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

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

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

Location: White Salmon, Washington

Price: From $280 per night

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

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

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

Location: Travelers Rest, South Carolina

Price: From 379 per night

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

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

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

Location: Bradleyville, Missouri

Price: From $295 per night

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

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

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

Location: Watsonville, California

Price: From $696 per night

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

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

Explore Glacier National Park from this A-Frame Treehouse Nearby

Location: Columbia Falls, Montana

Price: From $341 per night

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

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

Disconnect at this Architect-Designed Treehouse in the Catskills

Location: Woodstock, New York

Price: From $500 per night

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

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

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

Location: Fernwood, Idaho

Price: From $271 per night

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

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

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

Location: Dahlonega, Georgia

Price: From $294 per night

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

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

Ski Sunday River from This Chalet in the Trees

Location: Woodstock, Maine

Price: From $470 per night

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

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

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

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Golf gets a bad rap. The sport has a reputation for being too expensive and too resource-intensive, which are true in some cases. There are private clubs so expensive you need to be a billionaire to join, and courses where the landscape was bulldozed to make way for overwatered and overfertilized fairways.

But not every golf course is that way.

A movement is afoot to make golf more accessible and sustainable. How do I know? I’m an avid golfer. I play twice a week, mostly on public courses that are cheap and built over repurposed farmland. Affordable golf is actually easy to find, but better yet is the sustainability movement that’s creeping into destination courses.

“The golf industry has made tremendous strides in the area of sustainability over the past 20 to 30 years,” says Frank LaVardera, director of environmental programs in golf for , which operates America’s first and most comprehensive green-golf-course certification program. “Traditional courses use a significant amount of water and chemicals, but many courses are reducing their amount of managed turf”—the manicured lawns that require so much water and fertilizer—“and creating native areas that require less water, while enhancing wildlife habitat.”

What an Eco-Conscious Golf Course Means

Audubon International’s certification process can take years, and requires evaluation of a course’s impact on wildlife habitat, water quality and conservation, pest management, and energy efficiency. In turn, eco-minded course managers reduce the amount of turf, use recycled gray water to irrigate, emphasize walking over use of gas-powered carts, and create wildlife habitats with natural grasses and trees that attract birds, bees, and even the occasional bear. Since 2001, when the program was introduced, Audubon’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf has grown to include more than 2,000 certified courses in the U.S. and beyond.

The timing of this sustainability movement couldn’t be better, as America has rediscovered its love of golf. According to the (NGF), 3.4 million new people played golf in America last year. Each of the past 10 years saw more than 2 million beginners, with the past four topping 3 million.

Golf’s Changing Demographics

The that since the pandemic era, women and people of color have been flocking to the game; the biggest demographic jump has come from traditionally under-represented populations, with the number of Asian, Black and Hispanic golfers rising by 43 percent in the last five years. Of the 26 million people who play golf recreationally, 23 percent are people of color and 26 percent are women.

The demographic makeup of the Professional Golf Association (PGA) is still skewed (80 percent of pro golfers are white), but the game is changing from the ground up as recreational players trend toward being younger and more diverse. The most sought-after clothing brands in the sport, like Malbon and Eastside Golf, bring streetwear aesthetics to the golf industry, while many prolific and successful golfers on social media are women and people of color. If you’re not following on Instagram, you should be.

Part of the issue with diversifying the outdoors is access. There were 480 ski resorts in operation last year, with most of them located in remote, mountainous regions. Compare that to the 16,000+ golf courses scattered all over the country. I live in a southeastern mountain town that is not known for its golf, but I can play on any of 10 courses situated within half an hour of my home. There are three courses within three miles of downtown, and I play on two of them for under $20 a round. A program called enables members aged 18 and under to play any of its 2,133 enrolled courses across the U.S. for just $5 a round.

My 15-year-old son is a YOC member, and able to play half a dozen courses within 10 miles of our home. He and I can walk nine holes of golf for $20 combined, $35 if we want to play 18.

Why I Love Golf

As for the argument that golf shouldn’t be considered an outdoor sport because of its environmental impact, most things we do leave footprints. I’ve been a dedicated skier since age 12, and I don’t love the fact that the ski industry has gotten cartoonishly expensive and is resource-intensive, especially in water use. But I do love skiing. I have the same relationship with golf. It’s not perfect, but I love it.

This surprises people because I make a living writing about adventure sports, and I have the scars and expensive-gear habit to prove it. People assume golf and surfing or mountain biking are a world apart, but look closely in my garage and you’ll see a set of golf clubs tucked between my mountain bike and longboard.

When I play, I always walk, carry my bag, and try not to focus too much on my score. It’s a slow, meditative walk in the woods. I like the challenge of golf as well. I recently picked the sport up again after a 20-year-hiatus, and I’m consumed with the pursuit of getting better, but I also know that I’ll never master golf. No matter how good I get at hitting a little white ball in the air, there will always be room for improvement.

Golf is cerebral and thought-provoking in a way that the other fast-paced sports I love are not. The game is 99.99 percent mental, allowing me to see how my thoughts impact my actions. Golf is a chance to clear your head and be outside.

Fortunately, there are certain destinations where golf and adventure go hand in hand. Some of the most sustainable golf courses in America are located in places that could be on any adventure-traveler’s radar, so you can play 18 holes one afternoon and go mountain biking or surfing the next morning.

Here are nine of the wildest, most sustainable golf courses in the world, each paired with a local adventure to round out the perfect weekend.

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

1. Bear Trace, Harrison, Tennessee

Fee: Starting at $41 for 18 holes

Even if you’re not a golfer, you know the name of Jack Nicklaus, one of the game’s most famous professionals. Not only was Nicklaus a legendary golfer, he was also a designer, creating courses all over the country, including this 18-hole masterpiece sits in the 1200-acre , 20 miles outside of Chattanooga. In the last two decades, managers have addressed every aspect of the course to minimize its impact, converting the greens from bentgrass to a less-thirsty Bermudagrass, removing 50 acres of turf to cede that area to natural grasses, and eliminating irrigation beyond the greens. The place has also purchased all-electric maintenance equipment, and installed mallard nesting tubes, wood duck boxes, and feeders for bluebirds and wild turkey.

As a result, as of 2008, Bear Trace is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, and restored the wildlife habitat to the point where the course was home to a pair of nesting bald eagles for a decade.

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Paddling on in Harrison Bay State Park makes for a fun afternoon (paddle boards are $8 an hour through the park). If you’re looking for something more adventurous, , 45 miles west of the state park, offers trips (from $50 per person) on class III-IV whitewater full of play spots and wave trains that formed the 1996 Olympic whitewater course.

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2. Big Cedar Lodge, Ridgedale, Missouri

Fees: ĚýStarting from $80 for the 13-hole short course

OK, is a behemoth. The brainchild of Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, the 4,600-acre retreat features five distinct public golf courses, all set amid a dramatic Ozark Mountains backdrop, with routing that regularly nears ancient limestone cliffs. In recent years, Big Cedar Lodge has become one of the country’s top golf destinations, regarded as the best public golf in the Midwest.

Big Cedar Lodge was the first golf resort in the world to receive Audubon International’s highest certification, the Signature Sanctuary status, given for all five of its courses. Water conservation and improving wildlife habitat are priorities, with more than 75 percent organic fertilizer used, while chemical runoff and water use are addressed through a water-recycling program with reclamation ponds, as well as moisture meters embedded in the ground to help minimize watering in general.

One of Johnny Morris’ founding principles is the notion of connecting people and the outdoors. On several holes his courses put the golfer between towering limestone cliffs, and, extra cool, those who play Big Cedar Lodge’s Buffalo Ridge course can spy herds of bison that roam and feed on the natural-grass prairies surrounding the fairways.

