Whatever adventure fuels your travel spirit, , delivers it in Lake Superior–sized proportions. Located in the forested Upper Peninsula along the shores of this iconic lake, Marquette seems to just get better with every changing season. Whether you’re ice climbing in winter or chasing waterfalls in spring, this place is an outdoor paradise. Make the most of a visit with advice from locals Heather Vivian and Bill Thompson.

Vivian is the community engagement manager at Travel Marquette and oversees the Respect Marquette County program, which promotes responsible stewardship of the area’s natural resources. Thompson, co-owner of Down Wind Sports, is a key organizer for major community events and an avid climber and paddler. We talked with them for their expert insights on what makes their hometown Michigan’s ultimate year-round adventure hub and how to get the most out of a trip there.

Stewardship

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Why is Marquette an ideal destination for active travelers?

Heather Vivian: Marquette has something for everyone. With an extensive trail network and abundant water access, it’s a dream for anyone who loves the outdoors, like me. These incredible recreation opportunities exist because our community is committed to taking care of the places that take care of us. That’s why we teamed up with Leave No Trace and several local organizations to create the program. We encourage visitors and locals alike to respect our natural spaces by following the Leave No Trace principles and practicing responsible stewardship.

Winter

What outdoor activities do you recommend to winter visitors?Ěý

Bill Thompson: The Upper Peninsula is renowned for its snow, and Marquette is perfectly situated to offer access to a variety of winter activities. Whether it’s cross-country skiing, fat biking, snowshoeing, alpine skiing, or ice climbing, you can enjoy all of these just five minutes from downtown. And I recommend you try them all during your visit!

For most people, scaling a frozen waterfall in the Upper Peninsula might seem unimaginable. But it’s actually accessible to everyone with help from Michigan Ice Fest Guides, which offers expert-led ice climbing trips. And with the stunning frozen landscapes, it’s an experience that will create unforgettable memories.Want to try fat biking? MQT Bike Rental provides bike rentals. These are fantastic ways to dive into some new , shorten your learning curve, and get insider tips.

Summer

How about summer visitors?

Thompson: If you think winter sounds fun, wait until you hear about all the . Just like in winter, adventure is a short five-minute drive from downtown. You can rock climb, mountain bike, kayak, paddleboard, camp, fish, canoe, hike, trail run, and even play disc golf—all with easy access. Here are some of my favorite summer activities:

Hiking

The Elliott Donnelley Wilderness Trail, just outside of Marquette, offers a serene hike through beautiful hardwood forests following the scenic Little Garlic River. The 7.7-mile out-and-back trail culminates at Little Garlic Falls, where you can take a moment to dip your feet in the cool, refreshing waters before heading back. It’s a peaceful, picturesque hike that showcases the natural beauty of the area.

Biking

Hands down, the is my favorite bike path to ride. This 47-mile multiuse trail connects communities while offering a deep dive into the region’s rich history. The trail passes through three downtown areas, cutting right through the heart of the historic Marquette Iron Range. Along the way, you’ll find interpretive signs and art pieces that offer insights into more than 160 years of iron ore mining in the area—perfect for taking a break and learning something new. The trail itself is a mix of crushed limestone and asphalt, making it easy to ride on any type of bike.

Paddling

Seriously, is there a better place to paddleboard or kayak than ? I don’t think so! With crystal-clear waters and stunning land formations like caves and arches, Marquette’s shoreline offers some of the best paddling I’ve experienced. Sunrise or sunset over Lake Superior is a sight you won’t forget—just be sure to check the wave and weather conditions, and always pack the proper safety gear before heading out on the lake.

The safest way to experience the best locations on Superior is by booking a guided kayaking adventure with or another local outfitter.

Spring and Fall

What’s Marquette like in the spring and fall?Ěý

Vivian: When spring arrives, the whole community seems to come alive with excitement. It’s my favorite time of year to take the easy 2.8-mile hike to Morgan Creek Falls. As the rivers are rushing with snowmelt, they create some of the most powerful and stunning cascades.

Fall in Marquette is nothing short of a dream. While the season is brief, we get the most up north. It’s the perfect time to hit the trails or take a scenic drive surrounded by forests ablaze with reds, oranges, and yellows. My favorite ways to see the colors by car are by taking County Road 550 north to Big Bay or hopping onto U.S. Highway 41 and going west to Ishpeming. Fall invites you to slow down, be present, and truly take in the natural beauty around you. Honestly, I could spend every fall here for the rest of my life and it still wouldn’t feel like enough time to fully soak it in—that’s how special it is.

Culture and Events

How else can visitors immerse themselves in Marquette’s unique culture and vibrant community?

Vivian: Be sure to check out one of our fantastic local restaurants or breweries. Marquette has so many great dining options, and if you love good beer, you’ve definitely come to the right place. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy some live music, with like the Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival and musicians playing at local pubs every weekend. The Fresh Coast Film Festival is another favorite, showcasing films from around the Great Lakes that highlight our community’s culture and values. And most importantly, don’t be shy—come say hi! The best way to truly immerse yourself in local culture is by chatting with the people who live here.

Located on Lake Superior, , is a community where nature’s assets are on display, with scenic vistas, rugged trails, rushing waterfalls, and a vibrant historic downtown. Featuring abundant outdoor activities, unique dining experiences, award-winning craft breweries, and a thriving art scene, Marquette embraces a culture anchored in artisanship and ingenuity.

The post Discover Michigan’s Year-Round şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Hub appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

The U.S. was built for cars. I’m talking about our infrastructure: the interstate system, traffic laws, speed limits, and streets. They’re all designed with vehicles in mind. And yet, some communities have embraced and are moving toward the bicycle over the car.

These towns have done so much: created bike-lane infrastructure and robust greenway systems, leveraged their natural attributes by building singletrack, and put in signage and lower speed limits to make country roads safer. Bike towns vary wildly, some filled with people who pedal to work and shuttle toddlers around via cargo bikes, others good for those who exist solely to shred dirt trails or ascend mountain roads.

To create this list of the Best Small Bike Towns in America, I studied data collected each year by , a non-profit that ranks the “Best Places to Bike” based on factors like local speed limits and cycling infrastructure, giving each community a score from 0 to 100. The average city in the U.S. scores in the mid-20s, while the most bike-friendly places rate in the 70s to low 90s.

I doubled down on data by bringing in info from the , a non-profit that promotes cycling through education and advocacy, and rates communities with Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze status dependent on a town’s numbers of bike lanes and lane connectivity.

Safe streets and being able to commute to school and work are important, but other factors determine a great bike town, like the number of dirt trails and mountains nearby to ascend. So I also sought data from Ěýwhich catalogs the number of mountain-bike trails within feasible reach of each community, and looked for towns that also have access both to world-class road-cycling routes and lonely gravel roads to explore. (Trailforks is owned by şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Inc., the same company that owns şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř.)

I wanted to focus on small towns across the U.S., so I capped populations at 100,000, which left out some big hitters like Boulder, Colorado, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, both outstanding places to live if you want to bike. My compliments to those communities—please keep up the good work.

While I used as many data points as I could find, this list also contains some subjectivity based on my own experience. For example, Park City, Utah, is in here even though it receives a middling score from People for Bikes. Why? The mountain biking is amazing and there’s so much of it. I also included towns that go above and beyond for commuters, others that have vibrant social cycling scenes (like group rides and events), and others with epic road routes.

Of course, some cities do it all, and I put them at the top of the list. Here are the 10 Best Small Bike Towns in America, ranked.

1. Crested Butte, Colorado

Population: 1,654

People for Bikes Score: 87

League of American Bicyclists: Gold

Why I Chose It: This small Colorado ski town could have earned a spot on this list solely based on its assessments in People for Bikes and the League of American Bicyclists for its bike infrastructure and safe streets. But Crested Butte rose to the top of the pack because it’s also a fantastic mountain-bike mecca, with a lift-served downhill park on the edge of town and access to more than 750 miles of trails within the greater Gunnison Valley.

Oh, and it’s an underrated road-cycling destination, with mixed gravel and paved rides beginning in town and climbing to scenic lookouts like Ohio Pass and Kebler Pass, where the Elk Mountains rise ahead in a mix of craggy peaks and aspen-clad slopes.

Number of Bike Trails: 247

Most Popular Bike Trail on Trailforks: tops the lists. This eight-mile, mostly downhill high-alpine trail begins at Schofield Pass and drops more than 1,000 feet, passing through wildflower meadows with views of the Gothic Valley and Mount Crested Butte.

2. Davis, California

Population: 68,000

People for Bikes Score: 77, highest ranked medium-sized city in its report

League of American Bicyclists Status: Platinum

Why I Chose It: Davis, a college town on the outskirts of Sacramento, is a bike commuter’s dream. It was the first city in the U.S. to implement dedicated bike lanes, back in 1967, and has only improved its bike infrastructure since. Currently, more than have bike lanes, giving locals 102 miles of those and 63 miles of off-street paths to pedal. Many intersections have bike-specific signals, and there are even bike boulevards, meaning streets shut down to motorized vehicles. Davis has been repeatedly touted as the most bike-friendly city in the U.S. by organizations like People for Bikes, and the League of American Bicyclists estimates that 22 percent of residents commute regularly by bike.

Number of Bike Trails: 7. Davis proper isn’t much of a mountain-bike community–most of the in-town trails are short paths cutting through neighborhoods and parks. But there are good trail systems within the greater Sacramento Valley, known for its patchwork of vegetable and fruit farms, including the 20 miles of trail at Rockville Hills Regional Park 30 minutes south.

Most Popular Bike Trail on Trailforks: , in Rockville Hills, connects you from the trailhead parking lot to the gems within the stacked-loop system, including Lake Front, which has a fun, easy downhill before skirting Grey Goose Lake.

Ěý3. Jackson, Wyoming

Population: 10,698

People for Bikes Score: 79

League of American Bicyclists Status: Gold

Why I Chose It: Jackson Hole made this list for its bike-lane connectivity. More than 100 miles of paved trails run through and beyond town, with 115 miles of singletrack surrounding it—and that’s just within the valley known as Jackson Hole. Not only can you bike to the grocery store on a designated route, you can pedal into the National Wildlife Refuge and Grand Teton National Park on a paved trail (it’s 20 miles from Jackson to Jenny Lake inside the park), with views of the jagged Teton Range and herds of elk.

Trailheads for popular singletrack begin right on the edge of neighborhood streets, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s extensive lift-served routes are 15 minutes from the town center. Biking is woven into the fabric of the community, through the extensive infrastructure and events like bike swaps, youth programs, and In June, a landslide closed a 10-mile stretch of the Teton Pass mountain road for three weeks, impeding the commute between Jackson and less expensive communities in Idaho. The silver lining? Cyclists enjoyed a car-free pedal to the top of the pass. Teton Pass is open now, and classic rides like Parallel Trail, a 1.5-mile downhill with lots of jumps, are once again easy to access.

Number of Bike Trails: 105

Most Popular Bike Trail on Trailforks: takes top honors. This beginner-friendly three-mile cross-country trail begins at the Cache Creek Trailhead and has a number of connectors that allow you to form fast, rolling loops with other trails in the same system, like , for nearby post-work romps.

4. Aspen, Colorado

Population: 6,741

People for Bikes Score: 75

League of American Bicyclists Status: Gold

Why I Chose It: Aspen checks all the boxes, scoring high marks from People for Bikes and the League of American Bicyclists thanks to its infrastructure and low-speed streets. The city of manages more than 22 miles of paved bike trails connecting parks within the town’s limits, and the Rio Grande Trail offers 42 miles of no-traffic asphalt from Aspen to Glenwood Springs.

Aspen also has a bike-share program in the form of , which has stations throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and offers 30-minute free rides in town.

Aspen-Snowmass and the Roaring Fork Valley was the first destination in Colorado to earn Gold Level Ride Center status from the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA). The Roaring Fork Valley has more than 300 miles of trails, from lift-served descents at Snowmass Mountain Resort to hut-to-hut bikepacking through some of the cabin system. And then you have the road routes, like the bucket-list-worthy 16-mile roundtrip from downtown to Maroon Bells, where the twin 14,000-foot Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak rise above the placid Maroon Lake.

Number of Bike Trails: 191

Most Popular Bike Trail: The crown goes to , a 4.4-mile downhill romp in Snowmass’ Bike Park that is full of berms and rollers from top to bottom. Both beginners and pros love it as being fun regardless of how fast you tackle it.

5. Ashland, Oregon

Population: 21,285

People for Bikes Score: 70

League of American Bicyclists Status: Gold

Why I Chose It: Ashland is celebrated for its annual Shakespeare Festival, but this southern Oregon town deserves to be just as famous for its biking. The only question is which riders have it better here, the roadies or the mountain bikers? Road cyclists have the 55-mile Cascade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway, which begins and ends downtown and climbs 5,000 feet out of Bear Valley, with views of iconic landmarks like the volcanic Pilot Rock and the 9,000-foot tall Mount McLoughlin.

Hundreds of miles of rural paved roads extend into the surrounding Siskiyou Range. Mountain bikers enjoy the 100-mile trail system in the 15,000-acre , where singletrack ascends to the top of 7,532-foot Mount Ashland and runs all the way back into town, more than 5,000 feet below. runs shuttles ($30 per person), so you can skip the climb up Mount Ashland and focus on the descent during your 13- to 25-mile (depending on the route) ride.

All cyclists get to pedal the 20-mile Bear Creek Greenway that runs north from the edge of town, connecting Ashland with surrounding communities. Fun fact: Ashland is home to the United Bicycle Institute, a school for bike mechanics and builders, that has offered one- and two-week programs since 1981.

Number of Bike Trails: 86 trails

Most Popular Bike Trail on Trailforks: Locals love the two-mile , which drops almost 1,000 feet of elevation in a series of machine-built berms and tabletops. (Hand-built trails are narrower and often more technical.)

6. Park City, Utah

Population: 8,374

People for Bikes Score: 48

League of American Bicyclists Status: Gold

Why I Chose It: Park City’s People for Bikes score isn’t stellar. While at 48 it’s well above the U.S. average, it still doesn’t crack their list of the top 10 small cities due to the city’s lack of bike-safety projects and like grocery stores and hospitals. But its ranking is climbing—up 15 points, from 33, in the last three years—and the town is interlaced by an impressive of non-motorized bike paths. Park City also has a share fleet of electric bikes, and the city introduced a that actually pays people to commute during winter.

All of that is great, but I chose Park City for this list because of its mountain biking. It is an IMBA Gold-Level Ride Center, with more than of singletrack extending directly from town into the Wasatch Mountains. I live in a good city for mountain bikers (Asheville) but am jealous: the you can pedal in Park City is absolutely bonkers: this might be the best town in America to live in if you’re a mountain biker. The only downside is the trails’ seasonality; you’re not riding dirt in the winter, but that’s why they make skis.

