I’ve tackled sections of the Pacific Crest Trail—backpacking, day hiking, and trail running—but to think of taking months off to complete all 2,650 miles of this trail, which climbs mountain passes and traverses remote California, Oregon, and Washington, feels overwhelming. A long-distance walk, on the other hand, feels more manageable, like something any of us could pull off, given some time. They mostly involve days and weeks rather than many months, and are at more consistent elevations.

I’m not talking about a mountainous thru-hike where you plan out food caches and sleep on the ground. I’m talking about a meandering or purposeful walk that goes on for days, weeks, or maybe months. A big commitment, yes. A physical feat for sure. A mental and emotional pilgrimage of sorts. But not so strenuous that most people couldn’t do it, building up their mileage.

These long walks, on byways and moderate terrain, are more like scenic tours of spectacular landscapes, or adventurous journeys through cities and forests. They are not so much to be completed as experienced.

And I think they’re the most beautiful in the world.

1. Best Urban Trail

Empire State Trail, New York

It took four years to link up and complete the entire , one of the longest multi-sport pathways in the United States, officially finished in late 2020. The route runs 750 miles across the state of New York, from New York City north to the Canadian border and from Albany west to Buffalo. Three quarters of the trail is on off-road pathways. You can walk on converted rail trails through the Hudson River Valley, stroll beside the historic Erie Canal, or move through wetlands and fields along Adirondack Park and Lake Champlain. Eventually the trail will include a 200-mile greenway across Long Island; construction of the first 25 miles of that section begins this year.

Pick a section of this largely urban route, which is also popular with bicyclists, and walk it one direction, then hop on a train back to where you started—Amtrak stations are located in 20 towns and cities along the way. Find community with others traveling the trail or seek tips on good trailside lodging or camping from .

Don’t Miss:Ěý ĚýMore than 200 craft breweries dot the Empire State Trail, in an aggregate known as the . Get a brewery passport and pick up stamps at the places along the way to earn rewards like a T-shirt or cooler bag. In the Hudson Valley, spend a night at (from $195), which has cabins, canvas tents, and a cedar sauna just a short walk from the trail.

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2. Best Pilgrimage

El Camino de Santiago, Spain

Each year, over 300,000 people embark upon sections of this legendary pilgrimage, on a network of trails dating back to pre-medieval times and roadways that vary from cobbled to paved. The most popular route is the Camino Frances, a 500-mile pathway that starts in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and takes travelers about four to five weeks to walk, passing through the Pyrenees mountains and La Rioja wine region, La Meseta arid range, and through eucalyptus forests into Galicia and Santiago itself. The Camino Portugues, heading up the northern coast of Portugal is another top choice, stretching between 140 and 380 miles depending on your starting point, and crossing through fishing villages such as the UNESCO Heritage Listed cities of Lisbon and Porto. No matter which route you choose, all roadsĚýon the Camino lead to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, where the remains of the Apostle Saint James the Great are allegedly buried.

You can walk the Camino year-round—the most popular season is mid-summer—but aim for spring or fall for mild temperatures and fewer crowds, and be aware that many lodges and albergues close in winter ). offers guided walks on the Camino through Portugal and Spain lasting from a week up to 22 days (from $1,436), or, if you’d rather go on your own, has self-guided options (from $718).

Don’t Miss: Once you reach Santiago de Compostela, head to the Pilgrim’s Office for your official stamp of completion, having received a pilgrim’s passport from your entry point to be stamped along the way. Bagpipes will be playing nearby as you enter the gates of the holy Santiago de Compostela.ĚýThe cathedral has a Pilgrim’s Mass at noon and 7:30 p.m. daily; go early if you want a seat. On , await the ancient ritual of the swinging brass Botafumeiro, or cauldron, which is filled with incense and coal and so heavy eight men are required to move it.

3. Best Waterfront Route

Stockholm Archipelago Trail, Sweden

Opening in October 2023, the 167-mile connects new and existing pathways across 20 islands in the Stockholm Archipelago, the largest archipelago in Sweden and home to over 30,000 islands. To walk the whole thing, you’ll need to use a series of public ferries and private boat taxis. You can also pick a section and just walk a few islands at a time; each has an average of about nine miles of trails. You’ll travel along gravel roads, forest paths, and beaches, and through remote fishing and farming communities.

Along the way, camp or stay in hotels or B&Bs. offers a seven-day, self-guided journey on the trail (from $1,095) in spring, summer, or fall that includes lodging in locally owned hotels, luggage transfer, and daily routes that max out at about nine miles.

Don’t Miss: On the island of Tranholmen, a celebrated chef named David Enmark opens up his home to diners every Friday night—. Or visit the island of Furusund, which contains about five miles of trail and is site of a famed 19^th-century summer resort, now a 16-room boutique hotel: the (rooms from $121), which welcomes guests who arrive by boat or on foot.

4. Best for History Buffs

Lycian Way, Turkey

Traversing the rocky Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey, the 472-mile Lycian Way winds through the ancient maritime republic known as Lycia. Mountains rise from the turquoise sea as the route follows old roads, footpaths, and mule trails through long-gone civilizations. You’ll pass by lighthouses, beaches, historic sites like Roman amphitheaters and rock tombs, and lagoons over underwater ruins of sunken cities that can be toured by boat.

Most people take on just a section of the Lycian Way. has five- to 14-day guided tours (from $1,187) that include lodging and luggage transfer, or leads seven-day treks (from $995) with an English-speaking guide. Best to do this historical walk in spring or fall, from February to May or from September to November to avoid the high heat of summer.

Don’t Miss: °ŐłÜ°ů°ě±đ˛â’s illuminates Lycia’s ancient capital city of Patara after dusk, making it a magical place to explore by night. Best lodging on the trail: the (from $240), built in 2005 on a hillside, has glass windows, viewing hammocks, and saunas overlooking the Aegean Sea.

5. Best for Conservationists

John Muir Way, Scotland

Not to be confused with California’s more demanding John Muir Trail, the is a relatively new route (established around 10 years ago) that stretches coast to coast across Muir’s home country of Scotland. This 134-mile walk begins in the western waterfront town of Helensburgh, where quotes from the famed Scottish-American environmentalist mark a commemorative stone bench. The trek ends around 10 days later in the eastern seaside town of Dunbar, where Muir was born in 1838.

On the way, you’ll walk through the cobbled streets of the capital city of Edinburgh, along the shores of , and by the Falkirk Wheel, a rotating boat lift in central Scotland. has self-guided itineraries (from $1,827) for the entire route, including accommodations.

Don’t Miss: Stay in (from $417), a restored 16th-century castleĚýjust off the trail 20 miles east of Edinburgh. The trail’s eastern terminus is at Muir’s birthplace, a humble three-story home in Dunbar that’s now a historic and free to visit.

6. Best for Self-Reflection

Shikoku Pilgrimage, Japan

This circular walk across the Japanese island of Shikoku visits 88 temples and sacred sites where the Buddhist saint known as Kūkai is thought to have trained in the 9^th century. The entire route is about 745 miles—mostly using roads, but also on select mountain trails—and takes around six weeks to walk. Or you can choose just a section.

The traditional approach starts at the first temple, Ryōzenji, in Tokushima prefecture and proceeds clockwise until you reach the last temple, Ōkuboji, in Kagawa prefecture. Many pilgrims dress in traditional attire, including a white cotton robe, scarf, and straw hat, and carrying a walking stick; they also carry pilgrims’ books, to be stamped after worshipping at each temple. leads an eight-day tour of the pilgrimage (from $2,303), where you’ll walk up to eight miles daily with an English-speaking guide, staying at guesthouses and temple lodging.

Don’t Miss: One of the hardest temples to reach is number 21, Tairyuji, or Temple of the Great Dragon. You can ride the tram to reach this mountaintop temple or hike to the site on a steep three-mile trail through limestone rocks and an ancient cedar forest. There you’ll climb a marble staircase leading into the temple gates and visit a bronze statue of Kūkai meditating.

7. Best for Wildlife Spotting

Yuraygir Coastal Walk, Australia

The 42-mile point-to-point leads through the beaches and bluffs of Yuraygir National Park in New South Wales. You’ll start in the village of Angourie and follow the sign-posted track, as trails are called in Australia and New Zealand, south to the red-tinted cliffs of Red Rock. Most people take four to five days to do the whole route. Along the way, you’ll spot turtles and whales, swim in the Pacific Ocean, and walk through coastal headlands and the biodiverse Solitary Islands Marine Park.

Spend your first night on the trail camping at the , which is only accessible on foot. Or if you’d prefer sleeping in a bed, book a guided walk that includes shuttles to trailside properties like (from $234) or (from $125). leads a guided five-day walk of the trail (prices vary according to group size and season) for private groups from November to April that includes luggage delivery, boat and bus transfers, national-park fees, and accommodations. If you’d rather go it on your own, you can base out of the family-owned in Wooli, and the owners will arrange for lifts to the trail each day (from $499, including lodging and hiker shuttles).

Don’t Miss: Stop into the beachfront , about halfway through your route, for a sausage roll or pizza. Spend some time at the and estuary, a breeding site for endangered shorebirds including the pied oystercatcher and beach stone-curlew. The trail along the Station Creek estuary is lined with scribbly gum and corkwood trees, and if you’re lucky, you’ll spot an Australian crane or coastal emu.

8. Most Adventurous

Te Araroa, New Zealand

New Zealand is known for its stellar tracks, and , also called the Long Pathway, is the country’s most ambitious trail project yet. It’s a 1,900-mile journey crossing the length of New Zealand’s North and South Islands, from Cape Reinga at the north end to Bluff at the southern tip. The trail itself climbs mountain passes, crosses verdant plains, and travels through small cities and remote villages. Roughly 2,000 people walk the whole trail each year, taking between three and six months. Most hikers go north to south, starting around October, which is springtime in New Zealand. If you don’t have that kind of time, pick a section or a single island; the South Island is considered the more challenging of the two due to its more mountainous terrain.

While this video shows a Te Araroa thru-hike, some choose a section or decide to hike either the North Island or South Island. The South Island is more remote and considered more difficult, the North Island route longer but with more road walking. (Video: şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř TV) Ěý

Before you go, ($34) to receive the latest maps and a Te Araroa walker-information packet. Buy a (from $110) for access to over 70 Department of Conservation-managed backcountry huts and campsites along Te Araroa. The trail also has Ěýto help you plan and navigate, and the trail notes for each section give details on the route and where to stay and resupply. Or you can book a guided 12-day trip with (from $8,595) and let the outfit take care of the logistics, including hotel bookings.

Don’t Miss: On the North Island, you’ll climb the extinct volcano of Mount Pirongia and descend to the valley below, where you’ll walk by the glowworm-studded , which are worth a stop; you can see the illuminating glowworms in their grottos by boat. On the South Island, spend a night at the 12-bunk, first-come, first-served near Wanaka, which has stunning views from the porch overlooking the Motatapu Valley and a nice swimming hole in the adjacent creek.

9. Best Way to Explore Indigenous Cultures

Vancouver Island Trail, Canada

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is a rugged and densely forested place, and the 500-mile is among the most challenging routes on this list. The trail goes from the capital city of Victoria on the southern end of the island to Cape Scott on the northern tip, crossing rocky beaches and through lush rainforests and territories sacred to First Nations tribes, including the Songhees in the south and the Tlatlasikwala to the north. The trail is broken up into seven distinct sections, from paved pathways through urban areas to logging roads, hiking trails, and rail trails. Each section takes around five to 10 days to walk—or you can spend two months doing a complete thru-hike. Some sections of the trail are still being completed and not well marked, so plan on some skilled route finding or that’s better delineated. If you’re walking the trail northbound, you’ll end in , where the Cape Scott Lighthouse has been shining light for mariners since 1960.ĚýĚý

Don’t Miss: Book a cabin or pitch a tent at the First Nations-owned , between the northern towns of Port McNeill and Port Hardy. At the center of Vancouver Island, you’ll walk through Strathcona Provincial Park, British Columbia’s oldest park, dotted with high-alpine lakes and jagged snow-capped peaks. The , on the outskirts of the park, has eight seasonal campsites and a sauna.