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: You could spend your entire weekend playing different courses at Big Cedar Lodge, but bring your mountain bike, too. The resort is on the edge of , which has 11 miles of cross-country trails in a stacked-loop system that hugs the shoreline of Table Rock Lake. Or you could hit the gravity-minded , which has 10 trails and a pump track and skills area. The place has something for everyone, from the kid who’s just learning how to brake, to the adult who thinks he’s a kid sending gaps (day passes start at $45).

3. Streamsong Golf Resort, Bowling Green, Florida

Fees: Starting at $249 for 18 holes

This massive golf retreat 60 miles east of Tampa wins my vote for best use of scarred land. built its courses on 16,000 acres of land that was previously used for a phosphate strip mine. After the mining ended, sand dunes took over, and course designers used all of that bumpy elevation to create a whimsical playground where fairways wind through grassy mounds and small ponds.

Course designers used compost in the soil before grassing to reduce the need for fertilization, and limited the acreage of maintained turf, opting instead for natural grasses and dunes beyond the fairways. The resort has a water-treatment facility that captures rainwater, and reuses it for irrigation. Streamsong features three 18-hole courses, and a short course, called The Chain, that has no set tee boxes or suggested pars. This short course is a “choose your own adventure” sort of experience.

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: You can keep the reclaimed land theme rolling by driving 25 miles west to , 7,714 acres of surprisingly hilly terrain on a former phosphate mine, with more than 20 miles of mountain biking and hiking trails through a forest and alongside lakes and the banks of the Alafia River. Streamsong wasn’t impacted much by Hurricane Milton when it hit October 9, both because the courses were designed to manage water and the place had few trees for high winds to damage. But much of this area of Florida was devastated by the storm, so check with surrounding businesses and parks before exploring the area.

4. Chambers Bay, University Place, Washington

Fees: Starting at $85 for 18 holes

This 18-hole course is links-style, meaning that like Scotland’s St. Andrews, believed to be the oldest course in the world, it has little to no manipulation of the land, resulting in rugged terrain, with many dunes covered in tall grasses. Similarly set on a craggy shoreline of Washington, it might also be the pinnacle of sustainable design. was built on reclaimed mine land, turning a former gravel pit into a championship course that now enhances the landscape. Designers shaped the course with native plants and wildflowers like douglas iris, and sodded with drought-resistant fescue grass species.

The fairways are irrigated with recycled gray water and fertilized with treated bio-waste from the county’s wastewater plant. Chambers Bay doesn’t have golf carts; it’s a walking-only facility. (Some courses in the U.S. require golfers to use carts on weekends to maintain a quick pace of play.) Maybe the best part is that Chambers Bay is a municipal course, with affordable fees. It’s also located within a county park with trails adjacent to the links and coast, so you don’t have to play golf to enjoy the scenery.

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Chambers Creek Regional Park, which is home to the golf course, is a 930-acre preserve with two miles of shoreline and more than five miles of paved trails with views of Puget Sound. You should also drive 50 miles east to Mount Rainier National Park, where you can hike the 5.5-mile loop on , bagging copious views of the eponymous 14,411-foot active volcano in all its glaciated glory.

5. Black Desert Resort, Ivins, Utah

Fees: Starting at $300 for 18 holes

A 19-hole course that opened in May 2023, was built from the ground up with the surrounding environment in mind. The entire property is only 600 acres, with just 75 acres of turf, all irrigated with non-potable gray water, and the fairways are made from a drought-tolerant bentgrass species that needs less maintenance and fertilizer than many other common turf grasses. Almost 70 percent of the grounds are dedicated as protected open space, and sustainability was a factor throughout the property’s design, from having a low-voltage power infrastructure for the resort to using an irrigation system in a grid, where each section can be adjusted individually.

The coolest aspect of the course is that it’s become a haven for endangered fish species. The property managers partnered with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to relocate 400 Virgin River Chub, a kind of rare minnow, to the lakes on the golf course, so they can live and breed in a stable environment. The course itself is gorgeous, running through fields of black lava rocks with views of the surrounding red cliffs.

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Long-term plans for Black Desert include building several miles of hiking trails. Moreover, the resort sits nine miles north of St. George, just an hour (48 miles) west of Zion National Park. If it’s your first time to Zion, snag a ($3 plus a $6 registration fee) and hike , a 5.5-mile out-and-back that involves a bit of scrambling and ridgeline traversing and might just lead to one of the most iconic photo sites in our national-park system.

To dig deeper into the park, consider trekking through , a slot canyon where the walls of Zion Canyon rise 1,000 feet up while pinching to 30 feet wide at certain points. You’ll be hiking through the river, so be prepared to get wet. The shortest route is a 9.5-mile out and back from the Temple of Sinawava, a red-walled natural amphitheater, to Big Spring, which is as far as you can go without a permit, but hits some of the skinniest portions of the gorge. Just don’t attempt it when there’s rain in the as flash floods are common and fatalities have occurred. Save it for a stellar day.

6. The Mountain Course at Spruce Peak, Stowe, Vermont

Fees: Starting at $165 for 18, and you need to stay at The Lodge at Spruce Peak to play (rooms start at $249).

Surrounded by 2,000 acres of preserved land, the rambles along the flank of the mountain it is named for, with views of the adjacent Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s tallest peak, to boot. Spruce Peak, which sits at the base of Stowe Mountain Resort, was designed with the environment in mind, input from Audubon International, and a focus on preserving local black-bear populations by routing around their preferred habitat of beech trees. Designers also created buffers around streams and ponds to protect water quality, and planted a mix of native flowers and grasses, like milkweed and false sunflower, around tee boxes.

Peregrine Lake serves as a water feature for golfers to admire and avoid, but also a reservoir capturing rainwater that is used to feed snowmaking operations at Stowe Mountain Resort. Course management hosts an annual field trip to teach a local fifth-grade class about the elements of water quality.

The course fits into the greater ecosystem of the Spruce Peak community, a resort and residential property at the base of Stowe Mountain Resort that was built around eco-sensitive principles like a property-wide composting program and a renewable energy program that provides more than 50 percent of its power.

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: You’re close to Stowe, a town renowned for its ski culture (and beer). Sadly, ski season and golf season don’t overlap. But don’t fret; during the warmer months, there is plenty of hiking, fly fishing, and climbing nearby. Do it on your own or if you want a guide, Spruce Peak Resort offers hiking and fly fishing adventures. If you’re into climbing, runs trips on the granite walls around the Stowe area, from top-roping routes suitable for beginners to multi-pitch cliffs that will please experienced trad climbers (from $250 per person).

7. Bandon Dunes, Bandon, Oregon

Fees: From $50 for the par 3 courses

has become one of the most coveted golf destinations in America, with seven public courses spread throughout the 2,525-acre coastal resort. All seven courses have earned Audubon International Sanctuary status, too, as the designers have kept Oregon’s coastal beauty and environmental harmony in mind throughout the process, from construction to management.

The course looks wild, thanks largely to the use of native plants and grasses, including the threatened silver phacelia, outside of the fairways, while for the turf on those mowed areas Bandon Dunes uses fescue, a type of grass that requires less fertilizer than others. And when fertilizer is applied, it’s organic and used sparingly. Roughly 85 percent of the resort’s energy is supplied by renewable resources, with more solar panels still to be installed throughout the property. The maintenance department has moved to electric-powered equipment.

Most of the resort’s landscape holds native plants that require no irrigation, but with six courses, roughly 600 acres that need to be watered. The resort’s own wastewater-management system supplies non-potable gray water for the job, recycling roughly 50,000 gallons of water daily.

