Gary Kristensen dipped his double-bladed paddle into the Columbia River and pulled as hard as he could. The effort felt fruitless—it was like he was paddling through peanut butter. Kristensen, 46, had expected a gentle tailwind for his boating journey, but gusts were cresting 35 miles per hour, sending waves splashing onto him. Next to Kristensen, a support kayak was having to paddle backward just to keep even with his sluggish pace.

Kristensen’s journey would have been easier, of course, if not for his chosen watercraft: a 950-pound pumpkin.

From October 12 to 13, Kristensen, a real estate appraiser from Happy Valley, Oregon, spent 26 hours paddling his enormous gourd down the Columbia River. He completed 45.67 miles, which the as the new record for a category titled “longest journey by pumpkin.” Kristensen told ���ϳԹ��� that the arduous journey was a true test for any paddler—especially when gusting winds kicked up.

“Water was coming over the top constantly,” Kristensen told ���ϳԹ���. “It was like paddling a bowl of soup.”

Kristensen is no stranger to using enormous gourds as boats—he’s been growing massive pumpkins since 2011 and paddling them since 2013. He’s raced pumpkins in the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, an annual festival for seaworthy gourds held in the coastal town of Tualatin, every year since 2013, and has won the event four times since 2018.

Until this year, the standing record for longest pumpkin paddle was 39 miles, set last October on the Missouri River by Steve Kueny and his pumpkin, Huckleberry. But as he watched his own pumpkins grow this season, Kristensen thought he might have one that could rival Huckleberry. He dubbed this challenger “The Punky Loafster,” partly as an ode to the eighties sitcom, but also because he’d jammed wooden boards next to the pumpkin as it formed, so that it would grow in long and skinny, like a loaf of bread.

“If you’re going to race a pumpkin, you want a smaller pumpkin, like around 700 or 800 pounds,” Kristensen said.

Growing pumpkin watercraft is a science, Kristensen explained. For a long distance paddle, on a river like the Columbia, with boat traffic, wind, and waves, you want a larger gourd, to give yourself more space to stretch, and more room to take on water without sinking. You also want the pumpkin to be as long and symmetrical as possible, with a flat bottom and smooth skin.

Kristensen trained for his journey with daily runs, and long weekend paddling trips with pool noodles wrapped around his kayak, to simulate the drag he’d experience with the pumpkin. Punky Loafster—which measured 14 feet around—weighed 1,224 pounds before Kristensen hollowed it out, and it still weighed in at a monstrous 950 pounds before he hopped into it and began paddling. Compare that to the average canoe or kayak, which might run anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds, and it’s easy to see why manning the Loafster was so arduous.��“You paddle, and it just doesn’t move,” he said.

When Kristensen hopped into the Loafster on October 12, he carried a small pump to bail water and a yoga mat to sit on. Aside from that, it was just him, a pumpkin, and a paddle.

Even by pumpkin paddling standards, Kristensen had a rough go. Previous record holder Kueny averaged around 3.5 mph on the Missouri River inside Huckleberry. Kristensen and Punky Loafster recorded an average speed around 1.7 mph. “It was pathetic,” he joked. “At best we had a half mile per hour current. But at times I think the current was even flowing backward, because of the tide.”

The strong winds, which began hammering him when he was only five miles down the river, made things particularly tough. “These were pretty big waves. They’d be a lot for any boat,” he said.�� Kristensen tried to stop paddling to pump water, but battered by the waves, without his paddles to balance the pumpkin, he was at constant risk of capsizing. It took an hour for him to get to shore, drain his pumpkin, and let the winds die down, but he managed to do it without sinking.

That evening, disaster struck again. The electric lights strung up on his friend’s support pontoon boat caught fire and were destroyed. “We were trying to use those lights to help us find a beach and a safe place to park the pumpkin,” Kristensen explained. Without the lights, they continued paddling through the night—17 hours of continuous paddling in total—until the sun rose and they could safely dock the pumpkin.