10. Best New Trail

Camino de Costa Rica, Costa Rica

You’ll walk from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean on the 174-mile-long , or the Costa Rican Way, which was inspired by Spain’s El Camino de Santiago. This relatively new trail—established in 2018 by the nonprofit Asociación Mar a Mar—travels through coffee plantations and rainforests, over the Continental Divide, and among tiny villages that rarely see tourists. Plan on around 16 days to hike the whole thing.

The trip starts on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, in the town of Barra de Parismina, at the base of Tortuguero National Park, known as a nesting ground for leatherback turtles. It ends in Quepos near Manuel Antonio National Park, filled with coral reefs and white-sand beaches. Stay in guesthouses, campsites, and hotels along the way. You will want to hire a guide, as much of the trail is sparsely marked. leads guided hikes ranging from eight to 16 days (from $1,675) that include meals and stays at local homes and guesthouses.

Don’t Miss: In the Orosi Valley, stay at the (from $59), which has private casitas and rooms close to the trail. In the town of Orosi, you can visit Iglesia de San José Orosi, the oldest church in Costa Rica, dating back to 1743, and its Religious Art Museum, and the .

11. Best Paved Trail

Paul Bunyan State Trail, Minnesota

Most popular with cyclists, the Paul Bunyan State Trail is still a great long walk for those who want a paved, accessible pathway. The route begins at in Brainerd and ends 115 miles later at in Bemidji, home to a famous giant statue of Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox, Babe. This is the longest continuously paved rail-trail in the country, moderate in grade throughout as it follows the former Burlington Northern Railroad, abandoned in 1983. You can camp at and Lake , or stay in hotels in the various trail towns along the way.

Don’t Miss: You’ll walk through the town of Hackensack, where every September chainsaw carvers turn hunks of wood into art in the annual Chainsaw Event. The (from $89) in the town of Nisswa has rooms and lakefront cottages steps from the trail on Lower Cullen Lake. In Pequot Lakes, stop into the trailside for a scoop of ice cream.

12. Best for Foodies

Cinque Terra, Italy

Cinque Terre or “Five Lands” refers to five coastal towns—Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore—over the the Ligurian Sea, all linked by about 75 miles of hiking trails. The most popular route is the Sentiero Azzurro, known as the Blue Trail, which is less than 10 miles and can be done in a day. You can start in Monterosso or Riomaggiore and work your way in either direction, passing through lemon groves and walking staircases directly down to the sea.

For a more expanded tour, consider five- or eight-day self-guided hiking trips in Cinque Terre, where you’ll stay in curated hotels, dine on pizza and gelato from locals’ favorite spots, and ride trains to reach new trails each day. If you’re hiking on your own, be sure to check the for updates on closures (landslides have closed sections of the trail), and grab a (from $7 a day) for access to the two paid hiking trails—from Monterosso to Vernazza and from Vernazza to Corniglia—and for use of the bus lines within Cinque Terre National Park.

Don’t Miss: Climb the stairs to Doria Castle, a medieval fortress near the village of Vernazza, to see the remains of one of the oldest surviving towers on the Liguria coast. The five-room guesthouse (from $208) in the Unesco World Heritage Site of Vernazza makes for a good midway stop on your hike.

13. Most Accessible

Cotswold Way, England

The is a quintessentially English experience, where you’ll walk from the historic market town of Chipping Campden, once a busy center for traders, to the steps of the Late Medieval church of Bath Abbey, crossing through farmlands, country parks, and beech woodlands. Stop and admire fields full of sculptures or study English Civil War sites. This well-marked 102-mile trail can be traveled in either direction, taking between seven and 10 days. has both guided and self-guided walks (from $1,154) ranging from between seven and 12 nights, where you’ll sleep in limestone cottages and guesthouses.

Don’t Miss: Climb the hill to the Broadway Tower, an 18th century tower within a 200-acre estate of parkland offering expansive views across the valley; enjoy afternoon tea at the Tower Barn Café afterward. The trail also passes by , home to some 30 species of endangered butterflies, and , a historic garden filled with seasonal flowers and a lavish mix of Classical, Gothic, and other architecture.

Megan Michelson is an şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř contributing editor and avid traveler who once lived in England for a year and went on a lot of long rambles through the countryside. She recently wrote about trips that may help you live longer and her favorite new backcountry hut in Colorado.

The post The 13 Most Magical Long Walks In the World appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

If you’re asking yourself where you should go on vacation this year, you’re not alone. And there’s no shortage of “where to go” lists this time of year—competing compendiums of new hotels and resorts, trendy neighborhoods, and cultural hotspots to check out in the year ahead.

This is not that list. Not exactly, anyways.

As adventure addicts, we wanted to craft a roster of amazing destinations where you can get outdoors, camp, paddle, surf, hike, and crush some dynamic singletrack. Our overriding parameters determining what made the cut was simple: what’s cool and fresh in the world outside?

The answer? Plenty.

Here’s Where to Go on Vacation in 2025, If You’re Into These Outdoor Pursuits

Every one of these destinations promises an amazing adventure, whether that’s carving down a fresh-cut ski run, tackling a section of a new thru-hiking terrain, or releasing turtles on the beaches of Mexico. These trips all come with good food, great vistas, and unforgettable cultural experiences. And yes, a few even have luxe places to crash at night, too.

Many of these destinations are in the beginning phases of executing ambitious goals, and we included them to offer a glimpse of what’s to come. Others are perennial favorites that have simply been overlooked by online-influencer culture and thus remain indelibly cool in real life. In other words, we’re offering up some new options and some classic standbys. We also included both domestic and international destinations for each type of adventure, in case you’re feeling particularly wanderlusty (or a staycation).

Together, they prove, once again, that there’s no shortage of fun to have outside. Here’s where to travel in 2025 if you’re up for it.

1. Long Walks (or Runs)

Stay Domestic: Cross Texas Trail, Texas

Beginning this year, Texas will get its own thru-hiking epic, the new Cross Texas Trail, a proposed 1,500-mile-long haul that stretches from the Louisiana border in the east, near the town of Orange, to El Paso in the west. Among the many highlights of the planned xTx, as it is known: panoramic views of Hill Country, the rugged peaks of Big Bend Ranch State Park, East Texas barbecue joints, the crystal-clear Devil’s River, and the highest point in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, at 8,751 feet.

The trail, designed for hikers, bikers, and equestrians, is a work in progress, but the route features a mix of singletrack and paved and gravel backcountry public roads. You can ride much of the route now, but the nonprofit behind the xTx—led by bike advocate, former community design consultant, and state representative Charlie Gandy—is currently working on access to some private ranch land so that riders can more easily enter some sections of state and national parks. In the future, there could even be trailheads equipped with picnic areas, water stations, and campsites, but for now, it’s all a self-supported, DIY affair. The trail has a long way to go to match the history of the Appalachian Trail or the sheer beauty of the Pacific Crest Trail, but it could be one of the best, if longest, ways to experience the hardscrabble charm of the Lone Star State.

Go Abroad: Palmilhar Portugal, Portugal

Portugal is about to get its own version of Spain’s Camino de Santiago, a new 3,000-kilometer (1,850 miles) loop trail that is being billed as the world’s longest circular hiking route. The trail, called (or “Walking Portugal”, in English), will eventually pass through over 100 off-the-beaten-path attractions around the country, from windmills and vineyards outside Lisbon to mountain peaks in the north. Most of the trail is still under construction, but initial sections opened last summer, and new routes are being added regularly throughout 2025. While mostly a hiking trail, Palmilhar Portugal will have some sections open to cyclists, too. The team behind Palmihar Portugal plans to launch an app later this year, , that will help visitors look up information about the route and the services along the way, including places to stay, restaurants, and points of interest.

2. Fat-Tire and Mountain-Biking Fun

Stay Domestic: Killington Bike Park, Vermont

In the fall of 2024, , in Vermont’s Green Mountains, was purchased by a passionate group of local investors who promised big changes to New England’s iconic ski area, including a in capital improvements over the next two seasons. Those upgrades include an expansion to its already impressive bike park, with 30 miles of lift-accessed mountain-biking trails.

Beginning in 2025, the park will get a new trail, accessed by the Ramshead Express Quad, and other improvements are in the works. The new trail (dubbed Ramshead, construction on which starts this spring) will start at the top of the lift and snake down the mountain for more than two miles. Even without the new upgrades, the bike park is one of the best in the East, with features like berms, tabletops, and bridges that cater to intermediate and advanced riders alike. Its signature trail, “,” is a steep, technical descent with rock gardens and big jumps, but there are plenty of smoother trails for beginner downhillers, too. (One-day passes begin at $65.) Off the trails, Killington’s base area is buzzing with its new enhancements on the horizon, and everything points to this year being the start of upgraded riding to come for Killington.

Go Abroad: Mogo Trails Project, Australia

Like many areas rich in adventure bona fides—British Columbia, South Africa, New Zealand—Australia is investing heavily in new trails for mountain bike aficionados, and one the largest ongoing projects is , in New South Wales.

The expansive trail network, roughly four hours south of Sydney, is being developed near the town of Mogo, a tiny outpost adjacent to the area’s temperate rainforests.Ěý Mogo Trails is being designed for various skill levels, from beginners to advanced riders, with a mix of park-style gravity trails with jumps and cross-country trails.

Currently, there are about 70km of singletrack ready for riders, with a total of 130km planned to be completed in 2025 and beyond. Finished trails are listed on, along with descriptions of each one. If you’re coming from Sydney, you’ll need to book lodging nearby. Batemans Bay, a version of an Oregon beach town Down Under, has excellent options, including , an upscale motel that also offers easy access to surf breaks just down the beach. (From $140 per night.) The much larger town of Canberra, the capital of Australia, is two hours away. Other nearby mountain bike trails, like the new Narooma Trails, which opened in 2023, are making the area a legitimate international destination for MTB enthusiasts.

3. Fresh Piste

Stay Domestic: Deer Valley Resort, Utah

Over the next few years, Park City’s Deer Valley Resort is undergoing a , with a new base village, 100 new trails on 2,600 acres of fresh terrain, and more than 10 new lifts to access it all, including a 10-passenger gondola. When it’s all said and done, the resort will double in size to over 5,700 acres, making it one of the ten largest ski resorts in the United States.

The transformation is already under way. Debuting for the 2024–2025 season are three new chairlifts, 300 acres of terrain, and freshly cut trails leading to the new East Village. When it’s complete, the East Village will offer the same level of premium service that Deer Valley has become known for, with restaurants, retail shops, and an ice-skating facility, among other facilities. Of course, for day skiers, perhaps the biggest draw of the new East Village is that it’s located on U.S. Route 40, which allows you to avoid driving through the heart of Park City itself, often crowded with traffic.

For now, the brand-new , with 381 guest rooms and suites, anchors the East Village, and it’s the only place to stay on that side of the resort. (From $270 per night.) But the hotel has more than enough amenities to keep you comfortable, including a restaurant and bar, a downstairs speakeasy-style lounge, a coffeeshop, a heated outdoor pool, three hot tubs, and a partnership with Ski Butlers to offer white-glove ski valet service when suiting up for the day. There’s even a , a High Tea service but instead of tea and hand sandwiches, you get hot chocolate paired with s’mores cookies, chocolate snowballs, and other baked goods.

Go Abroad: Andermatt Ski Area, Switzerland

Unknown to most Americans, the combined ski resorts of , an hour and a half south of Zurich, is poised to become one of Europe’s premier ski destinations. Over the last handful of years, more than $2 billion has been invested in upgrades, with ten new lifts that allowed you to ski all three by accessing any one of them. Combined, the resorts have more than 100 miles of trails.

The historic village of Andermatt, with cobblestone streets and a very Swiss vibe, has also been undergoing a series of renovations to accommodate the influx of skiers. This winter, for example, it unveiled a brand-new shopping and dining district featuring 35 stores and 10 restaurants. The resort is also on track to become carbon neutral by 2030, a hugely ambitious goal for such a large operation.

For American skiers, it’s also become easier to shred: In 2022, Vail acquired majority ownership in the resort, which means that it’s now . With over 12 feet of average annual snowfall, a range of terrain—from blue and yellow runs to steep couloirs and powder-filled bowls—Andermatt is one of the best resorts in all of Europe. And with a master plan mapped out for the next 30 years, now is the time to go, before the hordes descend.