One of the courses, Bandon Preserve, puts net proceeds directly to local conservation projects in Oregon’s southern coast through a , which has helped restore salmon fisheries and funded mountain bike trails. Bandon Dunes is working towards the lofty goal of becoming a completely carbon neutral resort.

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Bandon Dunes sits on Oregon’s southern coast, which is a multi-sport adventurer’s dream, with miles of singletrack and wild beaches punctuated by dramatic sea stacks. Go for a trail run at , where several miles of trail wind through a pine forest and access five miles of hard-packed beach.

The surfing is good too, with beach breaks found throughout this part of the coast. Head north for 25 miles to Coos Bay, where the bluffs of Yoakam Head hang over the breaks, which have something for all levels of surfers. Beginners should head to Bastendorff Beach for a wide, sandy-bottom break with a cool backdrop of rocky headlands. The water temperature is cold year round, but winter brings the most consistent waves, so in that case pack a thick wetsuit.

8. The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Fees: Starting at $110 for 18 holes

The a resort five miles south of Colorado Springs, is home to two of the most respected golf courses in the U.S., designed by legends Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones and hosting marquee tournaments like multiple U.S. Amateurs, U.S. Women’s Opens, and U.S. Senior Opens. At 6,250 feet in elevation, the course was the highest in America when it first opened in 1918, and several holes feature views of Pikes Peak.

The place has become significantly more eco-friendly with age. Managers have replaced more than 50 acres of turf with native grasses and wildflowers, and use gray water to irrigate the fairways and greens. Mulching mowers return grass clippings back to the soil, and the property uses no pesticides Over the years the resort has added bird-nesting boxes and habitats for bees and butterflies. All of the carts are electric, and otherwise the place promotes walking and its caddy program. Resort chefs harvest honey from the property’s own hives, and source meat from the Wagyu beef raised on the ranch. Even the resort’s cooking grease is recycled into biodiesel.

The Broadmoor participates in one of the most heartwarming recycling programs I’ve ever heard of: all of their spent tennis balls are donated to local senior-citizen facilities to be used on the ends of walkers and canes.

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Colorado Springs offers so much to do. The 14,115-foot Pikes Peak, with trailheads six miles from town, has to be the most accessible fourteener in the U.S.; you can drive your car or take a train to the summit, but I say earn it by hiking the ($20-$37 parking fee, depending on day of week), a 13-mile one way trek that gains more than 7,000 feet on its way to the top. Don’t worry, you can take the down from the summit ($30). Or go explore the iconic red sandstone fins that rise from the center of Garden of the Gods Park. operates half and full day trips for all abilities (starting at $221).

9. Rising Sun Golf Course, Emigrant, Montana

Fee: Greens fees are included in the cost of your stay (one week minimum, and you must contact the for pricing).

It’s hard to beat Rising Sun’s location. The 18-hole course sits on the 17,000-acre Mountain Sky Ranch, within the aptly named Paradise Valley and with near-constant views of the surrounding Absaroka and Gallatin Mountains. This is the biggest splurge on this list, and for most, a once-in-a-lifetime situation at best, but the rest of us can dream, right?

Rising Sun is not an easy course to play, thanks to its remote location and the fact that tee times go only to guests of the ranch, but you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful setting, and the Rising Sun was the first course in Montana to be designated an Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary. The course was built on a hayfield with an emphasis on maintaining as much natural habitat as possible, converting dry pastures to prairie grass, and maintaining native plant buffers along bodies of water.

Course managers also installed bird-nest boxes to encourage multi-species nesting, and have put in bat houses. They regularly consult with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks on issues concerning elk and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Aided by a dry, cold environment, course managers use no pesticides for the turf and greens, and they’ve limited water usage by keeping the irrigated acreage to only 52 acres, almost a third of the average 18 hole course in America. Maintenance crews regularly monitor the quality of water in the course ponds as well as Big Creek.

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Mountain Sky Ranch is an adventure-minded “dude ranch” with a host of activities located on property. The resort also offers guided horseback tours in Yellowstone National Park, with an entrance just 30 miles south. But I say to pair a round of golf here with some fly fishing. If you’re new to the sport, Mountain Sky has a trout pond where pros can teach you the nuances of casting, but if you can hit the ground running, head to nearby Big Creek, which is loaded with cutthroat and rainbow trout. Or sign up for a of the iconic Yellowstone River, which offers opportunities for long, wide open casts that just might net a cutthroat or brown. (From $595)

Nearby şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Mountain Sky Ranch is an adventure-minded “dude ranch” with a host of activities located on property. The resort also offers guided horseback tours in Yellowstone National Park, with an entrance just 30 miles south. But I say to pair a round of golf here with some fly fishing. If you’re new to the sport, Mountain Sky has a trout pond where pros can teach you the nuances of casting, but if you can hit the ground running, head to nearby Big Creek, which is loaded with cutthroat and rainbow trout. Or sign up for a of the iconic Yellowstone River, which offers opportunities for long, wide open casts that just might net a cutthroat or brown (from $595).

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist and an avid golfer who is dying to play every course on this list. Follow his golf shenanigans on Instagram at @the_amateur_golf. Graham recently wrote “This Is What It’s Like to Live in Asheville After Hurricane Helene” and answered some questions about it while standing in line at FEMA offices. He has also recently written “9 Most Underrated National Parks for Incredible Fall Foliage,” “8 Surf Towns Where You Can Learn the Sport and the Culture,” and “The 9 Most Fun şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Lodges in North America.”

The post The 9 Wildest Golf Courses in America appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

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

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

Acadia National Park, Maine

Cadillac Mountain Summit

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

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

Arches National Park, Utah

Fiery Furnace Overlook

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

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

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Big Badlands Overlook

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

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

Big Bend National Park, Texas

South Rim Viewpoint

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

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

Biscayne Bay National Park, Florida

Boca Chita Key Lighthouse

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

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

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Painted Wall Overlook

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

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

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Sunrise Point

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

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

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Grand View Point

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

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

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Panorama Point Overlook

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

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

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Temple of the Sun

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

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

Channel Islands National Park, California

Inspiration Point

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

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

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Weston Lake Overlook

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

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

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Watchman Overlook

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

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

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Brandywine Falls

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

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

Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Zabriskie Point

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

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

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Wonder Lake

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

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

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Fort Jefferson Rooftop View

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

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

Everglades National Park, Florida

Anhinga Trail Covered Observation Deck

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

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

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Aquarius Lake 1, Arrigetch Valley

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

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

Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

Luther Ely Smith Square

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

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

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Margerie Glacier

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

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

Glacier National Park, Montana

Swiftcurrent Lake

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

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

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Desert View Point

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

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

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Jenny Lake Overlook

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

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

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Mather Overlook

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

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

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

High Dune on First Ridge

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

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

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Charlies Bunion

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

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

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Salt Basin Dunes

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

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

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

Puu Ula Ula Summit

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

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

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Kilauea Overlook

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

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

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Hot Springs Mountain Pavilion