Number of Bike Trails: 629

Most Popular Bike Trail on Trailforks: The Wasatch Crest Trail is a classic mountain-bike ride in Park City, running for 13 miles west of the city with plenty of high-alpine ridgeline singletrack and accompanying big-mountain views. Almost all of the trails are amazing, but locals love , a short A-line section of the Wasatch Crest Trail, with crazy exposure on a knife-edge ridge.

7. Harbor Springs, Michigan

Population: 1,271

People for Bikes Score: 92

League of American Bicyclists Status: Not Ranked (communities must apply for consideration)

Why I Chose It: Harbor Springs, a small waterfront village on Lake Michigan, earned an outstanding score in People for Bikes’ latest rankings for connectivity: cyclists can pedal everywhere safely, from grocery stores to schools to parks, thanks to low-traffic, low-speed streets (that are pretty flat, too), and the Little Traverse Wheelway, a 26-mile greenway that connects Harbor Springs with several communities and parks along Little Traverse Bay.

Pedaling isn’t just relegated to in-town cruising, though. The place has a vibrant mountain-biking scene thanks largely to , a lift-served bike park with 22 miles of mountain-bike trails. There’s a mix of trails for all levels, while cyclists just looking to cruise will find several miles of wide paths at the and the .

Number of Bike Trails: 54

Most Popular Bike Trail on Trailforks: The short , a double-black downhill trail at the Highlands Bike Park, gets top honors for its bevy of wooden features like jumps, drops, and berms.

8. Provincetown, Massachusetts

Population: 3,664

People for Bikes Score: 96

League of American Bicyclists Status: Silver

Why I Chose It: Provincetown had the second-highest score of any town in the U.S. thanks to its suite of low speed limits, multiple bike paths, a dedication to the commuting cause, and the lack of hills. The secluded island community of Mackinac Island, Michigan, had the only higher score, and while I love the idea of a town that bans cars, I ultimately left the place off this list because of its seclusion and the inherent difficulty of living and working there. (Mackinac only has 500 year-round residents.)

Provincetown has a Bicycle Committee that plans projects and prints an annual . A beach town on the tip of Cape Cod, it was essentially built for single-speed cruising—think pedaling to the ocean and then to get ice cream—and that sort of low-speed, casual cruising remains a fixture of the lifestyle. The year-round population is just over 3,000, and yet Provincetown has five bike shops. A five-mile loop trail traverses the forests and dunes outside of town, with spurs to beaches facing the Atlantic.

Number of Bike Trails: 21

Most Popular Trail on Trailforks: Province Lands Bike Trail is the main attraction with a hilly, paved 5.25 mile loop through sand dunes and beech forest. Check out the 3.5-mile , which connects two popular beaches on opposite ends of the Cape.

9. Sewanee, Tennessee

Population: 2,922

People for Bikes Score: 83

League of American Bicyclists Status: None, but the University of the South in town has a Bronze ranking

Why I Chose It: Sewanee is a small college town on the top of the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee with beautiful Collegiate Gothic architecture and stunning fall foliage. Life revolves around the University of the South, and the community in general has the languid pace of a tiny southern mountain town, which, frankly, is ideal for someone riding around. Sewanee is the number-one-ranked Bike Friendly Community in the South, according to People for Bikes, based on the low-traffic streets and bike access to essential destinations like schools, jobs, and grocery stores.

Cyclists could probably live a car-free (or car-light) life, but there’s more here than just going from A to B. The 22-mile Perimeter Loop is a mix of singletrack, double track, and pavement that encircles the university’s campus and provides access to other trails in the area, while the 12-mile Mountain Goat Trail is a paved off-street option that traces an old railway from Sewanee northeast to the town of Monteagle. Road cyclists can create 25-mile-plus loops using the country roads that descend and ascend the 1,000-foot-tall Cumberland Plateau.

Number of Trails: 34

Most Popular Trail on Trailforks: The 14-mile singletrack portion of the is the locals’ favorite option thanks to its cross-country flow and mild technical difficulty.

10. Fayetteville, Arkansas

Population: 99,285

People for Bikes Score: 50

League of American Bicyclists Status: Gold

Fayetteville barely made it under our population cap of 100,000, but this southern mountain town is a great sleeper destination for cyclists. It may not get quite the attention of hot towns like Bentonville, but Fayetteville is surrounded by the Ozark Mountains, with 50 miles of singletrack in town and the nearby ridges, not to mention hundreds of miles of gravel roads.

Within the city, cruisers have 50 miles of paved bike trails, and the future is only looking brighter. Fayetteville’s council a community where every resident is within a two-minute pedal of an established trail, and the town is building an average of two to three miles of paved trail every year. Fayetteville is also the beginning of the , a 40-mile regional bike path that connects communities throughout Northwestern Arkansas.

Number of Trails: 154

Most Popular Trail on Trailforks: Mountain bikers love , an intermediate flow trail that connects with two downhill trails, Red Rum and Chunky.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national-parks columnist. He rides his bike everywhere around his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, even though it has a poor People for Bikes score because of a lack of .

For more by this author, see:

8 Surf Towns Where You Can Learn the Sport and the Culture

The Best Ways to Get şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř in West Virginia

The 10 Best National Parks in Canada

The 5 Best National Park Road Trips in the U.S.

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Some people book hotels for high-quality gyms; others prioritize al fresco bathtubs. For me, an astrophotographer, accommodation selection comes down to one thing: stargazing potential.

With the recent astrotourism boom, due in part to the amazing northern-lights viewing in the U.S. this year, many lodges have bolstered their night-sky offerings. But not all dark-sky retreats are created equally. Simply having a view of constellations or being located near a low-light-pollution park doesn’t necessarily make for a stellar stargazing hotel.

A true dark-sky retreat makes the nightscape a main attraction. I’ve traveled to my fair share of properties that fit this bill, and others I can’t wait to check into for a night of cosmos-watching. Here are the ones I recommend in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Sky Village at Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch

Cortez, Colorado

Hidden among the mesas and grassy valleys of the arid Colorado Plateau lies one of my favorite Milky Way–watching lookouts on the continent: . The southwestern Colorado getaway, bookended between its namesake monument and the Ute Mountain Reserve, enjoys pristine night views best enjoyed from the new Star Tower, a two-story structure with views of Sleeping Ute Mountain that opened in 2023.

Its architecture is reminiscent of the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings found at nearby Mesa Verde National Park, located 30 miles east. You can spend days here bouncing between parks, hiking the nearby trails, and meeting the ranch’s farm animals. Come nightfall, all eyes are on the sky—particularly if you’re relaxing on the tower’s star-view deck. From $515

oTentik

Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan

As our northern neighbor’s inkiest dark-sky preserve, certified by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, nightscapes are about as star-speckled as they were when the dinosaurs tromped here—a history that draws fossil hunters and astrotourists alike.

Few accommodations exist in this 280-square-mile swath of mixed-grass prairie, but you can book Parks Canada’s , a collection of 12 cozy safari-style accommodations in the Frenchman Valley and Rock Creek campgrounds, designed with both sleeping and living-room spaces for up to six people. Based here, you can scour for fossils and admire the resident buffalo by day and gaze across 360 degrees of starry skies from your tent perch come dusk.

It’s worth mentioning that the park is ideally situated near the remote Saskatchewan-Montana border, a spot known for aurora sightings. Like many of our favorite contiguous U.S. aurora-hunting spots, lights viewing can occur here year-round. From $115

Under Canvas Bryce Canyon

Widtsoe, Utah

, lauded for its upscale, national-park-adjacent glamp sites, made an astrotourism splash in 2023 when it partnered with global light-pollution authority DarkSky International to turn a into the first DarkSky-certified resorts. At this especially incredible 50-tent outpost, located just 15 miles north of Bryce Canyon, an International DarkSky Park, the skies turn particularly dusky each night.

According to the nine-level Bortle Scale of , the property’s skies have the darkest rating: Class 1. Admire constellations from your private porch, join guided stargazing sessions, try meditative star bathing, or get hands on with community telescopes. The crème de la crème for space enthusiasts is the Stargazer tent, which features a large skylight to admire starry skies as as you doze off.

Under Canvas Bryce Canyon, is open from May through September. From $472

Fresh Coast Cabins

Eagle Harbor, Michigan

While I’ve enjoyed northern lights sightings around the world, few places have been as lucky for me as , ten trendy, family-owned cabins on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. It ticks every box on my lower 48 aurora-hunting checklist: a clear, north-facing view across Lake Superior—essential for catching the swirls since they appear closer to the horizon in lower latitudes—and virtually no light pollution.

Its spacious campfire-gathering space draws guests outdoors at night for a few hours of star- and aurora-gazing, but I recommend that avid sky-watchers book Cabin Nine or the slightly pricier Aurora Major Suite. Both boast private porches with sweeping lake views. After a dose of astronomical awe, pop into the property’s new , a traditional Finnish construction, then trot the path down to the lake for a reinvigorating dip in its waters. Repeat as needed. From $300

Four Seasons Resort Lanai

Lanai City, Hawaii

The 213-room may be a five-star splurge, but for night-sky buffs interested in stargazing as well as authentic Native culture, it’s worth it. The resort, set on this small, palm-fringed island roughly an hour via ferry from Maui, runs that spotlights both the stars and the stories of the Indigenous Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders that long relied on them for navigation. The observatory is also open to residents during special community events and for STEM internship programs for local students.

Expert-led star talks delve into celestial navigation history, and you can peer through a 3.2-foot telescope for a closer look at the skies. Other evening activities at the resort include full-moon themed dinners and guided starlit meditations overlooking Holopoe Bay, where the crashing waves add a splash of sound therapy. From $1,500

Pleasant Acres Reindeer Ranch

Pleasant Valley, Alaska

Aurora hunting from , a new getaway some 30 miles east of Fairbanks, is like sky-watching from a holiday snow globe. The 18-acre property is about as North Pole as U.S. travel gets. There are four igloo-style domes, named after caribou herds in Alaska, and each with a private deck positioned just above a bustling reindeer hangout. That means endless nights of watching for the northern lights with Santa’s helpers lazing nearby. Another thoughtful perk is a kitchenette equipped with a microwave—perfect for warming cocoa during long nights awake.

Worried about dozing through the show? Sign up for the ranch’s complimentary aurora alerts so you don’t miss a second of the colorful swirls. Daytime adventures include reindeer hikes and dogsled rides. And if you visit during the summer, the ranch has room-darkening shades for snoozing despite the all-hours midnight sun. From $280

The Oasis at Death Valley

Death Valley National Park, California

There’s a reason stargazers flock to this national park. Its remote and arid landscape, named a Gold Tier Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International, delights with obsidian skies across its 3.4 million acres of salt flats, sand dunes, and rainbow-hued hills. Even on bright-moon nights at the , I could spy countless stars. That said, it’s best to visit around a new moon, particularly in the less toasty months of October to February, for after-dark festivities that spotlight the park’s spellbinding skies.

The Oasis, included in DarkSky International’s certification of the park in 2013, offers two hotels: the higher-end , with 66 rooms and 22 casitas, and the , with 275 rooms. You’ll enjoy the park’s signature nightscapes from either landing pad, particularly during the annual in early March. Another great post-sunset adventure is the s offered by Furnace Creek Stables ($120 for one hour). Ranch rooms from $170; inn rooms from $356

Rancho La ConcepciĂłn

Los Manzanos, Mexico

A heaven full of stars awaits travelers willing to go off-grid to this small, sustainable, and Wi-Fi-free ranch in the wilderness of Baja California, some 115 miles southeast of Ensenada. offers three rustic-chic cabins near the mountainous Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, an area so dark that astronomers decided to situate the country’s second-largest telescope here. You can visit , a 23-mile drive east, during select public events, including presentations the first Friday of each month.

That said, Rancho La Concepción’s Bortle Class 1 skies make it hard to leave—particularly when the owners run space-sighting sessions with hot chocolate on hand. If there’s just one or two of you, book to watch the sparkly skies from bed. From $130

Thorny Mountain Fire Tower

Seneca State Forest, West Virginia

On the eastern side of West Virginia, a half-day’s drive from Washington, D.C., Seneca State Forest draws anglers and hikers eager to trek the area’s strech of the 330-mile Allegheny Trail. Come nightfall, there’s no better vantage point than the forest’s 65-foot-highĚý, a refurbished accommodation and picturesque dark-sky retreat that juts well above the pines.

The two-bed tower can sleep up to four people and retains the rustic, low-frills aesthetic of its 1935 beginnings, with 360-degree windows and a wrap-around balcony that lets Mother Nature do the decorating. The digs, reached via 69 steps, are only available from April through October and get scooped up almost a year in advance. Once you’re there, staring up in wonder at the bright cosmos, it’s not hard to see why it’s so special. From $150

Compass Rose Lodge

Huntsville, Utah

The Ogden Valley isn’t solely for ski buffs. The eclectic 15-room illustrates the region’s astrotourism allure, starting with the on-site . The stargazing haven, roughly 45 miles north of Salt Lake City, is open to guests and the local community, with telescopes to peer into space and nightly guided observations.

Also worthy of your time is the , just 2.5 miles north of the Compass Rose.Ěý A 13-mile-long model of our solar system, the project includes sculptures and artistic renderings of the planets, best enjoyed on a ride along the (bike rentals are available at the lodge). From $279

Summit at Big Bend

Terlingua, Texas

At nine million acres, southern Texas’s Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve is the largest dark sky reserve in the world. It encompasses not only Big Bend National Park but the ghost town of Terlingua and its nearby astro hub, the . Its glamping accommodations, from domes to cave dwellings, offer jet-black Bortle Class 1 nightscapes across 1,000 private desert acres.

For astronomy fans, it’s tough to beat—or catch any shut-eye in—the property’s stargazing domes, where clear ceilings and front walls are optimal for watching the shrub-dotted desert transition from blue-sky day to shimmery polka-dotted twilight. Catch the cosmos from your dome or your ownĚý fire pit, or enjoy the reserve’s numerous other , including astro programming in nearby —its Maverick Junction entrance is 17 miles to the east. From $159

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř and astrotourism writer Stephanie Vermillion travels the globe in search of the best night-sky views, from stargazing-themed hotels to aurora-hunting campsites. Her upcoming book 100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřs After Dark will be out December 3.

The post These 11 Dark-Sky Retreats Are the Perfect Places to Look Up appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Where can you find stunning coastline, charming shoreline towns, and a variety of restaurants serving up dishes with locally sourced ingredients? All signs point to Michigan—the perfect destination for . To learn all about why eco-minded travellers will love this Midwest state, we tapped Michigan local and sustainable travel enthusiast .