4. Beach Vibes

Stay Domestic: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

As part of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras is known for its expansive East-Coast beaches, world-class kiteboarding, and laid-back charm. It’s also now home to one of the more exciting Atlantic Coast lodging conversions in years: , a 14-room wellness-oriented hotel that faces Pamlico Sound, a vast expanse of shallow water good for both paddling and kiting. The hotel opened last year after owners bought a failed, two-story strip mall and transformed it into a chic hotel with suites designed by world-famous interior designer Jonathan Adler.

If that turns you off, don’t let it. The result is a quirky mashup of coastal kitsch and beach sophistication with a focus on outdoor recreation. There’s even an outdoor deck featuring cold plunges, a sauna, and a hot tub for relaxing in after a long day on the saltwater. (From $179 per night.) And its location, adjacent to the entire length of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore—where windswept dunes and unspoiled stretches of sand offer endless opportunities for surfing, fishing, and paddleboarding—leads to a perfect blend adventure and tranquility in one of the most celebrated beach destinations in the U.S.

Go Abroad: Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast

Ěý Nicaragua’s Pacific Coastline has long been considered one of the best stretches of remote coastline in Central America, with excellent surf breaks framed by undeveloped sand beaches and tropical forest. Now, thanks to an ongoing , it’s about to get much easier to access much of the coastline.

The country’s new Carratera Costanera Highway, or Emerald Coast Highway, will stretch more than 350 kilometers (217 miles) from the Gulf of Fonseca in the north to Playa El Naranjo in the south, making it smoother and safer to travel along the coastline. Construction has already , near San Juan del Sur, which is known as the country’s surf capital, because of its proximity to some of Nicaragua’s . Up and down the coastline, you’ll find a variety of waves, from mellow beach breaks to beefy points, with consistent year-round swell (although the summer months remain the best).

The promise of easy access is already drawing development interest to the coastline and new tourist offerings, like the newly refreshed and reopened , which was the country’s first true luxury eco-resort when it opened in 2013. (From $776 per night.) The resort has direct walking access to a world-class surf break just off of its private beach. While funding is secured for the road construction, the pace of progress is nearly impossible to predict, so don’t expect to be driving down a long stretch of empty, freshly paved highway this year. (Also, the U.S. State Department has a for the country, in part because of the government’s arbitrary enforcement of laws, although like Costa Rica or Panama, Nicaragua is generally safe for tourists if you exercise caution). But if you want to experience the surf breaks before the rush on the rapidly developing coastline, now is the time to go.

5. Paddling Pristine Backcountry

Stay Domestic: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota

In January 2023, the Biden administration helped ban mining and geothermal exploration on over 225,000 acres of land in the Superior National Forest, preserving the integrity of the Rainy River watershed and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the process.

With President Trump in power again, however, advocates are once again worried that the BWCAW, one of the most pristine landscapes in the Lower 48, could return to becoming a political football. If so, it could be tossed back into the hands of the Chilean-owned mining conglomerate that has been seeking to open a copper-sulfide mine in the area for years. All of which is a good reason to explore the area now, to see firsthand just how special this landscape is.

Spanning over a million acres of North Woods forest dotted with thousands of lakes, this is a paddler’s paradise, with more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes and 2,000 campsites, most of which are paddle-in only. If you want a break from modern life and all its real-time annoyances and aggravations, the BWCAW has always been one of the best places to do it, and now you can show your tacit political support for the area simply by enjoying a weekend paddle through it.

Go Abroad: Pacuare River, Costa Rica

The Pacuare River, roughly 60 miles east of San José, is not only one of the best tropical rafting trips on the planet—and by extension one of the best ways to experience Costa Rica’s wild side—it’s also “home” to the perennial favorite . With 20 suites, a restaurant, and a spa set along the riverbank, the lodge has set an impossibly high standard for eco-luxury in the heart of the rainforest. (From $949 per night.)

The best part, however, is that arriving at Picuare requires getting on the water first. With no road into the property, guests float down the Pacuare’s class II–V rapids, through canyons and untouched jungle, and arrive via boat on the lodge’s front steps. Despite its remoteness, it’s full of amenities. Each suite has a range of luxuries like outdoor showers, spring-fed fountains, and plunge pools. The restaurant serves exceptionally high-quality, fresh ingredients and the spa has wellness programs that include open-air yoga sessions and treatments inspired by indigenous traditions. The surrounding forest is home to toucans, sloths, and howler monkeys, and non-river activities include guided rainforest hikes to see the wildlife, zip-lining, and visiting local CabĂ©car communities. The lodge itself is worthy of a visit alone, but combined with its entrance theatrics—a float down the whitewater of Pacuare River—the experience may just offer the perfect balance of adventure and indulgences for a weekend jungle-induced rejuvenation. Pura vida indeed.

6. Camping (with Creature Comforts)

Stay Domestic: Yosemite, California

Outdoor-oriented hospitality group is expanding once again, this time to an 80-acre camp near Yosemite National Park. Ever since it started with a single glamping resort in West Yellowstone in 2012, the company has grown year over year to offer overnight access to some of America’s most iconic destinations, including Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, and Moab (thanks to its luxury offshoot ULUM Moab).

is the company’s first foray into California, and it will feature the same safari-inspired tents—with king-size beds, a private deck, and ensuite bathrooms—that have made its 13 other locations so popular. There will also be regular activities in the camp, such as live music, morning yoga, and nightly fires with s’mores. (The seasonal camp runs from May 15 to October 27 in 2025, and rates start at $349 per night, meals not included.)

But perhaps the best reason to book a stay here while visiting Yosemite National Park is the easy access it affords. The camp is located just ten minutes from the west entrance to the park and, more importantly, across from a bus stop for the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS). Without a reservation in summer, you are no longer allowed to enter the park by car. So staying at Under Canvas Yosemite means you not only get all the amenities, but you also get easy, car-free access to the park.

Go Abroad: Playa Viva, Mexico

On a remote beach 35 miles south of Zihuatanejo lies one of the most ecologically sensitive, off-grid, wellness-focused resorts on the planet: . This is far from camping, but the 19 open-air treehouses and casitas, designed with bamboo and other sustainable woods, will make it feel as if you’re poaching a nap on the last stretch of perfect sand in all of Mexico.

Each room has unobstructed views of the beach, with nothing to be seen either direction besides palm trees, Pacific waves, and the occasional breaching whale. Set on 200 coastal acres, Playa Viva is home to a vibrant turtle sanctuary, a regenerative farm, and mangrove forest. The resort supports local communities through various initiatives and actively works to help restore surrounding ecosystems. Guests can even participate in activities like helping release baby sea turtles (during the fall hatching season).

The on-site restaurant even serves farm-to-table dishes that celebrate the region’s culinary heritage. Think fresh-caught seafood, handmade tortillas, and tropical fruits picked just steps from your casita. Daily beachside yoga classes and a variety of massage services round out the offerings. Again, you’re not exactly roughing it, but the resort is a world away in a wild, pristine corner of Mexico. (Summer low-season rates begin at $240 per night.)

7. Wildlife Encounters

Stay Domestic: American Prairie Reserve, Montana

When it was established in 2004, —a private, nonprofit effort to create the largest wildlife reserve in the continental U.S. at three million acres—seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream. But the group has steadily managed to acquire an impressive amount of land on Montana’s Northern Great Plains in their effort to reestablish a functioning ecosystem that supports free-roaming wildlife.

In December, APR , which brings their total to over half a million acres of deeded land and leased public property. Thanks to all the efforts over the years, the reserve is now home to a wealth of iconic wildlife, including herds of bison, elk, and pronghorn. It also contains some of the most remote areas of the lower-48 states, with a diverse landscape—from sagebrush plains to riparian areas to the steep hills of the Missouri Breaks—that offers visitors the chance to see wildlife in their natural habitat.

The APR’s National Discovery Center has excellent exhibits about the prairie ecosystem, and is the best place to learn about the reserve’s hiking, biking, and camping opportunities, especially considering that it continues to expand its offerings, which includes interpretive programs. But as a quick-start option, one of the best ways to experience the wildlife is by camping at , located four miles north of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge on the rolling shortgrass prairie. (RV sites are $19 per night and tent sites are $13.) Here, you’re almost certain to see plains bison and pronghorn roaming past prairie dog towns and get a much deeper connection to one of the most overlooked landscapes in the U.S. The American Prairie Reserve isn’t just a trip, it’s a chance to witness (and participate in) conservation history in the making.

Go Abroad: Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, British Columbia

Tucked into a Pacific Ocean inlet on Vancouver Island’s wild west coast, is perhaps the most luxurious gateway to British Columbia’s wildlife-rich temperate rainforest. It may also be the best way to see the area’s charismatic, iconic species, from black bears and eagles to whales and otters.

The lodge’s 25 canvas tents, which are lavishly appointed with specially made furnishings, king-sized beds, and wood-burning stoves, offer guests the perfect blend of off-grid seclusion and high-end comfort. (From $3,300 per night.)

Meals focus on hyper-local, foraged ingredients crafted into exquisite dishes. Committed to sustainability, the seasonal lodge operates with an extremely light footprint, relying on renewable energy to power the camp. It also supports local First Nations communities through cultural exchange programs and eco-tourism partnerships. All of which makes staying here feeling as if you’re part of a very lucky family.

But the real reason to come are the wildlife excursions, which includes hiking or horseback rides in the forest to see and sea kayaking outings on the inlet, where it’s common to spot whales, porpoises, seals, and sea lions. And this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to the lodge’s eco-adventure program. For those seeking a communion with nature that has more than a dash of indulgence, Clayoquot offers an unforgettable escape into the wild heart of British Columbia.

Ryan Krogh is a writer and editor who lives in Austin, Texas. Among the dozens of destinations that he traveled to in 2024, including Iceland, England, and a road trip through Mexico’s highlands, his favorite was a weekend fly-fishing trip to the Texas Coast. In 2025, he’s hoping to see Nicaragua and Portugal for the first time, which is why they’re included here, but he also has plans to explore the new “Gulf of America” coast, whatever that is. He has recently written about the world’s best airports with cool outdoor spaces, the beginner’s guide to carry-on luggage, and the most dog-friendly beaches in the U.S.

The post The 14 Best Vacation Spots in the U.S. and Abroad for 2025 appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Many of America’s 63 national parks charge an entrance fee, usually $30-$35 per vehicle or $15 if you’re walking or on a bike. Or you can get an for just $80. The fee covers you for seven days, and the money goes to a good cause: according to the NPS, 80 percent is used within the park, helping to improve trails, campsites, and roads, and 20 percent goes to other park sites. And there are six or so .

You can also have a national-park experience for free another way, by visiting one of the 20 national parks that don’t charge an entrance fee ever. Come and go as you please without dropping a dime. Many of them are among our least-visited national parks, which means you might have these landscapes to yourself.

These are the 20 national parks that are free to visit every day. If you’re wondering whether these are good ones, they’re not—they’re great ones.

1. Biscayne National Park, Florida

A coastal park located in south Florida where the mainland transitions to the Keys, Biscayne National Park is a collection of islands, mangroves, coral reefs, and open water that’s largely inaccessible except by boat. While entering the park doesn’t cost a thing, if you’re bringing a boat and want to anchor at certain areas, expect a $25 docking fee on weekends and holidays.

Best Time to Visit: Summer is hot and buggy (with temps in the 90s and mosquitoes), and hurricanes are possible in the fall. Shoot for winter, when temps hover in the mid 70s and the storms and bugs are dormant.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Biscayne Bay is known for its shipwrecks, and the Mandalay, a schooner that sank in the ’60s, is one of the top sites, as the hull sits in shallow enough water to be seen by snorkelers as well as divers. This wreck is part of the which includes five others. Don’t want to spend your time underwater? Head to Boca Chita Key, also part of the park, a 32-acre island with camping ($25 a night, first-come, first-served), hiking, and a lighthouse. The half-mile trail that circumnavigates the small island leads to its beaches.

2. Channel Islands National Park, California

Channel Islands National Park encompasses five rugged islands in the Pacific Ocean about 30 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. If you ever wondered what Southern California would look like without the development and traffic, this is it. The park is full of remote beaches, steep cliffs, expansive meadows, and pristine forests.