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

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

Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Lake View Beach

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

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

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Scoville Point

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

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

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Keys View

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

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

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Brooks Falls

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

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

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Aialik Glacier

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

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

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Evolution Lake

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

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

Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

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

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

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

Turquoise Lake

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

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

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Cinder Cone Summit

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

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

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Drapery Room

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

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

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Cliff Palace Overlook

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

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

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Myrtle Falls

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

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

National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa

Pola Island Trail

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

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

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Long Point

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

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

North Cascades National Park, Washington

Sahale Glacier Camp

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

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

Olympic National Park, Washington

Rialto Beach

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

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

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Kachina Point

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

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

Pinnacles National Park, California

Condor Gulch Overlook

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

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

Redwood National Park, California

Tall Trees Grove

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

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

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Mills Lake

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

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

Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Wasson Peak

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

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

Sequoia National Park, California

Bearpaw Meadow

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

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

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Hazel Mountain Overlook

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

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

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

River Bend Overlook

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

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

Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands

Cruz Bay Overlook

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

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

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Kabetogama Lake Overlook

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

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

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Roadrunner Picnic Area

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

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

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Rankin Ridge

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

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

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, Alaska

Root Glacier Trail

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

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

Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

Artist Point

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

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

Yosemite National Park, California

Glacier Point

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

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

Zion National Park, Utah

Canyon Overlook

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

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

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

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In the late 1970s, my parents took my brother and me to a cabin on Little Cobb Island, an uninhabited dollop of beach and seashells on the Atlantic side of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The cabin was only accessible by boat, and things could get sketchy if the fog rolled in and you drifted too close to the surf. It was November, and the lodge was cold and drafty, so all four of us slept that first night stacked like cordwood in a single musty bed.

I was only four or five years old, but four decades later I can still recall with full clarity the smell when I woke up the next morning. Bud Taylor, a local roofer who doubled as the cabin’s caretaker, was cooking sausage in a cast-iron pan atop a stove fired by driftwood. “Here, boy,” my father said, handing me a link. It was small and gray and wet with fat. Every bite sent delicious bolts of grease sizzling around my scrawny body. “Everything tastes better when you’re roughing it,” my father said, sensing my astonishment and handing me another link. “Don’t eat ’em all.”

There was nothing even remotely special about that sausage. It was just a pack of Jimmy Dean that Bud had picked up at the local Meatland market before we launched from the town of Oyster. But consuming those lumpy treasures out there, with the wind bullying the windows and the tide marching in, had transformed every single bite into a culinary masterpiece.

That’s the beauty of food and adventure, that something as simple as saucy grits can be downright magical on Oregon’s John Day River. Lentils at home are just wrong—convince me otherwise—but when spooned over rice in a remote Nepalese teahouse, with the Himalayas shimmering in the purple moonlight, you’ll be crying for more, too.

Food has given me so many great reasons to travel, to be curious, to try something new. I spent the bulk of a Swiss vacation hunting for a particular cheese, learned to make pickles from an Estonian lady who exacted her payment in kisses, delighted a friend by picking her pomegranates while hiking in Albania, and gave my tongue a fungus eating so many fermented things on a ski trip to South Korea. One great bite can change your entire perception of a place. If you want to fall in love with North Dakota, go run through the grasslands with a bag of Dot’s pretzel sticks.

That’s what I did. And of course I ate ’em all. Here are some of my other favorite meals from around the world.

Brats and Bikes: Hermann, Missouri

Back in the early 19th century, German immigrants left their homes in Philadelphia and set out west looking for land to build their own community. They settled along the Missouri River, where the hills and sunshine reminded them of the Rhineland, and the town of Hermann was born. Today you’ll still find families named Oelschaelger, streets like Goethe and Gutenberg, and, of course, heaps of wunderbar food and drink. Biking is one of the best ways to experience that legacy, too. The Katy Trail runs for 240 carless miles over rolling hills between Clinton and Machens and is the country’s longest rail-to-trail path. You will spin over mostly limestone gravel through farmland and along the Missouri River, then past wineries and into small towns like Rocheport, where the welcomes diners and riders alike with a fleet of rentals, and Hermann, a town worthy of a layover. Start things off at the on East First Street, where wurstmeister Mike Sloan peddles classics like knockwurst, weisswurst, and bockwurst, as well as creative, American-influenced versions like the Bloody Mary brat, a hickory-smoked iteration with celery, tomato, and horseradish. You won’t go thirsty, either. The whole riverfront region between Saint Louis and Jefferson City is known as the Missouri Rhineland for its scores of wineries. Hermann’s own Stone Hill is also home to the restaurant Vintage 1847, serving various wursts, krauts, and kartoffelpuffer, a potato pancake that’s a delight to say as well as eat. Forty miles east, the area around Augusta became America’s first federally recognized wine region in 1980, beating California’s Napa Valley by eight months. At the end of the line—or anywhere along it, for that matter—getting back is easy. Amtrak trains zip along the opposite bank, with special cars that can accommodate your bike.

Fondue Redux: Obwalden, Switzerland

It doesn’t take a culinary Sherlock to figure out what happens when a country famous for cheese shares a border with one famous for pasta—you get world-beating mac and cheese. And the Swiss version is excuse enough for an ocean crossing. Called ä±ô±č±ô±đ°ůłľ˛ą˛µ°ů´Ç˛Ô±đ˛Ô, or herdsman macaroni, it’s richer and smokier than the American stuff, made with bacon, butter, wine, and supremely stinky cheese melted in pools of heavy cream in a cast-iron cauldron over an open fire. Pour it over macaroni or penne and the result is exactly what you want after a long day in the Alps. You can find this dish throughout the country, but for the most authentic experience head to the central canton of Obwalden, where several small mountain farms double as restaurants come summer. Once, while cycling over the 5,285-foot Glaubenbielen Pass, I happened upon one where the matriarch, a boisterous woman named Rita Enz, served me a mound with a side of applesauce and stiff stone-fruit brandy. The Enzes have since retired, but their farm was located along the Ă„lplermagronen Trail, which lives on today. Its little-known network of well-marked footpaths and dirt roads lead to a handful of farms that create the namesake dish using ingredients produced on-site. To explore, keep your objective simple, with a two-mile out-and-back hike along the Obwaldner Höhenweg Trail, starting from a parking area just west of Glaubenbielen Pass; you can stop at the Glaubenbielen Alpine Farm, near the 5,860-foot Rotspitz, or wander a few miles west to the Alp Arni-Schwand farm. For an overnight trip, hike about 4.5 miles one way south on the Bärgmandlipfad Giswil Trail, also called Trail 576, to reach the Fluonalp farm, where the dairy cranks out 29,000 pounds of cheese each summer, some of which ends up in ä±ô±č±ô±đ°ůłľ˛ą˛µ°ů´Ç˛Ô±đ˛Ô. You can stay there, too (from $70).

Food Finds

Camp Chef

Three outdoor schools take backcountry cooking to a whole new level

Want to blow your friends away with a hearty stew or a freshly baked pie on your next river trip? The near Philipsburg, Montana, offers a four-day class that will see you mastering the art of Dutch-oven cooking (from $800). Or learn to barbecue better with four-time world-champion pitmaster and bestselling cookbook author Myron Mixon, whose in Unadilla, Georgia, will bolster your confidence preparing everything from pork butts and shoulders to chicken, beef, and ribs (you know, all the food groups) during a three-day course at his home (from $895). And if you’ve simply got to perfect pasta, Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region is the premier place to start. Make it a weeklong adventure with a van-supported, 156-mile bike tour from Parma to Bologna with (from $1,500). You’ll stop in towns along the way for tutorials on balsamic vinegar, gelato, and, naturalmente, handmade pasta.

