pain, improve circulation, and naturally detoxify. At , a spa resort in northern New Mexico, you can soak in any of nine communal pools (with minerals like lithia and iron), which include a mud bath and a silent pool, or book a private tub. Access to the steam room and sauna come with your stay, and you can add on yoga classes or spa treatments like sound healing or anti-inflammatory massage.

Dating back to 1868 and located amid desert cliffs near the banks of the cottonwood-lined Rio Ojo Caliente, the place is one of the country’s oldest health resorts, and open for both overnight and day use. Lodging options include adobe suites with hammocks on the patios or restored vintage trailers. (Day passes for the pools start at $45; rooms from $239 a night.)

Ěý2. Check Into a Wellness Resort

YO1 in Monticello, New York

You’ll get personalized treatments and a custom therapeutic plan when you book at , an Ayurvedic longevity resort that opened in the Catskills in 2018 with a focus on Eastern medicine and holistic therapies. This place is for dedicated self-care travelers looking for a total reboot, a concentrated wellness plan, or programs designed to treat specific issues like stress, depression, diabetes, infertility, or insomnia. Visit for the day or stay for a week.

Not sure where to start? Try the three-night wellness program, which includes individual consultations, mud baths, and acupuncture. You’ll stay at a 131-room lodge overlooking Baileys Lake on a 1,300-acre property in pine forests and surrounded by hiking and biking trails—all just two hours from New York City. Access to an infrared sauna, hot tub, group meditation, a reflexology walkway, fitness room, and Olympic-sized swimming pool are included. (Day pass, which includes meals and all-day programming, for $500; overnight accommodations start at $185.)

3. Stay In a Communal şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Lodge

Campfire Ranch Little Sugar in Bella Vista, Arkansas

If community is what you’re after, consider , a new adventure lodge opening in or around May 2025 with out-the-door access to 40 miles of world-class mountain-bike trails surrounding Bentonville, Arkansas, with singletrack loops over rolling hills and through stands of redbud, dogwood, and mulberry trees. The eight-room lodge comes with access to a communal fire pit, outdoor cooking space, gear storage, bike-wash stations, and breakfast service. Campfire Ranch’s adventure concierge can help plan your outings and connect you with local bike rentals and guides. Rent a single room or, if you’re with a group, book out the whole place. (Rates from $250.)

4. Run In Another Country

Aire Libre in Mexico City

, cofounded by Mauricio Díaz, a world-class ultrarunner from Mexico, specializes in transformational running and hiking retreats all over the world, from Costa Rica to Japan. These retreats focus on the intersection of movement, mindfulness, culture, and sustainability, enabling participants to connect with themselves and the landscapes and cultures they’re exploring.

The company’s ($1,800, including meals, lodging, and guiding) is a four-day running adventure where you’ll jog through Mexico City along the gravel trails of Viveros de Coyoacán park and the plazas of the National Autonomous University of Mexico campus. You’ll also leave the city to run trails across the volcanic landscape of the Continental Divide, then experience a guided indigenous temazcal ceremony in a sweat lodge. By night, enjoy communal meals and lodging in boutique hotels.

Ěý5. Spend Four Days Doing Yoga

Esalen in Big Sur, California

Even if you’re not a dedicated yogi or a holistic-retreat kind of person, you’ll love being on the jagged cliffs of Big Sur at , a nonprofit retreat center and educational institute with a heavy yoga focus. You can do a self-guided exploration (read: stay on your own with limited formal instruction) or sign up for the center’s two- or four-night workshops on topics like hypnotherapy, storytelling, or astrology. This is the kind of place where your cell phone doesn’t work, so you might as well stash it away and focus on movement, nature, and real-life connection.

When you’re not learning about your conscious intentions, you can hike the trails within Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park amid 300-foot redwood trees, oak, and chaparral, and see an 80-foot waterfall plummet into the sea. You can also wander the beaches of Big Sur, or bathe in Esalen’s famously clothing-optional hot springs above the roiling Pacific Ocean. Accommodations range from bunks in communal rooms to private yurts overlooking the Pacific. (Rates from around $950 for multi-day workshops, including lodging, meals, and programming. Scholarships available.)

6. Sit in a Sweat Lodge Under a Full Moon

The Horse Shoe Farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina

You could come to the to stay in a well-appointed cottage and eat farm-to-table meals with ingredients sourced on site. Or you could make a trip here into a more broad-based wellness excursion. Just under 40 minutes from Asheville and situated between the verdant Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains with a view of Mount Pisgah, this health sanctuary has five energy vortexes (places believed to be centers of energy currents with spiritual effects), holistic spa treatments, an outdoor labyrinth for walking meditation, and a meditation tower.

The resort recently partnered with, a Cherokee wisdom keeper and ceremonialist from the Qualla Indian Boundary in the Great Smoky Mountains, to build a sweat lodge on the 85-acre property, where he hosts ceremonies on each full and new moon. Overnight accommodations include one-room lofts or three-bedroom homes, depending on your group size. (Rates from $399.)

Ěý7. Go Forest Bathing

Southall Farm and Inn in Franklin, Tennessee

Not all spas are created equal. ’s spa goes above and beyond, incorporating botanical ingredients and mindfulness in sessions like energy healing and detoxifying treatments to develop a deeper connection to self and nature. This working farm on a 425-acre plot in Tennessee has a 62-room lodge plus 16 private cottages that opened for guests in 2022. You can add treatments like sound-bath meditation, forest bathing, or a wellness consultation, depending on what you’re looking for. More than seven miles of hiking and biking trails surround the farm, and there’s canoeing and fishing on the private Lake at Southall. Or take guided tours of the orchard and apiaries that are home to some 8 million bees. (Rates from $695.)

8. Build Something With Your Hands

Yestermorrow in Waitsfield, Vermont

This place isn’t a spa resort in the standard sense, but for people who find learning new skills and using their hands to build things are perfect ways to unlock a deep sense of fulfillment. is a green design-and-build school in Vermont’s Mad River Valley, with a small campus offering day classes and overnight lodging in the Green Mountain National Forest with its lakes and mountain hikes. You can take courses on building a coffee table, sustainable treehouse design, harvesting your own lumber, or basic carpentry. Classes last from two days to two weeks (with certification programs that go longer). Healthy-meal plans plus lodging—dorms, cabins, or camping—can be added to your tuition. (Lodging from $10 to $55 a night; courses from $260, scholarships and sliding-scale tuition available.)

9. Surround Yourself with the Ocean

Pebble Cove Farm in Orcas Island, Washington

Getting to is the first step: You’ll need to take a ferry to reach Orcas Island, part of the dreamy San Juan Islands in upper Puget Sound, 100 miles north of Seattle. Once you’re here, you’ll settle into a cozy cottage overlooking a quiet bay at this farm and animal sanctuary that hosts guests and offers wellness retreats. The inn rents out kayaks and paddleboards and has a garden and apple orchard you’re welcome to wander through. Rescued farm animals like horses, chickens, pigs, and goats, adopted from elsewhere, reside here. The garden and farm animals are closed off from November through April, but the cottages are open year-round. (Rates from $300.)

10. Ski With New Friends

The Ski Retreat in Palisades Tahoe, California; Sun Valley, Idaho; Breckenridge, Colorado

You want to spend a weekend playing outside in snow-covered mountains, but not to deal with figuring out logistics or finding a group of friends to go with. We get that. Enter , a women’s getaway in places like Lake Tahoe, Sun Valley, or Breckenridge for groups of six to 12. These trips, numbering five this winter, are about connection, friendship, relaxation, and play—without having to plan a thing. Your three-night retreat includes lodging at a slopeside cabin, morning yoga, gear demos, chef-prepared group dinners, fireside chats, art classes, and ski and snowboard adventures for a wide range of abilities. (Rates from $550 for local residents not including lodging; from $1,190, including lodging.)

Megan Michelson, an şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř contributing editor, lives in northern California. She’s hoping her occasional habits of drinking tea, practicing yoga, and sleeping 10 hours a night will lead to a long and healthy life. She recently wrote for us about buying a 1 Euro (yes, as in one dollar) home in Italy; how to travel to ski, hike, and bike in Jackson, Wyoming, on the cheap (hard to believe, but she knows of great deals); and why she and her family traded traditional Thanksgiving options for Campsgiving. Her list of great outdoor festivals extends into May 2025.

The post You Deserve Your Vacation. What if It Also Made You Live Longer? appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

The hike was hot and brutal. My wife and I started on the edge of Sabana de la Mar, a village in the Dominican Republic, after breakfast and drove our rental car until the road ended. Then we navigated patchwork farms until dipping into the jungle and heading toward the coast. Liz and I were young and unprepared, so we ran out of food and water almost immediately, eating mangoes from trees and trying to crack coconuts in our thirst.

Our goal was an isolated beach with a two-stool, open-air bar that you could only reach by boat or hike. We were tired of crowded resorts and wanted something serene. We didn’t find a boat so we hiked. And hiked. And hiked. The bar was closed when we got there, but we had the beach to ourselves: a quarter-moon sliver of sand flanked by tall palms, the Samana Bay stretched out before us.

Sometimes I want to stand on a beach or outcropping or mountaintop and know that the nearest McDonald’s is days away. But just because a destination is far-flung doesn’t mean you actually want to go there.

For example, the farthest-away spot in the United States is Saint Matthew Island, which is technically part of Alaska, but located in the Bering Sea more than 180 miles from the nearest human settlement, halfway to Siberia. You have to take a 24-hour ship ride to reach the island, which is battered by storms and shrouded in fog. Oh, and it’s cold. I’m sure Saint Matthew has its charms, but I can think of more pleasant remote places to vacation.

So, I started looking into destinations across the globe that occupy that sweet spot of “remote” and “attractive.” There’s a variety of landscapes on this list, from dunes to hot springs, so it’s not just tropical atolls,Ěýalthough they’re in here, too.

Here are 11 far-flung places worth the endeavor to see them. These spots are just the beginning. It’s a great big world out there. While this is bucket-list stuff, damn, it’s fun to dream.

1. Remote Tropical Island

Lord Howe Island, Australia

Traveling to a remote island doesn’t always mean you have to enter survival mode. is a volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea, roughly 320 miles east of New South Wales, Australia. It’s remote, sure, but it also has some pretty plush digs, and a small population (roughly 350 people) living on the northern tip of the island opens apartments and small lodges to travelers.

The south end of the island is comprised of primeval forest, isolated beaches, volcanic crags, and towering peaks. The island is only seven miles long and 1.25 miles wide, but roughly 70 percent of that mass is protected as a Permanent Park Preserve. Moreover, locals limit the number of tourists, not allowing more than 400 on the island on any given day.

While you’re on-island, spend your time snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of Ned’s Beach, where sand leads to a coral reef teeming with mullet and kingfish. Arrange with your lodge host for a guide to take you on the three-mile trek to the top of Mount Gower. It’s an all-day adventure that has you scrambling up volcanic rock and hiking through the lush interior forest. The summit rises 2,870 feet above sea level, punctuating the south end of the island.

Or, book a to Ball’s Pyramid, the largest sea stack in the world, rising 1,807 feet from the ocean roughly 14 miles south of Lord Howe. There, you’ll see turtles, wahoo, and the rare Ballina Angelfish. Trips and rates are determined once you’re on island, but you can book single-dive excursions to other sites for $160 per person.

How to Get There: A limited number of commercial flights reach Lord Howe from Sydney. It’s a two-hour flight. Accommodations are scarce on the island (there are only 400 beds in total), so book your lodging at the same time as your flight. has relatively affordable rates (from $300 a night). If you’re looking to splurge, stay at the , which has nine suites with views of both the Pacific Ocean and Mount Gower (starting at $1,900).

2. Remote Hike

Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, Iceland

The is one of the most isolated areas in Iceland, enveloping a 220-square-mile chunk of the Westfjords, a peninsula on the northern tip of the country where towering cliffs meet deep fjords. Uninhabited since the 1950s, the reserve is blossoming from an environmental perspective; since the last residents left, and with a hunting ban now in place, local species like the Arctic Fox thrive, while seals flock to the rocks against the water.

The beaches are a mix of sand and smooth stones, while ferns and wildflowers dominate the slopes up to the cliffs, with icefields above and waterfalls that drop straight into the sea. Hornbjarg, a massive buttress that rises 534 meters from the Arctic Ocean, looking like a cresting wave, is the biggest draw for hikers. The starts on the gray-sand beach on Hornvik Bay where most people are dropped off (see below) and climbs 3,500 feet up the side of the cliffs.

How to Get There: It’s a four-hour drive from Reykjavik to Isafjordur, the capital of the Westfjords, from which you charter a boat across the Bay of Hornvik, or arrange for a guide service to take you across. Arriving at the reserve, you’re on foot, as there are no roads or infrastructure. offers daily boat rides across the bay, guided hiking trips, and multi-day camping excursions into Hornstrandir (from $375 per person).

3. Remote Ruins

Rio Bec, Mexico

The , in the state of Campeche at the base of the Yucatan, Mexico, is known for its Maya archaeological sites. Here, the great ancient city of Calakmul has more than 6,000 documented structures, some towering over the surrounding jungle. You can take organized tours of these and other ruins along with thousands of other tourists every year.

Rio Bec, however, is a lesser-known Maya city tucked more deeply into the jungle of the same reserve that gets a fraction of the visitors. The ruins are so remote, and the jungle so dense, that an entire section of the structures was lost for more than 60 years after the original site discovery in 1912. Put in the extra effort (see below) to come here and you’ll likely have the site to yourself as you climb the steps of stone pyramids stretching 50 feet high, built around 700 A.D.

Some of the buildings have crumbled, while others still boast the skyward-reaching twin towers indicative of the Rio Bec architectural style, unusual in that it serves no practical purpose other than to make a building look more grand. Faux steps going nowhere are even carved into the tower walls. The jungle surrounding the stone structures is full of howler monkeys, jaguars, and wild pigs, and reaching the site is half the adventure.

How to Get There: Fly into the city of Campeche (there’s an international airport) and drive 300 kilometers to Xpujil, the largest town near the Biosphere Reserve. That’s the easy part. No roads lead to Rio Bec, and most tour operators eschew expeditions to the site, as it requires an approach of 15 kilometers (about ten miles) on narrow, difficult trails. Your best option is meeting up with the local guide , who takes small groups into the jungle on ATVs and motorcycles ($450 for two people, in cash).

4. Remote Hot Springs

Uunartoq Hot Springs, Greenland

The Inuit word “Uunartoq” translates to “the hot place,” appropriate for this natural spring on an uninhabited island in the middle of a fjord in southern Greenland. While the island has never been permanently settled, legend says that Vikings visited this steaming pool more than 1,000 years ago.

Aside from the addition of a small wooden structure built as a changing room, the springs are the same primitive, rock-dammed pool they have been for centuries. Unlike most hot springs in Greenland (most of which are actually too hot to soak in), the water of Uunartoq is heated not by volcanic activity but by friction, as layers of the earth’s crust rub against each other, warming the water and sending it up to the surface.

The springs are usually between 98 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or about the temperature of a welcoming hot tub. Soak in the pool and savor the views of the iceberg-choked bay and the rocky peaks that define southern Greenland. There is no lodging on the island, but you’re welcome to camp. Keep an eye out for the resplendent northern lights.

How to Get There: Fly into the international airport at Narsarsuaq, then catch either a flight or boat to the town of Qaqortoq, the gateway to Uunartoq. A number of operators in town offer boats and tours to the springs. It’s a 1.5-hour ride across the Qaqortoq Fjord, which is full of icebergs and where you may see the occasional humpback whale. offers a half-day trip from June to September ($375 per person). The company also guides trips to the nearby Greenland Ice Cap and multi-day hikes through South Greenland that have you spending nights on local sheep farms (starting at $140 per person).

5. Remote Lookout Tower

Three Fingers Lookout, Washington

Lookout towers are by definition remote, but Three Fingers takes the concept up a notch, sitting on the summit of in the heart of Boulder River Wilderness. It requires technical climbing to approach, so you need the equipment and know-how. Built in 1933 using dynamite to blast off a section of the rocky peak, the structure is so significant that it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

The journey to the tower is awesome but to be taken seriously. Hike for six miles through a dense forest and amid subalpine meadows to Tin Pan Gap, where the technical climbing begins. You’ll need ice axes, crampons, rope, harnesses, and route-finding capabilities to negotiate snowfields and a glacier, scramble up rocky pitches, and finally climb a series of vertical ladders to the lookout on the south peak of Three Fingers Mountain.

The lookout tower sits at 6,854 feet and sleeps three or four people—first come, first served. The views extend deep into Boulder River wilderness, and you’ll be able to spot the 6,865-foot Whitehorse Mountain to the north and 5,437-foot Liberty Mountain to the south. Goat Flat, five miles from the trailhead, is a ridge-top meadow that makes an excellent campsite if you can’t score a night in the lookout.