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: What sets Michigan apart as a travel destination?

Emily Kay: One thing (among many) I love about Michigan is how versatile it is as a state. From lakes and sand dunes to vineyards and forests, there’s an incredible amount of beauty and experiences to be had, no matter the season.

What are your favourite sustainable travel experiences in Michigan?

While “sustainable travel” can be a broad term, I like to keep in mind important elements such as supporting local businesses and the environment while visiting a destination. Below is a roundup of some of my favourite places and experiences that prioritize sustainability.

• Mackinac Island: An entire island with no cars where you get around via bicycles and horses? Not sure if modern travel can get more sustainable. Beyond that, is such a unique place filled with charm. My favourite things to do are bike around the island and discover the many surprises like historic forts and natural monuments along the way, explore the Grand Hotel, admire the gorgeous colourful houses that look like they are straight out of a scene from Cape Cod, take a carriage ride, and eat lots of fudge.
• Glamp at the Fields of Michigan: If you want an all-inclusive experience that embraces life’s simple pleasures, look no further than the . My husband and I spent a weekend there last summer for his birthday, and it was one of our all-time favourite Michigan experiences, which is saying a lot! We enjoyed a farm-to-table dinner where the chef served locally sourced food, rode bikes through blooming sunflowers into downtown South Haven, picked blueberries in their private field, and made s’mores by the campfire. Bonus: The tents have comfortable beds, private showers, and toilets. It was perfect.
• Visit Coastal Towns: Michigan’s shoreline towns are perfect for walking and biking vacations, which is about as low impact as it gets. There are so many great towns filled with amazing shops, delicious restaurants, and things to do—I can’t pick just one. A few of my favourites are , , , , , , , and . Great plan: Try stopping at a few towns along M-22.Ěý
• Take In the Scenery: No matter where you are in Michigan, there’s always an outdoor adventure to be had. A few favourites include and , both stunning natural sites that are a must in terms of travel experiences. Another fun thing to do is take a road trip and tour the many along the 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) of shoreline.Ěý

What sustainable travel tips can you offer people who are visiting Michigan’s lakes and woods?

Reduce, reuse, recycle—and pick up after yourself! Michigan is such a treasured place, and its natural beauty is truly so unique—not to mention our natural resources, such as fresh water, which are vital to the ecosystem. As someone who was born and raised here and who frequents the shores as much as possible, I’ve seen firsthand how factors like pollution can affect the lakes and land. It’s quite heartbreaking but entirely preventable with effort from locals and visitors alike. I think we all need to be more mindful of the environment and how our actions play into it, travelling or not.Ěý

How do you enjoy food?

I live in the metro Detroit area, and one of my all-time favourite restaurants near my hometown is . The warm and inviting atmosphere is staged in a 300-year-old barn situated on acres of farmland, and the kitchen serves dishes made from local sources. I’ve never had a dish there that I haven’t loved.Ěý

In terms of experiences, a great way to enjoy local food is to embrace all that Michigan’s seasons offer. In summer and fall, one thing my family and I always have on our bucket list is adventuring to local farms to handpick local fruit. My favourite fruits to pick are strawberries and blueberries; both make great .Ěý

Another way to embrace locally grown food is to frequent farmers markets. They’re a huge part of Michigan culture, especially in the warmer months. One of the best I’ve been to while travelling is the . Year-round, my favourite is the in Detroit, where you can get everything from local produce to Michigan-made goods. Our family loves a weekend morning where we get produce from the market, then enjoy brunch in the area afterward. It’s the perfect outing for exploring the city.Ěý

What are your favourite Michigan brands and artisans?Ěý

I’d be remiss not to mention favourites like Shinola or Carhartt, which as brands embody the hardworking spirit of Detroit. But I also love smaller, mission-led brands like . The brand partners with organizations and institutions to raise money for higher education, food banks, community programs, parks, and natural resource conservation in Michigan. It’s the perfect place to purchase memorabilia for your friends, family, and yourself.Ěý

In terms of artisans, a favourite of mine is Sweetwater Floral, founded by Kalin Sheick, a talented floral artist who has won awards for her designs. Her team recently opened a shop near Walloon Lake, which is on my list of places that I need to visit soon.Ěý

One incredible resource is , which is all about celebrating the state’s immensely talented people.

And if you’re interested in reading more about why I love this state, I’ve written a few personal blog posts about the topic:

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit . For Pure Michigan tourism information, your trip begins at . Join the conversation on , , , and .

The post How to Explore Michigan Like a Local appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

America kicks ass. I’m talking about our terrain, the landscape. The white sands and steep cliffs that make up the coast, the mountains that rise from river valleys, the backcountry lakes tucked into flowering meadows…and all the adventure you can find. We’ve got desert and we’ve got rainforest. We’ve got bullet-proof cliff faces to climb and waist-deep powder to ski. We’ve got remote island parks and bike trails that start at the end of the cul de sac. Sand dunes and swamps, prairies and peaks. …Collectively, we have it all.

But how “adventurous” is a given state? How does it stack up against its neighbors in terms of public land and trail systems? How many national parks does it have? How are the hiking, mountain biking, and climbing? It’s tough to measure objectively—every state is so different and worthy in its own right.

How We Ranked the Most Adventurous States

The good news? We’ve ranked the most adventurous states in America, relying on hard data instead of our subjective feelings about one place or another, pulling from a specific set of factors that apply to most outdoor-adventure enthusiasts and cover activities for all seasons.

Those include:

• Number of acres of public land, as well as the number of national and state parks, because access for everyone is crucial
• Miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails
• Miles of coastline and rivers
• Number of ski areas

Here’s Where the Data Comes From

I pulled figures on total acres of public land in various states from the non-profit research group , and found the total number of state parks and national parks from the National Park Service and various state-park agencies. I used crowd-sourced platforms like , , and to find the estimated miles of mountain biking and hiking trails in each state. These figures aren’t complete, as the data is largely user-generated, but they give a good sense of what’s available in the area. The University of Montana’s program gave me data on federally designated wilderness areas in each state, while I culled river data from the . (Note: User-generated data figures change; these are accurate for the week of March 18, 2024.)

Highlighting the Winners By Region

While I do name an overall Most Adventurous State in the U.S., I also broke the country down by region, choosing one state from each zone as the data-driven winner, and one runner up (because some places are just as worthy and deserve recognition). That was to assess neighbor states with similar landscapes, instead of putting, say, Rhode Island against Nevada head-to-head.

I went into this project with some preconceptions. I thought for sure my home state of North Carolina would win the showdown in the South, and if you had asked me to name the most adventurous state in the Lower 48 based on my own experience, I’d say Idaho. Was I right? Read on.

The Most Adventurous State in the U.S.

Alaska

Wow factors, by the numbers

• 306,600,000 acres of public land
• 8 national parks
• 156 state parks
• 1,083 miles of hiking trails
• 3,036 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 6,640 miles coastline
• 365,000 miles of rivers
• 18 ski areas

Alaska is big. Like, really big (365,000,000 acres), but it’s not just size that makes Alaska our overall Most Adventurous State in the U.S. It’s the terrain, which ranges from 20,000-foot mountains (Denali) to deep fjords, from lush river valleys to glaciers. Roughly 84 percent of the state is set aside as public land. Alaska contains half of all federally designated wilderness in America, including the single largest such area, the Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness at 9,432,000 acres. Alaska is so big and so wild that three million lakes don’t even have a name. It’s not necessarily the state you go to for developed recreation (many of its public landscapes have no established road or trail within), but for raw adventure, there’s no place in the U.S. like Alaska.

Recommended Hike: Exit Glacier via Harding Ice Field Approach

This 8.2-mile inside Kenai Fjords National Park climbs through alder forests and meadows to a perch above treeline with a view of the Harding Icefield, which stretches for 700 square miles. It’s a tough hike, gaining 3,000 feet in just over four miles, but only in Alaska will a hike end at a field of ice this gigantic.

Local Intel: “We do a lot of kayaking adventures, but paddling to the Knik Glacier is my favorite,” says Derek Van Kampen, founder of the kayak guide service , who moved to Alaska for a job but stayed for the outdoor lifestyle. “It’s the largest glacier in the Mat Su Valley, and it’s carved such an amazing landscape. It’s a full-day adventure, with four hours of paddling, but it’s calm water through marsh and wide river. You get to experience the glacier runoff, which is the headwaters of the Knik River, and the wildlife is amazing. We’ve had eagles come down and grab fish right in front of us.”

Most Adventurous State on the West Coast

California

Wow factors, by the numbers

• 54,477,800 acres of public land
• 9 national parks
• 280 state parks
• 16,521 miles of hiking trails
• 32,062 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 840 miles coastline
• 189,454 miles of rivers
• 33 ski areas

Surf or ski? In California, you don’t have to choose. The western edge of the state is packed with world-class surf breaks up and down the coast while the interior has mountains that rise to 14,494 feet (Mount Whitney). You’ll find 33 ski resorts among those ridges. Mammoth Mountain Resort received almost 40 inches of powder in a recent storm.

California is also ground zero for climbing, giving us the Yosemite Decimal System (to rate the difficulty of rock climbs) and early big-wall ascents, and Marin County is the birthplace of mountain biking, since a group of teens in the 1960s and 1970s started riding down Mount Tamalpais on cruiser bikes. In the desert, jewels like Joshua Tree National Park protect a dusty landscape full of boulders, cliffs, and the skyward-reaching yuccas the place is named for. I lived in Southern California for a year, parking cars at night and learning to surf during the day. I’m headed there again soon to explore a completely different aspect of the state, Channel Islands National Park, but it’d take me a lifetime to experience the state’s entire adventure portfolio.

Recommended Hike: Peter Grubb Hut via the Pacific Crest Trail

This is the most popular hike in California, according to . It’s a tough 13.5-mile lollipop loop through Tahoe National Forest, but hikers can relish long stretches of ridgeline trail above treeline. The journey ends at the historic Peter Grubb Hut, which you can reserve through the . Looking for a short hike in an iconic California landscape? Check out the one-mile Lower Yosemite Falls Loop, which delivers views of the 320-foot waterfall in the heart of Yosemite National Park. My own favorite backpacking trail ever is the North Rim Loop, Yosemite.

California Intel: “Palos Verdes Cove has a good with fun rights and lefts,” says John Cavan of Manhattan Beach, who’s surfed in Southern California for 20 years. “And it’s one of the prettiest breaks around, with waves crashing into a narrow beach walled in by a tall, rocky bluff. It’s a protected marine preserve, so the water quality is good.”

West Coast Runner Up

Washington

• 16,616,371 acres of public land
• 3 national parks
• 140 state parks
• 10,915 miles of hiking trails
• 19,001 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 157 miles coastline
• 70,439 miles of rivers
• 20 ski areas

Washington may be a runner-up, but it has an astounding variety of adventure. You can do legit mountaineering here, on Mount Rainier or Mount Adams, among many others, and kayak with whales in Puget Sound. The state has the second-most miles of mountain-bike trails in the entire country (after California) and a healthy winter that supports 20 different ski areas.

Most Adventurous State in the Mountain West

Colorado

Wow factors, by the numbers

• 28,004,928 acres of public land
• 4 national parks
• 42 state parks
• 17,545 miles of hiking trails
• 18,779 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 0 miles coastline
• 107,403 miles of rivers
• 39 ski areas

This was the toughest race of them all. Idaho and Utah gave Colorado a run for its money; Utah has five national parks and 45 state parks, and Idaho has the most wilderness in the mountain region…but Colorado has solid numbers in every single category. It’s a mecca for climbers, skiers, and mountain bikers as well as families looking for scenic hikes, camping, and fishing. I lived there for years and still go back at least once a winter to ski. Not only does Colorado have four stellar national parks, it has one of the most iconic of them all: Rocky Mountain National Park. Oh, and there are more than 30,000 established climbing routes in the state. Let’s be honest, Colorado just has a combo of weather and terrain that makes us all want to live there, or at the very least, visit often enough as to become a nuisance to the people who do. But hey, Utah and Idaho, anyone is psyched to call you home.

Recommended Hike: Quandary Peak

Colorado is known for its 14ers, and in White River National Forest offers a stunning summit with a relatively short approach. The hike is a straightforward 6.2-mile out and back along a broad ridgeline through wildflowers and maybe past the occasional mountain goat. From the top, hikers have clear views of a handful of other 14ers, including Mount Lincoln, Mount Cameron, and Crystal Peak.

Colorado Intel: “Rocky Mountain National Park gets a lot of people, but if you walk a mile from the road, you’ll lose the crowds,” says Gary Bien, a longtime angler who works at Kirk’s Fly Shop in Estes Park. “Check out , deep in the park. It requires a 10-mile hike, but the lake has good brook trout, and you’ll have it all to yourself except for the moose.”

Mountain West Runner Up:

Utah

• 40,211,778 acres of public land
• 5 national parks
• 45 state parks
• 4,468 miles of hiking trail
• 14,548 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 21 ski areas

Like I said, Utah almost took the crown for most adventurous state in the mountains, for good reason. Roughly 75 percent of Utah is protected as public land. The state has five outstanding national parks, not to mention breathtaking national monuments and recreation areas. The skiing, the climbing, the mountain biking, the adventure towns like Moab and Park City. …I’ve explored slot canyons with my kids in this state that were so out-of-this-world I considered relocating the family.

Most Adventurous State in the Midwest

Michigan

Wow factors, by the numbers

• 13,617,525 acres of public land
• 1 national park
• 103 state parks
• 5,292 miles of hiking
• 9,345 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 3,288 miles coastline (Great Lakes!)
• 51,438 miles of river
• 43 ski areas

Michigan is the adventurous heart of the heartland, with almost as much coastline as California and vibrant ski and mountain-bike scenes, to boot. There isn’t a ton of public land (it comprises just 22 percent of the landmass) in the state, but what’s available is stellar, from one of the most isolated and least-visited national parks in the system, Isle Royale, to the Caribbean-blue waters of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. And it’s pretty wild, too, with 291,252 acres of federally designated wilderness and 16 designated Wild and Scenic Rivers. Hell, Michigan has the second-most ski areas in the U.S., and some of that skiing is really good. Meanwhile, two National Lakeshores punctuate the 3,000-plus miles of coast in this landlocked state. If you don’t think butting up against four Great Lakes counts as a real coast, then you haven’t seen Lake Superior on an angry day. Michigan has surf breaks.

Recommended Hike: Miner’s Castle Overlook Loop

This is the best difficult hike in Michigan, according to , a 10.1-mile loop that carves through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore’s most stunning scenery, passing waterfalls, sandy beaches, and so many arches, coves, and sandstone cliffs on the edge of Lake Superior you might get tired of the views. (No, you won’t.)