Breakfast Club: Lone Pine, California

Last summer, photographers Dan and Janine Patitucci spent months mapping remote trails in California’s Sierra Nevada, looking for the best 36 paths to highlight in a new trail-running guidebook, to be published later this year. Their most rewarding discovery? Breakfast at the . And by breakfast we mean pie. The diner has perfected the art of the light, flaky crust, and it loads them up with the freshest fruit available. The triple-berry pie sells out fast, but the Patituccis also recommend the peach and blackberry, which you can order in a six-inch round just for yourself. The café is located just 12 miles from Whitney Portal, the jumping-off point for climbing (or running) 14,494-foot Mount Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48. It’s also about 120 miles from Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, at 282 feet below sea level the country’s lowest point. Summiting Whitney is a big day by any measure, with about 21 miles and 6,600 vertical feet to cover. If that’s your goal, order the Iron Man Scramble—an eggy hodgepodge of spinach, avocado, mushrooms, and tomato slathered in hollandaise sauce—and get your pie to go. If you’re spending the night, grab a slice in the morning.

First-Reds Frenzy: Cordova, Alaska

Each spring, a craze begins to cloud the minds of Alaskans, and it has nothing to do with the approach of summer and, with it, of long stretches of actual daylight. Spring is when the first Copper River reds, a highly coveted and especially tasty sockeye salmon, begin arriving on the docks of Cordova, located at the mouth of the river, about 145 miles southeast of Anchorage. The fish, which can easily go for $50 a pound, are prized by chefs for the additional fat they pack on to complete their 300-mile journey, which makes for richer and more decadent eating. While you could order a fillet from Sarah Ecolano, a commercial fisherwoman and founder of the sustainable , why not head deep into the Last Frontier to witness the madness firsthand? First book a room in Cordova at the (from $140) overlooking the inlet, then set out on any of the 40 streams and rivers guides have access to. You can sportfish for salmon in the salt water, or head up to the Eyak River to throw big streamer flies at reds and Dolly Varden trout. At the end of your trip, the lodge will process up to 50 pounds of fish per person per day at no additional charge, flash freeze it, and store it for you until you’re ready to head home.

Food Finds

Hunt, Gather, Eat

A series of courses teach the value—and ethics—of holistic harvesting

You’ve probably heard that one of the best things you can do for the planet is give up meat, but that kind of misses the point. It’s not the burger that’s the bogeyman but the industrial, methane-spewing, water-polluting complex behind mass-produced meat. Enter Bruce McGlenn and his . Based in Kettle Falls, Washington, McGlenn teaches students who have never held a rifle or harvested a wild oyster how to hunt and gather. “Hunting is really about strengthening our connection to nature so that we feel we’re a part of it,” he says. “It’s about being human.” From May through June, McGlenn holds a series of four-day Awaken the Hunter courses, designed to brief you on how to prepare for and carry out a “holistic, ethical hunt.” It covers everything from regulations and strategy to choosing the right rifle or bow. In the field, you’ll learn how to dress and butcher your kill, as well as proper ways to cook it. McGlenn also offers half-day shellfish-foraging lessons on Hood Canal, where you’ll learn how to identify Manila clams and shuck a wild oyster. The session ends with a three-course feast right on the beach. Foraging from $195; hunting from $2,400 for four days

Eater on Belay: Kalymnos, Greece

The Greek island of Kalymnos sits just off the coast of Turkey, about 150 miles southeast of Athens, and counts as the closest thing to Elysium on earth. Whitewashed villages ring a ragged coast of limestone cliffs facing the Sea of Crete. While climbers know this 42-square-mile paradise for its thousands of sport routes, which ascend spectacular sun-fired arches and walls, you should come to meet George Pizanias, quite possibly the island’s best cook, judging by the crowds that flock to his restaurant, the , in the town of Massouri. Pizanias runs the establishment with his wife and three daughters, and prepares traditional Greek recipes with “an extra touch,” as he says, like adding homemade fruit chutneys that set the meal apart. Grab a table on the patio that overlooks the island of Telendos and let gluttony rule. Should you start with the stuffed grape leaves or the “ancient” salad? (The latter is a mix of wild vegetables the islanders have been eating for millennia, something Pizanias’s culinary research uncovered.) The whole leg of lamb, roasted to perfection, is hard to pass up, but it’s the tuna that’s exceptional; caught that day, it’s pan-seared with sesame seeds and served with marinated beets, red cabbage, olive oil, lemon, and fig chutney. If that doesn’t seal the deal, dessert probably will. Pizanias makes his own ice cream and serves it atop little fried dough balls called loukoumades, which he then drizzles with Kalymnos’s most famous ingredient: a golden, naturally herbal-tasting honey made by bees drawn to the island’s large swaths of wild thyme and oregano. Try not to think about that when it’s your turn to belay.

The Meat and Three: From Oxford to Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Chef Robert St. John knows a thing or two about awesome southern food. As the author of 11 cookbooks, the owner of seven restaurants, and the producer of the foodie show , the 60-year-old from Mississippi has spent a lifetime refining family recipes that have defined the region for centuries: Fried chicken. Dumplings. Black-eyed peas. For him, the greatest way to experience the South is to taste it, and to do that, he suggests a 250-mile road trip from Oxford in the north down to Hattiesburg via the capital city of Jackson. The itinerary links some of the most memorable community cafés in the state offering the traditional “meat and three” lunch special: a choice of protein with three sides, like collard greens, butter beans, and rice with gravy. The main at in Oxford is southern-fried catfish, while Bully’s in Jackson does everything from pigs’ feet to beef tips, all served on a wonderfully lowbrow cafeteria tray. The highlight might be the in Hattiesburg, run by St. John. “Best fried chicken of your life,” he says. Bring a paddleboard or a kayak to explore the northern recreational playgrounds of Grenada Lake and Sardis Lake, the latter also popular with mountain bikers, who enjoy 13.5 miles of singletrack at Clear Creek. End your trip in the Gulf town of Biloxi; from there you can quickly paddle to Deer Island Coastal Preserve, a four-mile undeveloped stretch of white sand where you can pitch a tent for free.

Food Finds

Back to Their Roots

A new Minneapolis restaurant is serving up gourmet Native American cuisine

There’s a growing movement of Native American chefs exploring their traditional food cultures, and it’s only getting tastier. In July, Sean Sherman, better known as the and lauded for his bestselling cookbooks, and Dana Thompson, executive director of the , opened , a restaurant in downtown Minneapolis on the banks of the Haha Wakpa, or Mississippi River, that’s dedicated to Native cuisine. You’ll find no dairy, chicken, or pork on the menu—or any other ingredients that aren’t indigenous to North America. Instead, chefs whip up delectables like native-corn tacos with grilled mushrooms, bowls of tepary beans with wild rice and wojape (a chokecherry sauce), and plates of braised bison. Even the cricket salad looks irresistible.

Big Sky, Big Steak: Hatch, Utah

If you could survey the legions of visitors who come to southern Utah every year to explore the national parks and monuments that pepper this beautiful part of the country, chances are good they would say these three things impressed them most: the rocks, the sky, and the steak in Hatch. Tucked in a rather boring brown building in this dusty hamlet, a mere 15 miles from the gates of Bryce Canyon, the on Main Street is an institution worthy of your attention. It’s a classic western joint, with a taxidermied bear on its stage and a bar where passersby can belly up for a spiked sarsaparilla on an actual saddle for a seat. But it’s the giant, open-flame grill in the room that makes this place unique. That’s where you go to cook your own steak. This is cattle country, and the beef is as good as you’d expect—local, grass-fed, mouthwatering cuts. Most folks aren’t from around these parts, so they opt for something hard to mess up like a New York strip. The more dedicated, however, should set their sights on the Tomahawk, a 24-ounce rib eye that covers the entire plate. The grill has meat probes to help you get that perfectly pink middle, or you can spend an extra three dollars to have the staff grill it up for you. If steak isn’t your thing, the chef smokes a batch of baby back ribs daily with hickory and other hardwoods until the meat falls off the bone. Also, sorry, families; no one under 21 is allowed inside, because Utah. As for working all those calories off, it just so happens that the nation’s newest long-distance hut-to-hut mountain-bike route runs right past the saloon. The Aquarius Trail stretches for 190 miles from Brian Head to Escalante and includes rollicking descents on solid singletrack like the 12-mile Bunker Creek Trail, which you’ll ride on day one into Hatch; from there, the first hut is just a few merciful miles away.