Best Time to Visit: Summer, as the water and air temps are both in the 70s, a little cooler than most of Southern California but still warm, so you can make the most of those beaches scattered throughout the park.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: I hit Channel Islands last summer as part of a seven-day adventure cruise, but the easiest way (compared to arriving via seaplane or private boat) to reach the park is by ferry, with (day trips from $96). Get dropped off on Santa Rosa Island and hike the 12-mile out-and-back to Skunk Point, a prominent peninsula with sand dunes and cliffs jutting into the Pacific. You’ll pass rare Torrey pines, a gnarled-looking, wind-twisted type of tree only found on the Channel Islands and in La Jolla on the mainland, and have copious views of the ocean and island along the way.

Or book a sea-kayaking tour with and paddle to sea caves and gaze at natural rock arches (from $145 per person).

3. Congaree National Park, South Carolina

You could say Congaree National Park is a swamp, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but the word doesn’t do the place justice. The 26,692-acre Congaree holds the largest intact old-growth bottom-wood forest in the South, boasting trophy-sized loblolly pines and cypress that rise straight from the water. The same forest has one of the tallest canopies in the eastern United States, with an average tree height of more than 100 feet.

Best Time to Visit: Avoid summer because of the sweltering heat and bugs. Winter and spring are fine, but you might as well show up in the fall when the weather is perfect, the rivers are full from seasonal rains, and the hardwoods, like tupelos and sweet gums, are popping with color.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Most of the fun in Congaree is water-based, so bring a canoe or paddle board and slowly make your way through the , a 15-mile marked “path” that winds through old-growth cypress. The current is mellow enough to paddle up or downstream, so you don’t need a shuttle.

4. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

An oasis of public land sandwiched between the bustling cities of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley holds 33,000 acres of forest and historic farmland surrounding the Cuyahoga River. What the park lacks in towering peaks or grand vistas, it makes up for in waterways, waterfalls, and cultural significance; you can ride your bike beside the Ohio and Erie Canal, which connected the Ohio River with Lake Erie, key to the country’s western expansion during the early 1800s.

Best Time to Visit: It’s a four-season park (although winters can be cold and snowy), and I could make an argument for every season. Fall brings bright foliage, and spring is mild and uncrowded, but show up in summer and you can take advantage of the many farmers’ markets in and around the park. The Cuyahoga Valley is still a very active agricultural hub of the Midwest.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: You have to bike at least a section of the , a 100-mile crushed-gravel trail that follows the Ohio and Erie Canal. Roughly 20 miles of the Towpath sit inside the park, passing through small towns and meadows full of wildflowers, like trillium and bloodroot, with deer and foxes along the way.

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

Want remote wilderness? Go to Alaska, then keep heading north into the Brooks Range, and you’ll find Gates of the Arctic, a 13,000-square-mile expanse of mountains and river valleys north of the Arctic Circle. There are no roads in Gates of the Arctic, nor a visitor center or gift shop, nor even established trails. Just herds of caribou, the glow of the northern lights, and several federally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers winding through the tundra. Ěý

Best Time to Visit: Hands down, summer has the warmest temps, as well as rivers that are full from snowmelt and a landscape that comes alive as everything from wildflowers to grizzly bears makes the most of the sunshine. There’s plenty of that, too; you’re so far north, you can expect daylight for up to a month at a time in the summer.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Try, if you can, to see this park from the hull of a boat. Consider paddling the Noatak, a sinuous river that’s carved a broad valley through the Brooks Range. You’d plan for a 10-day canoe-camping trip, with mostly calm water and a few stretches of class II rapids on the 60-mile section inside the park. You’ll float past meadows full of alpine sunflowers and snow buttercups, fish for arctic char, and keep an eye out for grizzlies, wolves, and Dall sheep ( from $8,900).

6. Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

Gateway Arch isn’t like other national parks on this list. It’s an urban park, located in St. Louis, that was originally set aside to commemorate the cultural significance of our country’s push westward. It’s only 91 acres, tucked into the banks of the Mississippi River, and has the 630-foot Gateway Arch as its centerpiece. Fun fact: this is the tallest arch in the U.S. Inside the park are five miles of paved trails for walking and running along the Mississippi.

Best Time to Visit: Show up in fall or spring, when the weather is mild and the crowds are minimal.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Really, ride the tram to the top of the arch. The journey takes you through the structure’s hollow legs and ends at a viewing platform with a panorama of the Mississippi River and its many bridges below. The only catch? The ride will cost you $19.

7. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

It takes some effort to reach Great Basin National Park, in eastern Nevada roughly 285 miles north of Las Vegas, but once you’re there, you won’t need to contend with crowds. Only 140,000 people a year venture to Great Basin, compared to 14 million visitors for Great Smoky Mountains National ParkĚýin 2023. Yet Great Basin has towering 13,000-foot peaks; groves of shimmering aspen as well as old-growth bristlecone pines, which are believed to be the oldest known tree species in the world; and a fascinating system of caves to explore.

Best Time to Visit: Much of the park can be inaccessible during winter, when the 12-mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, which ascends from 6,700 to 10,180 feet in elevation, is unplowed but open to skiers and snowshoers, and there are various other winter closures. So going between late spring and early fall is your best bet. Late summer will give you the best chance for snow-free trails.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: The cave tours are popular, but I say hike to the top of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, where views of the Great Basin Desert, the only “cold” desert in America—the precipitation comes from snow—stretch in every direction for 100 miles on a clear day. It’s a 6.1-mile that gains 3,000 feet, much of which is above tree line, so take it slowly if you’re coming from sea level. Interested in something milder? Hike the 2.7-mile , which brings you to the edges of Teresa and Stella Lakes, both pools surrounded by evergreens.

8. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

This is the most popular national park in the country, with, as said above, some 14 million visitors annually. Fortunately, there are 500,000 acres of mountains in Great Smoky Mountains National ParkĚýfor all those people to explore, with more than 900 miles of trail that access 6,000-foot peaks, pristine trout streams, and historic farming valleys.

Best Time to Visit: There’s no bad time to hit GSMNP. The foliage goes nuts come fall, winter can bring snow and solitude, and spring is budding with renewed life…but I like summer in the Smokies. Sure, some parts of the park are crowded, but the temperatures are perfect for splashing in the waterfalls and swimming holes.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Most visitors stick to the scenic Newfound Gap Road and its short nature trails, but I recommend hiking the 11-mile out-and-back up to LeConte Lodge, a backcountry inn on top of the 6,000-foot peak of the same name. Some sections of the trail are so exposed you use cables for safety, and you’ll pass through Alum Cave, a rock overhang with a long-range view into the park. If you can’t score overnight reservations at the lodge, purchase a sack lunch from the kitchen for a picnic in some quiet spot with a view before heading back down to the trailhead.

9. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

An aerial view shows Hot Springs Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs National Park, Garland County, Arkansas, in summer amid the region’s green hills. Video courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism

Forget rugged cliffs or backcountry lakes. Hot Springs National Park protects a small town that was built on top of thermal springs that attracted travelers for centuries before the area ever became a national park. Today, you’ll find two brick bathhouses for soaking your weary muscles and public fountains where you can fill a jug with natural spring water for drinking.

Best Time to Visit: The weather in the park is generally mild, so it’s a popular destination year round, but winter feels like the right time to sit in a tub of hot water.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Can relaxing be an adventure? Who cares? When in Hot Springs National Park, you sit in hot water. The Buckstaff Bathhouse has small private tubs, while the has a series of larger, Roman-style pools for group bathing as well. A man-made steam cave captures the radiant heat from the 143-degree water (from $25 per person). You can also hike the trails here and are welcome to bike on any of the paved roads and the Pullman Trail.

10.Ěý Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Katmai National Park is surely best known for its live bear cams, where you can watch massive brown bears fish for salmon from the comfort of your office chair. But this 4-million-acre park in Southern Alaska is more than just an internet sensation; it’s a playground of lakes, rivers, and mountains, with an active volcano.

Best Time to Visit: Show up in July when the temps approach 70, and the brown bears are actively hunting for fish.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Try to get a campsite or lodge room at the float-plane accessible (make reservations starting January 5, $18 per campsite per night) on the edge of Naknek Lake, and hike the 1.2-mile out and back to Brooks Falls, where the park’s most popular bear cam catches grizzlies poking around the water for salmon. Don’t worry, the hike ends at an overlook a safe distance from the action.

11. Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

The heart of Kenai Fjords is the Harding Icefield, a 700-square-mile sheet of ice that has shaped Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula by leaving glaciers and carving fjords. Visitors to the park have 600,000 acres of fjords to paddle, many trails to hike, and innumerable icy crevices to explore, with Ěýoptions available.

Best Time to Visit: Technically, Kenai Fjords is open year round, but winters are cold and snowy, and the only way into the park is by fat bike, XC skis, or dogsled. Show up from June through August and the trails are open to hikers, the roads are clear, and wildlife is most visible, as animals actively look for food.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: This is your chance to explore a glacier in all its shrinking glory. A paved road leads to the edge of Exit Glacier, which forms the tail end of the Harding Icefield. From here a system of trails explores the valley carved by the glacier, offering a variety of views. Hike the 8.2-mile out-and-back , a strenuous climb through cottonwood forests and meadows, then above a tree line ridge that stops at the edge of the massive expanse of ice.

12. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Kobuk Valley is one of the least-visited units of the national-park system (just over 17,000 people made the trip in 2023), but that’s more a reflection of the park’s location north of the Arctic Circle than its landscape, which is a mix of rivers and sand dunes that are populated by a hell of a lot of caribou traveling along the Kobuk River. No roads lead into Kobuk Valley, so most visitors arrive via . The other option would be a very long paddle in.

Best Time to Visit: Shoot for June or July, when you’ll enjoy nearly 24 hours of light every day, blooming wildflowers like the herbaceous locoweed, and temperatures in the mid 60s. Or show up in August when the caribou begin their migration through the park.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: With no established trails or campgrounds inside the park, you need to be self-sufficient. Most people show up to camp in the 25-square-mile Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, or paddle and fish for salmon and whitefish along the 61 miles of the Kobuk River within the park’s borders. Either way, keep an eye out for caribou, which look like lean reindeer.

13. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Much like Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark has no roads leading into the park and is typically accessed by small plane. But make the effort and you’ll see 4 million acres of quintessential Alaskan terrain with 10,000-foot peaks, backcountry lakes, glaciers, and wild rivers, all about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage.

Best Time to Visit: It’s Alaska, so summer will give you the longest days and warmest weather of the year. The brown bears are active too, filling up on salmon running up the rivers, so it can be a once-in-a-lifetime thrill seeing them (from a safe distance).

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Catch a to Crescent Lake and spend your time on a boat, fishing for sockeye salmon, which fill the lake in July during their annual migration, or lake trout. Bring your binoculars too, as the lake is a hub for brown-bear activity during the summer.

14. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Most national parks wow you with what’s above ground, but Mammoth Cave’s secret sauce lies beneath the dirt; the park protects the largest cave system in the world, with more than 400 miles of mapped passages.

Best Time to Visit: Mammoth might be the truest year-round park in the system, as the temperature in the caves is a consistent 54 degrees through every season. But visit in the fall and the hardwoods above ground are bursting with color.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: The landscape offers plenty to do above ground, from paddling the Green River to mountain biking the park’s 20 miles of singletrack, but you’re here for the caves. The Historic Cave Tour is the classic introduction, a two-hour guided adventure that hits the biggest rooms and tight channels alike ($24 per person). Or if you’re feeling adventurous, sign up for a Wild Cave Tour and crawl through tight passages that lead to lesser-seen rooms over 5.5 miles of exploration ($79 per person).

15. National Park of American Samoa

Looking for something remote and tropical? American Samoa is a collection of seven islands located 2,600 miles south of Hawaii. National Park of American Samoa protects pieces of four of those islands, boasting tropical rainforests, steep peaks, remote beaches, and access to the surrounding ocean and coral reefs.

Best Time to Visit: It’s warm year round in American Samoa, but winter can be rainy. The dry season runs from June to September, offering the best chances of good weather for hiking and clear water for snorkeling.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Tutuila, the largest island of Samoa, is loaded with hiking trails that lead through rainforests to dramatic viewpoints over the coast. If I ever get to go, I’m visiting Ofu Island, which has a remote shoreline with pink sand that has been called the most beautiful beach in the world. The is amazing too, as the water is clear, the coral reefs are close to shore and packed with colorful fish, and the area hosts more than 950 species of fish.

16. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia

New River Gorge National Park packs an adventurous punch in its svelte 73,000 acres, protecting 53 miles of the class IV New River and the steep, rocky gorge around it. Rock climbing, mountain biking, whitewater rafting…you can do it all inside this relatively small park.

Best Time to Visit: Summer brings the warmest weather for rafting, but if you’re looking to climb, show up in the fall when the humidity dissipates, temps drop, and the leaves pop.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: It’s hard to pick just one here, but rafting the New has to top the list. The river drops 750 feet inside the park’s boundaries, unraveling in a series of III-IV wave trains, drops, and big pillows. A number of outfitters , from half-day milder water options to two-day overnight adventures.

17. North Cascades National Park, Washington

North Cascades might be close enough to Seattle for a day trip, but this landscape is a world removed from the bustling city, with high alpine terrain full of evergreen forests, craggy peaks, backcountry lakes, and more than 300 glaciers–the largest collection in any park outside of Alaska.

Best Time to Visit: Late June to late September has the most user-friendly weather and the best chances for snow-free trails.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Take on , a steep 9.4-mile hike from the edge of Ross Lake that passes through meadows toward sweeping views from a historic lookout tower that Jack Kerouac once lived in while working as a fire scout. On the horizon are the craggy, fin-like Hozomeen Peak and a portion of the Ross Lake National Recreation Area.

18. Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands

Protecting two-thirds of the island of St. John, Virgin Islands National Park is packed with beaches, lush mountains, and tropical rainforests. Visitors will split their time between water activities, lounging on beaches, and hiking through the hills.

Best Time to Visit: Summer can be hot and rainy and fall brings hurricanes, but winter in the Virgin Islands is delightful, with temps in the 80s and minimal rainfall.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Explore Salomon and Honeymoon Bay, dueling white-sand beaches separated by a rocky point. Snorkelers have colonies of coral reefs teeming with tropical fish to explore. Or go for a swim in Brown Bay, from a beach that’s only accessible by boat or a 1.5-mile hike on Brown Bay Trail.

19. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Situated on the Canadian border in Northern Minnesota, the 218,055-acre Voyageurs National Park is known for its series of lakes interconnected by 60 miles of canoe trails. Moose and wolves thrive inside the park, which is also a good spot for seeing the northern lights.

Best Time to Visit: Visitor centers and tour operators open in June and the lakes are busiest in the summer, but September brings changing colors and fewer crowds. The season ends quickly, though, and October can feel more like winter than fall.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: People visit Voyageurs to canoe and fish the lakes for walleye and northern pike. The larger lakes can be busy with motorboat traffic, but the smaller interior lakes are linked by a series of marked canoe trails and backcountry campsites. Paddle the 13-mile Chain of Lakes trail, which traverses four small lakes on the Kabetogama Peninsula via small creeks and short portages. Each lake has a campsite, and the park service stages boats for use by those with camping .

20. Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

One of the oldest national parks in our system, established in 1903 by Theodore Roosevelt, the 33,000-acre Wind Cave protects a landscape in transition, where the Great Plains give way to the Black Hills. Above ground, the park boasts broad swaths of grassland occupied by herds of bison and elk, but underneath that bounty of wildlife are 143 miles of mapped cave passages.

Best time to Visit: Summer is hot and thunderstorms with hail are common, while winter brings snow and sub-freezing temps. Hit Wind Cave in the shoulder seasons (spring or fall) for mild weather and to see active wildlife.

Signature şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: The only way to explore the caves is on a . The Natural Entrance tour is a good family-friendly option, as visitors experience the winding opening of the cave system before exploring some of the larger interior passages, known for walls that look like honeycombs. If you want more of an adventure, sign up for the Wild Cave tour, which will have you crawling through smaller, undeveloped passages deep down in the system ($17 per person).

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national-parks columnist. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, he is fortunate enough to live within a few hours of three free national parks. He recently wrote about the best hikes in Joshua Tree National Park, his favorite mountain town, and the national park he chose as the most adventurous.

The post Entry to These 20 National Parks Won’t Cost You a Dime appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

The big ones you already know: Great Smoky Mountains, Acadia, Yosemite. All of these national parks have well-documented fall-foliage displays. They’re stunning, but the crowds can be stunning, too.

So, let’s spread the love. Here are nine national parks that have managed to fly under the leaf-peeping radar while boasting an autumn display that rivals that of the big hitters.

1. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is named for the “crooked river,” as it was known by the Lenape, the indigenous tribe that called the area home in the 1600s and 1700s. It may be the most amazing park you’ve never seen. Does it have towering peaks? No. But it protects a lush river valley between Cleveland and Akron that is loaded with waterfalls, mossy cliffs, historical sites, and a hardwood forest that absolutely pops come fall.

It’s also a comeback story I celebrate. In the mid-1900s, the Cuyahoga River was a cautionary tale, actually catching fire at least a dozen times from pollution. The last such fire, in 1969, was so devastating it sparked creation the next year of the first Earth Day and the Environmental Protection Agency. Today that once-abused waterway is part of a flourishing national park of over 33,000 acres of river valley, wetlands, farmland, and rolling hills.

Peak Color: Show up in the middle of October. You can expect the sugar and red maples to turn first, with displays of red, yellow, and orange, while the white oaks follow, turning a deep, rich brown. Bonus: in early October, the New England aster wildflower blooms purple along the towpath trail, where in the 1800s mules pulled boats up and down the Erie Canal.

The Best Way to See Foliage: , a 100-mile crushed-gravel trail that once carried goods and passengers between Lake Erie and the Eastern U.S., is now the playground of hikers, runners, and cyclists. Twenty miles of the towpath, between the Lock 39 and Botzum trailheads, reside inside the national park. Ride this section and you’ll pass through small towns and Beaver Marsh, a hotspot of wildlife viewing.

You can purchase a on the scenic railway to go out and return by bike on a 13-mile stretch of the towpath between the Akron North station and Peninsula Depot through October ($5 per person). has bike rentals (from $60 a day).

There are 125 miles of trail in Cuyahoga, but the 2.5-mile loop is a must-hike, as it follows a tall band of sandstone cliffs covered in moss. You’ll have the chance to scramble Ěýup and over boulders, but the trail also puts you deep into a forest alive with color. Look for the yellows of hazelnut trees.

2. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

The 14,410-foot Mount Rainier, a volcano adorned with white glaciers, is the obvious focal point of this 236,000-acre national park. While every season offers a different reason to visit, I’d argue that fall is the best, or at least the most colorful. And it has nothing to do with the trees.

Sure, the deciduous forests change in September, but most of the color in Rainier comes from the shrubs and ground cover that blanket the vast meadows surrounding that famous three-summited mountain amid 26 glaciers. Mount Rainier is full of elderberry and huckleberry bushes, as well as vine maples, all of which turn different shades of yellow, orange, and red in autumn.

Peak Color: Aim for the beginning of October, as snow begins to descend on the park towards the end of the month.

The Best Way to See Foliage: Hike the around Reflection Lake, which is famous for holding the mirror image of Mount Rainier on calm, clear days. The two main tarns on this trail are flanked by subalpine meadows with a variety of shrubs and wildflowers that change colors in the fall. You’ll also see some mountain ash turning yellow within the dense evergreen forest on the edge of the water.

For bigger views and an abundance of color, the 5.5-mile has long-range vistas of the area’s most famous volcanoes, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, while also passing through expansive stretches of huckleberry and vine maple, which are turning red and orange.

3. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

I know what you’re thinking: West Texas is the desert, man. No trees. While it’s true that Guadalupe Mountains National Park occupies 86,000 acres of dusty, high-desert terrain best known for cactus and towering buttes, the place is also home to forests of deciduous trees that undergo the same transformation as the better-known hardwood forests of the East and Midwest.

The higher elevations in the park receive twice as much rain as the desert floor, creating a more diverse habitat that includes oaks, maples, and ash trees as well as a few aspens, all mixed in with ponderosa pines and Douglas firs.

Fall foliage is easy to find in a place like Vermont, where trees are literally everywhere, but you’ll have to work for it in Guadalupe Mountains; every foliage focal point requires at least a short hike, but the effort is part of the appeal as you move through dusty canyons into high alpine forests.

Peak Color: Fall comes surprisingly late in Guadalupe Mountains, with trees starting to change in mid October and hitting their peak towards the end of the month. The first week of November can also deliver bright hues.

The Best Way to See Foliage: Hike the 15.2-mile out-and-back (or a shorter variation) which has the greatest concentration of fall color in the entire park. The trail follows the canyon floor, tracing the edge of a small, clear creek for four miles before steepening to climb up and out of the canyon to McKittrick Ridge. You’ll gain 2,700 feet of elevation, most of which comes during that two-mile rise.

Make it to the dense forest of Pratt Canyon, 4.7 miles in, or hike all the way to McKittrick Ridge and a view of the canyon in its entirety, as it splays out in a mix of fall color and tan desert floor.

4. Zion National Park, Utah

Zion can hardly be considered an “underrated” park (as opposed to being one of the lesser-visited national parks, it was the third-most-so in 2023, with 4,623,238 visits), but the element of surprise is that few people think of this desert oasis as a hotbed of fall color. It is. I’ve visited the park in the spring and summer on a number of occasions, and really want to see it Ěýduring fall, when the oaks and maples scattered throughout various canyons turn shades of orange and red.

The Virgin River, which runs through Zion’s entrance and carves the iconic canyon at the heart of the park, is surrounded by cottonwoods that turn bright yellow. The crowds are typically thinner, too, as the summer-rush people are back to school and work.

Peak Color: Trees at higher elevations will start turning in September, but the best color in the park goes from late October into early November.

The Best Way to See Foliage: You’ll spot the cottonwoods along the Virgin River as you enter the park, but for a bird’s-eye view of the foliage, hike the mile-long on the east side of Zion, which traverses a relatively flat expanse of sandstone to an outcropping with an all-encompassing view. From your lofty perch, the main arm of Zion Canyon looks as if it’s carpeted by yellow cottonwoods.

5. Congaree National Park, South Carolina

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve never explored Congaree National Park, even though it’s only a few hours from my home, in Asheville, North Carolina. But I need to rectify the omission, because by all accounts, Congaree is a one-of-a-kind landscape that is home to some of the most impressive trees in the country. The national park protects the largest intact old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the Southeast, with stands of 500-year-old bald cypress trees, loblolly pines that stretch 165 feet in the air, and towering elm, oaks, tupelos, and sweet gums.

In the fall, most of those massive old trees put on a show, with the tupelos turning red and gold and oaks deepening into reds. Even the bald cypress get in on the action. The species is best known for its knobby “knees,” roots that rise above the dark water of Congaree’s Cedar Creek, but these giant trees are deciduous conifers with leaves that turn cinnamon and orange.

The park is small, just 26,000 acres, and best explored by canoe or paddleboard, as the Congaree and Water rivers merge here to create an extensive floodplain that dominates the terrain.

Peak Color: Fall hits late, beginning at about the end of October and running into November. This also happens to be the best time to visit Congaree, as temps are mild (up to the 70s), bugs scarce, and the water levels ideal for paddling.

The Best Way to See Foliage: Explore the Cedar Creek Canoe Trail from Bannister’s Bridge to the Congaree River. The current is essentially non-existent, so you can choose your own out-and-back adventure. If you want to go with a local, runs guided trips into Congaree ($100 per person). And while you’re here for the trees and color, keep an eye out for otters, turtles, and the occasional gator in the water too. Congaree is also a hotbed of woodpecker activity, with all eight southern species found in the park.

6. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Named for the French-Canadian fur traders that used to travel through the area in birchbark canoes, the 218,000-acre Voyageurs National Park is comprised mostly of lakes: four big ones—Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sandy Point—and 26 small ones. There are also 500 islands and 650 miles of shoreline ripe with fall color in September, as stands of aspen, basswood, oaks, maples, and birch trees shake up the green forest palate of spruce and fir. I like the idea of paddling a canoe surrounded by a forest canopy ablaze in red and orange.

Voyageurs is situated against the Canadian border at a high enough latitude for visitors occasionally to glimpse the aurora borealis. Your chances of seeing these mystical northern lights increases in the fall as nights grow longer and darker. The University of Alaska operates a service that the activity of the lights up to a month in advance.

Voyageurs is also an International Dark Sky Certified Park, so whether or not you can see the northern lights, clear nights reveal a cornucopia of stars above.