How to Get There: Granite Falls, Washington, is the closest town. The shortest route to the tower is from the trailhead for Trail 641, the , at the end of Tupso Pass Road (FS41). It’s a 15-mile out-and-back trek into Boulder River Wilderness, with almost 4,200 feet of elevation gain. If you want a longer trip, check the Washington Trail Association website for the status of Tupso Pass Road, which was washed out at the time of publication and would add eight miles of gravel road walking. You can also take this .

6. Remote Whitewater

Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho

You want the middle of nowhere? The , in Idaho, is that and then some. The wilderness comprises 2.3 million acres, making it one of the largest roadless areas in the lower 48 (only Death Valley Wilderness is bigger). With two major whitewater rivers—the Salmon and the Middle Fork of the Salmon—flowing through the Frank Church, the best way to explore this vastness is by raft.

Let’s focus on the Middle Fork, which slices through the heart of the roadless area for 104 miles, from its source at the confluence of Bear Valley and Marsh Creeks to its convergence with the Salmon. Many consider this to be the best river trip in the country, thanks to the scenery (the waterway rolls through a landscape full of 10,000-foot peaks, vertical cliffs, and thick Douglas fir) and the adrenaline rush (100 rapids, from class III to class IV, in 100 miles).

Thousands of people paddle the Middle Fork every summer. Fortunately, the river is managed for its wilderness quality, with only seven group launches allowed per day during the summer and a 30-person max for commercial trips. During the week-long trip, you’ll camp on the beaches, see Native American artifacts like petroglyphs and pottery left by the Nez Perce and Shoshone-Bannock tribes, and soak in hot springs.

The most out-there you’ll feel is 80 miles into the trip, paddling into Impassable Canyon, a narrow, steep-walled gorge packed with big rapids. Shortly after entering the canyon, eddy out and take a quick side hike to Veil Falls, a waterfall that drops into a cave-like amphitheater.

How to Get There: Most boaters and commercial trips put in at Indian Creek and take out at Cache Bar, after the rivers converge. offers six-day trips on the whole river ($3,599 per person) with catered meals. If you want to lead your own group, apply for a , to be assigned via a random lottery ($6 reservation fee and $4 per person per day recreation fee). Applications for lottery permits to raft between May 28 and September 3 are accepted from December 1 to January 31, with results announced on February 14.

7. Remote Hike

100-Mile Wilderness, Maine

The 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail is legendary, but it’s not exactly remote, considering that it crosses roads and dips into towns along the Appalachian chain up the East Coast. The section, in Maine, is an entirely different story, however, offering a stretch of trail interrupted only by the occasional forest road and fishing camp/hiker lodge.

Hike this piece of the A.T. from highway 15 to Abol Bridge in Baxter State Park if you want a bit of solitude, but be prepared to work for it. The route typically takes 10 days and features more than 20,000 feet of elevation gain up and over the Barren-Chairback and Whitecap Mountain Ranges. You’ll ford rivers and traverse ankle-turning scree. You can filter water along the way, but will need to carry your food, so count on a heavy pack, too.

Cranberry bogs and isolated ponds punctuate the landscape of dense pine and hardwood forest, and you can see Lake Onawa from the rocky peak of Barren Mountain. As for fauna, you may well spot moose as you hike. You can add another 14 miles to the hike to tack on Katahdin (5,268 feet), Maine’s highest peak and the official end of the A.T.

How to Get There: It’s easy to reach the southern end of the 100-Mile Wilderness; it’s located off highway 15 in Monson. But traversing the truly remote stretches of the A.T. through this stretch of wilderness is up to your legs and lungs. July is the best month, as the black flies have mostly disappeared and the north-bound thru-hikers haven’t showed up yet. in Monson offers shuttles and can arrange for food drops to lighten your load. The 100-Mile Wilderness isn’t completely devoid of civilization; the Appalachian Mountain Club operates a few lodges in the area, but you won’t see them from the trail.

8. Remote Surf Break

Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California

Channel Islands National Park protects five islands off the coast of Southern California, and all offer the kind of remote setting many of us crave after spending time in a generally populous region. While coming here is an effort, the 53,000-acre Santa Rosa Island promises secluded backcountry beach campsites on soft patches of sand tucked into coves and surrounded by cliffs and sea caves, with wilderness-style surfing where you’ll never have to wait in a lineup for a wave.

The only access is via boat. If you take the ferry operated by Island Packers (see below), you’ll be dropped off at a pier in Becher’s Bay. Just 1.5 miles from the pier is the 15-site Water Canyon Campground, with drinking water and shelter from the sun. There are even flush toilets. You could feasibly base out of here and day-hike to various beaches on the southern coast of Santa Rosa, where the surfing is the most consistent in summer. Water Canyon also has its own beach that extends from the pier to East Point for several miles during low tide.

But the best surfing is further south, as the coast picks up south-southwestern swells during the summer. There are breaks along the beaches starting at East Point and moving south down the coast. After a drop-off at the pier (see below), follow Coastal Road south from the pier for several miles through grassland and Torrey Pines until it wraps around East Point. This means carrying your surfboard and camping gear. You’ll see small beaches along the rugged coast that are open for camping between August 15 and December 31. Look for the high-tide line to determine which beach is safe for camping (and then pitch your tent way above that mark). Larger beaches are just another mile down the coast.

Santa Rosa offers loads of other adventures as well. The water is surprisingly clear compared to what you find off the mainland, so snorkeling is primo, with reefs and kelp forests hiding abalone and lobsters. And there’s no light pollution, so the night sky is popping.

How to Get There: If you have a friend with a boat, call in a favor, as you could cruise the 40 miles from SoCal to Santa Rosa and surf one of these remote breaks without needing to camp. Otherwise, catch a ferry with (from $45 per person, one way) and get dropped off at Becher’s Bay and start hiking. Make sure you have a in advance (from $15 per night), because you’ll need that to reserve a spot on the ferry.

9. Remote Safari

Mount Nkungwe, Tanzania

Africa is brimming with remote places, but , in the western edge of Tanzania, has a special mix of isolation, exceptional wildlife, and beauty. There are no roads within the 632-square-mile park, so all travel is on foot, and Mahale occupies a peninsula jutting into the massive Lake Tanganyika, one of the largest lakes in the world, so the only way to reach it is by plane or a day-long boat ride.

The park was established in 1985 to protect the world’s largest known population of chimpanzees, which today are thriving at 1,000-strong. It’s also one of the few places in the world where chimps and leopards share the same terrain. The park’s landscape quickly shifts from white sandy beaches on the shore of Tanganyika to dense forest and steep mountain slopes cloaked in mist.

Reaching the park alone is a feat, but if you really want to tick off a far-removed spot, climb Mount Nkungwe (8,077 feet), the tallest mountain inside the park’s borders. It’s a grueling 10-day hike, requiring that you go up and over two sub-peaks and gaining more than 6,000 feet in elevation to reach the summit. Most hikers break the trip up into three days, camping along the way. The views from the top are astounding—you can see all of the Mahale Mountains and Lake Tanganyika below—but the summit isn’t the real highlight of this journey. In addition to chimpanzees, you’ll have the chance to see elephants, giraffes, and buffalo, not to mention the red colobus monkeys that live in the higher elevations of the park.

How to Get There: The fastest way to reach Mahale Mountains National Park is by plane, but most people arrive by boat. It’s easy to charter a boat from the town of Kigoma, and speedboats make the journey in four hours. , a six-tent luxury property on the white sands of Tanganyika, is the most popular place to stay, especially since a family of chimps lives in the jungle nearby (from $2,250 a night during high season between June and September, all inclusive). Published fees to enter the park are $40 per person, but reports from some previous visitors indicate the price fluctuates. All hikes require accompaniment by a ranger. Reach out to the directly for timing, fees, and other information.

10. Remote Dunes

Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park, Saskatchewan, Canada

The Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park covers 62 miles of sand dunes in far north Saskatchewan. These are the most northerly sand dunes on the planet—a slice of the Sahara in the midst of Canada’s boreal forest. But unlike the Sahara, Athabasca, which is flanked by a large lake and dissected by three rivers, has plenty of fresh water.

You can only reach the dunes by float plane or boat, and there are no services within the park. No roads, no cell service, no rangers or structures, so be prepared to take care of yourself in a wilderness setting. Head to the William River Dune field, where the longest, largest dunes are. Land on the shore of Thomson Bay and hike west across the smaller Thomson Bay Dune Field for four miles to the Williams River. If the water’s low enough, you can wade over to explore the largest dunes in the park. You can within the park from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

How to Get There: Stony Rapids, on the eastern edge of Lake Athabasca, is the closest gateway town, though 90 miles east of the dunes. It has a float-plane base, making chartering a plane easy (but not cheap). Fly to Thomson Bay and start hiking west. offers a guided six-day backpacking adventure that includes the flight into the park from Fort McMurray ($3,900 per person).

11. Remote Mountain Peak

Mount Khuiten, Mongolia

A trip up Mount Khuiten (14,350 feet), the tallest peak in Mongolia, presents experiences in both solitude and culture. Khuiten sits in the heart of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, which preserves 6,362 square miles of lakes, glaciers, and snow-capped mountains in western Mongolia. Altai is one of those places where you want to have a good map and a local guide, because if you get lost here, you could end up in either China or Russia (the park shares a border with both countries). This is a dream trip but a demanding one, so be experienced and prepared, and arrive fit and with top-flight warm gear. See below for intel on finding a guide.

The park encompasses groupings of petroglyphs and burial sites that illustrate the development of Mongolian nomadic culture over a 12,000-year time period, earning the area status. You have the chance to see some of these petroglyphs on the multi-day journey to the summit of Khuiten. You’ll also see modern-day nomadic culture, as the road into the park passes communities in traditional yurts.

As for the approach, the 10-mile trek from the edge of the park to basecamp ends at the 8.5-mile-wide Potanin Glacier, with camels to carry your gear. Most people climb the smaller sister mountain, Malchin Peak, to acclimatize to the altitude before navigating the crevasses of Potanin Glacier to High Camp on the edge of Khuiten. The final push to the top of Mount Khuiten is 3,000 feet up steep, snow-covered slopes requiring crampons, ice axes, and ropework. The view from the snow-capped summit encompasses all of the Altai Mountains as you gaze down on three countries: Mongolia, China, and Russia.

How to Get There: Fly into UlaanBaatar, Mongolia, and take a domestic puddle jumper to the village of Olgii, on the edge of the park. From there, it’s a six-hour drive over rough roads to the ranger station just inside the park. Next you’re on foot for days, depending on how much you want to acclimate, before your summit bid. The trek requires mountaineering skills and local knowledge, so hire a guide. is a trekking company owned by locals that offers a variety of expeditions on and around Khuiten (from $2,600 per person).

How to Be a Conscientious Visitor

Keep in mind some basic rules when you’re traveling to these far-flung locales. Follow Leave No Trace principles, taking everything you brought to the destination back home when you leave. Respect local cultures and customs, and learn about whose land you’re on. Whenever possible, stay in a lodge where the money goes directly to local entrepreneurs, and use local guides and services. Buy something if you can afford it. Always protect the wildlife and natural environment, which means keeping your distance and minimizing your impact.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist. If he has to choose between a remote beach and a remote mountaintop, it’s going to be sand and surf every time.

For more by Graham Averill, see:

7 Most Adventurous Ways to See the Total EclipseĚýof 2024

The 6 Most Adventurous Train Trips in North America

The Best Budget Airlines—and şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Locales They Go To

The post 11 Remote Destinations That Are Definitely Worth the Effort to Visit appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

The first cabin I ever stayed in was shaped like a giant whiskey barrel, set out in the woods on the edge of Helen, a Bavarian-themed village in North Georgia. It was nothing fancy: it had a loft, small kitchen, and a porch, but also a big window facing a forest of pines and hardwoods. My girlfriend and I could walk to the Chattahoochee River, where I could tangle up my fly line in the trees above the water. I was 20 years old and hooked; I wanted my own mountain cabin one day.

There probably isn’t a single American dream anymore, but owning a cabin in the mountains is certainly one of them. Picture it: a one-bedroom, one-bath (or, OK, outhouse-served) hut with a wood-burning stove on a handful of acres, surrounded by National Forest land. The shape and size of the cabin don’t matter. The point is that it’s in the mountains, with access to hiking, biking, skiing, fishing….

One problem. Mountain towns and cabins are expensive, especially since the recent pandemic shifted people’s real-estate interests from urban areas to remote landscapes.Ěý (See “This Is the Most Affordable Mountain Town in the West”.)

“Covid, low interest rates, and the new reality of working from home created a buying frenzy for mountain homes,” says Dusty Allison, a real-estate agent who specializes in mountain properties in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Fortunately for those of us still holding the dream, that Covid-related buying frenzy seems to have slowed down and even reversed course in some parts of the country. “Things are getting cheaper in some areas,” Allison says. “People are back in the office, and a lot of those properties that were scooped up during the pandemic are back on the market. There’s more inventory now than in the last few years in a lot of places.”

It’s an encouraging trend, so I’ve been cross-referencing a variety of nationwide realty databases to identify a handful of mountain towns to seek that dream cabin for relatively affordable rates right now. My requirements were simple: the home had to be in the mountains, be under $250,000 (or damn close to it), and have cool stuff to do nearby. These cabins aren’t going to be on the edge of well-known destinations like Boulder, Colorado, or have ski-in/ski-out access to Vail’s Back Bowls, but they are in the mountains with access to world-class recreation.

You can locate mountain cabins on most real-estate sites, but I found Zillow, Land Search, and Cabin Homes to be the best resources and to have easier search tools than others. For instance, Zillow will let you search by keywords like “log cabin” or “mountain stream” in specific states and filter those results by price. On CabinHomes, you can search by style, from A-frames to log cabins to geodomes.

Here are the places I’m dreaming about.

1. Craig, Colorado, and the Elkhead Mountains

Tucked into remote Northwest Colorado and built on the banks of the Yampa River, Craig is the Moffat County (population 10,000) seat. Locals call the town “the elk-hunting capital of the world,” and BLM and National Forest land dominate the landscape to the east, where the Elkhead Mountains rise. The Elkheads are often considered the least-known range in Colorado, since they hold no 14ers. Oh, and Steamboat Springs is just 45 minutes away from Craig.

The Cabins: I found several options in the area surrounding Craig for under $250,000, including a 3-bed/1.5-bath in the plains west of town for $139,000, and a 2-bed/1-bath cabin surrounded by aspens on a 5-acre lot.

The Recreation: Craig is set in the Routt National Forest. Downhill and cross-country skiing exist 45 minutes away at Hikers can climb Black Mountain, Sand Mountain, and , all with summit trails. Multi-day whitewater-rafting trips go down the

2. Jasper, Arkansas, and the Ozark Mountains

Bentonville gets all the attention because of its mountain-bike revolution, but two hours away is the smaller gem of Jasper (population: 498), which sits in the Ozark Mountains surrounded by public land with easy access to hiking, rock climbing, and a national scenic river. The Ozarks aren’t as tall as the mountain ranges to the west (Rockies) or east (Appalachians), but the 2,500-foot peaks offer a legitimate mountain lifestyle in the center of the country, and at a lower entry price.

The Cabins: There’s good inventory in the hills surrounding Jasper. I found an 1100-square-foot on 9 acres with a pond overlooking the Buffalo River headwaters for $235,000. A 3 bed/2 bath log closer to town but on more than 6 acres is just $239,000. Bump your price up to $350,000, and you can get a brand new 1,100-square foot log on 3 acres.

The Recreation: The is the main draw. The first national river in the park-service inventory, the Buffalo cuts through the Ozarks for 151 miles, leaving tall sandstone bluffs in its wake. The Upper District of the river is narrow and fast and has some of the most iconic rock features in the area. Mountain bikers should head straight for the trail system, where 20 miles of backcountry singletrack await.

3. Upper Peninsula, Michigan

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula touches three different Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, and Michigan), offering tons of access to water adventures, while the Huron and Porcupine Mountains, protected by the Ottawa and Hiawatha National Forests, dominate the interior.

The area gets solid snowfall (more than 200 inches annually) every winter, turning into a hotbed of fat biking, X-C skiing, and snowmobiling. The UP even boasts nine downhill ski resorts and the world’s largest artificial ski-jumping hill. In the summer, it’s all about mountain biking, fishing, and even the occasional swell to surf.

The Cabins: The area surrounding Marquette (population 20,000), which sits on Lake Superior, has great deals for under $250,000, like a hand-built log on 80 acres for $249,000. Or how about a one-room with a wood stove and outhouse on 80 acres for just $98,000? And there are deals like this throughout the UP. I have my eye on a 20×20 on a 40-acre sugar maple camp close to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park for just $129,000 (I shouldn’t have told you…).

The Recreation: The UP is nearly 400 miles end to end, so the recreation right out your door depends on which part of the peninsula you call home. But , on the extreme northern tip of the landmass, has nearly 100 miles of world-class mountain-bike trails. Small ski resorts dot the peninsula; check out , which has 250 acres annually covered in more than 200 inches of Lake Effect snow, from when winter storms move across the Great Lakes, leaving powder in their wakes.