The post These 8 Meals Are Worth Traveling For appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

I’ve been hooked on tornadoes since I was a kid. I used to dream I was lying in my backyard as a black funnel cloud passed silently—and safely—over me. A shrink later told me the dream represented “safe danger,” but I never understood half of what he said, including that. As I grew older, I became a climate dilettante. I read about global warming and the coming ice age, wondered why barometric pressure affected dogs, and drew cloud charts in my daily planner. I saw Twister,Ěýof course. And I kept having that dream.

I wanted to see a real stormĚýfor myself, but there was the business of finishing grad school and raising kids. So I back-burnered tornadoesĚýfor decades and nearly forgot about them. Then,Ěýlast winter, I saw a blurb in a travel magazine about stormchasing tours. I thought only Hollywood actors or meteorology nerds were allowed to chase tornadoes. But for $2,300 a week, I could, too. I justified it to myĚýnow adult children, saying that if I died, at least it would be while doing something incredibly cool.

And I did. Not die—do something cool.Ěý

I decided to book theĚýMayhem 1 tour with , one of some 20 stormchasing outfits in the country, whichĚýpromises a 90 percent chance of seeing a tornado over the course of six days. Not onlyĚýwas the company vetted by the review siteĚý, it had fewer people per vanĚýand was relatively affordable compared withĚýothers (many runĚý$2,500 and up). AllĚýtrips are based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the epicenter of Tornado Alley, a swath of land that runs from central Texas to South Dakota andĚýspawns many of the approximately 1,200 events each year.

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If you are drinking water, taking showers, and washing your hands with any kind of frequency right now, you’re probably relying on the health and proper management of rivers. As many of us focus on staying healthy, solvent, and sane in these times, it can be easy to forget how much we depend on river management.Ěý

Every year since 1984, the nonprofit American Rivers has released a list of the country’s most endangered rivers: waterways that are under threat from human and natural causes. The list helps identify which areas are most at riskĚýand informs advocates and policymakers as they shape their agendas. As the result of devastating floods in 2019, which submerged homes, farms, and roads for more than 100 days in some areas,Ěýthis year’s Ěýare the Upper Mississippi and Lower Missouri, whose combined basins span nine states across the Midwest.

Nearly 15 million people for drinking water. Its basin produces 92 percent of the nation’s agricultural exports, and the river is home to 25 percent of American fish species. Last year water overtopped levees , and Missouri, rushing into floodplains that had been converted to neighborhoods and farms built into designated floodplains. Similar devastation basin, which encompasses a quarter of the country’s agricultural land. An astonishing 850 miles of levees were damaged. According to NOAA, repair costs in the Midwest .Ěý

These massive management systems, built early in the 20th century, were designed to shape waterways to benefit human beings in the short term. From diversion to dams, nearly every river in the U.S. is under some kind of human control, and most of that infrastructure is aging, even as it comes under increased pressure from climate change.Ěý

The bones of the two rivers’ aging management systems, especially levees, are poking out in a way that clearly threatens homes, agriculture, and water access across the region. There are 29 locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi alone, and many of them were built in the 1930s, with an estimated . The Lower Missouri is fed by massive dams upstream that continually release water in order not to blow; meanwhile, its downstream levees are and built to differing standards, leaving towns and farms routinely at risk of flooding out.Ěý

It’s time to give them a reboot—because healthy rivers are also one of the few ways we might, in an ideal world, recover from the current crises in the long term.Ěý

The endangered-rivers list was releasedĚýon April 14, as the United States continues to battle both a raging pandemic and an economic meltdown. Along the Lower Missouri and Upper Mississippi, residents faceĚý and a potentially unproductive, economically devastating farming season due to stay-at-home orders, lost income, and inability to work—problems that any severe flooding this year would only exacerbate. “Coronavirus exposes so many of our vulnerabilities and shows how outdated infrastructure is a recipe for disaster for communities,” says Amy Kober, American Rivers’ vice president for communication.

“We need to step back and take a more watershed approach to manage flooding,Ěýreconnecting rivers with floodplainsĚýand setting levees back to give rivers room to spread out,” Kober says. “It’s good for health and habitatĚýand good for communities if we do it in a strategic, managed wayĚýand use climate-change projections as part of our planning.”

Concerted government action is necessary, both to ease the burden of immediate concerns and to plan for a more sustainable future in the Lower Missouri and Upper Mississippi basinsĚýand across the U.S.ĚýAmerican Rivers is currently calling on Congress to end water shutoffs for people who can’t pay their bills for the duration of the coronavirus crisis (as 90 cities ). Advocates are also eyeing the next round ofĚý, which is shaping up to be a New Deal–style investment in jobs and infrastructure. “There are huge opportunities for some smart investment [in rivers],” Kober says.

As for mitigating the long-term risk to the Upper Mississippi, Kober points toward an , which her advocacy group considersĚýan example for other river projects. It aims to build natural barriers to better absorb floodwaterĚýand develop new scientific tools to better manage the river and its tributaries and floodplains. A philosophical shift, it would also redefine how a river is perceived—as a living variable entity instead of a water pipeline. “Adequately funded and supported by the public and Congress, the study would transform how the United States manages its rivers and floodplains,” the American Rivers report reads.Ěý

Rethinking river management could be especially transformative right now. In the face of record-high joblessness, we could use river projects to help pull us back from the brink of an economic recession. That’s happened before: much of the country’s existing water infrastructure was constructed in the wake of the Great Depression. Rivers helped steer the country out of the economic crisis by creating massive public-works projects—the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Grand Coulee Dam, for example, were major parts of the New Deal.

These daysĚýwe know more about how to sustainably manage rivers and our public infrastructure, from wastewater systems to those big river levees. “The way they thought about it during the New Deal was, We need to harm and harness our rivers for economic gain,” Kober says. “Now we can protect our rivers for economic gain with the same can-do spirit.”Ěý

Long-term climate threats to rivers like the Upper Mississippi and Lower Missouri aren’t going away, but we can mitigate the immediate human ones. Policy changes like the Army Corps’ Upper Mississippi study would create jobs, shore up our food system, hold on to habitat, and make sure everyone has access to clean water. Rivers, managed right, can do all of that. If we’re going to be throwing a ton of taxpayer money around, how can we stretch it farthest andĚýto the benefit of the most people?Ěý

Taking the long view would require that policymakers step back and try to see the big picture, even while managing a crisis. That’s difficult to accomplish with a gridlocked Congress, an ineffective White House, and the immediate, short-term crises at hand. But that’s where the American Rivers list comes in: it’s an outline for where to focus, showing us the places exhibiting the most need and that have the most to gain. Ideally—and maybe unrealistically, but hey, I’m trying to manifest positivity here—we would adopt policies that do the most long-term good in response to so many pressing challenges.

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Summer has flown by and Labor Day is right around the corner. For those of you who are as unprepared as I am, there are still opportunities to take that spontaneous trip—just opt for a short hop within your region. These adventures all still have availability and are mapped out by location to make it easy to book a last-minute getaway.