Finding a gentle beach, Kristensen moored his pumpkin and climbed out to take a nap. He woke an hour later to find tides had left the Loafster high and dry on the beach. “I tried to get it back in the water, and I couldn’t budge it at all,” he said. “It would not move an inch.” His friend, David, furiously began digging the pumpkin out, but the pair soon discovered that the beach had been used to moor barges, and there were large industrial cables underneath the ground. Gingerly rolling the 950-pound watercraft around this minefield of cables, it took three hours for Kristensen to get the Punky Loafster back in the water. Kristensen paddled the remainder of the day to finish out his 46-mile trip.

Despite all the obstacles, Kristensen didn’t didn’t end his paddle because his pumpkin sank or broke apart, or because he was too exhausted to continue. The Punky Loafster was still riverworthy, but as darkness fell on their second day of paddling, he and David decided to end their journey. It was Sunday, and they had to go back to work the following day. “I felt strong,” Kristensen said, “but we were running out of weekend.”

Kristensen may have entered the annals of Guinness World Record fame, but there will be no floating off into the sunset for the Punky Loafster. Kristensen left his craft lying on the banks of the Columbia River next to the boat ramp where he put out. “I’m sure it rotted away long ago,” he told me. He plans to return next year with another pumpkin, and see how much farther he can go.

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

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

The Gravel House Hotel, Patagonia, Arizona

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

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

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

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

Sol Mountain Lodge, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

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

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

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

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

Paradise Lodge, the Rogue River, Oregon

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

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

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

Gunflint Lodge, Grand Marais, Minnesota

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

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

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

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

Red Mountain Alpine Lodge, Red Mountain Pass, Colorado

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

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

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

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

Mulberry Gap, Ellijay, Georgia

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

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

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

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

Johnstone Wilderness Lodge, Seward, Alaska

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

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

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

Field Station, Moab, Utah

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

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

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

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

Surfhouse, Encinitas, California

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

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

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

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

For more by this author:

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

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

And the 11 Least Visited National Parks Are…

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

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

How We Ranked the Most Adventurous States

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

Those include:

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

Here’s Where the Data Comes From

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

Highlighting the Winners By Region

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

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

The Most Adventurous State in the U.S.

Alaska

Wow factors, by the numbers

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

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

Recommended Hike: Exit Glacier via Harding Ice Field Approach

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

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

Most Adventurous State on the West Coast

California

Wow factors, by the numbers

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

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

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

Recommended Hike: Peter Grubb Hut via the Pacific Crest Trail

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

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

West Coast Runner Up

Washington

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

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

Most Adventurous State in the Mountain West

Colorado

Wow factors, by the numbers

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

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

Recommended Hike: Quandary Peak

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

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

Mountain West Runner Up:

Utah

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

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

Most Adventurous State in the Midwest

Michigan

Wow factors, by the numbers

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

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

Recommended Hike: Miner’s Castle Overlook Loop

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

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

Midwest Runner Up

Minnesota

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

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

Most Adventurous State in the Southeast

Florida

Wow factors, by the numbers

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

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

Recommended Hike: Black Bear Wilderness Preserve Trail

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

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

Southeast Runner Up

North Carolina

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

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

Most Adventurous State in the Northeast

New York

Wow factors, by the numbers

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

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

Recommended Hike: Allen Mountain

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

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

Northeast Runner Up

Maine

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

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

Most Adventurous State in the Southwest

Arizona

Wow factors, by the numbers

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

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

Recommended Hike: Bright Angel Trail

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

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

Southwest Runner Up

New Mexico

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

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

Most Adventurous Tiny State

New Hampshire

Wow factors, by the numbers

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

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

Recommended Hike: Mount Washington Loop

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

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

The Bottom Line

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

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

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For more by the same author:

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11 Remote Destinations That Are Definitely Worth the Effort to Visit

The 18 Best State Parks in the U.S.

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This is��The Offerman Files, where actor, humorist, , and Nick Offerman shares tales of��wild creatures,��gassy adventures, and hitting his brother in the face��with a fish.

CRUNNNNCH!

SKKKZZRRRR!

JJJUUUGGGGLLLLZZZZZ!