4. Robbinsville, North Carolina, and the Southern Appalachians

Robbinsville might not have the trendy restaurants of towns like Asheville, but it has world-class recreation just out the door. Lake Santeetlah,Ěýfor example, which has some of the best trout fishing in the south, is just outside the town limits. The town is surrounded by the Nantahala National Forest and is a 30-minute drive from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s remote, but the real estate is a fraction of the price it would be in the mountains outside neighboring towns.

The Cabins: With plenty of unimproved property surrounding Robbinsville, you can pick up land for a reasonable price if you want to build your own cabin. But for $250,000 you can score a on 2.5 acres in the middle of the woods with a creek and fishing pond on the property. Bump your price up to $330,000, and you can get an cabin on an acre within walking distance to Lake Santeetlah.

The Recreation: Lake Santeetlah dominates the landscape just outside of Robbinsville. The 2,800-acre mountain lake is surrounded by National Forest land and has a healthy population of steelhead trout to try to catch. has hiking trails that wander through old-growth hemlocks, and the Nantahala River offers Class III whitewater. Drive 30 minutes, and you’re at the remote western edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where you can pick up the Appalachian Trail.

5. Sandpoint, Idaho, and the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains

OK, you’re not gonna find a cheap mountain cabin around Sun Valley, but Idaho in general has long been a haven for mountain folk seeking out a land deal. For good prices right now, look to the northern portion of the state, around the town of Sandpoint. The town of 9,000 sits on the edge of Lake Pend Oreille, tucked into the bases of three mountain ranges, with a large ski resort (Schweitzer) just 10 miles away.

The Cabins: The inventory in this nook of Idaho is shockingly diverse and affordable. I found an on 5 acres for $234,000, as well as a on an 8-acre inholding inside Kaniksu National Forest for just $238,000. Meanwhile, you can pick up a that still needs some work on 5 acres for $187,000. Or look south of Sandpoint to the banks of Lake Pend Oreille, where you can grab a tiny on a small .17-acre parcel for just $89,000.

The Recreation: Lake Pend Oreille is 43 miles long, its 111 miles of shoreline loaded with beaches and parks. The lake is known for Kamloops, which is a species of giant rainbow trout, as well as kokanee salmon. But drifting and fishing the might even be more fun.

is Idaho’s largest ski resort, with slopes that peer down onto Lake Pend Oreille. It also has 20 miles of mountain-bike trails in the summer.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist. He has yet to fulfill the lifelong dream of owning a mountain cabin, but he has a really nice family tent and that’s good too, right?

For other recent articles by Graham Averill, national-parks and travel columnist, see below.

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

The Best Budget Airlines—and şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Locales They Go To

7 Stunning Road Trips for Electric Vehicles

The post Mountain Towns With Cabins You Can Actually Afford to Buy appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Nothing beats a mountain slope ablaze with fall color. I know there’s a scientific explanation for the phenomenon—chlorophyll production stops, carotenoids take over—but I believe the leaf transformation is Mother Nature’s greatest magic trick, when she turns a canvas of green into sparkling hues of red, orange, and yellow.

Living in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge mountains, I am a lifelong leaf watcher, and have found nine mountain towns that are smack dab in the middle of the magic. Each gives you easy access to scenery and adventures, but also offers good food, comfortable digs, and a chance to make the most out of the season—think brisk fall hikes, pumping bike rides, and Oktoberfests.

1. Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Named after a cliff overlooking a gorge where wind seems to blow upward, the small, tourist-centric town of Blowing Rock is sandwiched within the lush slopes of the Southern Appalachians, which are incredibly green in the summer but come alive with color in fall as the hardwoods show off in reds, oranges, and yellows. The small town has a walkable, quaint village vibe, but is surrounded by some of the most rugged peaks in the East.

Peak Season: Blowing Rock sits at around 4,000 feet, and fall color tends to peak in mid to late October here, although you’ll still find color in early November. Sugar Mountain Ski Resort hosts an the weekend of October 7 to 8, and the annual , which has a caterpillar race that prophesies the length of winter, runs October 21 and 22.

What to do in Blowing Rock

Cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway: Running for 469 miles between Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a bucket-list destination for a scenic drive or epic mountain pedal. I think one of the prettiest sections of the two-lane paved road is near Blowing Rock. Whether you’re pedaling or driving, plan to traverse the , a 1,234-foot- bridge that hovers along the edge of Grandfather Mountain, delivering epic long-range views. From Blowing Rock, make a 20-mile loop by heading south on the Blue Ridge Parkway for 10 miles, crossing the viaduct, and taking Highway 221 north back to town.

Hike Grandfather Mountain: The five-mile out-and-back journey on is a mix of hiking, rock scrambling, and ladder climbing as you make your way up and over three distinct 5,000-foot peaks along the mountain. It’s a vertical adventure and one of my favorite trails in the South. In just over two miles gaining 1,500 feet, you’ll get unmatched views of the surrounding 5,000- and 6,000-foot peaks of North Carolina’s High Country.

Stay: Treat yourself with a room and some hands-on relaxation at , a resort and spa operating out of a historic Greek Revival mansion on a 42-acre mountain top outside of Blowing Rock. (From $250 a night, with a three-night minimum during leaf season.)

Don’t Miss: The southern fair at , a casual restaurant and bottle shop on Blowing Rock’s Main Street that focuses on home-grown ingredients. Try the Cilantro Trout Nachos.

2. Salt Lake City, Utah

OK, Salt Lake is a city (population 200,478), but it’s a mountain city, with access to eight canyons dropping off the adjacent Wasatch Mountains and loaded with white-trunked aspens with leaves that turn bright yellow during fall. The leaf peeping begins right in the heart of town, where parks hold stands of old-growth trees, but you want to spend most of your time exploring the tree-lined gorges that descend from the mountains east of the valley.

Peak Season: Hit it from mid-September through mid-October to see the aspens pop. Snowbird Resort hosts an ongoing celebration, complete with lederhosen and beer steins, every weekend from August 12 to October 15. You can also try to catch a football game at the University of Utah’s Rice Eccles Stadium.

What to do Around Salt Lake City

Pedal Big Cottonwood Canyon: The 15-mile-long State Road 190 climbs through the heart of Big Cottonwood Canyon, ascending almost 4,000 feet from Salt Lake to Brighton Ski Resort. It’s a popular scenic drive in the fall when the aspens are popping, but also a badass road-cycling route with plenty of long-range views and rest stops at picnic areas. You’ll contend with some 13 percent climbs, but remember this is an out-and-back, so anything you climb, you get to bomb, including the dramatic “S Curve” switchback in the middle of the route. Keep an eye out for moose.

Run the Wasatch Crest Trail: This high-alpine singletrack has near-constant 360-degree views as it rolls between 7,000 and 10,000 feet from Big Cottonwood Canyon all the way to Park City. It’s one of the most popular mountain-bike trails in Utah, but tackling it as a trail run might give you more opportunity to soak in the big views. You can form a loop from the top of Millcreek Canyon via the Big Water Trail, Desolation Lake Trail, , and Red Pine Trail that will take you through a number of aspen groves before and after topping out on the Crest.

Stay: The evo Hotel, in the Granary District, a now thriving former industrial zone, doesn’t just have comfy rooms but a bouldering gym, yoga classes, and regular film nights. From $163 a night.

Don’t Miss: is also located in the Granary District, and specializes in lagers perfect for drinking on a crisp fall afternoon. They have a Bavarian-style Helles on tap all year long, but I say go all in on the seasonal schtick with their Bavarian Dunkel Lager, a malty, dark beer with notes of chocolate.

3. Stowe, Vermont

Stowe is best known for its winter activities—mainly alpine and nordic skiing—but this picturesque village at the base of Mount Mansfield absolutely sings with activity and color in the fall. Most of the forest surrounding the town of 5,000 consists of hardwoods, dominated by sugar maples that turn fire red, with beech and birch trees in shades of yellow and orange.

Peak Season: The hardwoods begin turning in the middle of September and typically peak in mid-October. The Trapp Family Lodge, of the famed musical von Trapp family from Austria, hosts an on September 16 this year, while the annual in which people build catapults and hurl pumpkins for distance, will be on October 1.

What to do in Stowe, Vermont

Hike the Mansfield Traverse: This has you climbing up Stowe Mountain Resort’s Haselton Trail to the top of Mansfield’s Nose before zipping along the ridgeline and descending the Long Trail into Smugglers’ Notch State Park. The climbing is arduous, but you earn 360-degree views of the Green Mountains in their fall splendor.

Mountain Bike Cady Hill Forest: For an easy pedal, stick to the 5.5-mile Stowe Recreation Path, a paved greenway that cruises along the West Branch of the Little River through the farm country north of town. For singletrack, veer off the Stowe Rec Path and head to , where 11 miles of purpose-built trails flow through a canvas of technicolor leaves. The nearly mile-long descent on Florence, with its banked turns, rollers, and tabletops, is the standout trail in the forest.

Stay: There’s no shortage of quality lodges and resorts in and around Stowe, but I like the vibe at , designed with adventure in mind. It offers bike storage, a yoga room, and direct access to the Little River and the Stowe Rec Path. (From $150.)

Don’t Miss: The apple cider. Fall means more than just pretty leaves in Vermont. It means ripe apples. , a working cider mill, has become a destination for those who want to see how cider is made while also sampling the goods. There’s a restaurant on site, too; get a grilled panini with local cheddar and cider jelly.

4. Taos, New Mexico

Don’t let the high-desert location fool you; there are plenty of hardwoods in these hills. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are packed with stands of aspen trees turning yellow and orange in the fall, sticking out like splotches of paint against the backdrop of evergreens. Go lower in the valley, and the cottonwoods are turning yellow. I spent a weekend fly fishing streams around Taos one fall several years ago and was blown away by the color surrounding me. Meanwhile,Ěý restaurants, such as a local favorite called the Love Apple, make the most of autumn harvests, while the brims with apples, greens, gourds, and nuts.

Peak Season: Leaves begin to change in the middle of September, and color will peak in mid-October, lingering into November. Get your timing right and you can hit the annual in nearby Red River (October 6 to 8), which is complete with German food and music.

What to do in Taos, New Mexico

Raft the Rio Grande: There’s some serious whitewater nearby as the Rio Grande rages through the Taos Box Canyon, but there’s also serious foliage to be seen on the mellow stretches of the famous river. Sign up for a of the Orilla Verde section of the Rio Grande ($65 per adult) where the water meanders past stands of cottonwoods in full glory. Trips run into the middle of October.

Take a Scenic Drive: Highway 64, an 80-mile byway from Taos to Tierra Amarilla, features a number of pullouts overlooking the Brazos Cliffs, which are flanked by golden aspens. Also be sure to stop at Garcia Park, inside where a high-elevation meadow is ringed by aspens, and the higher peaks of Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area dominate the skyline.

Stay: has a handful of cabins and tipis on a 40-acre farm north of Taos (from $119 for tipis; from $129 for cabins). The goji berries for which it is named are harvested in the summer, but the farm also features pumpkin patches and apple orchards, not to mention barrel saunas set beneath the hardwoods.

Don’t Miss: Angel Fire Resort runs a on weekends in the fall ($20 per adult), carrying you to the top of the 10,677-foot peak of the same name, for views of the entire Moreno Valley and Wheeler Peak beyond. From the top, you can take your pick of hiking trails down.

5. New Paltz, New York

This vibrant college town (go SUNY Hawks!) sits on the edge of the Shawangunk Ridge within the Catskill Mountains, just 90 miles from New York City. The terrain is a mix of rocky crags, steep mountains, and Hudson River farmland, most of which is shrouded in tufts of hardwoods that turn it on each fall. Much of the land surrounding this town of 7,500 is protected as either a state park or preserve and open to the public.

Peak Season: The colors tend to peak between early and mid-October, as the red oaks, maples, and dogwoods shift into bright reds, oranges, and yellows. September and October are prime apple-picking season as well. Pick your own (and pumpkins too) at .

What to do in New Paltz, New York

Climb in the Gunks: The Shawangunk Ridge, aka the Gunks, is a collection of quartz conglomerate cliffs inside the ($20 entry fee) in the Catskills Mountains that offer some of the best trad climbing in the country, with hundreds of high-quality routes, mostly one to three pitches. September and October, thanks to the cooler weather, are stellar climbing season. The scenery ain’t bad either, as the hardwoods that dominate the valley below the Shawangunks are ablaze with color. Try the classic two-pitch High Exposure, an amazingly airy 5.6 with a roof crux that will have you questioning the grade.

Bike the carriage trails: Minnewaska State Park has an extensive system of double-track carriage trails that are perfect for your gravel bike. Knock out a of the system, and you’ll loop around Lake Minnewaska and top out on outcroppings with dramatic views of the area.

Stay: The rooms at aren’t cheap (from $995 a night), but the massive historic building sits on its own lake and the prices are all-inclusive, including three meals, afternoon tea and cookies, and access to 85 miles of trails on the property. You can even borrow fishing rods and bait to fish in the lake.

Don’t Miss: The hard cider. The Hudson Valley has a longstanding tradition of apple growing, and a number of cideries have popped up in recent years. grows the apples on its own farm, just east of New Paltz, for its dry and semi-sour ciders. Try the raw cider, which is unfiltered and wild-fermented.

6. Leavenworth, WashingtonĚý

Tucked into the Cascade Mountains, the Bavarian-styled village of Leavenworth is partially known as a ski town thanks to its access to Stevens Pass, 40 minutes away. But I’d argue that Leavenworth truly comes alive in the fall, amid the glow of the aspens and cottonwoods that surround the Wenatchee River as it winds through town, while the restaurants and breweries that line Front Street double down on German fare. Bonus? The mountains surrounding Leavenworth have stands of Larch trees, pines whose needles turn golden yellow during the fall.

Peak Season: Leaves start turning in the middle of September and typically peak in mid-October. The small town hosts one of the largest in the country, with events that span three weekends (September 29 to 30, October 6 to 7, and October 13 to 14).

What to do in Leavenworth, Washington

Boulder in Icicle Creek Canyon: Bouldering on the river rocks along the edge of Icicle Creek will put you in the thick of some of the best foliage in the area. Boulders with established problems can be found throughout the canyon along the road. There is no shortage of options, but head to the for the biggest selection at all grades. Breadline, a V0 with gentle layback moves and a clean landing, is the best entry problem to the area.

Hike to Colchuck Lake: This aqua-blue alpine lake sits beneath two of the tallest peaks in Washington: Dragontail and Colchuck Peak. It’s a pretty scene any time of year, but downright magnificent in the fall when the thick forest of larches on the edge of the lake go golden. It’s a tough , but one of the most brilliant foliage hikes ever. Make sure you have cash for a parking pass at Colchuck Lake Trailhead ($5 a day, or purchase an annual which covers all day-use fees for $30).

Stay: Bed down at LOGE Riverside, which has eight recently renovated one-bedroom cabins along the Wenatchee River. In addition to views of the river, the cabins feature a communal outdoor area with hammocks, fire pits, and an open-air kitchen. (From $143 a night.)

Don’t Miss: A brat at . You’re in Bavaria, right? So you order a brat, put some sauerkraut and locally made mustards on it, sit in a beer garden next to a fire pit, and eat it.

Ěý7. Crested Butte, Colorado

You know Crested Butte Resort offers insanely good skiing, and you may know that downtown Crested Butte has a fun, Wild West vibe thanks to the multi-colored facades of the wooden buildings that line Elk Avenue, many of which date back to the late 1800s. But you might not know that those mountains that turn white in winter will shimmer with golden aspens in the fall. September and October are shoulder season in this ski town, which means you won’t have to fight the crowds that line up for the powder come winter.

Peak Season: The aspens should peak in the middle of September and fizzle out by the first of October. Show up on September 9 for the and you can sample bowls of the good stuff from amateurs and professional chefs alike.Ěý

What to do in Crested Butte, Colorado

Hike Kebler Pass: Colorado is known for its aspens, and even has a pretty famous town named after the tree. But the largest aspen grove in the state sits at Kebler Pass in It’s more than 100 acres, holding an estimated 47,000 trees. Hike the easy from Lost Lake Campground near the summit of the pass, for a three-mile jaunt through the yellow trees.

Bike Strand Hill: Kebler Pass has no monopoly on aspens in the Crested Butte area.

is an intermediate-friendly mountain-bike trail that cruises through broad meadows with epic views of Teocali and Whetstone Mountains before delivering you into thick groves of aspens. The singletrack is more flowy than technical, such that the trail stands out amid Crested Butte’s notoriously gnarly mountain biking.

Stay: , in a renovated historic saloon, isn’t huge; there are only six bedrooms, but it’s the common spaces that make this lodge sing. The place is outfitted with an indoor saltwater pool, rooftop hot tub, steam room, and gear lockers, and it even boasts an oxygen-enriched air system to help you combat altitude fatigue. (From $1,080 a night, two-night minimum.)