In the Midwest

The Ozarks, Missouri

From bass and fly fishing on Table Rock Lake to tram tours that take you through , a 10,000-acre reserve filled with bison, elk, and whitetail deer, it’s no surprise that (from $405) and its new 40-tent (from $214), in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, was masterminded by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. It’d be easy to spend a long weekend at the 342-room resort, located an hour by car from Springfield, or 15 minutes from the smaller Branson airport, but that would mean missing out on the rich history of the surrounding towns. Be sure to stop by , 30 minutes by car from the lodge, for a taste of the area’s moonshine-making heydays, or drive an hour west to downtown Eureka Springs, in Arkansas, an offbeat creative hub filled with galleries, shops, and Victorian-era architecture. Closer to Branson, (from $200) is another iconic lakeside resort that’s geared towards families, with a marina that offers boat rentals, water skiing, parasailing, and scuba diving.

In the Mid-Atlantic

Fayetteville, West VirginiaĚý

As whitewater rafting season winds down in the rest of the country, West Virginia’s Gauley River, a 35-mile stretch of Class V rapids, enters its primetime. Starting in early September for six weekends, the rapids attracts hardcore rafters to Lower Gauley, a technical section that includes a 30-foot plunge, while families and beginners can head to Upper New River, a laidback passage ideal for swimming and wildlife spotting. , a resort located on New River Gorge in the nearby town of Fayetteville, still has plenty of rafting availability over Labor Day weekend (and is offering half-off normal prices for Upper and Lower New River rafting trips; from $69.50), as well as campsites (from $15) and one- to four-bedroom cabins (from $129). The surrounding area offers a variety of other activities, like climbing and fishing, but for some prime mountain biking, drive three hours north, where the 10.5-mile in Blackwater Falls State Park, and the 22.4-mile , are fun singletracks.

In the Northeast

Acadia National Park, Maine

While East Coast city residents make an exodus to the standard rotation of weekend getaways (the Hamptons, Newport, Nantucket), head to Portland or one of Maine’s surrounding areas for a quieter and less scene-y alternative—and plenty of outdoor fun. After a day or two exploring Portland, make your way to , a coastal stretch of granite mountains, woodlands, and beaches on Mount Desert Island, a three-hour drive northwest from the city. Spend a morning hiking the , which ascends 1,000 feet by a series of ledges that offers sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, before stopping by for a seafood lunch. In the afternoon, rent a bike from to test six miles of trails at The Camden Hills or rent a kayak from to explore the 60 islands that make up the Stonington Archipelago. Come sunset, post up at Sand Beach, a secluded stretch of white sand tucked in between mountains on the east side of Mount Desert Island, which you can access via Park Loop Road, the park’s scenic drive. While most of the park’s main campsites fill up in advance, the main town of Bar Harbor has plenty of inns and hotels that range in price, and (from $250), (from $139), and (from $279), still have availability.Ěý

In the South

New Orleans, Louisiana

As the city gears up for its fall festival season, when events like and fill the streets with visitors, Labor Day weekend marks a less crowded and less expensive time to visit. With most of the area’s adventure offerings within an hour’s drive from the city, its worthwhile to post up in town. And luckily, the city no longer has a shortage of places to stay, with a number of design-forward (and affordable) boutique hotel openings this year, from the Marigny’s old-world-style (from $129), which comes with its own 1860s-era church, and the 67-room (from $389), from the guys behind Ace Hotels, to (from $200), which has 197 rooms in a series of warehouses on Magazine Street. In between your requisite eating and drinking, paddleboard Bayou St. John, a four-mile waterway that passes historic homes and a sprawling park (); bike the 31-mile , a trail converted from former rail yard tracks that goes from downtown Covington to Slidell; or kayak the swamps at .

In the Southwest

Santa Fe, New Mexico

If there’s a time of year to experience the full spirit of Santa Fe, it’s over Labor Day weekend, when the annual , a week-long celebration across town, takes place. The festival, which goes from August 31 to September 8 this year, includes parades, arts and crafts booths, mariachi bands, and culminates with the burning of Zozobra, or Old Man Gloom,Ěýa towering marionette that represents the hardships of the past year. For those looking for some respite in between exploring the nearby national forests, parks, and monuments, book aĚýstay at Ěý(from $240), which just added a series of hot tubsĚýset at the edge of its cottonwood-shrouded pond. Or to stay closer to the festivities, opt for (from $280), a refurbished 86-room motor lodge that opened last fall.Ěý

In the Northwest

Portland, Oregon

Visiting the city in early September gets you the best of both worlds: it’s the tailend of the busy summer season, when the skies are clear and flowers are in full bloom (it’s called the City of Roses for a reason), and some hotels drop their rates. For visitors who want to take in all the nearby adventure offerings, from hiking up to 80 miles of trails at Forest Park to fishing Clackamas River, without the hassle of buying or renting gear, a stay at the new 174-room (from $179) comes with full access to its Gear Shed, stocked with fishing poles, mountain bikes, and—in true Portland fashion—35mm and Leica cameras to document it all with.

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Everything’s still wet with dew in late August when nearly 400 riders mount their bikes, preparing for another 70-mile day through central Michigan. They’ve gathered here for the (DALMAC), now in its 49th year. The marked route through undulating, rustic farmland seems like a perfect way to end the summer—on a bike, with a hint of fall in the air whooshing by.

I’m tagging along in a camper van with a friend who is riding, rubbing elbows with people from around the country—the participants total more than 1,000. At night, high schools are converted to campgrounds for us, complete with showers, green space for tentsĚýand a movie projected on a big screen, and calorie-dense meals, like tacos and hamburgers. All of this is courtesy of the ride’s organizers—made possible with a $300 entry fee—who also carry cyclists’ gear in moving trucks and have hired bike mechanics to help with any bike repairs.

Supported bike tours can now be found in almost every state and can draw anywhere from a couple hundred riders to more than 10,000. Cyclists typically have the essentials provided for them, but some tours offer luxuries like post-ride massages or yoga. Entry fees range from free to under $1,000. Most rides take place in spring and summer, with a few in fall or winter in the South.

Here’s a list of the best supported rides around.

Cycle Zydeco

Where: Louisiana
When: April 24 to 28, 2019

No one throws a party quite like the folks in southern Louisiana’s Acadiana region, whose local laissez les bons temps rouler attitude makes for one hell of a bike ride. What organizers call a festival on wheels, traverses bayou country for four days, typically 40 miles a day along flat blacktop, with local festivities peppered along the way. In 2019, the ride will share a weekend with —the largest international music festival in the country—with the New OrleansĚýJazz and Heritage Festival commencing the next week. Expect pleasant spring weather and a lesson in how to peel crawfish.

Ride the RockiesĚý

Where: Colorado
When: June 8 to 15, 2019

On this six-day , be prepared for tough climbs—last year’s riders experienced more than 25,000 feet of elevation change over the course of 418 miles. But you’ll be rewarded with some of the best views Colorado has to offer, traversing this year through scenic mountain towns like Crested Butte, Snowmass, and Gunnison. (Routes and towns vary by year.) “You really get to see quintessential Colorado,” says tour directorĚýDeirdre Moynihan. “You get it all—the mountain passes, and you get to stay overnight in these great mountain communities.”

Sierra to the SeaĚý

Where: California
When: June 15 to 22, 2019

Designed for experienced cyclists, this eight-day route before snaking down to the CaliforniaĚýcoast. The route wends 420 miles, with an average day topping out at 60 miles. Other mileage options are available for those who want an easier or more difficult ride. Along the way, riders travel through some of the state’s best-known locales, includingĚýLake Tahoe and Napa Valley, finishing with a jaunt across the Golden Gate Bridge. The tour is limited to 130 people, giving youĚýa more intimate experience with fellow riders.