Local Intel: “There are a lot of places to ski in Michigan, but Mount Bohemia is the most unique,” says Jeff Thompson, founder of , a custom-design ski manufacturer in Boyne City. “It’s raw. There are no real frills, so there’s no reason to go there other than to ski. ĚýYou get to the right spots, and it’s a big, powdery playground, with Lake Effect snow. A lot of our skis have been born on that mountain.”

Midwest Runner Up

Minnesota

• 9,146,000 acres of public land
• 1 national park
• 75 state parks
• 3,230 miles of hiking trails
• 6,554 mountain-bike trails
• 189 miles of coastline (Great Lakes)
• 91,944 miles of river
• 18 ski areas

Minnesota has a lot of qualities that are not factored into this competition only because they fall outside of our categories. Consider its plethora of biking and hiking trails, while its cross-country ski trails are nearly impossible to count. So are the groomed fat-bike trails. If you’re fond of paddling, well, this is the Land of 10,000 Lakes (make that more like 12,000), including the best places to go for lake-hopping-style peace and solitude: the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park.

Most Adventurous State in the Southeast

Florida

Wow factors, by the numbers

• 10,942,307 acres of public land
• 3 national parks
• 175 state parks
• 1,769 miles of hiking trails
• 4,626 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 1,350 miles of coastline
• 25,949 miles of river
• 0 ski areas

Anyone else surprised about this winner? So am I, but Florida slayed other Southeastern states in totals of public land and number of state parks, and it’s the only Southern state with three national parks. The coastline is packed with surf spots on the east and wild islands all around. As for those national parks, how does paddling among wild mangroves or platform camping in the land of alligators sound? Meanwhile, the interior of Florida is laden with jungle-like flora and more than 700 natural cold springs. On a recent trip with my family to the state, I was flabbergasted at how pretty and wild some of these springs can feel. What else? Oh, there’s a legit mountain-bike scene in Florida, with almost 5,000 miles of trail. And the wildlife is next level, from enormous manatee in the rivers to panthers in the forest.

Recommended Hike: Black Bear Wilderness Preserve Trail

A that meanders through wetland and along the banks of the St. John River, this is a mini-safari in Central Florida offering a good chance to see black bears, alligators, woodpeckers, and herons.

Local Intel: “Most people don’t know it, but the Gulf Coast of Florida has great surfing, especially for beginners,” says Julia Reynolds, owner of Paradise Surf Fit, in Venice, Florida. “The North Jetty and South Jetty of Venice Beach have sandbars that create these really great waves every couple of weeks. When it’s flat, the water is clear and it’s great paddleboarding.”

Southeast Runner Up

North Carolina

• 3,788,840 acres of public land
• 1 national park
• 41 state parks
• 6,137 miles of hiking trails
• 4,851 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 301 miles of coastline
• 37,853 miles of river
• 6 ski areas

North Carolina has the tallest mountains on the Eastern Seaboard and arguably the best surfing on the Atlantic Coast. That ain’t bad, but it also has a slice of the most-visited national park—Great Smoky Mountains—in the country, and legendary singletrack and rock climbing in Pisgah National Forest. Also, you can drive Tail of the Dragon, a famousĚý scenic 11-mile stretch on the North Carolina/Tennessee border featuring 318 hairpin curves that spit you out to dozens of overlooks for enchanting fall-foliage views. I want to ride that road on my bike.

Most Adventurous State in the Northeast

New York

Wow factors, by the numbers

• 4,832,000 acres of public land
• 0 national parks
• 215 state parks
• 7,025 miles of hiking trails
• 18,061 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 127 miles coastline
• 51,790 miles of river
• 50 ski areas, the most in any state in the U.S.

New York is large when you look at all of the other Northeastern states crammed up against it on the map, and it hosts the largest contiguous park in the entire U.S. I’m talking about the 6.1-million-acre Adirondack Park, established in 1891. Inside that park are the state’s highest peaks (up to 5,344 feet), almost 3,000 backcountry lakes, and 200,000 acres of old growth. And that’s just one park. You also have world-class rock climbing in the Shawangunks (“Gunks”), surfing on Long Island, and 50 different ski areas—the most in any state in the U.S. Here’s another fun fact: despite being home to our nation’s largest concrete jungle, New York State is 61 percent forested.

Recommended Hike: Allen Mountain

This passes through varied terrain inside Adirondack Park, with a big river crossing and a long climb up 4,347-foot Allen Mountain proper. The views from the summit into the park are stellar, and you get to skirt some of Adirondack Park’s backcountry lakes.

Local Intel: The Oswegatchie Traverse, from Lows Lake down the Oswegatchie River, is my favorite backcountry canoe trip,” says Amelia Dragone, a New York native and manager for . “It’s a 30-mile route that gets you way out into the middle of the Five Ponds Wilderness. I’ve done it in three days, but it could take seven. It’s a chunk to bite off, with plenty of meaty portages. The toughest is 2.2 miles with some hills, but it’s all part of a good time.”

Northeast Runner Up

Maine

• 1,188,000acres of public land
• 1 national park
• 32 state parks
• 1,503 miles of hiking trails
• 3,043 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 228 miles of coast
• 19 ski resorts

Maine boasts the Northeast’s only national park, Acadia, but also a storied ski culture that goes back to the Great Depression, when the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the first ski trails. Hiking is engrained in the culture here, with trails that traverse peaks and access hut systems, and the Appalachian Trail (parts of it, including a section in Maine, were also built by the CCC) finishes dramatically on the rocky Mount Katahdin. Oh, and the Atlantic coast that’s home to the region’s only national park? It also supports a vibrant and hardcore surf scene.

Most Adventurous State in the Southwest

Arizona

Wow factors, by the numbers

• 40,124,589 acres of public land
• 3 national parks
• 34 state parks
• 7,396 miles of hiking trails
• 13,728 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 0 miles of coastline
• 90,373 miles of river
• 3 ski areas

Nevada has more public land and New Mexico has more ski areas, but Arizona took the lead with its bevy of hiking and mountain-biking trails and the iconic status of the public land inside this state. I mean, Grand Canyon National Park. Hard as it is to pull permits, rafting through it tops many Americans’ once-in-a-lifetime trips to take. Hiking around the Grand Canyon is up there, too. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Mead Recreation Area offer massive lakes and desert gorges, while a mass of national monuments protect historical and cultural artifacts and archaeological sites sacred to Native Peoples. Meanwhile, there are more than 4.5 million acres of wilderness and more than 13,000 established climbing routes. I’ve mountain biked desert flow in the suburbs of Scottsdale and pedaled massive gravel miles near the southern border. I’ve hiked the Grand Canyon and camped in the sandy backcountry of the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Every time I visit Arizona, I’m blown away by how much I love this swath of desert.

Recommended Hike: Bright Angel Trail

Arizona is packed with glorious hikes, but if you’re only doing one, it probably has to be the 10 miles into the Grand Canyon to Indian Garden Campground. It’s popular (read: busy, sorry) at the top, but the crowds thin as you lose elevation, and the views into America’s most dramatic ditch are worth rubbing elbows with others. Don’t forget you have to hike back up and out of the canyon, so start early and bring water and snacks. You can get water at Bright Angel Campground and food from Phantom Ranch a half-mile away from May to October, but don’t underestimate the fuel and hydration you’ll need to complete this hike.

Local Intel: “My personal favorite trail is , out of South Mountain Preserve near Phoenix,” says Laurel Darren, owner of . “It just has so much variety. It’s mid-level technical, with some rocky, jagged rock gardens, but also some fun swoops and drop-ins, and a couple areas where you can go faster. There’s a bit of climbing too. It’s got a touch of everything in just a few miles.”

Southwest Runner Up

New Mexico

• 43,616,216 acres of public land
• 2 national parks
• 35 state parks
• 3,314 miles of hiking trails
• 6,032 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 0 miles of coastline
• 9 ski resorts
• 108,014 miles of river

You want public land? New Mexico has it; almost half of the state (46 percent) is protected, and within that 35-plus million acres are two incredibly diverse national parks, Carlsbad Caverns (caves!) and White Sand Dunes (dunes!). Oh, and northern New Mexico is in the southern Rockies and easily has the best skiing in the Southwest—we’re looking at you, Taos.

Most Adventurous Tiny State

New Hampshire

Wow factors, by the numbers

• 1,077,120 acres of public land
• 0 national parks
• 93 state parks
• 3,315 miles of hiking trails
• 4,904 miles of mountain-bike trails
• 13 miles of coastline
• 10,874 miles of river
• 28 ski areas

At just over 9,000 square miles, New Hampshire is one of the smallest states in America, ranked #46, to be exact, but it out-punches its size when it comes to adventure. Roughly 18 percent of the state is public land. There are no national parks, but some wicked-rugged state parks, like Franconia Notch, which is packed with varied terrain, from gorges choked with waterfalls to downhill skiing, like the state-owned Cannon Mountain. And the rugged slopes of the White Mountains, which top out a little above 6,000 feet, attract both recreational and seasoned hikers. The Appalachian Trail runs along the crest of the Whites, offering the most above-treeline miles of any state along its 2,000-plus-mile route. New Hampshire only touches the Atlantic for a bit, but true to form, the state packs in the adventure with a craggy coast that boasts surprisingly consistent and varied surfing, from beach breaks to offshore reefs that require more commitment.

Recommended Hike: Mount Washington Loop

Mount Washington (6,288 feet) has notoriously challenging terrain and weather, and this puts you in the thick of the landscape as you ascend the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, which gains more than 4,200 feet of elevation in just over six miles, to the summit. You’ll pass waterfalls, scramble up boulders, and top out at one of the best views in the state, encompassing the peaks of White Mountain National Forest spreading away from the base of Washington. On a clear day, the scene stretches for more than 100 miles, taking in pieces of Vermont, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, and even Quebec.

Local Intel: “The hiking trails here go straight up the mountain, so anything in the Whites is going to be good and challenging,” says Mike Cherim, owner of . “But if you want a serious challenge, try to hike the , a collection of some of the toughest trails in the state. They all have rock scrambles and scree and some ladder sections. If you do them all, you can earn a badge.”

The Bottom Line

While the data we used is objective, the notion of “adventure” itself is subjective, because it lies at the intersection of humans and the landscape. Some of my favorite personal experiences have occurred in states not on this list. This article is meant to inspire you and get you outside, but who’s to say a swamp or vast prairie is more or less adventurous than a mountain? The landscape is the canvas, but we paint our own pictures.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist. He’s adventured in almost all of the states on this list, but hasn’t yet spent enough time exploring the Northeast. It’s on his to-do list.

Ěý

For more by the same author:

And the 11 Least Visited National Parks Are…

11 Remote Destinations That Are Definitely Worth the Effort to Visit

The 18 Best State Parks in the U.S.

The post The 8 Most Adventurous States in America. Number 1 Is … appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

If sustainable summer adventures rank high on your list, don’t look past . Get your fill of human-powered activities on thousands of kilometers of trails for biking, hiking, and even paddling. Or power your road trip with electricity as you explore the world’s longest freshwater coastline. Whether you spend your time in cities, on remote islands, or everywhere in between, you’ll have your pick of eco-conscious businesses to help you minimize your carbon footprint with sustainable lodging options and locally sourced, plant-based food. “My home state really shines when it comes to sustainable tourism,” says Michigan local and sustainable travel expert Emily Kay. “I’ve seen so many businesses and towns come together to take care of our beautiful state.” Here are some of the best low-impact ways to explore Michigan in summer.Ěý

Take an EV Road Trip Around Lake Michigan

With access to four of the Great Lakes and countless smaller bodies of water, Michigan racks up more than 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) of shoreline—an impressive claim for a landlocked state. Road-tripping that many kilometers in a standard vehicle would produce about one metric ton of emissions. For a more sustainable option, plan your trip along the Lake Michigan EV Circuit Tour. The route connects 1,770 kilometers (1,100 miles) of drivable shoreline with reliable . “I will never get enough of the coastal towns along the shore of Lake Michigan,” says Kay. “The drive is incredibly scenic, with and along the way. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy some of and .”

Don’t Miss: Kay recommends spending the day at near Traverse City. “The 137-meter (450-foot) bluffs give you a unique vantage point for some of the most spectacular views of Lake Michigan,” she says.

Plan Human-Powered şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřs

Michigan has earned its spot on the bucket lists of many outdoor lovers, especially when it comes to summer activities. “Since living here, I can honestly say there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by where we haven’t enjoyed nature and the setting around us in some way, shape, or form,” says Kay. “It’s just a huge part of life in Michigan.” From waterfalls and lakes to hundreds of acres of virgin forests, there’s no shortage of beautiful destinations to explore. Paddle the , which links 12 lakes over 160-plus kilometers (100-plus miles) of maintained trails. Don’t have time for a multiday paddle? Explore one or two sections of the trail. Each segment is rated based on difficulty, so you can choose based on your group’s comfort level.Ěý

Michigan’s 4,023-kilometer (2,500-mile) rail trail system also offers plenty of opportunities for seeing the state by bike or on foot. Check out the 27-kilometer (17-mile) , between Suttons Bay and Traverse City, which winds past cherry orchards, vineyards, and lakes. In winter, the trail is groomed for cross-country skiing and fat-tire biking. When you’re ready to power down for the day, check out Headlands, Keweenaw, or Dr. T.K. Lawless. “Both are designated areas with minimal light pollution, which makes them prime spots for stargazing,” Kay says.

Visit an Emissions-Free Island

Situated between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas, offers visitors a unique and sustainable travel experience. To preserve its historic charm, Mackinac Island has prohibited motor vehicles since 1898. Instead, take a 20-minute ferry ride from St. Ignace or Mackinaw City. Then, get around the 9.8-square-kilometer (3.8-square-mile) island on foot, by bicycle, or in horse-drawn taxis. “My family always rents bikes when we visit Mackinac Island,” says Kay. “My favourite activity is riding the loop trail around the island—about 13.2 kilometers (8.2 miles).” Most accommodations provide bikes, and rentals are available at local bike shops. “We’ve even rented a tandem bike before. It was a blast.”

Nearly 80 percent of the island is part of Mackinac Island State Park, which preserves lush forests, towering bluffs, and rugged beaches. Hike or bike along more than 112 kilometers (70 miles) of trails to discover otherworldly limestone rock formations, including the famous 44.5-meter (146-foot) Arch Rock on the north side of the island. In town, pedal past Victorian architecture and pop into quaint shops, where you can pick up souvenirs from local artisans.

Don’t Miss: Head to Round Island Kitchen for “farm to ferry” dining that features local produce, lake-caught fish, and other sustainably sourced ingredients.