Don’t Miss: The rum at . Head to the tasting room in downtown Crested Butte for samples of their American-made rum and other cocktails. Order the Hot Flash, a pineapple-and-habanero-infused rum with house-made apple cider.

8. Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Eureka Springs is just plain pretty. The whole town, which is built into the side of a mountain, is on the National Register of Historic Places for its lovingly restored Victorian-era architecture. In the fall, those ornate buildings are completely enveloped by technicolor hardwoods. Need more enticing? The town has 13 cold natural springs, which people have been visiting for their healing properties since the late 1800s. Meanwhile, the mellow Ozark Mountains roll away from main street in every direction.

Peak Season: Mild temps and lower elevation means a later bloom, so expect the leaves to peak late in October.

What to do in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Bike Lake Leatherwood: This city park protects 1,610 acres of surprisingly steep slopes on the edge of Lake Leatherwood, which is why pro trail builders targeted the park for the , a series of downhill-mountain-bike trails. The spot has now become the state’s most coveted downhill park. There’s something for all skill levels, but DH2, a black diamond, is the standout, beginning with lots of flow before finishing with a quarter-mile of steep, rocky bliss.

Paddle the Kings River: Kings is a free-flowing river running north through the Ozarks into Missouri, passing a series of dramatic rock bluffs and dense forest on its 90-mile journey. Canoe the mellow eight-mile Rockhouse to Trigger Gap, which passes through a preserve owned by the Arkansas Nature Conservancy, and is full of rocky beaches and flanked by foliage. Rent canoes and arrange for a shuttle with ($80 a day).

Stay: Complete your tour-de-trees by sleeping in them. The are six elevated cabins in a canopy of colorful leaves in a 52-acre forest. Each treehouse comes with a fireplace and hot tub. (From $249 a night.)

Don’t Miss: The seasonal menu at . It’s a set, multi-course affair that changes monthly or weekly depending on the chef’s mood and what’s available. Last October had fall-inspired twists like lamb-and-pumpkin pot pie and pear-and-cider sorbet.

9. Stanley, Idaho

There’s “small,” and then there’s Stanley, with a year-round population of fewer than 75. Summer is high season in this outpost tucked into the Sawtooth Valley, at the base of the rugged Sawtooth Mountains, so fall takes on a relatively sleepy vibe. That’s just fine by us, because you’re here for the foliage, not the crowds. Yellow and gold cottonwoods line the rivers, and aspens decorate the mountain slopes. As for recreation, you’ve got fishing and hiking galore, not to mention a bevy of natural hot springs for soaking.

Peak Season: Show up in late September or early October for your best chance at peak color. Also note that a lot of businesses shut down by the end of October.

What to do in Stanley, Idaho

Bike the Sawtooths: The 116-mile Sawtooth Scenic Highway (highway 75) makes for a foliage-filled jaunt. You can take it easy in a car or earn your views by pedaling a portion of this highway. The Galena Summit Overlook (8,701 feet) at the top of Galena Pass makes for a good turnaround point, as it offers a broad view of the entire Sawtooth Valley, highlighted by the headwaters of the Salmon River and the rocky peaks of the Sawtooth Mountains. It’s a big, 60-mile out and back, but you’ll get your fill of foliage and scenic views.

Hike the Redfish Lake Area: The 1,500-acre Redfish Lake, south of Stanley, is a hub of recreation in the Sawtooth Valley, hosting a number of trailheads with paths leading into the higher elevations of the Sawtooth Mountains. The lake is also a hot spot for fall foliage, as the banks surrounding the water are filled with aspens glinting in the sun. Hike the 4.4-mile out and back (Trail 186), from the Redfish Trailhead, for an easy stroll through a tunnel of these sparkling trees.

Stay: has inexpensive rooms in the heart of town. Those rooms also have incredible views of the Sawtooths, and access to the resort’s private hot springs. (From $119.)

Don’t Miss: The hot springs. There are 130 different hot springs in Idaho, several of which surround the small town of Stanley. You have many options, but , with its waterfall and separate natural pools, might be the most scenic.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national-parks columnist. He loves all seasons, but after this incredibly hot summer, is really looking forward to fall. He’s ready to ride bikes through falling leaves and drink malty lagers next to a campfire.

For more by this author, see:

The Creepiest Unsolved Mysteries in U.S. National Parks

The 10 Most Beautiful Hikes in U.S. National Forests

The post The 9 Best Mountain Towns to See Fall Foliage appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Some hikes seem to transport you to another world—and others to an entirely different time. A peaceful place where you pause today may be where another once stood in defense, defeat, or determination.

I love seeking out places that connect me to peopleĚýwho passed through long before. I’ve hiked the Reef Bay Trail in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Towpath TrailĚýin Ohio—both described below—as well as the Battle Road Trail at Minute Man National Historic Park in Massachusetts. While many national historic trails in the United States retain physical evidence of long-ago travelers, including old foundations, artifacts such as copper kettles used for colonial sugar production, or visible wagon-wheel ruts, sometimes simply feeling the same earth under our feet helps connect us to another person’s journey years or centuries ago.

See if you feel the spirit or sadness of yore as you trace the footsteps of proud high chiefs or the victims of the Donner Party disaster, while walking these incredible historic trails. They’re also in beautiful places.

1. Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, Hawaii Island

Traverse past lava fields, ancient petroglyphs, and the landscapes of Kailua-Kona, where ruling chiefs once presided over settlements that held rituals for rain and fertility on this 175-mile corridor. The “trail by the sea” passes through four ofĚýHawaii Island’s six regions, connecting prime west-coast beaches while preserving natural and cultural components like caves and anchialine pools (enclosed water bodies with subterranean links to the sea) within lava rocks, where red shrimp and fresh water supported early communities. According to legend, one such pool (in a cave now closed to visitors)Ěýsheltered the Hawaiian princess Popoalaea when she fled from her cruel husband.

The Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail follows the stunning white-sand coastline in the 16,451-acre parcel, which in July of 2022 became part of ĚýVolcanoes National Park ($30 per vehicle). Some parts of the trail cross through private lands, but you can always access it through any of (entrance fees vary).

Three rewarding, fairly flat hikes include the 2.8-mile round-trip Kiholo Bay walk, which takes you near sea turtles, over a black sand beach, and by an anchialine pool; the bumpy 1.8-mile portion from Spencer Beach Park past the white sands of Mau’umae Beach to Waiulaula Beach; and a pleasant through lava rock and soft sand at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park.

2. Donner Party Trail, Truckee, California

Revisit a harrowing moment in American history on the moderate 6.2-mile (round trip) Historic Donner Pass Trail, which wends through flat, damp railroad tunnels before ascending an exposed loop path to mountaintop views. During the winter of 1846–47, emigrants en route from Springfield, Illinois, to California were stranded for months here in the Sierra by heavy snowfall. Forty-four of the 91-person Donner Party died, and it is generally accepted that others were forced into cannibalism to survive.

The disaster occurred in part because the group followed the harsher, less traveled Hastings Cutoff route, rather than the more traditional South Pass.

The train tunnels found on the trail today were built by Chinese immigrants in the 1860s, and within them are squeaky bats and gaps overlooking the valley below. Ambitious hikers can continue beyond the last tunnel onto a steep loop trail, which traverses loose, gravelly terrain to reach sweeping views over Donner Lake. This trail is best done in summer to avoid ice and snow, and a headlamp or flashlight will help you navigate the dark tunnels. Park across the road from the first tunnel entrance at Donner Ski Ranch on Donner Pass Road. You can also join the annual led by area guides. ( are other hikes in the area as well.)

3. Nez Perce Trail, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana

This 1,170-mile-long memorializes the bravery of the Nez Perce,Ěýforced from their ancestral territory. In 1877, in a reversal of treaties, Chief Joseph was ordered to relocate his people from their homelands in Wallowa Valley, Oregon, to the Lapwai reservation in Idaho. The contingent, which included the elderly as well as children, was forced to cross the Snake River on May 31 during high spring runoff, and many of their livestock were lost.

Hostilities broke out shortly after on the Salmon River, and Chief Joseph, initially seeking the protection of Crow allies to the east, fled with about 750 men, women, and children on a protracted route through Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana from late June to October, with the U.S. Army on their heels.

The Army caught up to the Nez Perce at Bear Paw, Montana, where the Natives surrendered just 40 miles shy of sanctuary in Canada. Here Chief Joseph is believedĚýto have said the famous words, “From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”

The trail passes through in four states. Notable hikes include the moderate 1.25-mile loop trail around Bear Paw Battlefield; a paved 0.5-mile loop path past Idaho’s Heart of the Monster, the Nez Perce people’s sacred creation site; and the moderate five-mile (one-way) in Oregon’s site of the Snake River crossing. The trailhead is two miles north of Cow Creek bridge on Forest Road 4260.

4. Reef Bay Trail, Virgin Islands National Park, U.S. Virgin Islands

I never knew how much one valley could encapsulate the history of a place until I hiked the moderate two-mile (one way) on the island of St. John, in Virgin Islands National Park. Beginning at the Centerline Road Trailhead, you’ll descend 900 feet on a well-maintained, initially rocky trail through shady Reef Bay Valley, passing kapok trees, pinguin plants, and petroglyphs left behind by the pre-Columbian Taino (1,000-1,300 years ago to the mid 1400s). There are sugar-plantation ruins dating from the Danish occupation (1718 to 1917) and traces of post-emancipation life, such asĚýthe Par Force plantation ruins, where from 1848 to the early 1900s, 25 newly freed African Americans continued to grow sugarcane, raise livestock, and tend coconut and lime trees despite a mass population exodus from the island.

If you’re hiking on your own, turn onto the quarter-mile petroglyph spur trail on the right, about a half-mile from Reef Bay Beach, to see an ancient site where the Taino communed with their ancestors.

Although I’d made the four-mile round-trip to Reef Bay before, I recently skipped the uphill on the return by joining ($75 per person) just after a 2022 post-pandemic reboot. The tour bused our group to the trailhead and guided us down the path, at the shoreĚýboating us back to our cars on The Sadie Sea, a 37-foot Lindsey Trawler with a smooth ride and a cheerful crew.

5. The Oregon Trail, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

Nostalgic millennials who played The Oregon Trail computer game during the 1990s can experience the real deal by exploring a section of the over 2,000 well-trodden miles of this , which spans six states heading west from Missouri. Witness astounding landscapes like Wyoming’s Devil’s Gate and ±·±đ˛ú°ů˛ą˛ő°ě˛ąâ€™s Chimney Rock, once important landmarks for hopeful emigrants journeying west on covered wagons from the 1830s.

±·±đ˛ú°ů˛ą˛ő°ě˛ąâ€™s ($6 for residents; $12 for non-residents) offers views of miles of rugged prairie from atop the paved Windlass Hill Trail’s steep 0.5-mile (out-and-back) trek. Here too, you can see ruts created when pioneers’ locked wagon wheels scraped the earth while the occupants carefully navigated downhill to Ash Hollow’s freshwater spring, which hikers can reach by descending the easy 0.4-mile round-trip Ash Hollow Trail.

Additional simple hikes along the Oregon Trail include Wyoming’s Register Cliff (0.4 miles round trip) and Independence Rock (a 1.3-mile loop), where you can still see name carvings left by travelers heading west.

6. Towpath Trail, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Valley View, Ohio

This 98-mile path transports you to the 19th century, when the Ohio & Erie Canal opened up trade between the East Coast and Midwest, bringing prosperity to northeast Ohio (my home for 29 years), as well as the nation, through accessibility to domestic goods. Having always wondered what became of this ĚýI recently wandered down the Towpath Trail, a canal-side path once traversed by mules hauling cargo and people.

Starting at the Lock 38 Trailhead (a lock is a chamber that raises and lowers water levels for boats to pass), my husband and I walked the flat dirt path north along the marshy canal for 1.8 miles to reach the overgrown stone-wall remains of Lock 39. The Native American Heritage Walking Tour interpretive signs along the way described the Indigenous groups who once lived here—from the Paleoindians (13,000 to 10,000 years ago) to the Whittlesy People (1,000 to 400 years ago)—hunting big game, fishing, and growing maize and beans in Cuyahoga Valley. You can peruse exhibits at the wheelchair-friendly Canal Exploration Center, which once served as a tavern, store, and residence, and on summer weekends, the center holds lock demonstrations.

7. Chilkoot National Historic Trail, Alaska and British Columbia

The 33-mile (one way) , designated as such in 2022, chronicles a former Tlingit trading route that transformed into a busy passage during the 1897–98 Klondike gold rush. The 16.5-mile U.S. portion travels from Dyea, Alaska, to and continues over the Canadian border to Lake Bennett, British Columbia.ĚýEn route you’ll see belongings—including canvas boats, a steam boiler, and a gas-engine winch—of the former gold seekers.

Flooding in 2022 closed all but the first mile and a half on the U.S. side, but the Canadian segment of the trail remains open. Bring a buddy, pack bear spray, and be prepared for no cell service. The full hike from Dyea to Bennett, which is , Alaska, is expected to recommence in May 2024, so you can start planning now. Permits (see and are required for summer hiking, and in shoulder season you must still register for all campsites.

8. Pueblo Alto Trail, Nageezi, New Mexico

This moderate 5.1-mile in ($25 per vehicle) transports hikers backĚýa thousand years to a time when the thriving Chacoan civilization dominated Chaco Canyon. Between 850 and 1250 CE, roads emanated from this ceremonial, administrative, and cultural center, leading outward to 150 great houses (multistory buildings that were likely public spaces) in the region.

This trail, leaving from the Pueblo de Arroyo Parking Area, begins with a steep, exposed scramble before delivering sweeping mesa-top views over the San Juan Basin, and it links archeological sites such as Pueblo Alto, the impressive ninth-century, 600-room Pueblo Bonito great house, and the Chacoan steps. This remains a spiritual place for Chacoan descendants, including several Navajo clans. Because Chaco Culture National Historical Park is remote, with few amenities, bring plenty of water, dress for varying weather, and expect a bumpy ride in.

9. Unicoi Turnpike on the Trail of Tears, Coker Creek, Tennessee

This 2.5-mile (one way) trail through traces part of an ancient pass that connected the Cherokee capital of Chota, located in what is now Vonore, Tennessee, to coastal Cherokee settlements before becoming a toll road called the Unicoi Turnpike in the early 19th century. In the 1820s, the discovery of gold near Coker Creek brought an influx of white prospectors to the Cherokee Nation, prompting the U.S. government to establish Fort Armistead in a half-hearted attempt to keep the interlopers from overrunning Cherokee lands. Ironically, this fort, which is currently , became a holding area for the Cherokee in 1838 after the Indian Removal Act of 1830 compelled them to leave their fertile lands on a forced journey west.

Thus the Unicoi Turnpike became part of the Trail of Tears, a network of trails covering 5,000 miles and parts of nine states as Natives from the Southeast were displaced to present-day Oklahoma. Numbers vary, but according to the 10,000 died en route or shortly after the relocation; according to a doctor who accompanied the Cherokees estimates that 4,000, or one-fifth of them, were lost.

The free parking area and trailhead for the hikeable portion of this sit 2.9 miles southeast on County Route 40 from the Coker Creek Welcome Center.

10. Wanderer Memory Trail, Jekyll Island, Georgia

At Jekyll Island’s St. Andrews Beach Park, take this 0.5-mile family-friendly down a flat, gravel path (which is wheelchair-accessible) to learn about the history of the Wanderer, one of the last ships to smuggle enslaved Africans into the United States. The Wanderer was carrying about 400 captured people when it ran aground here on November 28, 1858. The trail’s eight exhibits take you on the ship’s perilous journey through the eyes of Umwalla, a captive African boy. This trail has received a Unesco Slave Route Project “Site of Memory” designation as a .

Linger at the park to enjoy sunset views and dolphin sightings. provides free beachgoing wheelchair use on a first-come, first-served basis (call 912-635-2368 for reservations and delivery), and a ramp at St. Andrews offers access to hard-packed sand.

All vehicles entering the island must pay a $10 daily parking fee.

Theresa McKinney lets her keen interest in history guide her travels, whether it’s navigating a new city like Copenhagen, Denmark, or exploring a new trail in Virgin Islands National Park.Ěý

For more by this author:

National Parks After Dark: 12 Best Things to Do

For more info on Gaia mapping:

The post The 10 Most Historical Trails in the U.S. That You Can Hike appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

There are 193 million acres of national-forest land in this country, with at least one national forest or national grassland unit in all but eight states. And yet the vast majority of us tend to overlook our national forests, focusing on national parks instead.

“Our national forests are definitely less well-known,” says Mary Mitsos, president of the , a non-profit that helps lead restoration efforts and responsible recreation. “When we started national parks, we started marketing those parks. We built railroads and highways to them. We talked about their beauty. National forests have never been marketed. They’re the unknown lands.”