Peak Color: Aspens and birch trees begin to turn yellow in the middle of September, and the oaks and maples follow with reds and oranges as we move into October. Aim for the end of September or beginning of October for the most color. Keep in mind that while the park is open year round, the Rainy Lake Visitor Center is the only visitor center operating into October. The other two close at the end of September.

The Best Way to See Foliage: For a quick immersion in fall color, hike the 1.7-mile , which starts at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center and loops through a hardwood forest on mostly flat trail via double track and skinny boardwalk over marshy sections. You’ll also get views of marsh grass shimmering in the wind leading to Rainy Lake itself. If you want to go out on the water, the park service runs a 2.5-hour , which cruises the island-studded Rainy Lake seeking out wildlife and delivering postcard-worthy views ($50 per adult).

7. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

In a state that’s absolutely crammed with dramatic public landscapes, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve often gets overlooked. Its neighbor Katmai National Park, after all, is home to the cutest bears on the internet. But Lake Clark has much splendor of its own, from sheer granite-walled peaks to ice-blue glaciers and wildlife worthy of any safari. (Grizzlies! Moose! Caribou! Otters!)

Lake Clark is located just 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, but relative to other national parks, gets a scant 200,000 visitors a year. Credit the lack of roads; the only way to access the park is via aircraft or boat.

Peak Color: Fall is by far the best time to visit Lake Clark, and by fall, I mean September, as the snow typically begins in October here. Hit the park during the three- to four-week window, and you’ll see groves of birch trees turning gold amid their conifer neighbors, as lakeside lowland shrubs go orange and red. Fall is also berry season (look for cranberries and blueberries), and bears are particularly active, foraging for food in anticipation of hibernating through winter.

Lake Clark itself is 42 miles long and five miles wide. The tiny Port Alsworth (pop: 130) sits on the east side of the lake, serving as the gateway town to the park, and has its only visitor center. The National Park Service maintains of air taxis with permits to fly into the park if you want to venture deeper into the terrain.

The Best Way to See Foliage: Maintained day-hike trails are scarce in Lake Clark, but the four-mile out-and-back offers convenient access and a bevy of fall color. The hike begins on the edge of Port Alsworth and passes through stands of birch trees to Tanalian Falls, a 30-foot beauty that drops over lava rock, all surrounded by spruce and birch forest. Turn this hike into a loop by taking the Beaver Pond Trail back to the trailhead, hitting more golden-hued birches as you meander past a small beaver pond.

8. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

I’m convinced Theodore Roosevelt National Park would be more appreciated if it were located closer to larger cities. The Dakotas are among the most interesting states in the Midwest, and this park is a highlight. The 70,000-acre park protects a landscape in transition, where the great plains meet the canyons of the badlands. It’s divided into three sections—South Unit, Elkhorn Ranch Unit, and the North Unit—stitched together by the Little Missouri River.

The North Unit has the deepest canyons and most remote trails, the Elkhorn Ranch Unit preserves Teddy Roosevelt’s hunting cabin, and the South Unit blends broad, grassy plains with wide river gorges. You’ll find beautiful foliage throughout the park, as the Little Missouri River is shrouded in a cottonwood forest. You’re also almost guaranteed to see some epic wildlife, too; big species like feral horses, elk, and bison roam free.

Peak Color: Shoot for mid-September to mid-October for the most vibrant colors. Trees in the North Unit tend to shift earlier, while the South Unit pulls up the rear in the middle of October.

The Best Way to See Foliage: Is it lame to recommend a scenic drive? Not when it’s the 28-mile Scenic Drive in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The byway rambles through grassland and the tan-colored badlands, with pullouts that feature views of rock outcroppings and canyons and the Missouri River aglow with cottonwoods. Stretch your legs on the Achenbach Trail, a 2.4-mile out and back that leads through grassland (keep an eye out for bison) and ends at an overlook that takes in a bend in the Little Missouri.

9. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Way out in eastern Nevada, close to Utah, Great Basin National Park protects 77,180 acres of scrubby desert, caves, and imposing peaks. It’s not the most obvious fall-foliage destination, but a legit one, and you’ll likely have it all to yourself: Great Basin only gets 140,000 visitors per year. Rest assured, that low attendance is strictly a factor of location (Great Basin is far from everything), because the landscape is destination-worthy, from the craggy 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak to the underground world of Lehman Cave. As for foliage, picture groves of aspens turning shining gold.

Peak Color: Great Basin is a higher-elevation park, so aspens begin to turn in the middle of September and are typically done by mid-October.

The Best Way to See Foliage: Cruise the 12-mile long Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, which gains 4,000 feet from the park entrance to the flank of the mountain it is named for. The way passes through a variety of different habitats, from sagebrush to evergreen conifers, and by the 10,000 feet, you’ll drive through so many colorful aspens you’d almost think you’re in the Rocky Mountains. At the end of the scenic drive, hike the 6.4-mile , which passes through a high-elevation meadow and delivers you into a dense grove of the aspens.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist. He lives in the Southern Appalachians, a hotbed of leaf-peeping activity. Fall is his favorite season for bike rides and trail runs, largely because of the technicolor backdrop in his backyard.Ěý

For more by this author:

9 Beautiful Mountain Towns in the Southeast

The 10 Best Bike Towns in America, Ranked

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

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Whether you’re looking for steep singletrack, a short kid-friendly route, or solitude in the forest, you’ll find it in . This midwestern state is home to a growing community of mountain biking enthusiasts who know something others don’t: Minnesota boasts some of the best riding in the country. You’ll become a believer too after hearing from local expert . He knows Minnesota mountain biking—he’s the former volunteer president of the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew and the president of Strateligent and Cuyuna şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Town USA. Hautala is passionate about sharing the state’s outdoor recreation opportunities with visitors—especially the mountain biking trails.

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: What makes Minnesota a premier mountain biking destination?

Aaron Hautala: Minnesota is rich with new and well-designed trails surrounded by pristine lakes, beaches, the Mississippi River, and hardwood forests. Whether you’re an experienced rider or it’s your first time mountain biking, you’ll find the perfect trail here. You’ll also find that many of the popular trail destinations are complemented by a welcoming, small-town culture where outdoor adventure meets midwestern art, food, and hospitality. When I think about the best time to ride in Minnesota, autumn prime comes to mind. From around mid-September until mid-October, it’s fall colors galore.

Can you mountain bike if you aren’t traveling with your bike or gear?

Yes, there are lots of mountain biking gear rental options in Minnesota. In the Twin Cities, visit with our friends at , , or . Duluth also delivers when it comes to gear rental at , , and . If you’re interested in guided day trips, check out . Whenever I visit a new trail destination, I opt for a guided first day of riding to get the lowdown on the system and the talk of the town. In Cuyuna, check out for your gear rentals, and reserve your guided rides and bike-skill lessons with Mari and Derek at .

Where are the best places to ride in Minnesota?

Target the state’s , which deliver the best experience, both on trail and in town. The organization is dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of riding across the United States by providing the resources to create and maintain mountain biking trails. Minnesota is home to three of these renowned locations.

• : Gold Ride Center
• : Silver Ride Center
• (Minneapolis-St.Paul): Bronze Ride Center

Be sure to check out some of the other activities in and around Duluth, Cuyuna, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, like , , , aquariums, museums, and more. But when it comes to riding, here’s a sampling of my favorite trails in each area.

Minneapolis-St. Paul

The twin cities boast more than 100 miles of bike-specific singletrack. I’ve always been amazed by how easy it is to get into nature in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesotans love it, and you’re likely to, as well.

Beginner

New riders will love Minneapolis-St. Paul. Salem Hills has three short loops for 4.6 miles of easy riding. And if you’re looking for the perfect family ride, has an adaptive/universal trail that everyone can enjoy.

Intermediate

There are plenty of trails to entertain experienced riders visiting the area. encompasses 25 mountain biking trails with winding singletrack, while has 12.7 miles of singletrack and 4,900 acres of outdoor space to explore.

Advanced

has a vast collection of singletrack trails, beautiful lakes, and interpretive programs. For big jumps that offer the opportunity for some aerial miles, check out Sunfish Lake Park.

Cuyuna

When you ride Cuyuna, you can also experience additional trail systems across the towns of Cohasset, Chisholm, Biwabik, and Ely. But beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders can all find great trails within Crosby-Ironton’s .

Beginners

Head to the Sagamore Unit and enjoy more than seven miles of universal/adaptive trails, including Copper Nugget, Klondyke, Syracuse, and Blaster. Klondyke weaves and bobs throughout the Sagamore Forest—it’s the width of a paved trail, but the surface is red dirt. It’s amazing and produces a significant number of smiles per hour.

Intermediate

Bob Sled, Sand Hog, Screamer, Mucker Mountain, Backcountry, and Bison Run trails are all perfect for riders looking for a thrill.

Advanced

Choose from Sinter (big jumps), Sledgehammer (rocks, rocks, and more rocks), and Cruser’s Kettle (glacial moraine wonderland left behind by moving glaciers).

Duluth

The perk of Duluth is you have all the trail systems on the North Shore of Lake Superior at your fingertips. Duluth is also commonly regarded as one of the top mountain bike destinations in the world, offering trails for every style of riding.

Beginners

Mission Creek, Hartley, and Lester Park have many easy routes. For gravity riding, Spirit Mountain has several entry-level flow trails, including Happy Camper, All Weather, and Candy Land.

Intermediate

The Duluth Traverse ties all five Duluth trail systems together, offering about 41 miles of riding. On the North Shore of Lake Superior in Split Rock Wilds, you’ll find the smooth and flowy Mail Route Trail. Additionally, try the Britton Peak Trail System on Lake Superior’s North Shore, including Jackpot and High Climber. You can ride these as an out-and-back or start at Britton Peak and end at the Lutsen Mountains Resort. It’s one of the most iconic backcountry rides in Minnesota.

Advanced

Shred the Piedmont Trail System and the lift-served gravity riding at Spirit Mountain. Just north of Duluth, Split Rock Wilds delivers both uphill and downhill challenges, plus a lot of technical rock crawling.

Explore Minnesota is dedicated to promoting tourism and livability in Minnesota. Visit to find travel inspiration and things to do, subscribe to, and download . See even more by following Explore Minnesota on .

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With apologies to the 49 other states, hiking in is not like anywhere else. The diversity of terrain and accessibility of the trails are just the start. Add warm and welcoming midwesterners and four seasons of beauty, and you get a hiker’s paradise. Whether you’re searching for a relaxing woodland escape in Minneapolis-St. Paul or a challenging multiday trek along Lake Superior, Minnesotans will lay out the welcome mat. One group of local hikers spreading the good word is , which creates an inclusive space for women to hike and connect. We talked to founders Shannon Johnson, Suzanne Nelson, and Kassandra Vilchis to get advice on their favorite Minnesota trails and more.

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Why is Minnesota such a great hiking destination?

You Can Hike With Us: Spending time outdoors is a way of life in Minnesota. We take a lot of pride in caring for our trails,, and reserves so everyone can experience them year-round. You can find hiking trails within a short drive of just about anywhere in Minnesota, too. Some of our most beautiful hiking trails are , making it easy to get out and explore. Additionally, the state’s diverse landscape creates a lot of variety in difficulty and terrain.

 

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What areas do you suggest to new hikers?

We love to see people from all over getting out into nature at their own pace. Here are a few beginner-friendly recreation areas within driving distance of Minneapolis-St. Paul to put on your list.

Waterfall and wildflowers: has numerous trail options and a small but beautiful waterfall to visit. In the springtime, the forest is alive with wildflowers, including one of the only populations of the dwarf trout lily in the world. is a real treat, too. The hardwood leaves transition into their autumn shades, offering the perfect backdrop for fall photos and family adventures.

River views and wildlife: Although visitors come to year-round, fall is especially beautiful. Banning’s unique rock formations, river views, and rushing waterfall should earn it a spot on the top of any new hiker’s list. For an adventure closer to Minneapolis-St. Paul, offers the chance to enjoy the natural habitats of Minnesota wildlife any time of year.

Inner-city hiking: A lovely regional park, is a wooded wonderland in Maple Grove, a suburb of Minneapolis. The Eastman Nature Center Trail System includes a few miles of unpaved routes to explore. For a longer hike, we recommend the Mud Lake Loop.

What other scenic areas should hikers check out near Minneapolis-St. Paul?