Eat Local and Plant-Based

Thanks to a weather pattern known as the lake effect—where cold air that flows over the warmer lake water gathers moisture and storms onto its shores—Michigan has a thriving agricultural industry. And local chefs take advantage. Michigan’s food scene is brimming with standout restaurants specializing in . The Detroit Street Filling Station in Ann Arbor is a vegan hotspot. Try the raspberry-basil grilled cheese, made with cashew cream cheese and provolone-style vegan cheese. In Grand Rapids, Brewery Vivant leads the way in sustainable business practices as the world’s first LEED-certified microbrewery. Grab a locally sourced bite paired with European-inspired beers. The menu is updated daily with seasonal beer and food specials.

Stay at Eco-Friendly Lodging

Michigan offers a range of sustainable lodging options that can help minimize your environmental impact. LEED-certified spa and fitness centre in Thompsonville is one of just a handful of eco-friendly spas in the Midwest. The pedestrian- and bike-friendly resort community focuses on reducing emissions through sustainable energy sources and conservation practices. Its electricity provider, Cherryland Electric, powers the entire resort with over 60 percent zero-carbon electricity. Take a ride on the high-speed chairlift. Plug into five complimentary EV charging stations. And enjoy the in-ground closed-loop geothermal heating and cooling system at the resort’s new Inn Residences. The in Detroit strives to use 80 percent less energy and produce 80 percent less waste than standard hotels. During construction, the property maintained as much of the original building materials as possible and sourced salvaged materials from around the city with Detroit Reuse. The on-site native plants garden is open to the public and maintained using a 16,088-litre (4,250-gallon) rainwater recapture system and neighborhood compost.

Tip: LEED certification isn’t limited to hotels. Look for other LEED-certified businesses, including the and in Grand Rapids and convention centre in Detroit.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business and community development with a focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and its initiatives, visit .Ěý For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at . Join the conversation on , , , and .

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is part of Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States. The organization’s mission is to increase international visitation to the United States in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the image of the United States worldwide. For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit . To discover more about the USA and the boundless diversity of American travel experiences and authentic, rich culture, please visit Brand USA’s consumer website and follow Visit The USA on , , and .

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Last year was a banner one for our national parks, with 325.5 million recreation visits in the books for 2023. Last week the National Park Service released its , detailing the total number of visitors to the 400 units—which include national seashores and historic sites—the park service manages. Overall, recreation visits increased by 13 million, an uptick of 4 percent compared to 2022. The number of hours spent hanging out in our parks was also up 4 percent, from 1.36 to 1.4 billion hours. That’s a lot of hiking, or sitting in moose traffic jams, depending on the park.

Parks have never been more popular than they were in 2016, when the national park service was celebrating its centennial and visitation numbers hit a record 330,971,689. That total stayed constant for the next few years, with more than 327 million recreation visits in 2019. Then the pandemic hit, parks closed, travel halted, and visitation dropped by 90 million visits in 2020. The popularity of our scenic national parks has been climbing steadily since, last year almost reaching pre-pandemic levels.

The stats break down , so you can see which of our treasured landscapes are the most and least popular. The Blue Ridge Parkway continues to be the most sought-after park unit in the country (with 16,757,635 visits), and Great Smoky Mountains National ParkĚýrules by far among national parks (13,297,647 visits, with the next-highest contenders all in the four million range). Gulf Islands National Seashore jumped three spots to make it into the top five most popular park units in 2023. And Glen Canyon National Recreation Area climbed into the coveted top-ten list with a near doubled 5,206,934 recorded visits, a massive jump from 34^th in 2022, when it saw 2,842,776.

protects 1.25 million acres of land in Utah and Arizona, including Lake Powell. A multi-year drought had kept many visitors at bay, but the record-breaking snowfall of the winter of 2022 to 2023 brought water levels back up, allowing several boat ramps and access points to reopen. I’ve explored Lake Powell by packraft at low water level, when it was muddy around the edges, but still pretty damn spectacular. Visiting the lake when the water is up would be amazing.

Then again, I like this next trove of data—because it tells you where to go to avoid crowds. My home is close to both the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so I know a little too much about the popular places.

While the top 10 or so most-visited parks see millions of people a year, the parks at the bottom of the list see only a few thousand. Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic National Park has reclaimed the longtime title of “Least Visited National Park” in the U.S. after the National Park of American Samoa displaced it in 2022. Congratulations?

These overlooked parks are no less spectacular: offering tropical islands, massive sand dunes, 18,000-foot peaks, and more glaciers than any other spot in the U.S. It might take extra time and work to reach some of them, but the rewards are dramatic landscapes and big adventures…all to yourself.

Here are the 11 least visited national parks in 2023.

1. Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 11,045

Location: Sitting in Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle, Gates of the Arctic covers 8.4 million acres of the rugged and cold Brooks Range. There are no roads or maintained trails within the park, although there is one small village, Anaktuvuk Pass (pop: 451), a Nunamiut Inupiat settlement typically reached by small plane.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Backpack among the Arrigetch Peaks, a cluster of mountains known for steep, vertical spires deep within the Brooks Range. It’s a that requires a series of bush plane flights.

2. National Park of American Samoa

Recreational Visits: 12,135

Location: In the South Pacific, 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii, National Park of American Samoa covers portions of three volcanic islands full of tropical forests, coral sand beaches, and traditional Samoan villages. The seascape is just as impressive; the ocean surrounding the islands are home to more than 950 species of fish and 250 species of coral.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: The national park facilitates a where visitors can stay with locals to learn Samoan customs and the South Pacific lifestyle.

3. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 16,728

Location: Roughly 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, Lake Clark is 4,000,000 acres of glaciers, peaks, and active volcanoes. No roads lead to the park, which can only be reached by small plane. The park is home to three National Wild and Scenic Rivers (the Mulchatna, Tlikakila, Chilikadrotna), attracting paddlers and anglers alike.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Backpackers should hit the 50-mile Telaquana Route, where you can follow in the footsteps of local Dena’ina Athabascans and fur traders who blazed the path between the shores of Lake Clark and Telaquana Lake.

4. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 17,616

Location: Sitting 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Kobuk Valley National Park protects the river of the same name that has served as a thoroughfare for wildlife, particularly caribou, and the people who have been hunting the river valley for 9,000 years. Kobuk Valley is home to the 25-square-mile Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, which rise abruptly from the surrounding trees.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Take a bush plane into Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, camp, hike, and watch for caribou.

5. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Recreational Visits: 28,965

Location: A cluster of islands in the middle of Lake Superior near the Canadian border, Isle Royale is a car-less wilderness where moose and wolves roam. The park is only accessible by boat or float plane, but once you’re there hikers have 165 miles of trails to explore. A small population of gray wolves have lived in Isle Royale since 1948, when the first wolves crossed an ice bridge that formed, connecting the island to mainland Canada. The population had nearly died out when, in 2018, park wildlife experts relocated wolves to the island.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Backpack the 40-mile , which crosses over the park’s main island, connecting backcountry lakes and campsites. Or, hike an 8.5-mile stretch of the from Windigo Dock to Feldtman Lake, which includes a quick, .8-mile side trip to Rainbow Cove, where a rocky shoreline on Lake Superior offers long range views of Rock of Ages Lighthouse on a clear day.ĚýĚý

6. Katmai National Park and Preservation, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 33,763

Location: Man, Alaska has a lot of lonely national parks. But Katmai is special because it’s so diverse. Situated on a peninsula in southern Alaska, roughly 260 miles southwest of Anchorage, it has the rugged mountains and glaciers you’d expect, but also lush valleys, tumultuous coastline, and 40 square miles of desert landscape, thanks to the eruption of Novarupta Volcano, which scorched the earth more than 100 years ago. Katmai is probably best-known for its , where you can sit in your office and peep at brown bears eating salmon at Brooks Falls on the Brooks River.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Katmai isn’t connected to any town by road, so most people show up via boat or float plane from King Salmon or Anchorage. That alone is an adventure. Visitors usually start by visiting Brooks Camp, home to the park’s summer headquarters, to check in and get the required bear-safety orientation, then head to the various platforms that overlook the Brooks River. If you’re looking to dig deeper, consider paddling the 80-mile , which connects a chain of lakes through Katmai’s backcountry. Starting at Brooks Camp, kayakers will paddle a circle around 3,183-foot Mount La Gorce, navigating two class I-II rivers and huffing a 1.5-mile long portage between open-water stretches of three different lakes.

7. North Cascades National Park, Washington

Recreational Visits: 40,351

Location: Only three hours from the city of Seattle, North Cascades is a rugged expanse of mountains with more than 300 glaciers, the largest collection of any park outside of Alaska. In other words, North Cascades is wintry and snow-covered most of the year, so much so that most visitors only hit the park between June and September.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Hike , a steep, 9.4-mile ascent from the edge of Ross Lake that delivers sweeping views from a lookout tower of the Ross Lake National Recreation Area.

8. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 78,305

Location: Sitting more than 200 miles east of Anchorage, Wrangell-St. Elias encompasses 13.2 million acres where four major mountain ranges converge, encompassing both the largest collection of glaciers and the highest concentration of 16,000-foot peaks in the U.S., including seven of the 20 highest peaks in America. The park is a land of extremes—14,163-foot Mount Wrangell is an active volcano with vents of steam on the summit, and Bagley Icefield, near the coast, is North America’s largest subpolar icefield.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Climb Mount Bear, a 14,831-foot peak deep in the St. Elias Range that doesn’t require any technical climbing, but is a beautiful adventure.

9. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Recreational Visits: 84,285

Location: Head to Key West and then keep going, 70 miles west into the Gilf of Mexico to Dry Tortugas, a collection of seven islands only accessible by boat or seaplane. The atolls are a mix of palm trees and soft sand beaches with world-class snorkeling and diving just offshore. Visitors can camp on the largest island, Garden Key, in the shadows of the massive Fort Jefferson, a Civil War-era prison.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Dive the Windjammer Wreck, the remains of a ship that sank in 1907 off Loggerhead Key after running aground on the surrounding reef. The wreck is in shallow water (20 feet at the deepest point), so snorkelers and divers can explore it together. Or, bring a kayak and paddle around Garden, Bush, and Long Key, a trio of islands so close together, they’re sometimes joined by sandbars. You’re looking for nurse sharks and sea turtles in the clear water below and, above, any of the 300 species of birds that migrate through the park every year.

10. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Recreational Visits: 143,265

Location: The 77,180-acre Great Basin National Park sits in the high desert of Eastern Nevada, 300 miles north of Las Vegas. The terrain ranges from the 13,064-foot Wheeler Peak to an expansive cave system, called Lehman Caves. You’ll also find alpine lakes, old-growth bristlecone pine forests, and Nevada’s only remaining glacier, Wheeler Peak Glacier.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Glimpse Nevada’s last piece of permanent ice by hiking the 4.8-mile to the bottom of the two-acre glacier. You’ll cruise through groves of ancient bristlecone, some estimated to be 4,000 years old.

11. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Recreational Visits: 220,825

Location: In Northeastern Minnesota, up against the Canadian Border, Voyageurs National Park is mostly made up of water. This 218,055-acre park is loaded with lakes—four big ones that form a border for the park and 26 smaller interior lakes, most interconnected by 60 miles of canoe and kayak trails. There are endless shorelines and islands to explore, and dense habitat for healthy moose and wolf populations.

One Big şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Head to the interior lakes, where marked canoeĚýtrails lead to primitive backcountry campsites you can only reach by boat. And you have to use the national park service’s boats; once you have a , you get a code to unlock one of the canoes that the NPS has staged at certain points for use to prevent the spread of invasive species. The Chain of Lakes are four small bodies of water on the interior of the Kabetogama Peninsula that you can piece together via short portages and creeks to create a 13-mile hiking and paddling adventure. Each of the four lakes has its own campsite, one per lake, and most people will pick a single campsite as a basecamp and explore from there, so the mileage of your adventure will vary.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist. After researching these remote parks, he’s thinking it might be time to get his pilot’s license and invest in a float plane.

For more by this author, see:

7 Most Adventurous Ways to See the Total EclipseĚýof 2024

The 6 Most Adventurous Train Trips in North America

The Creepiest Unsolved Mysteries in U.S. National Parks

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Get out the pack, Jack. Make a romantic plan, Fran. No time to be coy, Roy. OK, you get the drift.

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, maybe you’re looking to impress someone with a night or two that will ignite the fire. We’ve got you covered, with our favorite romantic getaways of all time. These trips are perfect for best buds and to save for future mates, too.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř staff have pretty much ditched the roses-and-chocolate rigamarole in favor of road trips to remote Southwestern desertscapes, ridgetop hikes, and fly-fishing excursions followed by steamy soaks in hot springs. Because, for most of us, nothing cements a relationship likeĚýoutdoor appreciation. If your partner doesn’t share the awe of a spectacular sunset, the joy of a sweaty mountain-bike ride, or the seduction of fireflies on a porch in Appalachia, we ask: Is that person really for you?

Here are some of the best romantic getaways that have sparked şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř relationships and friendships over the years.

Isle Royale National Park

Location:ĚýLake Superior, Michigan

Price:Ěý$7 per person, per day for backcountry permits; one-way ferry and sea plane fares from $90 and $275, respectively

Why We Love It: In 2020, I met the love of my life at the Rock Harbor Trailhead in northeastern Isle Royale, a national-park archipelago in Lake Superior. Due to pandemic restrictions, the isle was accessible only by seaplane, so I , for a solo, seven-day, 75-mile-ish backpacking trip. I had no concrete plans other than to criss-cross the island southwest to Windigo, hitting the bays, ridges, Superior shoreline, and interior lakes along the way.

I had just snagged a permit from the ranger station, strapped my fly rod to my pack, and was about to set off when I noticed a tall, blonde guy stumble out of the bushes. He was dirty, bug-bitten, sunburned, and full of trekking beta. I struck up a conversation: Where had he gone? How about the coolest vistas? Must-stop camp spots? Trails to avoid or take?

We talked for 20 minutes, and parted ways with smiles but no phone numbers—me, to the trail; him, to catch a seaplane out. A month later, he tracked me down on Linked In to see how my trip went. Six months later, we met up for a trail run in Sedona, Arizona. A year later, we got engaged and married. But here’s where it gets good: We returned to Isle Royale for our honeymoon.