The national-forest system was originally established in 1891 to supply timber and drinking water for the country, and now includesĚý preserving fish and wildlife and providing sustainable recreation. “Land of many uses” is not the most inspiring slogan, but our national forests hold some of the most beautiful landscapes in the U.S.

I do most of my camping, hiking and fishing on national forest land in Asheville, North Carolina, where I live. I’m surrounded by Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, both protected landscapes that are just as stunning as what I can find inside the closest national park, and often less crowded.

Here I’ve compiled a list of the greatest hikes I have found in national forests across the country.

Fifth Water Hot Springs

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah

The Forest: The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache covers 2.2 million acres in Northern Utah and the southwestern corner of Wyoming, bordering some of the fastest-growing cities in the West (we’re looking at you, Park City and Salt Lake City). It’s a mix of pristine backcountry, including seven different federally designated Wilderness areas, and frontcountry, with ski resorts that operate on forest land and mountain-bike trails that drop right into Park City.

The Hike: Fifth Water Creek is a tributary to the larger Diamond Fork River, about an hour outside of Salt Lake City, which has a trio of waterfalls that alone would make this five-mile out and back a worthy adventure. But the real draw is the series of thermal hot springs, separated into distinct soaking pools, along this creek.

The largest pool sits at the base of the lower waterfall, attracting the majority of visitors because it’s so damn picture perfect, but you can head upstream to the top waterfall and find more and quieter pools. Each typically measures at a different temperature (111 is the hottest), with the pools getting cooler as you move downstream. You can even sit under a piping-hot waterfall. Start the hike at the Three Forks Trailhead in Diamond Fork Canyon, and follow , gaining 700 feet in 2.5 miles while following Sixth Water Creek and then Fifth Water Creek. You’ll smell the sulfur as you approach the pools.

Where to Stay: There are dispersed backpacking sites (no reservation needed) on Fifth Water Creek Trail that you can reach by continuing past the waterfalls. You can also grab a site at , off Diamond Fork Road near the Fifth Water Creek trailhead, which has 60 tent-only sites, half of which are first-come, first-served (from $24).

Franconia Ridge Loop

White Mountain National Forest, New HampshireĚý

The Forest: New England has few national parks, so White Mountain National Forest gets its share of attention, seeing nearly 6 million visitors every year.Ěý The 800,000 acres, which span sections of New Hampshire and Maine, protect the tallest peaks in the Northeast, amid a network of backcountry lakes and streams.

The Hike: If you’re only going to do one hike in all of New England, consider the 8.3-mile , which traverses three looming peaks (Mount Lafayette, Mount Lincoln, and Little Haystack), with more than a mile of exposed ridgeline trail offering breathtaking views. You can do the loop in either direction, but most people hike counterclockwise, taking the Old Bridle Path to the Greenleaf Trail and summiting Mount Lafayette. This way is hard, gaining 3,566 feet, most of which comes at you in the final two miles of the ascent, but you can get snacks and fresh water at the Greenleaf Hut, maintained and staffed by the Appalachian Mountain Club, when nearing the top.

The summit of Mount Lafayette offers a 360-degree view of the White Mountains, all the way to Mount Washington on a clear day. From Lafayette, 1.7 miles of knife-edge ridgeline connects to Mount Lincoln and Little Haystack. The fun isn’t over, even after you’ve reached the final summit, as the tail end of the loop takes you past several waterfalls, including the 80-foot Cloudland Falls.

Where to Stay: with 97 tent sites in Franconia Ridge State Park, is located across the street from the Old Bridle Path Trailhead. Make reservations up to 11 months in advance,or try to snag one of the seven first-come, first-served sites before your hike.

Double Arch Loop

Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky

The Forest: The Daniel Boone is rugged country, encompassing 708,000 acres of gorges and steep slopes in mountainous eastern Kentucky. The Red River Gorge Geological Area within it is a National Natural Landmark known for its spectacular sandstone rock features and natural arches.

The Hike: The six-mile takes in the best of the Red River Gorge Geological Area, tracing the bottom of a tall sandstone cliff through a lush forest and passing three of the area’s most prominent rock features. The hiking is a mix of easy gravel-road walking and steep, singletrack climbs. Start at Auxier Ridge Trailhead and hike counter-clockwise, combining Auxier Ridge Trail with Courthouse Rock Trail, passing the eponymous outcropping that looks like a courthouse, and Haystack Rock, a freestanding pinnacle popular with rock climbers. After Haystack Rock, take Auxier Branch Trail to Double Arch Trail to the arch it is named for, which is actually two stone expanses stacked on top of each other. Steps lead to the edge of Double Arch, and it’s wide enough for you to climb if you promise to be careful.

The view looking through to the other side takes in a wide expanse of Daniel Boone Forest, including Courthouse and Haystack rocks. This loop is really just the beginning, though. A number of interesting outcroppings aren’t on marked trails—like smaller arches and even a steep rock face where Native Americans carved foot and hand holds into the stone for climbing. It’s super cool and pretty steep: I got spooked and turned around halfway up.

Where to Stay: There are plenty of primitive backpacking sites along this loop (no fee or reservation required), or you can pitch a tent at , which has 54 first- come, first-served tent sites.

Gray’s Peak Loop

Arapaho National Forest, Colorado

The Forest: Tucked into the Rocky Mountains, west of Denver, the Arapaho National Forest straddles the Continental Divide with just over 700,000 acres of peaks and valleys adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s managed in conjunction with Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee National Grassland for a combined 1.7 million acres of protected land. The Arapaho is home to some of the state’s tallest mountains, as well as pristine stretches of the Colorado and South Platte Rivers.

The Hike: Colorado is known for its collection of 14,000-foot peaks, affectionately dubbed 14ers, and this hike takes you up two of them, both with grand views, in just over eight miles. Start at the , which will give you a jump on the elevation you have to tackle, as it begins at 11,280 feet, and venture onto Grays Peak across Stevens Gulch for a view of the towering, completely tree-less mountains ahead. Grays is on the left and Torreys is to the right. The route is tough, climbing 3,000 feet in just 3.5 miles to the summit of the 14,278-foot Grays Peak, where a path traces a line across the ridgeline between Yeti-cooler-sized rocks.

The views from the top stretch way into Rocky Mountain National Park. But you’re not done; head north along the ridge to the saddle between Grays and Torreys and start climbing the southeast flank to the summit of the latter, at 14,267 feet. To descend, head back to the saddle and take the trail that drops down the flank to the east, creating a small loop to rejoin Grays Trail back to Stevens Gulch.

Where to Stay: You’ll find dispersed camping throughout the hike. There are even several sites near the trailhead for a primitive car-camping experience. No fee or reservation required.

Little Green Mountain Loop

Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina Ěý

The Forest: The 531,000-acre Nantahala National Forest protects some of the most remote terrain of mountainous Western North Carolina. The forest has outstanding features and recreation areas, from the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi (Whitewater Falls) to the largest old-growth forest (Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest).

The Hike: Panthertown Valley, an isolated region within Nantahala National Forest, has been dubbed the Yosemite of the South for its prevalence of granite domes and waterfalls. The six-mile takes in the best view of the valley, hitting tall waterfalls, sandy riverside beaches, and dramatic mountaintop overlooks. From the Salt Rock Trailhead, hike clockwise, combining Mac’s Gap Trail with Little Green Trail through a pine forest to steep steps up Little Green Mountain, a 4,040-foot peak with an exposed granite slope overlooking the lush valley below.

Drop down the other side of Little Green to find Schoolhouse Falls, a 20-foot waterfall that drops into a crystal-clear swimming hole, before connecting with Panthertown Valley Trail back to Salt Rock Trailhead. Stop at Sand Beach along Panthertown Creek.

Where to Stay: You’ll have your choice of primo backcountry sites once you’re inside Panthertown Valley. There are spots on top of Little Green Mountain as well as options near Panthertown Creek. No fees or reservations required.

Upper Lewis Lake and Granite Dome

Stanislaus National Forest, California

The Forest: Stanislaus National Forest offers nearly 1 million acres (898,000 to be exact) of rivers, mountains, and backcountry lakes, encompassing similar topography as its super-famous neighbor, Yosemite National Park. The forest occupies the choice space between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, protecting quintessential alpine terrain in the Sierra Nevada.

The Hike: the 113,000-acre Emigrant Wilderness butts right up against Yosemite National Park, and 10,322-foot sits squarely in its heart. There’s no official trail up the monolith, but on all sides are easy scrambles that require no technical climbing. From the Kennedy Meadows Trailhead, take the Huckleberry Trail, which follows Summit Creek before climbing steeply past a series of backcountry lakes and high alpine meadows, full of wildflowers in the summer.

Then ditch the established Huckleberry Trail for a non-marked side trail between Summit Creek and Lewis Lakes Creek, roughly seven miles from the Kennedy Meadows Trailhead. Follow cairns to Sardella Lake and then Upper Lewis Lake, at the base of Granite Dome, a nine-mile hike from Kennedy Meadows. From here take an easy class II scramble up the north side of Granite Dome. From the top, you can see several backcountry lakes, as well as the volcanic ridges of Leavitt and Grizzly Peak, and as far as the northern peaks of Yosemite National Park.

Where to Stay: operates a set of cabins and campsites (starting at $25 for campsites) at the Kennedy Meadow trailhead. There are beautiful backcountry sites at both Lewis Lakes, but you’ll need to get a (free) wilderness permit in person from the Summit Ranger Station.

Iron Creek to Sawtooth Lake

Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho

The Forest: Sawtooth National Forest is a large reason why the state of Idaho is so awesome. The 2-million-acre forest protects 10 different mountain ranges, more than 1,000 lakes, and over 1,000 miles of trails. The 43-mile long Sawtooth Range, with its imposing, jagged peaks towering above the expansive Sawtooth Valley, is the forest’s trademark.

The Hike: A from the Iron Creek Trailhead to the edge of the serene Sawtooth Lake will take you into the heart of the Sawtooth Range. From the trailhead, the Iron Creek Trail crosses the river of the same name and delivers you quickly into Sawtooth Wilderness as you skip through meadows with big views of the cliffs of the range ahead.

It’s an easy-going route, gaining just 1,700 feet in five miles before reaching Sawtooth Lake, the largest backcountry lake in the forest, nestled at the bottom of 10,190-foot Mount Regan. On the way back to the trailhead, take a quick side trip to the much smaller Alpine Lake, which sits at 8,337 feet in elevation and sometimes stays frozen well into summer.

Where to Stay: There are great campsites near Sawtooth Lake, and Alpine Lake for that matter (no reservations or fees, but you do need a. The has nine first-come, first-served sites (no fees) along Iron Creek near the trailhead.

Yant Flat to Candy Cliffs

Dixie National Forest, Utah

The Forest: Dixie National Forest has diversity in spades, protecting everything from high alpine lakes and mountain forests to red rock canyons on the desert floor. It’s the largest national forest in Utah, protecting almost 2 million acres between the Great Basin and the Colorado River in the southern portion of the state. Zion National Park is close, acting like a magnet to the majority of travelers, so you’ll likely have Dixie to yourself.

The Hike: Utah is known for its arid desert landscape (hello Arches and Zion), and this hike delivers you to Yant Flat, where dirt gives way to an expansive plateau of rolling sandstone hills that look as if they have been painted with stripes and patches of pink, red, and white. The hike is easy; from the Yant Flat Trailhead, follow for 1.3 miles through a scrubby forest at the base of Pine Valley Mountain before hitting the edge of the Flat. Now choose your own adventure as you explore the mounds of sandstone off trail.

Where to Stay: The access road, FR-032, has a variety of established campsites as you approach the trailhead. No reservations needed.

Bear Creek Trail

Bitterroot National Forest, Montana

The Forest: Protecting 1.6 million acres of Montana and Idaho’s most dramatic mountains and rivers, the Bitterroot has recreation to spare. The Bitterroot Valley is one of the most cherished fly-fishing destinations in the world, while the heavily glaciated peaks of the Bitterroot Range serve as a beacon for climbers, hikers, and skiers.

The Trail: is an easy three-mile out and back, climbing gently along the side of Bear Creek to Bear Creek Falls, which tumble through a granite gorge in two different channels of whitewater, creating an island of rock and trees in the middle. You’ll have plenty of pools to swim in as you hike, and the large granite boulders in and around the creek make for good scrambling and sunning spots. You’re hiking inside a narrow, forested canyon, with rocky peaks rising in the distance on either side.

It’s a family-friendly trek to the falls, but you have options from there to extend the mileage. Keep hiking past the falls and you’ll enter the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, one of the largest federally designated wilderness areas in the country. Continue deeper into the wilderness on the North Fork Trail and you’ll hit Bear Lake, and eventually, Bear Creek Pass on the Idaho/Montana border.

Where to Stay: There are several small campgrounds along Highway 93, which provides access to Bitterroot National Forest and the Bear Creek Trailhead. Check out the quiet which has 15 sites tucked into the ponderosa pines. Get reservations up to six months in advance ($15 a night).

North Country National Scenic Trail

Sheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota

The Forest: OK, Sheyenne National Grassland isn’t a “forest” per say, but our collection of national grasslands are managed by the National Forest Service, and the Sheyenne is a standout by any standard. The 135,000-acre parcel in southeastern North Dakota is a mix of public and private land comprised of sand dunes and tallgrass prairie. This is quintessential Wild West: plains and vast open space as far as the eye can see.

The Hike: The North Country National Scenic Trail runs from New York to North Dakota, but a 30-mile section crosses the Sheyenne National Grassland. It’s an easy gravel path with minimal elevation gain, and a broad expanse of tall grass and wildflowers surrounding you. Pick your distance, but we like a that uses an unnamed side trail to access Mirror Pool, a swimming hole near the Sheyenne River.

Where to Stay: The Sheyenne National Grassland has two established campgrounds. has 14 tent sites inside an oak-savanna forest, providing shade and putting you within quick striking distance of the North Country National Scenic Trail. All sites are first come, first-served, $10 per night.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist, but he spends the majority of his outdoor time in Pisgah National Forest, which is close to his home in Asheville, North Carolina. All of Graham’s outdoor firsts have happened in national forests; first camping trip (Chattahoochee National Forest), first rock-climbing trip (Pisgah National Forest), first mountain-bike accident (Arapaho National Forest)…all ending in smiles and with no emergency-room visits.

If you liked this story by Graham Averill, check out these others from him on hiking and camping:

The 18 Best State Parks in the U.S.

The 11 Most Beautiful Hikes in U.S. National Parks

The 8 Least-Visited National Parks in the U.S.

The post The 10 Most Beautiful Hikes in U.S. National Forests appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

First, a confession: I, like many avid hikers I know, have been guilty of viewing state parks as merely the backyard option. Even as I’ve ticked off visits to nearly half of the 63 national parks, I’ve only recently come to fully appreciate nature’s bounty in state parks.

“The hiking opportunities are virtually endless, and there’s an incredible mosaic of experiences in America’s state parks,” says Lewis Ledford, executive director at the National Association of State Park Directors. Collectively, these protected areas generate a whopping 850 million visits annually, across nearly 7,000 park units, encompassing over 19 million acres.

You might even say that “America’s Best Idea”—creating national parks—was a knockoff of state conservation and recreation efforts. The state park system was born in 1862 with California’s Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias; it was ten years later that Yellowstone, mostly in Wyoming, became the first national park. Sequoia, in California, and Yosemite were second and third, both in autumn of 1890.

State parks have long protected some of our most prized wild places. Based on buzz from fellow hikers, state park staff picks, and personal experience, here’s a short list of great state parks for hiking—and primo hikes there.

1. Letchworth State Park, New York

Dubbed the Grand Canyon of the East, 14,000-acre Letchworth State Park delivers the expansive views typical of the West, but in western New York. At the center of this 17-mile park, the Genesee River snakes along hundreds of feet below overlooks like Inspiration Point—right where I found myself on an early morning in June.

I came to Letchworth, which features 66 miles of hiking trails, to see what I’d been missing. I’d been to Niagara Falls, about 80 miles northwest, but previously passed right by this region. The magic of this place was immediately clear, from the way the sunrise makes the canyon glow pink and orange like a living painting to the spectacle of the 107-foot-tall, 300-foot-wide Middle Falls. It’s one of three major waterfalls on this stretch of river, and I started hiking down Gorge Trail to see another, Lower Falls, up close.

The trail—and I—briefly flirted with the cliff’s edge, 550 vertigo-inducing feet above the Genesee, before meandering down the forested canyon. As I wound along the steeply stepped, mile-long descent to Lower Falls, the river alternated between lazy green ribbons and roaring whitewater. And then Lower Falls, 70 feet tall and as wide as Middle Falls, thundered before me, dropping into a dark green pool fringed by lush vegetation. A bright yellow hot-air balloon cruising high overhead took it all in.

I crossed the river over a stone bridge and followed a trail into the verdant, pine-heavy forest on the gorge’s south rim, threading in and out of thickets. There I joined the Portage Trail and eventually the trail to glimpse the canyon and Upper Falls through openings in the trees—the way I imagined others did long before the days of roads or infrastructure.