Minneapolis-St. Paul is a great base camp for hiking adventures, with many great trails within an hour of the area.

Ice age geology: A short drive from Minneapolis-St. Paul, features intriguing glacial potholes—a remnant of the glacial presence thousands of years ago. The Walter F. Mondale and Railroad Trail Loop offers views of the St. Croix River and unique rock formations. After your hike, check out the towns of or nearby for food and drinks.

Scenic overlooks: Featuring an overlook trail that offers a spectacular view of the , Richard T. Anderson Conservation Area is a must-visit. Afterward, grab a burger at the Lions Tap or continue your adventures in nearby Shakopee, home of .

Wildlife and river views: Near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and the Mall of America, lets you see the mighty Mississippi River up close, with opportunities to spot wildlife, including deer.

Outdoor learning: Carver Park Reserve is colored with wildflowers in summer. While you’re in the park, check out the , which features seasonal interpretive displays and a wildlife viewing area.

Wildflowers in Minneapolis-St. Paul: Within , visit the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Quaking Bog, a rare tamarack bog in the heart of Minneapolis-St. Paul. It’s a true urban oasis.

Where are the best hikes for groups of three or more people?

Minnesota offers so many beautiful trails and recreational areas for friends and families to experience together. Whenever you’re exploring outdoors, remember to follow the principles and be respectful of other trail users.

Wildlife and scenic drives: Check out the bison range and picture-perfect waterfall at in Mankato, about 1.5 hours from Minneapolis. The bison are best viewed up close from your vehicle on , while Steppman Mill and Bluff hiking trails offer distant views on foot.

Family-friendly: Take a trip to the (where the Mississippi River forms) in Park Rapids, about 3.5 hours northwest of Minneapolis—a scenic and fun destination for anyone . Consider hiking the Mississippi Headwaters Trail, Dr. Roberts Trail, Schoolcraft Trail, or Ozawindib Trail. There’s also a fire tower to climb for bird’s-eye views.

River views: in Marine on St. Croix, about 45 miles from Minneapolis, is a great fall hiking retreat with areas of rolling hills. Try the Hiking Club Trail for views of the St. Croix River.

Tip: Want to hit these spots at peak fall color? Use the for weekly fall color reports.

What are the best trails for experienced solo hikers to explore?

The possibilities are plentiful! Whenever you’re planning a hike, you always want to pack the essentials, know your route, check conditions, and inform a trusted friend or family member about your itinerary. Be sure to take extra care and pick a trail that’s well-suited for your skills if you’re traveling solo.

River overlooks: The rolling hills and —a little over an hour from Minneapolis—offer many more challenging hikes. Head to Frontenac State Park and hike the Bluffside Trail, which overlooks the Mississippi River.

Bluff views: At in Altura, about two hours from Minneapolis, the moderately challenging Dakota Trail will reward your efforts with impressive bluff views.

Countless trails: ˛Ńľ±˛Ô˛Ô±đ˛ő´ÇłŮ˛ąâ€™s on Lake Superior is a very popular hiking destination about 3.5 hours from Minneapolis. Some suggestions for small groups and solo hikers are Shovel Point at Tettegouche State Park, Devil’s Kettle Trail at Judge C.R. Magney State Park, and the Oberg Mountain Trail via the in the Superior National Forest.

What else will outdoor enthusiasts love about Minnesota?

There are so many fun post-hike activities and experiences for non-hikers to enjoy in Minnesota. Minneapolis-St. Paul is a. The North Loop area of Minneapolis has lively and . You can also check out one of the food halls, such as in Prospect Park. Or try one of these popular restaurants: , , and .

If you’re traveling around the of Lake Superior, stop for brews at Castle Danger in Two Harbors or Voyageur Brewing Company in Grand Marais. Coffee lovers will love Fika in Tofte, Java Moose in Grand Marais, and Cedar Coffee Company in Two Harbors. Rustic Inn in Two Harbors and the Fisherman’s Daughter at Dockside Fish Market in Grand Marais are just a sample of the many great dining options.

Home to , the Spicer/New London area, about two hours from Minneapolis, is a perfect stop for shopping. Plus, you can grab a drink at Goat Ridge Brewery. And no warm-season hike is complete without ice cream. You’ll find all the best flavors at Deep Freeze in New London. Or just ask a local for recommendations when you’re out on the trail—you’re sure to meet a few, and they’re sure to help.

Explore Minnesota is dedicated to promoting tourism and livability in Minnesota. Visit to find travel inspiration and things to do, subscribe to, and download . See even more by following Explore Minnesota on .

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

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

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

How to See the Perseid Meteor Shower

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

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

Here’s a time lapse of last year’s Perseid shower in California’s Joshua Tree National Park, to give you an idea of how a night might go:

It’s important to know that, unlike the powerful May 10, 2024 aurora show, which was so strong it dazzled Americans in the lower 48 with colorful ribbons in even the most light-polluted cities, you can’t watch the Perseid meteor shower just anywhere. In addition to clear skies with few clouds, you need to set yourself up in a spot with minimal light pollution, as city lights can obscure all but the most powerful meteors.

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

The Best Dark Sky Parks to Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower

1. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

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

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

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

If you’re feeling lucky, apply for a backcountry permit via and head down into the canyon for a night of camping (from $10 per permit, plus a nightly charge of $15 per person), or even better, see if you can’t get a last-minuteĚýPhantom Ranch reservation (from $213.50 for two people per night), to watch the sky burst with comet confetti from my favorite Grand Canyon stargazing perch: the remote floor.

2. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

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

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

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

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

3. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

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

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

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

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

4. Glacier National Park, Montana

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

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

It’s hard to top the scene at mirror-still Lake McDonald, according to the . Much of the park lodging is booked during this time, but as of press time, you could still find a glamping tent at nearby , located just nine miles south of Lake McDonald (from $329). While towering pines obscure the stars above most tents, you can find open-sky vistas near the fire pits if you don’t want to head the short distance to the park.

5. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

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

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

6. Zion National Park, Utah

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

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

7. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Remote barely begins to describe Wrangell–St. Elias, one of the least visited and largest national parks in the country. This isolation may make getting here hard—expect long transit times from Anchorage via car and bush plane—but when the midnight sun begins to wane and the park’s dark, starry nightscapes reappear, you’ll appreciate the effort.

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

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

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

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There are a lot of ways to experience the depth of a wild landscape: hiking, horseback riding, biking, off-roading. But none offer the same elegance and simplicity as paddling. Which is fortunate, because paddling also happens to be the best way to indulge in the vast solitude of the (BWCAW). With more than 1,200 miles of routes and 2,000-plus designated wilderness campsites, each trip itinerary is customizable to suit your experience level and outdoor interests.

The bountiful adventure opportunities are part of what Cassidy Ritter of loves about the area. She’s an expert on the BWCAW and enjoys facilitating trips for guests so they can make their own special connections with the land (and water). To help us better understand the seemingly mystical draw the BWCAW has on all who experience it and how to plan a trip, Ritter shared her valuable insights.

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Why is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness such a remarkable place for paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts?Ěý

Cassidy Ritter: There are so many reasons, but I will stick to a couple of my favorites. The first will come as no surprise: the sheer remoteness of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s a solitude you can only understand once you’re here. Imagine a space so quiet you can hear the wings of a bird flapping overhead all while looking at the pristine untouched lands that surround you. These things are unmatched by any of the traveling I have done.

And for such a remote area, it’s . I wholeheartedly believe that this wilderness area has something to offer to everyone regardless of experience level. For master canoeists, there are challenging routes that travel through many lakes—where you are the only person for miles. But there are also peaceful wilderness campsites that are a quick 30-to-40-minute paddle from an entry point. With some basic outdoor knowledge, anyone can experience the BWCAW and build up to more technical routes.

Do you have any planning tips for first-time visitors?

There are a lot of details to sort through before a BWCAW trip, so start planning early. This will also help you secure your ideal route and launch date, as each entry point has a limited number of permits available per day. the last Wednesday of January every year.

Packing Tip: Wool socks, no matter the time of year, are one of my favorite comfort items. There’s nothing quite like putting on a pair of dry wool socks when you get to the campsite after a long day of paddling.

How do you recommend paddlers unfamiliar with Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness choose between different route options?

Choosing a route is such a fun part of planning. There are a few initial questions I like to ask people who are planning trips to help identify the best route:

1. What kind of experience are you looking for? Some groups are looking to catch a million fish, and some are looking for as many waterfall views as possible.
2. What’s your ideal daily mileage and trip length? Longer routes often involve more portages, but regardless of length, each route is stunning. Think about your group’s level of fitness and how many portages you’re prepared to navigate. Portages involve carrying your boat and gear between bodies of water—a challenging maneuver for some groups.
3. What lake sizes do you prefer? I like to ask this question because some lakes are very small, which means more portages. Opting for larger lakes will result in more paddling and fewer portages.

A great planning resource is the . This will help you visualize routes and look at mileage, campsites, portages, and so much more so you have a better idea of what your days in the wilderness will look like.

Timing can play a huge role in route planning. For example, June is best for fishing; July and August are best for warm weather and swimming; September is best for cool evenings and fewer people.

Camping is great, but canoe camping is even better. What are some of your favorite things about multiday adventures in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?

Canoe camping is its own category altogether. It is a type of camping that really lets you hone some of your wilderness skills and feel at ease with the simplicity of it all. Plus, when you travel by canoe, you have the cargo space to bring luxury items into the wilderness. Humans are drawn to water, and there is a certain peace that comes from being on and around the water. The BWCAW is the absolute best way to experience that level of peace.

My favorite parts about canoe camping stem from being on the water. It feels like home to me in so many ways. There can be challenging days, but I appreciate those moments because they become some of my favorite stories to tell. I enjoy the freshness of the air, the quality time spent with my favorite people in a place without modern conveniences, the loons swimming past my camp, and waking up in the morning to the sounds of the water pushing up against the shoreline.

What can surprise first-time visitors about the area?

Something that surprises a lot of our groups is how quiet it truly is in the wilderness. It’s something that can’t be described—you have to experience it for yourself. The ease of accessibility to such vast solitude also leaves a lasting impression on adventurers. The area comprises 1,090,000 acres and includes more than 1,100 lakes to paddle and portage—that’s a lot of room to roam, and there are countless ways to explore.

The Boundary Waters is also an . Going outside at night will offer you the most amazing night-sky experiences you have ever had.

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Base camp might be my favorite two words in the English language. Base camp is where you stage the next excursion, or refuel with a bowl of stew, or a beer. You rest and recover there. If you’re lucky, you can slip into a hot tub or cold spring, because base camps don’t always have to be a tent or in the back of your truck. Sometimes, base camp can be a lodge with soft sheets and a chef.

I’ve gathered a handful of my personal favorite adventure lodges and picked a few more destination hotels and chalets on my bucket list. Some of them are high-end andĚý worthy of a splurge, while others are downright affordable. All of them are chosen specifically for their locations and adventures they offer, putting visitors within reach of dramatic landscapes while providing gear, know-how, and sometimes in-house guides. Because occasionally it’s nice not to have to plan everything yourself.

The Gravel House Hotel, Patagonia, Arizona

You may not have heard of Patagonia, Arizona, a tiny town of 800-ish sitting at the base of the Patagonia Mountains, near the Mexico border. Much of the surrounding land is protected by the Coronado National Forest, which houses a chunk of the 700-mile Arizona Trail, while a lifetime of gravel rides begin and end in the two-block downtown.

is a collection of homes and a small hotel with nine rooms and a communal kitchen, all in the heart of town. The hotel is owned by cycling guide and chef Zander Ault, who you can hire to whip up regional delicacies like green chile stew and carne asada tacos. He and his team can also lead you on day rides through plains of shimmering grass flanked by the 7,000-foot Patagonias, which were capped with snow when I was there last spring. I loved the riding, which had me pedaling firm gravel through narrow canyons to historic ruins and across broad grasslands to the Mexican border before returning to town for a cold beer.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: You can hike or mountain bike a slice of the Arizona Trail, but the gravel is the magic here. I’ve stayed at The Gravel House, spending three days exploring the lonely roads of the area, and want to return to it and the landscape. Elevation gain is moderate, so you can cover a lot of ground exploring canyons and prairies that butt up against the border with Mexico, just 18 miles away. Check out the ride, which climbs to the ruins of a mining camp from 1933.