From our seaplane drop in Windigo, we backpacked for a week, averaging about 14-16 miles per day, charging through both fresh and familiar territory up toward Rock Harbor. We started with the 30-mile in the southeast, where we encountered bull moose with five-foot racks in marshy spits, fields of purple, yellow, and red wildflowers, and turquoise Superior vistas from the fire tower. Then, we pushed north to , where we hunkered down on the lakeshore with freeze-dried chili mac and cheese, and slept under the stars to a symphony of howling wolves. After, we climbed along the spine of the island via the , stopping at Lake Desor to soak aching feet and rest, before trekking to in the west for an orange-sherbet sunset. We polished off our trip playing cards and hiding from cheek-reddening wind at Moskey Basin in our tent, before plunging into Superior and cracking cold beers from Rock Harbor’s camp store. It was tough to board our seaplane out, but we’ll be back throughout our lives. I can’t think of a better, more meaningful place to celebrate getting hitched. —Patty Hodapp, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř senior digital travel editor

Location: Southeast Utah

Price: Free

Why We Love It: When my wife and I discuss the formative months of our relationship, we inevitably begin to reminisce about a weeklong 2016 meander through southeastern Utah. A maiden road trip is the ultimate relationship test. Can we get along for hours on end in the car? Are our tastes in music compatible? Are we both comfortable with a blank itinerary and no clue where we’re going to eat or sleep each night? Pringles or Doritos? It was on the first day of that trip that we learned the answers: yes, yes, yes, Doritos. We were a perfect match.

If you were to ask us to pinpoint the location where everything fell into place, we’d also provide matching answers: , about two and a half hours south of Moab. Tucked between Bears Ears National Monument to the north and Goosenecks State Park to the south, this 152-square-mile plot of BLM-managed land is sometimes referred to as Little Monument Valley. Explore it via its 17-mile dirt access road and you’re quickly surrounded by the same massive sandstone spires you’ve seen in countless westerns and postcards, but with hardly any other visitors competing for the photo ops.

We turned onto that road around 4 P.M., drove six miles in, and turned again onto a short, dead-end spur road, where we pitched our tent just beside a massive wash. Then we cracked open some beers and sat on the back of my car to watch the sunset. There were no other sounds in the universe save for the whoosh of an occasional breeze, and the colors changed every two minutes. Most people probably wouldn’t describe Valley of the Gods’ rugged, barren landscape as romantic. But for a magic half hour each evening, I can’t think of a more romantic place on earth. —Christopher Keyes, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Inc. vice president and general manager, Outdoors

Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Cost: From $350

Why We Love It: If a 25-acre lavender farm with wandering llamas, artisanal purple gin cocktails, and beautiful gardens and courtyards that the affianced dream of booking for their weddings doesn’t appeal to your romantic sensibilities, this place will change your mind. Los Poblanos is a lovely, quiet getaway from the whirrings of the world. I recommend it frequently to friends or generally anyone traveling through Albuquerque with time to spare.

My husband and I came here to celebrate an anniversary years before the media began bestowing it with awards, but we have returned a handful of times since, to enjoy family celebrations at its farm-to-table restaurant, Campo; sit down to a leisurely brunch (we can’t seem to order anything but the eggs Benedict—those homemade English muffins are worth the hourlong commute); and take part in the convivial that are quickly booked by local Burqueños and held at one or two very long tables.

Stay a night or two in a North Field room with a fireplace (make this request, as not all have them), but get there early enough to spend time out on the patio, surrounded by the rows of lavender, at their height in June, and watch the shadow of dusk fall slowly over the towering Sandia Mountains. If the weather’s nice, and it tends to be in Albuquerque, borrow a bike and ride along the Rio Grande. Make s’mores at the fire pit. Wake up late and walk the farm’s fields, visit the chickens. Savor the relaxed pastoral atmosphere. Time with your partner in such a setting can’t but work wonders. It has for us. —Tasha Zemke, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř associate managing editor

Lake Crescent Lodge

Location: InsideĚýOlympic National Park, Washington

Price: $211

Why We Love It: Lake Crescent is my happy place. Its perfectly clear, deep blue waters are ringed by majestic evergreens and framed by rolling mountains. The best spot along its perimeter is the , a white, Victorian-style property built in 1916. There’s a beautiful sunroom for grabbing drinks, and a verdant lawn rolls down to the waterfront, where Adirondack chairs are positioned perfectly for sunset viewing. There is also a sit-down restaurant on-site, but national park food always leaves something to be desired, so instead, my husband and I opt to grab takeout from Frugals, a burger drive-through in Port Angeles, and enjoy a picnic by the lake.

For my 25th birthday, we managed to snag a room in Lake Crescent’s historic lodge building. There are newer buildings and cabins on the premises that offer private bathrooms, but the original lodge, with its lace curtains and wood paneling, charmed us. Each year my husband grants me my birthday wish—a canoe paddle on one mountain lake or another. It’s the only day of the year he’ll get in a watercraft with me, due to my hopeless paddling skills. After 20 minutes of me steering us in circles, he patiently does all the work to navigate us around the lake while I take pictures and eat sandwiches. It’s heaven.

That year we grabbed the earliest canoe rental possible–7 A.M.—and took off across Lake Crescent before any motorized boats ventured forth. The water was like glass, and early-morning fog rose from its surface. We peered down at submerged logs and skirted the shoreline to avoid the more than 600-foot icy depths with no sounds other than birdsong. —Mikaela Ruland, National Park Trips associate content director

Ojo Caliente and Taos Spa, Resort and Hot Springs

Location: Ojo Caliente, New Mexico

Price: From $239 per night; from $45 for soaks on weekdays

Why We Love It: Angie knew what was coming when we left Denver for an extended weekend getaway in Taos, New Mexico, a few years ago. We’d been together for three years and had spent the previous eight months discussing our future and The Big Question. It was time. We’d already picked out the engagement ring and planned an itinerary:Ěý Dinner at . A hike in the Sangre de Cristos. An afternoon in downtown’s plaza.

But our most anticipated spot was , a well-known spa resort west of Taos. We’d visited Ojo Caliente (Spanish for “hot eye”) the year before, and it immediately became our favorite hot springs. Seven outdoor geothermal pools of varying warmth surround a cool soaking pool and mud bath. The smell of burning cedar and mesquite waft through the grounds. Staff ask everyone to keep conversations to a whisper. And the compound is tranquil, tucked in among the piñon and cottonwood trees at the base of a rocky bluff andĚýsurrounded by a network of hiking trails.

We kicked off our getaway by spending a day in relative silence, soaking in the hot water, enjoying each other’s company, and unwinding with a massage. We booked a private pool and ate at Ojo’s restaurant that evening. Two days later, we hiked up 13,167-foot Wheeler Peak and exchanged rings at the top, just as we had planned. —, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř articles editor

The Grand Traverse

Location: Grand Tetons, Wyoming

Price: Variable, depending on whether you do it yourself or use a guide company

Why We Love It: When my girlfriend and I started dating, we thought it would be a good idea to try the Grand Traverse, a 14-mile line across ten summits with 24,000 feet of vert. She had lots of experience climbing, but she’d never been on a multi-pitch adventure before, let alone a multiday alpine effort. For some reason, we decided it was a good idea anyway. Over three days in July, with the help of , we traversed the Teton skyline, moving fast over complicated terrain, camping in a tiny tent on small ledges, and relishing in the splitter weather. It was the kind of trip that either demolishes a relationship or hardens it into something that lasts. We’ve been together for nearly a decade since. —Matt Skenazy, former şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř features editor

Granite Park Chalet

Location: Glacier National Park, Montana

Price: From $140

Why We Love It: When my wife and I got married in September of 2000, our grandparents weren’t happy. Not because they didn’t like our choice of partner, but because they couldn’t attend the wedding. The 7.6-mile hike to the remote site we’d chosen to tie the knot—Glacier National Park’s historic —was just too much. But we were enamored with the century-old stone-and-wood structure, located just west of the Continental Divide, atop a hill with sweeping views of Glacier’s peaks and valleys, scenery made even more spectacular by the light show that happens when the sun dips below the jagged horizon.

Our wedding party, just under 30 strong, trekked to the chalet via the , which hugs the famed Garden Wall, a sharp ridge that at the time was laced with glittering streams and sprays of wildflowers. If you find romance sleeping at tree line in an alpine wonderland, miles deep in the wilderness, Granite Park Chalet is your spot. But full disclosure: room service is not one of the perks. You’ll cook meals on the chalet’s propane stove and schlep water from a nearby creek.

Yes, we pressed our wedding guests into pack duty, asking them to help us haul in three days’ worth of drinks and food. My mother-in-law-to-be baked a wedding cake on-site, and the bridesmaid decorated the chalet’s community dining room. But the collaborative spirit only added to the allure of holding our celebration here. How good was the reception? After seeing the pictures, even our grandparents were happy. —Dennis Lewon, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Inc. director of content

Shenandoah National Park

Location: Near Sperryville, Virginia

Price: Variable, depending on whether you pitch a tent in the park (campsites from $30) or stay at a local Airbnb or hotel

Why We Love It: They say Virginia is for lovers. I haven’t traveled enough around the state to vouch for that, but I’ve spent many weekends at this national park, and I think you could honestly say that the Shenandoahs are for soulmates. Just north of Sperryville, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, there’s a dirt road that distances you from gas stations and billboards and delivers you to the base of a gorge known as . Each time my then-boyfriend and I set off on the modestly challenging two-mile trail, the hushed vibe instantly reset our moods and our rhythm.

There’s something different about this place, unlike other hikes I’ve known, and how it sequesters you among the crowded trees, obscuring daylight. Away from the tensions of everyday life, it brought on an almost tangible expression of what filmmaker Jason Silva refers to as a “.” We navigated moss-covered rocks and fallen trees, danced in a stream, gawked at what appeared to be bear tracks, geeked out at the geography, and paused solemnly at a cemetery.

We stayed at a rustic (and slightly terrifying) old cabin loaned to us by a friend. It had shoddy cell reception but was comfortingly close to the trail and replete with an outdoor shower, cast-iron cookware, firewood, and our hauled-in provisions. Sitting on the porch at dusk, we joked about DIY glampingĚýwhile sipping Champagne and watching fireflies the size of lanterns dance with the constellations. My memories have since outlasted that relationship, so “soulmates” may not be entirely accurate. But then, as with pretty much anything in life, it is what you make of it in the moment. —Renee Marie Schettler, Yoga Journal executive editor

Sun Mountain Lodge

Location: Winthrop, Washington

Price: From $172

Why We Love It:Ěý The magnificent views here have been awing guests for decades. Established in 1968 in central Washington’s Methow River Valley, the is an aerie atop a foothill boasting immense 360-degree vistas: the mountain terraces and spires of the North Cascades and thousands of acres of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Guest rooms and a dining room are built around those views. I’ve been fortunate to stay here four times, teaching writing classes for the and hiking on glacially carved slopes where strong winds cause trees to grow sideways.

I have been here with friends and colleagues, but never a romantic partner: I wish! Instead, each time, I sent my husband and our two sons cascades of photos: Mount Gardner from my room, the horse ranch I can spy from my class, the nearby Lake Patterson, where people fish, and even the stuffed bison in the lobby (his name is Floyd) and the massive musk ox and caribou heads mounted above the fireplace. Every season has its charms: sunflowers and wildflowers in spring and summer, the brilliant red foliage of fall, and, in winter, snow (not to mention the annual , a 40K race that begins on the valley floor, continues on what’s touted as North America’s largest ski-trail network, and finishes at the lodge).

My husband would love to skate-ski here. We’d both like to tackle some of the daylong rock climbs around Mazama, 23 miles to the northwest. My friend Jill LaRue, a nurse who works the conference, mountain bikes the trails around the lodge. If you hadn’t packed for all of the recreational possibilities, you can square things away at the lodge’s sizable gear-rental shop. This being Washington, it is perhaps unsurprising that the salmon served at the lodge is always great. And if you have time for further exploring, you might try snacks and soup at the Rocking Horse Bakery and Little Dipper Cafe in the quintessential mountain town of Winthrop, ten miles east, or visit the funky cabin-like Mazama Store in Mazama. —Alison Osius, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř travel editor

The Highlands at Harbor Springs

Location: Harbor Springs, Michigan

Price: From $200

Why We Love It: I am turning 40 this month, and to celebrate, my husband and I are spending our first weekend away from our three-and-a-half-year-old. We didn’t want to travel too far, and we also wanted something that both felt luxurious and had skiing. That last bit was important—I was born and raised in Sun Valley, Idaho, and having recently relocated to northern Michigan from New Mexico, I thought our skiing options would be fairly limited.

But then I discovered the “Deer Valley of the Midwest,” (formerly known as Boyne Highlands). Booked! We’re staying in a slopeside Gleneagles Ultra Luxury Suite in the resort’s historic and recently renovated main lodge, and I’m looking forward to the soaking tub, Italian linen sheets, bidet, record player, included breakfast, and ski-valet service. And the highlight: a snowcat-accessed moonlight dinner at the resort’s mountaintop North Peak restaurant the night of my birthday.

It’s not going to be the deepest skiing of my life, or even my season, but I can’t imagine a better way to turn 40 than a fancy, toddler-free ski weekend with my favorite ski partner. —, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Inc. director of digital sales strategy

Red Cliffs Lodge

Location: Moab, Utah

Price: From $129

I didn’t actually go on a romantic getaway to just outside Moab with my partner. I went on a romantic getaway there with myself. But this lovely lodge—recently acquired by Marriott—has been top of my list for a weekend with my husband soon.

Bonding over new experiences as a couple is awesome, and there are plenty of ways to do that at Red Cliffs. The lodge offers great amenities, and also serves as an adventure concierge. During my stay, I checked out the onsite and relaxed with a sound bath. The Lodge also arranged a guided canyoneering trip with , and an Arches stargazing photography tour at 1 a.m.

The lodge itself sits 25 minutes from the Arches entrance, 14 miles up Grandstaff Canyon alongside the Colorado River. And you don’t have to head into the town of Moab to go on a climbing, mountain biking, or hiking date. Climb at nearby Fisher Towers or boulder at Big Bend. Shuttle the Whole Enchilada. Take a hike on Grandstaff Trail. Or go for a scenic drive up into the La Sals.

No phone service, the pastoral setting, and the soothing sound of the Colorado River don’t hurt the romantic vibes either.

If you’re heading to Red Cliffs soon, keep in mind that the property is under renovation until early 2026, so some areas are closed and some offerings/amenities are temporarily on pause.Ěý—, Climbing editor in chief

Lake Creek Road Dispersed Camping Area

Location: Ketchum, Idaho

Cost: Free

Why We Love It: A few summers back, my boyfriend and I went on a quest for a weekend retreat in Idaho that led us just beyond Ketchum, to the Lake Creek Road camping area. Nestled along the eponymous creek, it became the perfect haven for a few days of mountain-biking adventures and tranquil post-ride relaxation. The beginner-friendly , which guided us to a mesmerizingĚývista, was practically at our doorstep. The , weaving through sage and aspen, provided a captivating forested singletrack experience, revealing glimpses of the majestic Pioneer Mountains.