Entrance fee: Vehicle-use entrance fee is $10.

Best time to visit: All year. Summer with its warm temps and fall in its fiery foliage are the most popular seasons. Waterfalls tend to be fullest in the spring, when the rains come, and winter brings solitude.

Best hike: As with the state parks themselves, it’s always hard to narrow the list, let alone pick one. But you can’t go wrong with a section of the moderate extending from Middle Falls to Lower Falls, passing Inspiration Point en route.

Distance: Four miles out and back. To extend the hike and find more solitude, connect to the Portage Trail, across the river.

2. Ricketts Glen State Park, Pennsylvania

I explored this park years ago with a friend—on a lark, as part of a larger trip that extended to Niagara and east to the Adirondacks—and was blown away by the seven-mile . The hike, with its 21 named waterfalls (and counting, depending on rainfall), is a cascade carnival.

What really got me was how up close and personal—and surprising—the whole experience was. Every twist and turn in the trail revealed something new, hidden until you were on it. One minute I felt as if I was in a trance, drinking in the quiet beauty of a minor 11-foot cascade. In the next, my friend hiked ahead of me to stand at the top of the 94-foot-tall Ganoga Falls, where he was a barely visible stick figure.

Entrance fee: None.

Best time to visit: Any time of year. Spring for the most gushers, or fall for the foliage, when yellow beech trees surround the cascades. Winter or any other off-peak time, such as summer weekdays, lets you avoid crowds.

Best hike: The hike here is the Falls Trail.

Distance: 7.2 miles.

3. Tallulah Gorge State Park, Georgia

The nearly 100-foot-high Hurricane Falls in Tallulah Gorge State Park is certainly Instagram bait. But to truly experience this park, head straight for the bottom of the gorge viaĚýGorge Floor Trail or Sliding Rock Trail—if you can snag a (free) permit. Only 100 are given out daily. The park regulates that number largely for safety reasons, and the permits are gone about as soon as the visitor center opens at 8 A.M., says West Malenke, a park ranger. So be there around 7:30 A.M., since permits can only be secured on the day of your visit.

Gorge Floor Trail is “very, very strenuous,” Malenke says. But it’s also a quintessential summer hike, with many park-goers wearing swimsuits under their clothes in anticipation of a dip at the end. You’ll descend 540 stairs, cross a suspension bridge, and forge the Tallulah River at the base of Hurricane Falls, jumping from rock to rock and wading through the water andĚýboulders to reach Sliding Rock, also known as Bridal Veil Falls. “That is the only place in the river that we allow people to swim,” Malenke says. “You can actually slide down the waterfall into the pool at the bottom.”

Entrance fee: $5 per vehicle, which covers parking.

Best time to visit: Summer if you plan to get wet, spring for wildflowers and to see the river at its peak, and fall for generally mild weather.

Best hike:ĚýThe Gorge Floor and Sliding Rock Trails take you right into the center of it all on a physically demanding loop from the gorge’s north rim. Once you’ve reached Sliding Rock, you can return the way you came or cross the river and head straight up a section of the Sliding Rock Trail that gains 800 feet of elevation in about 1,200 feet.

“Basically, what I would tell people is this is the toughest quarter-mile hike you’ll ever do in your life,” Malenke says.

Distance:ĚýThe loop is three miles. Don’t want to go that deep in the gorge? You can hike flat trails, cross suspension bridges, and check out all the wildflowers—from trillium, asters, and violets to coneflowers and possibly a rare orchid—.

4. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Although many state parks are smaller than their federal counterparts, there are monsters in this group as well.

At 585,930 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest of California’s state parks and one of the biggest in the country. It invites hikers into the mountains, slot canyons, palm groves, and wildflower meadows, and its diverse habitat is home to everything from bighorn sheep and jackrabbits to the chuckwalla (a rotund lizard) and red-diamond rattlesnake.

Entrance fee: $10 per vehicle per day.

Best time to visit: Late winter for the mild temperatures and wildflowers, which peak around the last week of February and the first two weeks of March.

Best hike: To check out seasonal wildflowers and see a rare palm oasis where groundwater has been forced close to the earth’s surface by the rock underneath it, you can’t beat

Distance: About three miles.

5. Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park, Alaska

The first state park in Alaska is also one of the biggest in the country, boasting some 400,000 acres. No roads lead to this one; it can only be reached by chartered plane or boat or water taxi from Homer.

While people are scarce, the unspoiled wilderness is a habitat for everything from sea otters and whales to black bears and wolves. The pebbly coastline and undisturbed pine forests rise to 4,000-foot glacial peaks, with the Harding Icefield exemplifying the primordial nature of this accessible (by Alaska standards) park on the Kenai Peninsula.

Entrance fee: None.

Best time to visit: Summer for ease of travel and to avoid the snow and cold.

Best hike: Take the to see its eponymous glacier and lake. Optional short spur trails offer additional great views of the glacier and surrounding peaks. Keep an eye on the treetops for bald eagles.

Distance: It’s 6.4 miles out and back. (Further information here.)

6. Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas

It kind of goes without saying that Texas would have a massive state park, and this one—the state’s largest—covers 311,000 acres of high desert. Located about 100 miles east of Big Bend National Park, the state park encompasses the rugged mountains and steep canyons along the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, as well as theĚýChihuahuan Desert.

Entrance fee: $5 per person year-round; free for visitors age 12 and under.

Best time to visit: Spring, when temperatures are moderate, is perfect. Summertime temperatures can be dangerously hot, rising to more than 100 degrees before noon and reaching as high as 130. Always carry loads of extra water, and avoid or reduce activity from late morning through the afternoon.

Best hike: The heads to the edge of Fresno Canyon and offers vistas of the Flatirons of the Solitario (similar to their counterpart in Boulder, Colorado, but more desolate). The views are seemingly endless, providing a sense of scale that might otherwise be difficult to appreciate in this vast landscape. See more hikes

Distance: Five miles out and back.

7. State Forest State Park, Colorado

Need any more proof that it’s possible to experience max wilderness at a state park? Look no further than this blandly named, 71,000-acre diamond in the rough next to Rocky Mountain National Park.

“It is my favorite place, and I feel it’s still a hidden gem that people don’t actually know about,” says Rachael Gonzales, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Along with jagged peaks, alpine lakes, and other classic Colorado scenery, hikers have a great shot at seeing moose. (The nearby town of Walden claims to be the Moose Viewing Capital of Colorado.) Gonzales estimates she’s been to State Forest about two dozen times and encountered moose all but once.

Entrance fee: $10 for a daily vehicle pass.

Best time to visit: Summer for the most reliably snow-free hiking; fall for the foliage, when aspen leaves turn golden yellow; and winter for deep solitude. Just be prepared for anything, as the weather here changes fast.

Best hike:ĚýThe , which takes in high-alpine lakes, wildflowers in summer, Continental Divide views, and the chance of a moose sighting en route to the Michigan Lakes.

Distance: Seven miles total out and back. If you want to go even further, you can cross the State Forest border into Rocky Mountain National Park.

8. Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah

Kodachrome Basin State Park holds its own against the five national parks in Utah. Named by the National Geographic Society after the color-reversal film, the rocky landscape is tinged in the red, brown, yellow, and pink of the Southwest palette. Dozens of sandstone spires, or sand pipes, reach skyward.

The park offers 15 miles of trails for all fitness and experience levels, an accessible sample of the hiking you’ll find in the southern half of the state.

Entrance fee: $8 per day per vehicle.

Best time to visit: Spring and fall for moderate temperatures.

Best hike: The offers a glimpse of the best of this 3,500-acre park, from red cliffs to Kodachrome’s ubiquitous sand pipes, plus big desert views with a backdrop of Bryce Canyon National Park.

Distance: Six miles for the full loop.

9. Castle Rocks State Park, Idaho

With its ancient rock formations and cliffs that attract top climbers, this mountainous park has much to offer hikers as well.

Desert meadows come alive when wildflowers bloom in the spring and summer, and the state’s largest piñon pine forest provides cover for many resident animals, including moose, coyotes, mountain lions, and mule deer. In a relatively small area—some 2,000 acres—Castle Rocks showcases much of Idaho’s wild side, which is sometimes overlooked in favor of the iconic national parks in neighboring states.

Entrance fee: $7 per vehicle.

Best time to visit: Summer, spring (but check the weather, as it can still be windy and wet well into this season).

Best hike: encircles the park and eponymous geological area with craggy granite formations that jut upward from the desert floor. Hikers share this multi-use loop with mountain bikers as well as climbers.

Distance: About five miles.

10. Tettegouche State Park, Minnesota

The world’s largest freshwater lake—Superior—collides with boreal forest in Tettegouche State ParkĚý(pronounced tettah-goosh or tettah-gooch, depending on who you talk to), a rugged landscape designed for hikers.

The park has 23 miles of hiking trails, including the 310-mile Superior Hiking Trail, which follows ridgelines that overlook the lake. One of the best things about it is there are no trafficked roads to these expansive vistas—to top out on its cliffs or reach one of a half-dozen interior lakes, you’ll have to hoof it.

Entrance fee: A daily vehicle permit costs $7.

Best time to visit: Summer for reliably warm weather. Although the area can get busy this time of year, the farther you hike, the fewer people you’ll see—a solid plan in just about any state or national park.

Best hike: abound. The park’s interpretive naturalist, Kurt Mead, suggests starting out on Tettegouche Lake Loop, which circles the interior lakes, then hiking a connector trail to 1,286-foot Mount Baldy on the return trip, a combined loop of about nine miles.

“That’s going to give you really beautiful inland overlooks, as well as a stunning 360-degree panoramic overview of Lake Superior and the surrounding area,” he says.

11. Mount Tamalpais State Park, California

Rustic glamor, redwoods, meadows, and panoramic bay and Golden Gate Bridge views—you’ll find it all here. Even in California, which has more state parks (and national parks, too) than any other, this park is a standout.

Entrance fee: There’s no main-entrance fee, but you will pay to park in certain areas like East Peak ($8).

Best time to visit: Year-round.

Best hike:Ěý A combination of three—the Dipsea Trail, , and Matt Davis Loop—starts in the town of Stinson Beach and makes it way through lush canyons, past waterfalls, and into groves of the world’s tallest trees while rising high above the Pacific Ocean on Mount Tam.

Distance: 6.7 miles.

12. Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas

Overlooking the Arkansas River, this state park offers a bounty of big views, bluffs, and Native rock art, while paying homage to a troubled past.

Intersecting the park is the which today comprises 2,200 miles of land and water routes and commemorates the journey that Indigenous people from 1830 to 1850 were forced to take from their lands in the Southeast to present-day Oklahoma. En route, the Cherokee and other tribes were led past the mesa of Petit Jean Mountain, 1,120 feet at its highest point, on which the state park is located. Part of their route is visible from Stout’s Point.

In addition to learning more about where the historic trail passes through Arkansas state parks and various , you can head out on trails that wind throughĚýforests and meadows and up Petit Jean Mountain, passing water features like the 95-foot-tall Cedar Falls (reached via Cedar Falls Trail).

Entrance fee: None.

Best time to visit: Fall, when the temperatures cool and the leaves turn, which typically happens mid- to late October or early November.

Best hike:ĚýAfter checking out the Trail of Tears, try the The full Boy Scout Trail loop includes segments of the Cedar Falls Trail, the Bear Cave Trail (a natural shelter formed by huge sandstone boulders), and the Seven Hollows Trail (a path through small canyons and past natural stone arches and featuring pictographs).

Distance: 12 miles.

13. Smith Rock State Park, Oregon

Climbers from all over the world flock to the sheer faces of Smith Rock, a 600-foot-tall cliff system on a 3,200-foot ridge overlooking a bend in the aptly named Crooked River. But non-climbers, too, can access incredible views at the 650-acre state park; it packs a vertical punch with rocky spires and deep river canyons frequented by kayakers, and other adventure-seekers.

Entrance fee: A day-use fee of $5 is required to park at Smith Rock year-round.

Best time to visit: Spring and fall for relatively stable weather and moderate temperatures.

Best hike:ĚýThe charges up 600 feet, traversing the airy ridge for views of the sweeping Crooked River Gorge below.

Distance: 3.5 miles.

14. Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

I suggested Hocking Hills as a destination for my family, and took my children to meet up with my parents, my siblings and their kids last June because it was the most-visited state park in Ohio. I figured it had to be good, though I’d done minimal research. Even after we arrived and set out to explore, I still had no idea what was around the first bend.

Then we crossed a stone bridge and dropped immediately into a basin ringed by sandstone cliffs. They perfectly framed the 20-foot Upper Falls and its turquoise pool—as if we’d found a Caribbean oasis in the heart of the Midwest! Enthralled, we all pushed ahead to see what lie around the next bend, and the next, and then the one after that, in the Old Man’s Cave hiking area.

The delights just kept coming, though we’d barely scratched the surface of the 2,356-acre park, which is cut by 59 miles of hiking trails. Within it is a portion of Ohio’s 1,440-mile Buckeye Trail, which circles the whole state. The park trails at Hocking Hills twist through cavernous stream beds, past more waterfalls, around and into caves, and through hollows, and then stretch out over rolling hardwood-covered hills.

Entrance fee: None.

Best time to visit: Year-round. You can’t beat the winter solitude, and I’d withstand the summer heat just to visit this area again. But of course spring can be cooler (if rainy sometimes), and fall offers bug-free hiking and leaf-peeping.

Best hike: The starts at Upper Falls and connects the Old Man’s Cave hiking area to Cedar Falls and then Ash Cave, the largest recess cave in the state.

Distance: Six miles.

Honorable Mentions

Many other deserving state parks didn’t make this list.ĚýThose include Baxter in Maine and Custer in South Dakota, which got the close-up treatment in another şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř story, plus many others across the U.S. and close to my home (like my favorite Indiana state park, Turkey Run). The hiking options go on and on—like the trails themselves—no matter which agency manages the land.

Michael Schroeder has hiked, backpacked, and camped on a variety of U.S. public lands from Maine to California and Alaska, including state parks across his home state of Indiana. He’s learned that one state or national park, forest, or other public land is often just a gateway into another.

The post The 14 Best State Parks for Hiking in the U.S. appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

There’s nothing better than rolling up to an incredible panorama in one of our storied national parks. The following views, of high-desert mesas, moss-cloaked redwoods, vast mountain ranges, and more, have something to stoke the inner wonder of just about everyone.

I’ve visited every national park in America, and some the most awe-inspiring experiences in each are the stunning overlooks. So I’ve selected a list of my favorite vistas in all 63 parks, with a keen eye for easy access and geological diversity. Of course, I threw in a couple of leg-busting treks and arm-churning paddles for those among us who like to sweat to earn their views, too.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Cadillac Mountain Summit

When a national park institutes a vehicle-reservation system, it can feel like a giant red flag to head elsewhere in search of solitude. Not so with Acadia’s famed Cadillac Mountain, which can get quite crowded. From October through early March, this granite dome receives the first rays of sun in the continental U.S., and view-seeking visitors can gaze out at a smattering of wooded islets dotting Frenchman Bay as the sky lights up in hues of rose and coral.

Best Way to Reach This View: Don a headlamp for the predawn pedal 3.5 miles up to the 1,530-foot summit. Or hike the 2.2-mile (one-way) Cadillac North Ridge Trail, with an elevation gain of approximately 1,100 feet. For a hiking route up the North Ridge Trail, check out .

Arches National Park, Utah

Fiery Furnace Overlook

The next time you’re in Arches National Park, skip the masses at Delicate Arch and instead drive west to the labyrinth of striated red-rock pinnacles at Fiery Furnace, a scenic pullout that overlooks Utah’s La Sal Mountains. Serious hikers who want to get up close and personal with this vermillion jumble of rock need to nab a day-hiking permit ($10), or vie for the very popular ranger-guided tour ($16), bookable a week in advance.

Best Way to Reach This View: Motor the 14 miles north from the entrance station and follow the signs to the viewpoint. For a hiking route of the Fiery Furnace Loop—a valuable resource, as the Park Service warns visitors of the dangers of getting lost in the landscape—check out .

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Big Badlands Overlook

Take a morning to enjoy a drive on Badlands Loop Road via the park’s northeast entrance and pull off at the first signed viewpoint, Big Badlands Overlook, for a sweeping panorama of the eastern portion of the park’s Wall Formation. Geology enthusiasts will marvel at the clay-colored stripes of the Oligocene-era Brule Formation and the charcoal gray of the Eocene-era Chadron Formation.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the town of Wall, take Highway 90 southeast for 20 miles, then turn south on Route 240 and continue for another five miles. The overlook is located just past the northeast entrance station.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

South Rim Viewpoint

Big Bend is a park that defies Texas landscape conventions, encompassing the verdant Chisos Mountains as they rise over 7,000 feet from the Chihuahuan Desert below, and the South Rim Trail is the best way to experience the majestic scenery. The southern tip of this 12.9-mile loop is where the viewpoint lies, with a vista of sprawling arid hilltops that spill into northern Mexico.