RAGBRAI

Where: Iowa
When: July 21 to 27, 2019

In 1973, two Des Moines Register columnists—John Karras and Don Kaul—gathered some friends for a ride across Iowa, eventually drawing a few hundred people to bike across the state. Today, the is one of the biggest cycling events in the country. Last year, the 46th annual event drew 10,000 riders and thousands of other revelers from around the world, who rode nearly 500 miles over seven days. “When the ride started, people were stopping at farms for a slice of watermelon, and now it’s morphed into this street party in small-town America,” says director T.J. Juskiewicz. While the route changes every year, it normally begins near Iowa’s western border on the Missouri River and endsĚýat the Mississippi RiverĚýacross the state. Don’t expect too tough a ride or much elevation change, but what the ride lacks in vistas, it makes up for with its party atmosphere and welcoming locals.

Ultimate Cycling VacationĚý

Where: New York
When: August 17 to 23, 2019

Created by the Cycle Adirondacks organization, this provides cyclists with a taste of the region, from local craft brews and food to insights into the mountain communities around the wilderness. When you’re not riding, there are plenty of hiking trails and swimming holes to explore—there’s even a yoga class included in the ride package. Organizers hope that folks who participate will take away an appreciation for the 6.1 million–acre Adirondack Park and its mountains, wetlands, and old-growth forests, all unique in size and biodiversity for the Northeast. Through a partnership with the Adirondack Mountain Club, part of the ride’s proceeds go toward education and conservation efforts in the region.

West Yellowstone Old Faithful Cycle Tour

Where: Wyoming
When: FallĚý2019 (date not yet announced)

Fall is one of the best times to explore Yellowstone National Park, as the summer crowds die down. You’ll have the golden aspens, bugling elk, and Old Faithful almost to yourself on this 300-person, daylong tour, says Moira Dow, the ride’s cycle coordinator. TheĚý snakes around a loop, starting in West Yellowstone and heading south past some of the park’s most famous geysers. After the ride, check out other classic attractions, like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone or Hayden Valley, where you might see elk, bison, grizzlies, and wolves. Then, trek down to nearby Snake River in Grand Teton National Park to catch a glimpse of the cottonwoods, willows, and other deciduous trees turning red and orange.

WACANID RideĚý

Where: Washington-Idaho-British Columbia
When: September 10 to 15, 2019

This tour , a range that sprawls across the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and parts of southern British Columbia. For 370 miles over six days, cyclists ride on secondary highways, off the beaten path through breathtaking scenery. There are some pretty tough climbs on certain stretches, but a rest day in the middle allows you a day off from the 70-mile rides. If you have the energy, there’s plenty of hiking around and small communities that offer local food and beer. In September, the nights and mornings are crisp, while the days are warm and sunny. Keep an eye out for mountainside aspens transitioning to gold.

Mountains to Coast RideĚý

Where: North Carolina
When: September 29 to October 6, 2019

Roughly 1,000 people gather each year to from the Blue Ridge Mountains to North Carolina’s coast through high-country forests, pine woods, and wetlands. This year’s route will start in Blowing Rock, a village named after a rock formation that overlooks the best of southern Appalachia’s mountainous topography. After more than 400 miles, the ride ends at Atlantic Beach, one of several communities along the Bogue Banks barrier island, whichĚýboasts 21 miles of beachfront. Expect some elevation changes in the first half of the ride until leveling out and then coasting downhill until you reach the sea.

Big BAM on the KatyĚý

Where: Missouri
When: October 7 to 12, 2019

This year marks the second installment of the Big BAM on the Katy, the fall version of the , or Bike Across Missouri. The is nearly 240 miles and the longest rails-to-trails project in the United States. It’s off-road riding within Katy Trail State Park, closely following the Missouri River. The route passes through the state’s wine country—near the town of Hermann, German settlers have been growing grapes since the 1830s. “You’ll find great bratwurst and beer, plus there are a dozen wineries in the region,” says Greg Wood, the ride’s executive director. Daily mileageĚýranges from 40 to 60 miles, but with easy grades and no cars to contend with, it’ll make for an easy ride that’sĚýperfect for beginners and younger cyclists.

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From director Ěýand , the upcoming fictional film features a young unfulfilled male protagonist,ĚýForrest, who lives in his sailboat on a Missouri lakeĚýin search of a life well-lived.Ěý

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Big storms really doĚýkeep meteorologists awake at night, but the most dangerous ones aren’t the epic disasters you see onĚýthe Weather Channel. No, the greatest threat to your safety likely isn’t a scale-topping hurricane or a tornado that scours a hole in the earth. Instead, it will be aĚýpreventable tragedy, the result of an everyday storm we ordinarily wouldn’t think twice about.Ěý

Take some examples that all happened this summer. Strong winds ahead of a severe thunderstorm in July on a lake near Branson, Missouri, killing 17 passengers—the highest death toll of any single U.S. thunderstorm since 24 people died in the EF-5 tornado that tore through Moore, Oklahoma, in 2013. Fourteen people were in August when a strong thunderstorm struck a casino in Oklahoma City where people were waiting for a concert to begin. Earlier thatĚýmonth, an intense in Colorado Springs injured 16 people when ice pelts as large as baseballs hit the area.

What can we learn from these incidents? The threat posed by stormsĚýat outdoor events is far greater than you might think—but the harm is also entirely preventable. Ěý

Now, I’m not here to feed potential weather phobias; I've spent yearsĚýĚýin a way that counters the hype you hear everywhere else. The weather on most days will behave normally and most people will get through most thunderstorms just fine. But things can change in a hurry and staying a step ahead of mercurial weather could make all the difference—especially if you’re going to be spending an extended amount of time outdoors.

The thing is, severe-weather warning systemsĚýhaveĚýimproved by leaps and bounds over the past few decades, which means you really have no excuse to venture outside—be it just into town or into the backcountry—without some inkling of what type of weather to expect. Weather models and forecasting techniques have advanced to the point that NOAA’s can issue accurate severe thunderstorm forecasts many days in advance.ĚýDoppler weather radar allows meteorologists to see damaging winds and tornadoes before they strike, giving people in harm’s way up to an hour of warning, in some cases. While meteorologists still have plenty of work to do on the —it's around 70 percent for tornado warnings and 50 percent for severe thunderstorm warnings—most dangerous storms are predicted accuratelyĚýin advance.

You carry all this tech in your pocket. Modern smartphones are equipped with wireless emergency alerts that push flash flood and tornado warnings right to our screen with an annoying tone to catch our attention. Severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings also come across most reputable weather apps, television, and radio the moment they’re issued.

It’s up to us to hear and heed those warnings. Here are the best ways I’ve found to do just that.

Check theĚýStorm Prediction Center Website

The best way to keep up with severe weather forecasts is to check the ’s website at least once per day. The agency issues severe weather outlooks on a 1-5 scale ranging from “marginal risk” to “high risk.” These forecasts are also relayed through local offices and local news broadcasts.

Download the RadarScopeĚýApp

You can keep up with storms in real-time by downloading weather apps capable of displayingĚýradar. The best app for this is RadarScope (found on and ). The only downside is that the app costs $9.99. I'd argue that $10Ěýis well worth it if you’re serious about tracking storms, but if you’re only looking for the location of storms at a glance, radar images from free apps like Weather Underground should work just fine.

Use Your Phone Like a Radio

Always keep your activated—at least for tornado warnings. You can also receive watches and warnings in real-time through any reputable app like those run by the Weather Channel, Weather Underground, AccuWeather, or WeatherBug. It’s also a great idea to have a on hand. These devices are like smoke detectors for the weather, sounding a loud siren when a watch or warning is activated for your preferred counties.

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