Also close by was Frenchman’s Hot Springs, an idyllic setting for rejuvenating soaks, enhanced by the refreshing flow of the nearby Warm Springs Creek. What made the getaway truly special was the sense of being off-grid, with no interruptions from cell-phone service, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the weekend. Evenings were spent reconnecting by the campfire under the incredibly bright stars. It was a much needed escape from the ordinary. —Sierra Shafer, Ski editor in chief

The New Mexico–Colorado Borderlands

Location: The San Juan River and Pagosa Springs

Price: $500 for a day of guided fishing; rooms at The Springs Resort and Spa starting at $340

Why We Love It: Over Thanksgiving, my boyfriend booked a day of fly-fishing from a drift boat on the San Juan River, a fishery in northern New Mexico that’s well-known for its absolutely massive trout. There are a few area outfitters with similar offerings, like and . Neither of us had ever fished with a guide, and after countless long days wading upriver and tying rig after rig, it was a treat to have someone else do the dirty work so we could just fish. Then we drove through a blizzard to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, about an hour and a half away from the takeout, to stay at theĚý, where we soaked late into the night. The next day we caught little trout in the river below the resort and once again soaked until we were prunes. This is a good trip to take in the colder months, when there are smaller crowds on the (very popular) river. And the hot springs are that much sweeter when the weather’s unfriendly. —Abigail Barronian, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř senior editor

Cape Alava, Olympic Wilderness Coast

Location: Olympic National Park, Washington

Price: $8 per person per night for a backcountry-camping permit; park-entrance fee additional

Why We Love It: The northern stretch of Olympic National Park coastline is pretty much my favorite place on earth, period. It’s the place where I always feel totally present, which is the main reason I’d take a partner there for some quality time. The ocean, the remove from roads and other people, and the terrible cell service make the rest of my life seem very distant, and the world shrinks to the rocky beach, the waves, and my companions. The tide pools full of anemones, starfish, and other sea life in the large intertidal zone at Cape Alava make it my preferred spot, and you can pitch a tent at dozens of campsites strung out along the rocky beaches.

Starting at the Lake Ozette ranger station, it’s a three-ish mile hike through windblown forests and peat bogs on a well-maintained trail to reach the cape. The effort-to-scenic-payoff ratio is unmatched, and the mellow route to campsites on the coast avoids a few backpacking pitfalls that can spoil the romance—no one is going to bonk, it’s easy to loop back to the car for forgotten essentials, and the short distance means you can bring extra goodies like a bottle of wine or a small watermelon.

The downsides include the long drive to get there (five hours from Seattle, longer if you have to wait at the ferry), the hassle of , and potential storms and high winds once you’ve arrived. Full disclosure: I’ve never taken a partner here, just friends, although one friend I brought along did leave the coast as more than a friend, so make of that what you will. But if I ever wanted to spend a few days with a sweetheart, to simply enjoy the picturesque surroundings and each other’s company, I’d take them to Cape Alava. —Miyo McGinn, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř assistant editor

AutoCamp Joshua Tree

Location: Joshua Tree, California

Price: From $223

Why We Love It: Think of romance, and you might think of iconic destinations like Paris or Venice, but I feel most connected to my partner when we visit Joshua Tree. We recently stayed in for an overnight excursion to the high desert, and the amenities and proximity to the national park—a quick six miles—made it one of our loveliest weekends together. The property’s Airstreams have been converted into trendy tiny homes but offer the novelty of vanlife. (And when you’re living out of your van in wintertime, there’s no complimentary hot cocoa and cider bar, as there is here the entire month of December.)

We had a great time in ours: the beds are plush, the bathrooms are large, and there’s heating and A/C. Also, every airstream unit comes with a private outdoor fire pit and dining area with a table and chairs, so you can cozy up next to your beau and toast with s’mores while stargazing up one of the darkest, most decorated skies in the world. Not interested in sleeping in a converted Airstream? Check out its cabins. AutoCamp is so romantic that it literally hosts weddings on-site at its large gathering space. It also hosts loads of activities, day and night, from themed hikes and new-moon soundbaths to concerts and cultural tours. —Emma Veidt, Backpacker associate editor

Garnet Mountain Fire Lookout

Location: Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana

Price: $73

Why We Love It: More than 8,000 fire towers perched on high points across the U.S. at their peak in the 1950s, giving lookouts a vantage to spot the telltale curl of a wildfire start before it could spread. Today, only a fraction of those still stand. But at a few of them, backpackers can spend the night, enjoying panoramic views and stellar mountaintop stargazing for themselves.

For the first anniversary of our first date, the woman who is now my wife and I ventured up to one of those—, elevation 8,245 feet—to try and claim some of that magic. From Bozeman, it’s a 26-mile drive to the Ěýand from there it was a 3.5-mile hike to the summit, through a conifer forest and wide-open mountain meadows that still held late-spring snow on their western faces. Before long we’d settled into the fire tower, a squat, two-story building with a woodshed on the bottom and a full wraparound porch surrounding the square living quarters on top. Furnishings were solid but spartan—a small pantry, a propane burner and wood stove, a table, and four bunks, each just big enough for two determined lovebirds to squeeze into. But when that night’s sunset lit the hills, I would have taken it over any palace. —Adam Roy, Backpacker executive editor

International Bonus: Hvammsvik Hot Springs and Northern Lights

Location:ĚýMosfellsbær, Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Price: Soak from $38

Why We Love It: A couple of years ago, to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, my husband and I cruised around southwest Iceland for six days. We love a thermal-springs soak after hard hikes and trail runs, and prefer to dodge crowds and drive less, so this smallish outdoor mecca was a no-brainer addition to the end of a stint in Ireland.

We rented a Dacia Duster 4X4 with a rooftop tent in ReykjavĂ­k ($900 for five days, tricked out with sleeping and cooking essentials and a hot spot for GPS, via ) and headed out with no agenda except to explore the country’s remote terrain rich with waterfalls, lava fields, alpine valleys, and camping spots. A few days in, we decided we needed a geothermal soak. So we headed west along offshoot F-roads (FĚýforĚý´ÚÂáä±ô±ô, which means “mountain” in Icelandic) to on the Snaefellsnes fjord. There, we spent hours hopping from one pool to the next, mowing down salads from its on-site bistro, and sipping champagne from its swim-up bar—glorious rewards after miles on backcountry trails. After we plunged into the Atlantic to scrub our dirt and sweat away, we scored a campspot nearby, made pasta on the stove, and kicked back to watch the most dazzling five-hour northern lights show we’ve ever seen. All told, we’ve been lucky to share lots of romantic moments in stunning places worldwide, but this memory tops our list. ‱÷.±á.

International Bonus: Kasbah Tamadot

Location: Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Price: From MAD 7,550 per night (roughly US $775)

Why We Love It: As a couple, it can be tempting to take the easy route when traveling overseas, the road more traveled. Relationships are adventurous enough. Why add more blind corners?

Sometimes, though, it pays to explore the back roads.

Such was the case for my wife and I during a delayed honeymoon to Morocco, two years after we were married. Neither of us had been to the North African country when we decided to spend a week in Marrakech, a well-trodden tourist destination that somehow remains as mystical as it must have been when 16th century sultans ruled it. Today, the medina is full of souks selling Berber rugs, piles of spices, and elaborate kaftans—not to mention a long list of bougie hotels. Basically, you know it’s going to be comfortable, even for my wife, Keren, whose idea of roughing it is an outdoor massage.

Me, I’m a sop for “off-the-beaten path” experiences. I can’t think of anything more boring than an afternoon massage, which is why I insisted on spending at least a few nights in the mountains outside of Marrakech. So I decided unilaterally, because I was in charge of reservations, to book us into , a private home turned remote retreat overlooking a river valley in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.

The resort, an hour and a half outside of Marrakech, is centered around a large 1920s riad, a traditional Moroccan house with rooms surrounding a central, tiled courtyard. The grounds of Tamadot include gardens, an oversized pool, fancy Berber tents for glamping, and a little farm with camels, donkeys, and chickens, among other critters. There’s even a Turkish bath and spa. Despite the extensive grounds and long list of upscale amenities, everything about Tamadot feels intimate, like being welcomed into a family home, one with multiple fountains covered in floating flower petals.

Oh, it also happens to be owned by Richard Branson, whose mom fell in love with the riad years ago, so he bought it and transformed it into the oasis it has become. Let’s be clear, this isn’t exactly the road less traveled, despite its surroundings, but Tamadot was my concession to my wife, so I could do all the other things I wanted to do.

The end of the valley, for example, is a popular launch point for trekking in the mountains, including to the summit of Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. With Kasbah Tamadot as our base camp, we were easily able to explore the valley’s upper villages, including Imlil, which is often referred to as the Moroccan Chamonix. After a hike on our first full day, we were welcomed into a local’s home that doubled as a makeshift restaurant. We sat next to a low table on elaborately-sewn cushions and were served a traditional vegetable tagine, heated over a wood fire in the backyard. The vegetables—carrots, potatoes, peas, and zucchini—were cooked to perfection, and served with a platter of steaming couscous. Keren, as a vegetarian, had been struggling to find food she liked for days, even in Marrakesh. Here, after a long hike, we finished even the last bite.

The following day, we visited a woman-owned cooperative producing and selling argan-oil products—soaps, moisturizers, and other cosmetics. We bought a bag-full of their wares. In the afternoon, I hiked up a ridgeline while Keren visited the animals at the farm. On our final day, I arranged a motorcycle tour—set up through the tourism company —that would take us through the mountains to the Agafay Desert.

In the U.S., Keren wouldn’t get on a motorcycle if ashes from a volcano were about to rain down on us. “Those things are death traps,” she kept saying in advance of the day. But when our driver, Hussein, pulled up to Tamadot’s front gate on a Chang Jiang 750, a vintage Chinese bike outfitted with a leather-seated sidecar—one that happens to be stylish as hell—the magic of the moment took over. We both saddled up and spent the entire day on the motorcycle, careening down dirt roads, visiting a small village in the desert with an ancient mosque, and walking through a narrow, ancient souk. The vendors and locals stared at us every step of the way, as if we were the first foreigners they’d even seen. We bought candy and shared it with local kids running on the streets.

Halfway through the day, we stopped at the home of a prominent Iman now occupied by his great-grandson. Our host served us wild mint tea and cookies, pouring the kettle from high above his head into small cups held below his waist. It was the traditional pouring style, he explained, a sign of hospitality and respect, because the long pour created foam on top of the tea to catch the dust in the desert air. I’ve never felt a more welcoming gesture.

Back at the resort that evening, the staff of Kasbah Tamadot had left a bottle of Moroccan grenache and glasses on our nightstand, along with rose petals on the bed. The forced romance might have felt mawkish, but after a long day on the bike, we sat silently on the terrace with a glass each, watching the sun disappear.

After two years of marriage, it was clear we had both fallen in love again—with a new country, slightly expanded versions of ourselves. A simple willingness to explore, despite our reservations, brought us together in a way that no ceremony could.

The next morning, I even ventured over to the spa, hand in hand with my wife. —Ryan Krogh, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř contributing writer

The post 18 Romantic Getaways That Are Far Better than Roses or Chocolate appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

As we started our three-day backpacking trip along the northern rim of Yosemite Valley, the trailhead was a zoo. And this was several years ago, even before the pandemic accelerated visitation to our national park system. Still, Yosemite National Park has always been a popular destination, notorious for crowds over the decades. But after we hiked just two hours on Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, the masses had thinned, and by the time we reached the rim above the valley, our group of six had the place to ourselves.

That’s the beauty of backpacking in our national parks; you can leave the traffic jams and crowded parking lots behind in just a few miles. With some planning and hard work, you can enjoy the country’s most iconic landscapes in relative solitude.

Here, I’ve detailed 10 of the best backpacking trails within our national parks. A few I’ve done myself, while others are still on my bucket list.ĚýI’ve included something for everyone, from quick overnight jaunts to week-long treks that require serious legs and logistics.

1. Chesler Park, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Distance: 14 miles, overnight

Why It’s Great: This lollipop loop in the remote Needles District takes you through the sort of desert terrain, from slot canyons to arches,Ěýthat draws so many of us to the landscape of Canyonlands.

Hike It: The is moderate in length, but the terrain and lack of water and shade make it best suited for experienced backpackers. Starting at the Elephant Hill Trailhead, combine four trails (Elephant Canyon Trail, Druid Arch, Joint Trail, and Chesler Park), following cairns and well-signed trail junctions across slickrock and sandy washes. Most people hike it clockwise, and to get a broad view of the Needles District before descending into Elephant Canyon. There, you’ll squeeze through boulders and climb stairs through notches in vertical stone walls. At the end of Elephant Canyon Trail, you should tack on the four-mile out-and-back side trip to the 150-foot-tall Druid Arch for one of the best views in the Needles district. Carry on to Chesler Park proper, a broad circular valley with tall grasses hemmed in almost entirely by sandstone spires. Continue on the 1.5-mile Joint Trail, on the southern edge of Chesler Park—another highlight, as it has you scrambling along sandstone slopes, squeezing through boulders, and venturing into tall, narrow slot canyons.

Logistics: Elephant Hill Trailhead is accessible via two-wheel-drive vehicles and has pit toilets. Grab a up to four months before your trip ($36 per reservation, plus $5 per person, maximum seven people per permit). Reliable water sources are scarce, so plan to pack in all you need: the National Park Service and other government officials recommend at least one gallon per person, per day. Fall and spring are the best seasons to go, though winter has its charms if you have the right gear, including a zero-degree sleeping bag. Trekking in summerĚýheat is not recommended for safety reasons.

2. North Rim Loop, Yosemite National Park, California

Distance: 17 miles, two nights

Why It’s Great: You’ll see Yosemite Valley—one of the best damn parks in the system, in my opinion—from a whole different perspective and enjoy one of the greatest camp spotsĚýin the country.

Hike It: From Yosemite Falls Trailhead, the begins behind the historic climbers’ Camp 4, ascending Yosemite Falls Trail to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America. The trail ascends 2,700 feet, giving you a spectacular view, and the falls are so close you can feel the spray on your face.Ěý

Yosemite’s backcountry has a dispersed camping policy, which means you can pitch a tent anywhere as long as it’s four miles from a trailhead and 100 feet from water or a trail. We found a quiet campsite tucked under tall pines next to Lahamite Creek, which holds ice-cold swimming holes perfect for summer visits. My group, which was full of climbers, spent hours bouldering near the water.