Best Way to Reach This View: Start at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center. At the fork, head either southwest toward Laguna Meadows or southeast toward the Pinnacles (the steeper pick). Expect an elevation gain of 3,500 feet and about six and a half hours to finish the entire thing. For a hiking route of the South Rim Trail, check out .

Biscayne Bay National Park, Florida

Boca Chita Key Lighthouse

One of the most scenic keys, Boca Chita is also one of the most interesting, home to a fascinating history of lavish parties thrown by wealthy entrepreneurs in the early 1900s. Legend has it that an elephant was once brought to the island for a wild soiree. These days the raucous festivities have died down, but the 65-foot lighthouse and its observation deck still offer a pretty swell view of shimmering Biscayne Bay, mangrove-lined lagoons, and the hazy Miami skyline.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a guided boat trip with the Biscayne National Park Institute for an expert-led journey through the keys, with a stop at Boca Chita. Call in advance to find out whether a Park Service employee will be around to open the observation deck.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Painted Wall Overlook

If you make it to Black Canyon and don’t want to dirty your hands on the 1,800-foot scramble down into the maw of its craggy cliffs, make a beeline for Painted Wall Overlook, which peers out at the tallest cliff in the state (a whopping 2,250 feet from river to rim). If you’re lucky, you might even spot a few intrepid climbers scaling the face of dark gneiss and rose-tinted pegmatite.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the South Rim Campground, drive or bike five miles north on Rim Drive Road (closed November through April) until you reach the parking lot for the overlook; from there it’s a five-minute walk.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Sunrise Point

With its many-layered view of crumbling Technicolor hoodoos and a singular limber pine tree with roots akimbo, Sunrise Point is a fantastic place to start a day in Bryce Canyon. From here, you’re at a fantastic jumping-off point for exploring the rust-colored sandstone of Bryce’s namesake amphitheater via the Queen’s Garden Trail.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park’s visitor center, it’s just 1.2 miles to the Sunrise Point parking lot. The walk to the lookout is another half-mile farther and is both pet- and wheelchair-friendly.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Grand View Point

There’s a little something for everyone in this area of the park (Island in the Sky), whether you’re simply craving thoughtful moments gazing at the panorama at Grand View Point, or want to immerse yourself even more amid the natural surrounds with a mile-long cliffside stroll to a second viewpoint (Grand View Point Overlook) with even more jaw-dropping scenery, followed by class-two scramble if you’re so inclined. Whichever you choose, you’ll be wowed by the amber and crimson mesa tops of the Canyonlands as you gaze down at White Rim Road and the churning Colorado River.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, head 12 miles to the end of Grand View Point Road for the initial viewpoint. It’s an easy amble to the second viewpoint, though unpaved.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Panorama Point Overlook

Easily overlooked in favor of crowd-pleasing hikes to Chimney Rock and Cassidy Arch, Panorama Point is at its viewpoint best when the sun starts to set and the stars twinkle into being. The highlight is the cathedral-like red-rock towers that comprise the park’s famous Waterpocket Fold Formation, a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the earth’s crust.

Best Way to Reach This View: Panorama Point is a mere 2.5 miles west of the Capitol Reef Visitor Center. From its parking lot, it’s just 0.1 mile to the viewing area.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Temple of the Sun

It’s tough to pick the most notable view in a cave-centric park that actor Will Rogers once called “the Grand Canyon with a roof over it,” but Carlsbad Cavern’s Temple of the Sun, with its mushroom-like stalagmite surrounded by thousands of spindly stalactites, takes the cake. Accessible via a ranger-led tour or a self-guided jaunt along the wheelchair-friendly Big Room Trail, these miraculous natural limestone sculptures are a bucket-list-worthy detour on any road trip.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the natural entrance, it’s 1.25 descent to the Big Room via a paved pathway. Alternatively, you can drop deep into the cavern via an elevator, and then make our way to the Temple of the Sun.

Channel Islands National Park, California

Inspiration Point

In spring, tiny Anacapa Island bursts into bloom, and Inspiration Point is the best place for photographers and flower aficionados to admire the display of brilliant orange poppies, pale island morning glories, and canary-yellow sunflowers. Because the point faces west, head up to see the sun dip into the Pacific.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a day trip to the islands with Island Packers, keeping an eye out for migrating gray whales en route. Inspiration Point is located at the halfway point of its namesake 1.5 mile loop, a flat route that begins at the Anacapa Visitor Center.

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Weston Lake Overlook

Years ago, we named Congaree’s Boardwalk Loop Trail one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in America, and Weston Lake Overlook is a phenomenal place to soak up the park’s shady expanse of old-growth hardwood forest. It’s also a great spot to birdwatch–keep your eyes peeled for the prothonotary warbler, American woodcock, and red-headed woodpecker.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Sims Trail, branch off on the 4.4-mile Weston Lake Trail (marked by yellow blazes) and continue 2.4 miles along the wooden planks to the lookout.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Watchman Overlook

Featuring one of the most spectacular views of Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder cone at the western end of Crater Lake, Watchman Overlook and its eponymous observation station are must-see sites on any trip to this southern Oregon park. Look out for lilac-tinted phlox and delicate yellow buckwheat blossoms in the summertime. When you reach the summit, it’s everything you’d hope for: a 360-degree view of the deep sapphire tarn.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head out from the Watchman Overlook parking lot. You’ll ascend 413 feet to the observation station and encounter a series of switchbacks near the top. The 1.6-mile out-and-back takes about an hour to complete.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Brandywine Falls

Tucked away between the urban centers of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley is a locally renowned national park full of lichen-splotched sandstone ledges, riverside biking paths, and picturesque waterfalls, of which Brandywine Falls is the most famous. Fall is a spectacular time to visit, when the 60-foot-tall cascade is surrounded by a fiery collage of foliage. Hikers who want more of an outing can stretch their legs on the 1.5-mile Brandywine Gorge Loop to take in bright red sugar maples against the smoke-hued ravine.

Best Way to Reach This View: Though there is a designated parking lot for the falls, it’s often full, so plan to arrive before 10 A.M. or after 4 P.M. for a spot. From there, the upper viewing point is just a few hundred feet away via a boardwalk trail.

Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Zabriskie Point

Catching the sunrise at Zabriskie Point is the stuff of photographers’ dreams. Undulating ripples of golden and umber badlands stretch out all the way to Badwater Basin, a staggering 282 feet below sea level. In the distance, 11,049-foot Telescope Peak (the highest in the park) rises like an apparition as the morning’s first rays paint the summit of Manly Beacon in honeyed tones.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, within the park, drive five miles south on Highway 190 to the viewpoint.

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Wonder Lake

With only one byway through its 4,740,091-acre wilderness, Denali is a place where it pays to spend a little extra time exploring. Wonder Lake is about as close as you can get to the High One (as Native tribes refer to North America’s tallest peak) without donning a pack and making that arduous trek, and it’s the best spot to nab a photo of Denali reflected in a pool of mirror-clear water. Pro tip: Plan ahead and book a campsite at Wonder Lake Campground to enjoy dreamy morning vistas and evening ranger programs.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park entrance, drive 85 miles west along the 92.5-mile-long Park Road.

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Fort Jefferson Rooftop View

An enormous structure built with 16 million bricks, Fort Jefferson was a key defensive structure during the Civil War, used to protect Union shipments heading to and from the Mississippi River. Nowadays it’s the defining feature of Dry Tortugas National Park. From its cannon-dotted rooftop, you can spot shallow reef systems and admire the sandy beaches and endless aquamarine ocean.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take the daily from Key West to Garden Key, home to Fort Jefferson; entrance to the fort is included in the price of your ferry ticket (from $200). Head up to the uppermost tier during a guided ranger tour or on your own.

Everglades National Park, Florida

Anhinga Trail Covered Observation Deck

In a mostly flat park full of sawgrass slough, slow-moving brackish water, and tangles of mangrove trees, choosing a memorable view in the Everglades is a tricky task. Wildlife is the real showstopper, and along the Anhinga Trail, animal-savvy guests have a high chance of spotting purple gallinules, great blue herons, nesting anhingas, and the park’s most notorious resident—the alligator. Take a break in the shaded observation deck (and don’t forget the binoculars).

Best Way to Reach This View: The 0.8-mile (round trip) paved Anhinga Trail starts and ends at the Royal Palm Visitor Center. It is wheelchair accessible.

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Aquarius Lake 1, Arrigetch Valley

Rising out of the treeless tundra, the towering granite fins of the Arrigetch Peaks, in northern Alaska, look more like gods than monoliths. It’s a view worthy of the arduous journey to get to these reaches of the park, an area sometimes called the Yosemite of Alaska. The experts at Alaska Alpine şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřs offer guided trips (from $6,000), or if you’re fine seeing the razor-sharp summits from a plane window, Brooks Range Aviation (from $785) can arrange flightseeing tours.

Best Way to Reach This View: Visitors headed to the Arrigetch Peaks will do so via bush plane, landing on a gravel riverbank. Then it’s an eight-mile hike to set up camp in the valley below the peaks.

Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

Luther Ely Smith Square

Gateway Arch is a park rife with human history, from the once massive Native city of Cahokia to the famed Dred Scott court case, which hastened the Civil War when the Supreme Court judged that no Black people were entitled to citizenship. The best vantage point from which to take it all in is Luther Ely Smith Square, which, in addition to boasting a sky-high view of the iconic chrome arch, overlooks the historic Old Courthouse.

Best Way to Reach This View: The square, a downtown St. Louis greenspace, is located between the Old Courthouse and the Mississippi River.

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Margerie Glacier

Flip through any traveler’s photos from Glacier Bay, and you’re likely to see snaps of the icy, serrated teeth of the Margerie Glacier, dramatically calving into the Tarr Inlet from the Fairweather Mountain Range. Stay on the lookout for harbor seals and playful sea otters on recently separated icebergs.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a ($262.44) for the best access to this rapidly changing river of ice.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Swiftcurrent Lake

The Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park is such a coveted road-trip stop that the Park Service instituted a new vehicle-reservation system for it this year. The most striking panorama of Grinnell Point, Mount Wilbur, and Angel Wing—all visible from the —is worth any extra entry-permit effort.

Best Way to Reach This View: Lace up your boots for an easy 2.7-mile hike that circumnavigates the lake. Better yet, book a room at Many Glacier Hotel so you’ll have the view all to yourself when the day crowds disperse.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Desert View Point

Sure, Mather Point steals most of the attention when it comes to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, but I prefer Desert View, near the park’s eastern boundary, for its peaceful campground and dearth of visitors. Plus, the site’s famous watchtower, designed by Parkitecture maven Mary Colter, was inspired by the Ancestral Puebloan peoples of the Colorado Plateau, and it makes a fantastic focal point when snapping photos of “the big ditch.”

Best Way to Reach This View: For the most scenic route, head 23 miles east along Desert View Drive from Grand Canyon Village.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Jenny Lake Overlook

Go early to skip the Grand Teton’s throngs and park at Jenny Lake Overlook to admire second-to-none views of craggy Cascade Canyon and the razor-like protrusions of igneous granite that rise sharply from its depths. From here, visitors can take in the sheer enormity of the Teton Crest, with outstanding photo ops of Mount Moran and Teewinot Mountain. If you’re up for a hike, try the seven-mile Jenny Lake Loop, which offers even more epic lake scenery, as well as potential sightings of moose and bald eagles.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the town of Moose, within the park, head nine miles north on Teton Park Road to the lake.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Mather Overlook

Nearly every national park has a Mather Overlook, named after the first director of the National Park Service, and at Great Basin, in eastern Nevada, his namesake viewpoint offers a grand perspective of 13,000-foot Wheeler Peak, the second highest in the state. Flanked by ancient bristlecone pines, which can live up to 5,000 years, the mountain is split dramatically in two, with the breathtaking Wheeler Cirque crumbling into a sepia-stained bowl beneath the prominent summit.

Best Way to Reach This View: This is an overlook that can only be accessed between June and late October due to hazardous conditions that close roads in winter. From the eastern park entrance, head west along the 12-mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. A pullout for the overlook is about halfway.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

High Dune on First Ridge

Though it’s the most popular day-hiking objective at Great Sand Dunes, in southeastern Colorado, the trek up to High Dune is sure to leave even the most seasoned hiker huffing and puffing. With a lofty elevation of over 8,000 feet, and the effort required to plod uphill against the drag of sand, be prepared for burning calves and bring plenty of water for the 2.5-mile slog to the summit. The view from the top is truly spectacular, however, with awesome sights to theĚý towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains–home to ten fourteeners.

Best Way to Reach This View: There are no trails in the entire park, but you’ll see the High Dune from the main parking lot. Cross Medano Creek and then start making your way up to the top, logging an elevation gain of 700 feet. For most hikers, getting up and back takes two to four hours.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Charlies Bunion

The four-mile (one way) hike to Charlies Bunion is one of the most thrilling in Great Smoky Mountains, due to the sheer number of iconic sights along the way. You’ll be wowed by rolling, verdant mountains and wend through northern hardwood forests and past rhododendron shrubs before topping out at 5,565 feet.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park at Newfound Gap, on the Tennessee–North Carolina state line, then hitch a left onto the Appalachian Trail and proceed to the summit. For a hiking route up Charlies Bunion, check out .

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Salt Basin Dunes

Ask any ranger in Guadalupe Mountains National Park where to watch the sun set over the “Top of Texas,” and they’ll tell you the remote Salt Basin Dunes, in the park’s northwestern corner. Made of bright white gypsum, this sandy expanse showcases the unbelievable prominence of conifer-topped Guadalupe Peak, once a sprawling coral reef when the Delaware Sea covered a large swath of America roughly 275 million years ago.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Pine Springs Visitor Center, it’s a 47-mile drive to the Salt Basin Dunes parking area; from here, hike a mile and a half to reach the actual dunes.

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

Puu Ula Ula Summit

Much like Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain, you’ll need a special timed reservation to take in the sunrise atop Haleakala’s 10,023-foot summit (reservable up to 60 days in advance), but after 7 A.M., day-use visitors can enjoy the show as well. From this incredible vantage point—the highest on Maui—you can enjoy top-down views of the huge, richly colored crater, as well as the Big Island if the weather’s clear.

Best Way to Reach This View: The drive to the top from the Summit District entrance takes up to three hours and sees a change in elevation of 3,000 feet, so get ready to rise early and be fully awake before you attempt the narrow, winding road.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Kilauea Overlook

If you’re in Hawaii and eager to see some lava, head for this park’s Kilauea Overlook, located near the southern end of the Big Island. A hike will allow you to take in the dramatic aftermath of the site’s 2018 eruption and subsequent summit collapse, but if you’d rather not work up a sweat, park at the viewpoint’s lot at sunset and stand in awe of the otherworldly pink glow emanating from the bowels of the earth.

Best Way to Reach This View: Trek the flat, 2.5-mile (one way) Crater Rim Trail, which can be accessed from a handful of popular tourist spots along Crater Rim Drive.

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Hot Springs Mountain Pavilion

Much of the joy of a visit to this national park is relaxing in the town’s historic Bathhouse Row. If, however, you’re willing to get in a bit of exercise on your spa-cation, there are some sincerely stellar views to be had of this quaint Ouachita Mountains community—and the hike to this pavilion is at the top of my list. (Many also buy a ticket and ride a 216-foot elevator to the top of Hot Springs Tower for expansive vistas of the surrounding Diamond Lakes area after reaching the initial viewpoint.)

Best Way to Reach This View: Take in the stately architecture of thermal-bath palaces on the Grand Promenade, then ascend the 0.6-mile Peak Trail, just off the promenade, until you reach the pavilion, which faces south.

Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Lake View Beach

Right next to the park’s Century of Progress Homes, a gaggle of experimental houses left over from the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, is Lake View Beach, which gazes out from the southern tip of Lake Michigan. On a fair-weather day, visitors can make out the right angles of the Windy City’s high-rises, but at sunset, the sky turns to breathtaking shades of fuchsia and the waves crashing along the sandy shore feel more like an ocean than a Great Lake.

Best Way to Reach This View: It’s 55 miles from the center of Chicago to the town of Beverly Shores. Look for the parking area dedicated to the beach.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Scoville Point

Named some of the best 100 miles of trail in the entire national park system by , the day hike to Scoville Point showcases this region’s boreal forest at its best. Not only does the path run parallel to the shoreline for near constant views of Lake Superior, it also boasts some striking scenery. Hunt for moose munching among stands of balsam fir, and at the end of the trek, feast your eyes on rocky islets dotted with conifers, a trademark of Isle Royale’s archipelago.