Logistics: Rooms start at $135 per night, with chef services and guiding extra. Guided day rides start at $295 per person and include high-end Pivot bike rentals.

Sol Mountain Lodge, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

At 3.855 million square miles, Canada is a big place—among the world’s countries, only Russia is bigger—so no lodge can put you within striking distance of everything that our neighbors to the north offer. But , south of one of Canada’s great destination towns, Revelstoke, brings you into the thick of the Monashee Mountains, which are blanketed with powder in winter and host hundreds of miles of trails in summer. Sol Mountain provides backcountry skiers access to the Monashees’ alpine bowls and steep chutes during chilly months (the lodge is owned and operated by certified members of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides), and the rest of the year mountain bikers and hikers can explore the high alpine singletrack.

The lodge is off-grid, with all of the power generated on-site by micro-hydro electricity, but sustainable doesn’t mean uncomfortable.The place has private rooms, a gear room, full kitchen, and a bar stocked with local craft beers. There’s also a small library with books and games as well as guitars, a box drum, and a mandolin, if you’re musically inclined. There’s even a wood-fired sauna.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: The lodge shares a border with Monashee Provincial Park, and the owner/operators have built a trail system that extends from the lodge into the park, with permits to lead ski, biking, and hiking trips throughout. Mountain bikers are going to want to ride loads of , but the five-mile Infinity and Beyond Loop is a must. The purpose-built trail has it all—ridgetop views of the Provincial Park and the Gold Range Mountains, lots of rock features, and a thrilling downhill back to the lodge. All rides end with a dip in Sol Lake, on Sol Lodge’s property, where the owners will stash a six pack by shore to keep it cold for you.

Logistics: In winter, you have to fly into the lodge (helicopter rides from Kelowna International Airport are included in the cost of a winter trip); stays require a five- or six-night trip (from $3250 Canadian per person) and include guides. But in the summer, you can make the 55-kilometer (34-mile) drive from Revelstoke on 4WD forest roads. Summer rates are per day, and catered trips (all meals included), start at $350 per person per night, two-night minimum.

Paradise Lodge, the Rogue River, Oregon

Once on site, you can enjoy hiking trails that start on the property, swimming holes, and paddling the class IV Rogue. The lodge sits on Paradise Bar, a long, unusually calm stretch of the Rogue that’s perfect for fishing for steelhead trout or salmon. In-house chefs create family-style meals served in a low-key dining room, while an expansive deck overlooks the river. There’s a disc-golf course, too.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Trails start on the grounds, following the Rogue River and exploring the smaller Paradise Creek. There’s an easy quarter-mile hike to Paradise Falls and back to get started, but you’re here for the Rogue. The classic adventure is a multi-day, 32-mile trip through the Rogue Canyon. runs a trip where guests camp riverside on the first night and spend the second in the lodge. The run is a mix of class III-IV drops and swimming holes, culminating with the class IV Blossom Bar, just a half-mile upstream from the lodge (trips from $1,225 per person, including lodging).

Logistics: Hike-in options start at $215 a night per person, including breakfast, dinner, and a sack lunch. You can also raft into the lodge for $205 per person per night, but must make your own arrangements, through local outfitters including and . To raft the Rogue on your own, you need permits from the BLM for any dates between May 15 to October 15. Most commercial trips run in July and August.

Gunflint Lodge, Grand Marais, Minnesota

Tucked onto the southern shore of Gunflint Lake, near the Canadian border, has been hosting adventurers since 1925. The property sits on the edge of the million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, allowing boaters to explore the myriad paddle trails by day and come home to hot meals and a sauna by night.

The lodge consists of 25 private cabins spread across the shore of Gunflint Lake, with a main lodge and dining area, two floating docks, and a shop for the in-house outfitters. Most of the cabins have stone fireplaces, saunas, and hot tubs. The night sky is vibrant with stars, as this is one of the largest Dark Sky Sanctuaries in the world, and the lodge is far enough north that you may even experience the northern lights. Hiking trails on the property lead to the top of cliffs with epic views of Gunflint Lake and the surrounding Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The resort guides offer daily trips into the Boundary Waters on foot and canoe. In the winter, it’s all about ice fishing and cross-country skiing. Come summer, you’re hunting for smallmouth bass in Gunflint Lake and canoeing into the Boundary Waters on day trips.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Retrace the path of early fur traders by paddling a piece of the Voyageurs Route across Gunflint Lake through a narrow inlet into Magnetic Lake, crossing into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness proper. This mixed route of lake and river paddling, with a few short portages, has you tracing the edge of the United States as you travel north, seeing waterfalls, historic chalets, and maybe a moose from the hull of your boat. Guided trips for lodge guests are $125 per person.

Logistics: Gunflint Lodge is a six-hour drive north from Minneapolis. You can book a cabin (from $300 a night, two-night minimum) only, or an all-inclusive package that includes the cabin, all your meals, access to canoes, and one guided adventure per day (from $1279 per person for four nights).

Red Mountain Alpine Lodge, Red Mountain Pass, Colorado

Want a taste of the Alps right here in the U.S.? Book a couple of nights in , a luxurious A-Frame “hut” perched at 11,000 feet on Red Mountain Pass in the San Juan Mountains above Ouray, with gorgeous high-alpine hikes and backcountry skiing right out the door. A few winters ago, I spent some days skiing the terrain outside the lodge, and was just about as impressed with the digs inside the lodge as the powder.

The lodge has three private rooms and 10 semi-private loft spaces above the expansive living room, which is warmed by a wood-burning stove set in front of floor-to-ceiling windows. A shot ski hangs above the dining room for apres shenanigans. şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřs abound, from endless jeep roads to the via ferrata in Telluride in warmer months. But it’s mainly about backcountry skiing in the winter and high-alpine trekking in the summer.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: The skiing is epic, but I want to hit Red Mountain Alpine Lodge in the summer. The hut is a key component to the , a guided five-day hike that traverses the 10,000- to 13,000-foot-tall San Juans, hitting alpine lakes and with nights spent in three different huts along the way. Or you could just base at Red Alpine and do your own day hikes. The above-treeline, off-trail routes are endless and the lodge staff can point you in the direction of Red Mountain #3, a 12,877-foot peak with 360-degree views of the Red Group. Or you could bring a gravel bike and knock out the , which hits 12,000-foot peaks and backcountry waterfalls along a high-alpine dirt road.

Logistics: Loft spaces start at $289 per person, which includes breakfast, trail lunch, and dinner. Guided adventures are add ons, but the lodge is owned by , so the process is seamless.

Mulberry Gap, Ellijay, Georgia

Sitting 90 minutes north of Atlanta, in the heart of the Chattahoochee National Forest, was designed with mountain bikers in mind, giving front-door access to more than 150 miles of single track through the mountains of North Georgia. This rustic lodge offers a collection of cabins, from basic rooms with access to communal showers, to plush multi-bedroom buildings with private baths. There is also a communal barn with games and, last time I was there, a tricycle for silly races, plus a family-style restaurant, a small gear-and-beer shop, hot tubs, and an onsite pump track and jump line.

I’ve spent a few weekends riding bikes with Mulberry as my basecamp, and love the juxtaposition of a full day on hard, steep singletrack and a return to a smoked brisket in the restaurant, a cold beer and a hot tub. It hits just right.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Mulberry Gap sits next to the Pinhoti Trail, a long-distance mountain-bike trail that spans the length of Georgia. And there’s twice as much gravel if that’s what you’re into. If you’re only going to experience one ride, let it be the , which combines a piece of the Pinhoti Trail with Bear Creek. It’s a mix of gravel and single track, with lots of loose rock descents, waterfalls, creek crossings, and a little bit of flow.

Logistics: Cabins start at $140 a night, midweek; prices vary for size. Weekends are minimum two-night stays. Meals are extra, as are shuttles (from $12 per person).

Johnstone Wilderness Lodge, Seward, Alaska

Johnstone Bay is wild. The inlet sits on the southeast coast of the Kenai Peninsula, 30 miles south of Seward with the Church Mountains rising steeply from the edge of the water. This collection of gray, rocky beaches, steep green mountains, and blue/white glaciers and icefields is only accessible by air (you’ll have to get dropped off by helicopter or float plane) or sea. has three chalets that sit in the middle of all that action, with walk-out beach access, surf breaks galore (yes, Alaska has surfing, and it can be really good), and the massive Excelsior Glacier waiting for you to explore. The lodge itself is a collection of three chalets built by hand over three years. All are surrounded by dense forest and face the beach, where bonfires are the nightly entertainment.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Jordan Pond, owner of the lodge, fell in love with Johnstone Bay because of the surfing, and if you’re hardy enough to handle the cold water, he can deliver you to the goods: a beach break along three miles of isolated beach. Swells can produce big, heavy waves. It’s also a deep bay, so you’ll occasionally see humpback whales hanging out beyond the breakers. Pond will also guide you in a Zodiac, navigating icebergs to Excelsior Glacier, which covers a broad valley as it flows from the Sargent Icefield down to the edge of the water.

Logistics: You can for summer (June 1 to October 30) starting at $1,575 per person (three-night minimum), which includes three meals a day plus snacks, use of kayaks, and guiding for the various adventures surrounding the lodge, from surfing to hiking and kayaking. You’ll have to from the Seward airport (prices depend on number of people and weight of gear). Boating to the place is possible, but helicopter access is much easier.

Field Station, Moab, Utah

You hardly need another reason to visit the historic desert town of Moab, but definitely sweetens the deal. The new hotel, which opened in April, 2023, sits at the bases of both Arches and Canyonlands national parks, which are full of sandstone rock formations and classic desert hikes, offering a mix of accommodations from van-life sites to spacious hotel rooms that sleep up to eight, all centered around communal spaces, such as a pool and hot tub, beer garden, and cafe.

Field Station’s a one-stop shop for exploring the surrounding landscape, with on-site equipment rentals and professional guiding partners, and , on hand to lead you on mountain biking, canyoneering, and climbing trips. The place often offers pop-up skills tutorials where you can learn things such as survivalist skills or how to patch a flat tire, and live music around the fire pits. I want to go here: Moab is great, but it would be even better with a pool.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: The problem with Field Station (and Moab in general) is choosing how to spend your time. Do you hike in Arches? Mountain bike on the area’s famous slickrock single track, which has been attracting fat-tire enthusiasts for decades? Climb desert towers and cliffs? Or raft the Colorado River? We say call in sick and extend your stay to do it all. But if you have to choose just one caper, sign up for a guided tour of the , which has 30 miles of dusty, sandstone-heavy single track with optional big descents and rock drops.

Logistics: Room rates start at $127. Van-life sites start at $29 and include access to all of the hotel’s amenities, including showers.

Surfhouse, Encinitas, California

California has no shortage of hotels with quick access to celebrated surf breaks, but makes your SoCal surf trip effortless with a combo of proximity and amenities. The eight-room motel is located in Encinitas, just a block from the beach and within a quick drive of dozens of world-class waves, including the iconic Swamis. Each room is crafted to represent a different local break. Small touches like an outdoor shower and in-house surf rentals go a long way, and the services include staff pros that can give lessons or even guide you through the local goods, helping you avoid any trouble (like upsetting crusty local surfers). You can even hire a photographer to hop in the water with you to document your trip.

The şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: If you’re a beginner surfer, book a lesson with a Surfhouse pro and learn at a friendly beach break like Moonlight State Beach. If you have some experience, hire a (rates vary depending on break and number of surfers) who can tailor the experience to your skill level, putting you on the right wave that’s not only ideal for your ability, but is all-but-guaranteed to avoid the crowds. Or just pedal one of the hotel’s complimentary beach cruisers and roll from taco stand to beach to taco stand.

Logistics: Rooms start at $260 per night. Guides and lessons are extra. Surfhouse also has a rental van decked out with all of the amenities you need for the ultimate SoCal surf road trip (from $250 a day).

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Magazine’s national-parks columnist. He’s always loved the idea of a basecamp, but as he’s gotten older, he likes them to have swimming pools, saunas, and cocktail bars. Has he gotten soft? He prefers the term “wise.”

For more by this author:

The 9 Best Gateway Towns to U.S. National Parks

The 8 Most Adventurous States in America. Number 1 Is …

And the 11 Least Visited National Parks Are…

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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.

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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.

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