The highlight of day two is the view from North Dome, across Tenaya Canyon to Half Dome. Take the quick .5-mile side trip to Indian Arch, the only natural arch in Yosemite, before pitching a tent on Snow Creek Promontory, a granite dome directly across the valley from Half Dome and Mount Watkins. This is the finest place I’ve ever pitched a tent in my life, thanks to the view and exposure. Day three drops you off the north rim via the Snow Creek Trail, which loses 2,700 feet in nine milesĚý into Tenaya Canyon, offering panoramas of the stunning monoliths of Half Dome, Quarter Dome, and Clouds Rest. You’ll pass by Mirror Lake in Tenaya Canyon with North Dome, Half Dome, and Mount Watkins in the background.

Logistics: A limited number of are available, designated by trailhead (apply for the Yosemite Falls Trailhead). Exactly 60 percent of the permits ($10 application fee, $5 per person, maximum 15 people per permit) are issued 24 weeks in advance, and 40 percent seven days in advance. This trip is good as soon as the snow melts (usually late April or early May). Do it in June or July if you want to see Yosemite Falls at its peak. You’ll find creeks along the route, so bring a filter You’ll find creeks along the route, so bring a filter (and a backup such as iodine tablets, or be ready to boil water).

3. Coast Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Distance: 17 miles, overnight

Why It’s Great: This quick trip delivers you to secluded beaches and coastal bluffs in a wilderness area.

Hike It: The 17-mile-long makes the most of the remote landscape of Point Reyes National Park, where rocky headlands meet beaches and the raucous Pacific Ocean. The trail runs through the Phillip Burton Wilderness, reducing the number of people you’ll encounter (no vehiclesĚý allowed in wilderness). It meanders past a series of dramatic beaches that line Drake’s Bay; Wildcat Beach is the biggest, stretching for three miles. Sculptured Beach sits amid tall bluffs, with two creeks carving through the sand into the Pacific.

Coast Trail also dips inland several times, passing natural lakes and climbing to the top of rocky bluffs offering long-range views of the Pacific and its rugged coastline. You’ll have the chance to take a two-mile out-and-back side trip to Alamere Falls along Wildcat Beach, where Alamere Creek tumbles 40 feet over a cliff onto the sand. With multiple trails intersecting the entire Coast Trail, there are many such options for small loops and side hikes. To extend the trip, create a bigger loop incorporating some of the inland trails, some of which follow a ridgeline through a Douglas fir forest. You can even climb the 1,407-foot Mount Wittenburg, the highest point in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Logistics: Camping is only allowed at established campgrounds within Point Reyes, and the Coast Trail has two options. Coast Campground, towards the northern end of the trail, has 14 sites tucked into a valley and protected from the ocean wind, though the beach is an easy 200-yard walk from your tent ($30 per night, max six people per site). Wildcat Campground, towards the southern end, has five sites on a bluff above the beach ($30 per night, up to six people). Get a free up to three months in advance for either campground. There’s potable water at any backcountry campground within the national seashore.

Point Reyes is a treat any time of year, but keep an eye out for beach closures during winter to protect fragile wildlife. Summer is obviously your best bet if you want to go swimming. If you do this hike as a point to point, plan to leave shuttle vehicles at both trailheads.

4. Rim to Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Distance: 24 miles, two to three days

Why It’s Great: This classic Grand Canyon adventure is as challenging as it is beautiful, showing backpackers what’s fondly known as the biggest ditch in America from a variety of perspectives most visitors never experience.

Hike It: The in the Grand Canyon might be the ultimate bucket-list backpacking trail. It’s possible to complete the Rim to Rim in a day, but this is a burly hike with 6,000 feet of elevation drop on the descentĚýand 4,500 feet of climbing on the ascent, so breaking it up with an overnight is kinder to your knees.

The most popular route follows the North Kaibab Trail from the North Rim down to the Colorado River and up to the South Rim via the Bright Angel Trail. The landscape is surprisingly lush as you begin at the North Kaibab Trailhead, with aspens and evergreens flanking the path. You quickly leave the foliage behind while switchbacking down along Redwall cliffs, reveling in the exposure and views deep into the interior.

If you want to break this up into a three-day trip, get a permit for Cottonwood Camp, roughly seven miles from the trailhead (see below for permit instructions). You’ll pass the hundred-year-old Phantom Ranch,Ěýwhich has lodge rooms and a restaurant, just before reaching Bright Angel Campground. Even if you can’t score a reservation at Phantom Ranch, grab a meal from its restaurant, the Canteen, which serves a full sit-down breakfast and dinner (choose from stew or steak) and an old-school “hiker’s sack lunch” with salami and cheese.

After crossing the Colorado on Silver Bridge, a hiker-only overpass, you’ll climb out of the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. The views are outstanding, with a literal oasis roughly halfway up, and the switchbacks towards the top of the climb will challenge even the most hardcore hiker. I tackled the Bright Angel as an out-and-back in my early 20s, and I still consider it one of my toughest day hikes. It was so easy going down to the river in the morning, and brutalĚýclimbing back up.

Logistics: The top of Bright Angel Trail is closed until mid-April 2024 for waterline replacement work. Check on its before planning your hike. Snag a up to six months in advance for one of the 30 sites at Bright Angel Campground ($10 per permit, $15 per person each night, up to six people per site) through the lottery system via . As for timing, prime season falls between May and October. If you hike in the summer, start your days at sunrise to avoid peak temperatures. If you’re following the North Kaibab/Bright Angel route, you can find water and restrooms along the way. It’s easy to get a shuttle at the end of your hike to take you back to the North Rim. Or, really go for it: plan ahead with permits, water, gear, and food, and you can turn return via the North Kaibab trailhead for a 48-mile out and back.

5. Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Distance: 93 miles, seven to 14 days

Why It’s Great: This massive loop is loaded with rainforests, high meadows full of wildflowers, and endless views of Mount Rainier, which has more glaciers than any other mountain in the lower 48.

Hike It: The circles Mount Rainier, climbing a total of 24,000 feet, with immensely varied terrain ranging from temperate rainforests to alpine tundra. The hike is located entirely in Mount Rainier National Park.

Most hikers tackle the route clockwise, starting from Longmire, Sunrise, and Mowich Lake. home to a ranger station and the seasonally open Longmire Wilderness Information Center, is the standard starting point. Longmire was once the site of the park’s original headquarters (now in Ashford). The compound, with an inn and museum, is a National Historic District.Ěý

The Wonderland is hard, but you’ll experience the best Mount Rainer National Park has to offer, from remote alpine lakes to volcanic ridges, and from a bevy of wildflowers to the many perspectives of Mount Rainier. The climb to Panhandle Gap, a high-alpine pass with scree slopes and expansive views, is stunning, as is the glassy St. Andrews Lake, framed by Rainier in the background.

Logistics: Mid-summer (June and July) is the best time to go: the snow has melted and the wildflowers are popping. There are 18 developed campsites along the trail. are released during an early-access lottery beginning in February and ending in March (dates TBA, $26 per permit for up to 13 days (the 14 days above is a conservative estimate, and in that case, the person would walk out on the last day rather than need another night)Ěýand five people per site). The remaining permits are available starting April 25. You can beforehand at certain campgrounds and ranger stations (you can mail food or drop if off in a plastic container such as a five-gallon bucket) to lighten your load. along the trail to lighten your load.

6. Teton Crest Trail, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Distance: 40 miles, three to five days

Why It’s Great: This trail offers a bounty of wildlife spotting, views of glaciated peaks, and travel on high-alpine passes in the southern portion of Grand Teton National Park.

Hike It: The Teton Crest Trail officially starts outside of the park, at Phillips Pass in Jedediah Smith Wilderness, and ends at String Lake, after gaining more than 9,000 feet of elevation along the way. The majority of that gain comes during a couple of gradual ascents, which make this trek Ěýsurprisingly user-friendly.

Many backpackers take the Aerial Tram from Teton Village to the top of Rendezvous Mountain, to cut a few miles and 2,400 vertical feet off the itinerary. No shame in that game. Also, the chances of seeing elk and moose on this hike are high, especially around the backcountry lakes. The 2,800-foot climb up to Paintbrush Divide, toward the end of the hike if you’re headed north, is the toughest. The views into the hearts of various canyons and from above-treeline passes will entertain you the whole way, and you’ll likely only see a few other backpackers.

Logistics: Snag a Ěýearly ($20 per permit, $7 a night per person, max six people per site). The park released them on January 10 at 8 A.M. MST, and they go fast. Fortunately, two-thirds of the permits are withheld for walk-up reservations one night in advance of your trip during hiking season (May through October). Hit this one in late June through August for the warmest conditions.

7. Under the Rim Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Distance: 23 miles, three days

Why It’s Great: Everyone sees Bryce from the top of the canyon, but this trail drops well below the rim, providing solitude and the opportunity to see itĚýfrom the bottom.

Hike It: Bryce CanyonĚýis known for its desert landscape and hoodoos, most accessible by easy trails and overlooks. Still, step into the backcountry on the trail and you’ll see a whole new aspect, because there are trees and creeks in the desert. Honestly.

Hikers will find plenty of Bryce’s signature rock spires on this route, as they descend deep into the eastern edge of the plateau, where meadows and forests of thriving ponderosa pine and aspen trees thrive. Views of towering orange cliffs and vistas extend into the Grand Staircase. And don’t worry: an area dubbed “Hat Shop” is loaded with Bryce’s famous hoodoos, or sandstone columns left by weather and erosion, many capped by boulders of more resistant rock. The trail gains 5,500 feet in 23 miles, so it’s not a leg burner. Most people hike the Under the Rim heading north from Rainbow Point to Bryce Point. Aim to camp at Natural Bridge and Yellow Creek if you’re breaking this up into three days.

Logistics: Get a Ěýfor campsites up to three months in advance ($10 per permit, $5 per person,ĚýĚýmaximum six people per site). Water sources are unreliable, so bring your own (again, one gallon per person, per day).

Bryce has a free park shuttle, but unfortunately it doesn’t run to Rainbow Point, so you’ll need two cars (or can hire a private shuttle from from $15 per person). To preserve the fragile ecosystem, camp only in one of the six designated campsites along this trail. June to September promise the most pleasant weather.

8. Bechler River Traverse, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Distance: 35 miles, four to five days

Why It’s Great: This multi-day backpacking tripĚýhas everything you want out of your Yellowstone National ParkĚývisit: geothermal features, waterfalls, wildlife, meadows…and none of the crowds.

Hike It: Start near Old Faithful and pass the Lone Star Geyser before dipping into the backcountry and leaving the hordes behind. You drop into Bechler Canyon, where the river carves a dramatic gorge through the southwestern corner of Yellowstone, creating a series of waterfalls. Colonnade Falls has to be the best, dropping more than 100 feet in two parts. You’ll pass a number of geothermals, especially in Shoshone Geyser Basin, including “Mr. Bubbles,” a hot spring on the edge of the Bechler River where you can soak safely. Further, you reach an awesome view of the Teton skyline across the grasses and streams of Bechler Meadows. This route also has a high success rate for wildlife sightings, such as of bison and potentially even wolves. Optional side hikes to destinations like the three-mile out-and-back to Shoshone Lake with its excellent trout fishing beg you to tack on extra days.

Logistics: are first allocated through an Early Access LotteryĚýon March 1 at 8 A.M. MST ($10 reservation fee, $5 per person per night). A general-permit sale starts April 26 at 8 A.M. MST. You can also score walk-up permits two days in advance of a trip. There are a few river crossings, so it’s best to wait until August or early September, when the temperature is warm and the snowmelt has settled. Mosquitos can be bad in July, too. Carry bear spray, as this is grizzly country, and know how to use it. Use the food-storage boxes at each designated campsite and never, ever take any food into your tent with you.

9. Appalachian Trail Section in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

Distance: 72 miles, seven days or more

Why It’s Great: This is a gorgeous stretch of the most famous footpath in America. You can spend the night in trail shelters, which helps save weight, while the forest changes from dense hardwoods at the lower elevations to sparse evergreens on the ridgelines. You’ll also cross some of the tallest peaks east of the Rockies, such as 6,593-foot Mount LeConte.

Hike It: The Appalachian Trailtravels north through the length of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, following the North Carolina/Tennessee border from Lake Fontana to Davenport Gap. The trip starts with a big climb that culminates at Shuckstack Fire Tower, then undulates along the roof of the Southern Appalachians for 20,000 feet of elevation gain. I’ve hiked most of the AT in the Smokies as a series of day hikes, and the terrain is surreal.ĚýYou’ll also encounter few people throughout most of the trail, as most hikers in GSMNP choose short trails close to parking.

At the 6,593-foot Mount LeConte, a concrete lookout platform offers views of the park all the way back down to Lake Fontana. Such spectacular moments abound, from the 360-degree vistas from the outcropping Rocky Top to the picture-perfect stone lookout tower on Mount Cammerer. Spending your nights in the AT’s signature three-sided trail shelters is just fun.

Logistics: You need a to stay in or around the AT shelters ($8 per night per person, max eight people per site). Get them up to 30 days in advance. Water is plentiful throughout this stretch, but bring a filter. You can hike the AT year round, although winter will be icy and snowy and requires a whole gear re-think. Summer is delightful, as you’ll be above 5,000 feet for the most part, and fall offers incredible views of foliage.

10. North Country National Scenic Trail, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan

Distance: 42 miles, four days

Why It’s Great: This slice of the 4,800-mile-long North Country National Scenic TrailĚýtraces the edge of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, and is packed with dunes, bluffs, beaches, and waterfalls as you walk along the rim of the biggest, deepest lake in North America.

Hike It: The North Country National Scenic Trail runs east to west for 4,800 miles, crossing eight states. A particularly beautiful portion joins the through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, following the edge of Lake Superior, which at 2,900 cubic miles is so large it could be an inland sea. Much of the trail travels through the forest above the water, though hikers occasionally dip down to the water, where rocky beaches meet tumultuous waves. You’ll pass the Au Sable Light Station, cross over dunes, and spend miles atop sandstone cliffs that rise 200 feet above the waves. The waterfalls along the way include Spray Falls, which drops directly into Superior.

Logistics: Get a starting on Jan. 1 at 10 A.M. EST ($15 reservation fee, $5 per person per night, maximum six people per site). May and October can be snowy and cold, so aim for late summer after the black flies have died down (they’re usually active in June). You’ll find water sources throughout, but bring a filter.

That’s it, coast to coast: brilliant backpacking trails in our national parks, so stop dreaming and start planning. Snag a permit, grab your pack, lace up your boots, and go.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist. He thinks day hikes are great, overnights are better, and multiday adventures are best. His favorite backpacking trip ever in a national park? North Rim, hands down.

For more by Graham Averill, see:

Mountain Towns With Cabins You Can Actually Afford to Buy

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

The Best Budget Airlines—and şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Locales They Go To

The 18 Best State Parks in the U.S.

To read about historic lodges and architecture in our national parks, see:

The 20 Best National-Park Lodges in the U.S.

The post The 10 Best Backpacking Trails in Our National Parks 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

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