Best Way to Reach This View: Though there’s more than one way to arrive at the point via the Stoll Memorial Trail and then the Scoville Point Trail, the easier (and shaded) way is to amble adjacent to Tobin Harbor to the tip of the peninsula.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Keys View

Named after the Keys family, who built and maintained one of the most successful homesteads in Southern California’s arid Joshua Tree desert, Keys View is a thrilling destination for road-tripping travelers who want to feel as though they’re standing at the edge of the known universe. A 500-foot, fully paved loop allows guests to savor a vista of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, Coachella Valley, and Salton Sea.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, drive 21 miles south to the terminus of Keys View Road.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Brooks Falls

Most travelers to Katmai National Park are there for one thing and one thing only—grizzly bear viewing—and the boardwalk overlook at Brooks Falls is perhaps the best spot in the U.S. to watch these 700-pound mammals fish. You won’t be disappointed.

Best Way to Reach This View: Following a brief, ranger-led bear orientation, take the 1.2-mile (round trip) Brooks Falls Trail to a wooden platform overlooking a roaring waterfall, which, if you’re lucky, will give you the experience you came for—ursine creatures hungrily snatching salmon from the air. For a hiking route to Brooks Falls, check out .

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Aialik Glacier

It takes effort to get out to Aialik Glacier (typically a two-hour boat ride, followed by three miles of kayaking), but along the way, you can search for wriggling sea otters, playful Dall’s porpoises, spouting humpback whales, and soaring bald eagles. Once face to face with this moving sheet of ice, the most rapidly calving in Kenai Fjords, paddlers have the opportunity to watch and listen for “white thunder,” the sound huge hunks of ice make when they crash into the sea.

Best Way to Reach This View: I used Kayak şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřs Worldwide for my adventure to Aialik Glacier (from $489; trips available mid-May through early September), based in Seward. You’ll first take a water-taxi trip south to Aialik Bay, a fantastic way to spot all kinds of wildlife, before suiting up at a beach and sliding into your kayak. Expect to paddle for three hours.

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Evolution Lake

This one’s for all my backpacking brethren. As a predominately wilderness-designated area (meaning that trails can only be used for hiking and horseback riding, and human development is extremely minimal), Kings Canyon is a mecca for trekkers who’d rather don a pack for dozens of miles than motor around to car-friendly overlooks. The lake is a sparkling cobalt gem flanked by glacier-polished granite peaks. One thing’s for certain–you’ll find pristine solitude when you arrive.

Best Way to Reach This View: The lake can be accessed via the 211-mile John Muir Trail, a 36-mile loop departing from Bishop, or a pack-animal trip out of Muir Trail Ranch.

Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

Kobuk Valley often rounds out the list of least-visited national parks, but there’s a small landing strip situated at the edge of its most noteworthy geological feature, the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, that makes this far-out park accessible for anyone who can tolerate bush planes.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the small town of Kotzebue, hop onto a flightseeing day tour with Golden Eagle Outfitters, or splurge on a 12-day hiking and packrafting trip with Alaska Alpine şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřs that starts and finishes in Fairbanks.

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

Turquoise Lake

Flanked by 8,000-foot peaks and a colorful array of tundra plants like crowberry and reindeer lichen, Turquoise Lake is a quintessential example of an outrageously teal, glacially fed tarn. It’ll take a bit of extra effort to get there (compared to commercial-flight-accessible Port Alsworth), but expert guiding services offering kayaking and hiking trips will handle all the logistics for you, so you can relish the extraordinary ridges and ravines of the Alaska Range.

Best Way to Reach This View: There are no roads in the park. You’ll have to take a small plane in to reach the lake. We suggest going on an outfitted trip, again with .

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Cinder Cone Summit

After a hamstring-busting two-mile ascent to the top of Cinder Cone, in Northern California’s often overlooked Lassen Volcanic National Park, hikers have a chance to view one of the most eye-catching geological features in the entire park system. The aptly named Fantastic Lava Beds surround the park’s incredible painted dunes, a series of warm-toned hills of oxidized volcanic ash. Grab a site at Butte Lake Campground to revel in marvelous night skies, just a short jaunt from the trailhead.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take Highway 44 about 24 miles from the park’s northwest entrance to a six-mile dirt road that leads to the Butte Lake Day Use Area. Cinder Cone Trailhead is located near the boat ramp.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Drapery Room

Home to the longest known cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave, in central Kentucky, is not a park that’s typically recognized for its naturally sculpted cave formations (like those found in Carlsbad Caverns). However, guests who embark on the ranger-led Domes and Dripstones tour can witness remarkable stalactites and stalagmites, plus wavy drapery-style limestone formations that look like a canopy on a princess’s four-poster bed.

Best Way to Reach This View: You’ll have to sign up for a tour at the visitor center and be able to descend and climb back up a series of stairs.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Cliff Palace Overlook

No visit to Mesa Verde is complete without a trip to Cliff Palace Overlook, which offers a majestic view of the largest Ancestral Puebloan dwelling in the park. With over 150 rooms and 21 kivas (ceremonial spaces), this site was thought to be a vibrant gathering place with a population of roughly 100 people. You’ll see and learn about 800-year-old stone structures. Ranger-guided tours are also available for a closer glimpse of Ancestral Puebloan architecture.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head down Chapin Mesa to the six-mile Cliff Palace Loop and pull off at the designated parking area.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Myrtle Falls

The imposing face of 14,410-foot Mount Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the lower 48, looms perfectly above the idyllic cascade of Myrtle Falls, creating a postcard-worthy photo op for passing hikers. Along the hike in, learn about the park’s remarkable wildflower displays and try to spot purple penstemon, crimson paintbrush, and porcelain bear grass from the path.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take a 0.8-mile stroll (round trip) along the Skyline Trail, located in the park’s popular Paradise area.

National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa

Pola Island Trail

Near the tiny village of Vatia, on the northern shore of Tutuila Island, the forested 0.1-mile Pola Island Trail boasts a jaw-dropping view with minimal effort. Park in the shade near a sign marking the well-worn, easy path, then hop over a boulder-strewn beach to soak up incomparable views of ragged Pacific coastline, swaying palm trees, and the craggy cliffs of Pola Island, one of the park’s most important nesting sites for seabirds like boobies and frigates.

Best Way to Reach This View: To reach the trailhead, drive past the last house at the end of the road in Vatia. The road then turns to dirt, and you’ll come upon a small parking area. You’ll see a sign for the short trail leading to the beach.

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Long Point

Yes, you could drive up to New River Gorge’s namesake bridge for kickass views, but my favorite photo op of the famous roadway lies at the end of the 1.6-mile (one way) trail to Long Point. Not only will visitors here get to meander through a forest of hemlock, beech, and white oak, but they’ll also glean outstanding glimpses of rafters floating down the New if they time their outing just right.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Long Point Trailhead is off of Gateway Road, about two miles from the town of Fayetteville.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

Sahale Glacier Camp

One of the most memorable things about North Cascades (apart from its generally crowd-free hiking trails) is its plethora of hanging glaciers, strung between high alpine summits. The moderate 3.7-mile (one way) trek to Cascade Pass will wow you with sensational panoramas of granitic cliffs plunging into Pelton Basin, but for a real showstopper, plan an overnight backpacking trip and continue up the broad shoulder of Sahale Mountain, pitching a tent at Sahale Glacier Camp and enjoying its bird’s-eye view of the Triplets, Mount Baker, and Mount Shuksan.

Best Way to Reach This View: You’ll reach the starting point for the Cascade Pass Trailhead at the end of Cascade Pass Road. For a hiking route to Sahale Glacier Camp, check out .

Olympic National Park, Washington

Rialto Beach

Consult a tide chart before heading out, then motor over to Rialto Beach, on the northwestern shoreline of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. There you’ll find enormous driftwood logs, rocky sea stacks, and bold surfers braving the chilly Pacific Ocean. If you feel like stretching your legs, an easy three-mile (round trip) walk along the coast will bring you past tidepools crawling with life to Hole in the Wall, a volcanic outcropping with a natural arch that’s perfect for pictures.

Best Way to Reach This View: The beach is about 75 miles from Port Angeles. Once you reach Olympic, you’ll be on Highway 101, the road that goes around the park. Exit onto La Push Road and drive eight miles. Then turn onto Mora Road, and after about five miles you’ll find the parking lot for the beach.

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Kachina Point

Though the park is best known for its logs of crystallized conifers, Petrified Forest is also home to some seriously colorful painted-desert hills. At Kachina Point, located just outside the 1930s-era Painted Desert Inn, the rich reds and tangerines of these undulating knolls are on full display. After a quick photo break, be sure to check out Hopi artist Fred Kabotie’s gorgeous murals on display inside the inn.

Best Way to Reach This View: The point is located about two miles from the north entrance of the park. Stroll on the accessible trail behind the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark to the overlook.

Pinnacles National Park, California

Condor Gulch Overlook

Pinnacles is a funny little sleeper park that’s often overshadowed by California’s celebrity public lands like Joshua Tree and Yosemite, but anyone who’s ventured into the park’s golden breccia spires knows that they’re a worthy road-trip destination. Condor Gulch Overlook gives guests a chance to enjoy an up-close view of the park’s famous pinnacles on a well-worn, family-friendly path. Bring your binoculars and try to spot an endangered California condor.

Best Way to Reach This View: The overlook is one mile from the Bear Gulch Nature Center.

Redwood National Park, California

Tall Trees Grove

When in Redwoods, it’s necessary to make a pilgrimage to Tall Trees Grove, a stand of old-growth sempervirens that protect the tallest trees on earth. Don your hiking shoes for a 4.5-mile (round trip) moderate hike around a lush forest of mossy coastal redwoods that’ll have even the grinchiest people believing in fairies. The whole hike takes around four hours.

Best Way to Reach This View: First reserve a free for an access code to the area’s restricted road to the Tall Trees Trail. It’s an hour drive, parts of which are on a narrow and winding dirt road, from the park visitor center to the trailhead.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Mills Lake

On my first-ever trip to this national park, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř writer Brendan Leonard told me that if I only made it to one lake inside the park, it had to be Mills Lake, and boy, was he right. Start at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead and hike 2.6 miles—past rushing waterfalls and huge granite boulders—before dipping your toes into the frigid snowmelt of Mills Lake, which overlooks the dramatic northern crags of Longs Peak.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head south on Bear Lake Road for about eight miles and park at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Ascend the trail from there to Mills Lake. Arrange a vehicle reservation (or free park shuttle) if you’re traveling between May and October. For a hiking route to Mills Lake, check out .

Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Wasson Peak

When you’ve had enough of Saguaro’s thorny, many-armed cacti from the vantage point of your car window and you’re ready to get your heart rate up, head to the commanding summit of 4,688-foot Wasson Peak, the tallest in the park’s western section. Keep your eyes peeled for petroglyphs as you ascend past saguaro, ocotillo, and prickly pear cactus. Once you reach the top, give yourself a high five and look out across the urban breadth of Tucson all the way to the park’s eastern Rincon Mountain District.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park at the Kings Canyon Trailhead and then expect a strenuous four-mile hike (and nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain) to the summit.

Sequoia National Park, California

Bearpaw Meadow

Bearpaw Meadow is one of those miraculous, only-in-the-parks vistas that dreams are made of, and getting there is an adventure all its own. You’ll be treated to soul-stirring views of the imposing granite domes and summits of the remote Sierra Nevada. Set up your tent at Bearpaw Meadow’s backcountry campground, or, if you’re feeling spendy, get a glamping tent and dinner at High Sierra Camp.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park’s iconic Crescent Meadow area, which hosts a grove of towering old-growth sequoias, hike for 11.4 miles to Bearpaw Meadow along the High Sierra Trail, taking in inspiring views of Moro Rock, the powerful Kaweah River, and the Great Western Divide.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Hazel Mountain Overlook

Rise before dawn and cruise along Shenandoah’s winding, 105-mile Skyline Drive to admire profound sunrise views from this east-facing overlook. An unusual outcropping of ancient granite makes the perfect ledge from which to enjoy Virginia’s rolling pastoral hillsides as the sky turns from apricot to bright blue.

Best Way to Reach This View: Enter the park at the Thornton Gap Entrance Station. The overlook is at mile 33 on Skyline Drive.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

River Bend Overlook

The large stone shelter at River Bend Overlook, in eastern North Dakota, makes for a picturesque family portrait, with a backdrop of shrub-speckled badlands and a U-shaped swerve in the serpentine Little Missouri River. It’s a vast and gorgeous view out onto the river valley.

Best Way to Reach This View: Enter the north unit of the park on Scenic Drive. The overlook is about eight miles in. Park and walk up a short trail to the viewing deck. For a closer look at the park’s iron-impregnated sandstone and wavering grasslands, hop onto the 0.8-mile Caprock Coulee Trail and saunter away from the automobile crowds.

Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands

Cruz Bay Overlook

So much of Virgin Islands National Park, on the island of St. John, is about appreciating the scenery beneath the waves. But the Cruz Bay Overlook, on the moderate Lind Point Trail, is a great stopover between snorkeling trips. Pull off at the signed viewpoint for a commanding look at the boat traffic sailing to and from gorgeous Cruz Bay, the island’s main port. If you’re looking for a little more exercise, continue on to Solomon Beach for a secluded white-sand oasis.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Lind Point Trail starts just behind the park visitor center and ends at Honeymoon Bay or Solomon Bay. A spur off the trail leads to the Cruz Bay Overlook.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Kabetogama Lake Overlook

Whether you’re just driving through Voyageurs or you’re renting a houseboat for the entire family, this wheelchair-accessible overlook on the edge of enormous Lake Kabetogama will provide a fantastic cross section of the area’s natural wonders. Tiny islets are freckled with boreal forest. White and red pines intersperse with fir and spruce trees. And the distant, mournful call of a loon can often be heard at dusk.

Best Way to Reach This View: It’s an easy 0.4-mile trail to reach the overlook. The trailhead is at the third parking area on Meadowood Drive near the Ash River Visitor Center.

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Roadrunner Picnic Area

In the heart of White Sands, the Roadrunner Picnic Area offers guests a cozy resting place, surrounded by a vast expanse of glowing white gypsum dune fields. The site’s futuristic picnic tables, complete with corrugated metal awnings to protect against ferocious wind and sun, are a fabulous spot from which to enjoy and explore this New Mexico park as the sun sets beyond the Organ Mountains.

Best Way to Reach This View: The picnic area is located about six to seven miles on the main road from the fee station.

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Rankin Ridge

The historic fire tower atop Rankin Ridge dates back to 1956, and though visitors are not permitted to climb it, it sits on the highest point in Wind Cave (5,013 feet) and makes for an excellent photo backdrop. You’ll look down at the park, which is home to some of the last preserved mixed-grass prairie in the country.

Best Way to Reach This View: From Custer, take Route 16A East for 6.5 miles and turn south on Highway 87. After 13 miles, look for an access road leading to the trailhead. It’s a short and easy half-mile hike through fragrant ponderosa pines to the top.

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, Alaska

Root Glacier Trail

Brave the bumpy, winding McCarthy Road all the way to the once thriving mining community of McCarthy and cross the footbridge to get to Kennecott, a historic town that serves as the center for all things Wrangell–St. Elias, including the majestic trail along the colossal Root Glacier. Bring your bear spray and go it alone, or hire a guide to learn more about the site’s copper-mining past. Spoiler alert–you can also book a crunchy crampon trek atop the glacier. Either way, you’ll be treated to awesome views of Mount Donoho and the 6,000-foot-tall Stairway Icefall.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Root Glacier Trail starts in Kennecott, and about 1.5 miles in you’ll reach the glacier. If you plan to walk on the glacier, hire an experienced guide and wear crampons.

Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

Artist Point

Named for its proximity to a famous oil painting by 19th-century painter Thomas Moran, Artist Point is the most stunning place from which to gaze at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its mighty waterfall. That being said, it does get crowded in summer months. If you fancy a short hike with similarly epic vistas, amble along the signed trail to Point Sublime (2.6 miles round trip) for an even better glimpse of the canyon’s multicolored walls.

Best Way to Reach This View: For a hiking route to Artist Point, check out .

Yosemite National Park, California

Glacier Point

After a yearlong closure in 2022 for road rehabilitation, travelers can once again drive to Glacier Point and see the broad panoramas of Half Dome, Nevada Fall, and Mount Hoffman. Wander around the accessible, paved pathways near the gift shop or hitch a ride onto a portion of the Panorama Trail for a similar view, sans the crowds at this very popular park.

Best Way to Reach This View: Drive 13 miles on Wawona Road from Yosemite Valley, then turn onto Glacier Point Road at the Chinquapin intersection. Hikers: Start at the Four Mile Trailhead in Yosemite Valley. It’s a strenuous 9.6 mile (round trip) hike to the point.

Zion National Park, Utah

Canyon Overlook

Canyon Overlook, in Zion’s eastern section, is one of the most impressive low-effort, high-reward hikes in the country. The reward is a breathtaking view of the cathedral-like golden spires of Towers of the Virgin, in the park’s main canyon.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park near the tunnel on the eastern side of the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway, then take a series of stairs and sandstone slabs for a mere 0.5-miles (one way) until you reach the lookout on the edge of the cliffs.

As our 63 Parks columnist, Emily Pennington, visited and wrote about every single national park in the U.S. She’s also the author of the recent book Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks.

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