In my balls, I could feel the violent vibrations as layers of Epifanes spar varnish, quite dear in both price and labor, were mercilessly toothed from the hull of my canoe by river rocks. To be fair, I could also feel the scraping tremors in my feet, legs, and buttocks as we banged along the river bottom in yet another stretch of shallow water. But it was my familial plums that spoke with the most immediacy, because there was something existential going on that afternoon in L.A.

In the 25 years I’ve called the city my home, I’ve done a great many things that I would categorize as fun. I have, of course, worked as an actor. But I’ve also been paid to build various decks and cabins as a carpenter, plus one exquisite post-and-beam yoga studio. I worked as a production assistant on a few music videos, trained by a tall, handsome, surfing porn actor who taught me to get up and stay up (but only in the surf). I constructed an octagon-style wrestling cage for an episode of Friends. I’ve hiked hundreds of miles’ worth of trails in Los Angeles County, some while hallucinating, but mostly sober and high on the views from Griffith Park, the San Gabriels, and the Santa Monica Mountains. Yes, this has become a paragraph of bragging. The point is, the one thing I never dreamed I would do is launch my beloved handmade cedar-strip canoe, Huckleberry, into the concrete-clad L.A. River, just a few miles north of the location of the drag-race scene in Grease.

If you can recall that iconic moment, in which Cha Cha DiGregorio orgasmically whips her silk scarf off to begin the race between Danny Zuko in Greased Lightnin’ and the jerk whose jalopy was so lame it didn’t even have a cool name, then you might be thinking: Where the hell does a canoe fit into that expanse of concrete?

I put in at the outfit’s headquarters an hour ago with my bowman, Morgan, and since then Steve and Grove have nimbly paddled along with us in kayaks, flitting about alternately fore and aft, scared shitless at the idea of me dragging Huckleberry across the many shallow stretches in the several miles of river we hoped to complete.

Their concern was amplified by the fact that Morgan and I were now soaking wet. After launching, we had remained upright through a couple of wobble sessions in the river, in that way you do when first setting off in a canoe. As a team, you discover the limits of how far you both can lean while paddling, sightseeing, ass scratching, or snagging a beer (if the sun has traveled far enough into its morning’s arc, of course, depending upon the traditions of comportment in your particular barque). We were busy spotting herons (great blue and green) and egrets (great and snowy) while zipping past lush foliage, luxuriating in a smooth 50 yards of gushing creek before bumping back into the intermittent rocks and shallow water, when, some five minutes after first dipping our paddles—whup! shit!—we suddenly found ourselves T-boned against a boulder by a waist-deep current.

Huckleberry neatly flipped us out, and we immediately set to righting it and dumping out the many gallons of river that had filled its rounded hull. Steve paddled over to lend a hand, as it was both arduous and somewhat dangerous work, in the way any task can be when requiring the exertion of strength on slippery rocks in the face of rushing water. When we succeeded in once again taking our seats, it became apparent that in our swift blunder and its subsequent correction, Morgan and I had established a few things for our gentle guides: (1) we were suitably tough and skilled to be trusted on the day’s outing; (2) I was enough of a dipshit to willingly bang around my pristinely refinished canoe; and (3) we were dumb enough that this might just turn out to be fun.

But now, as I sat in Huckleberry with my love marbles buzzing after maybe the 50th crunching encounter with river rocks, my three compatriots asked me once again, as they did throughout the day’s adventure, “Are you sure you want to keep going? That canoe’s taking a beating.”

I learned to build canoes from the seminal 2007 instruction book , written by Ted Moores of Bear Mountain Boats up in Peterborough, Ontario. Ted and his partner, Joan, were pioneers in the development of cedar-strip canoe and kayak construction, utilizing fiberglass and epoxy finishing, though they would be quick to point out that their designs are but the current progeny of a long lineage of hulls, dating back centuries to the ingenuity of the Indigenous peoples of eastern and northern Canada. In 2008, I arrived in Manhattan with a bag of hand tools, at a time when my legendary bride, Megan Mullally, was cast by Mel Brooks in his musical version of Young Frankenstein.

The vacation from and furniture clients meant that I could fulfill my dream and build my first wooden canoe. Being all too aware of the old chestnut about the basement-built boat failing to fit out of the house, I secured a shop in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn, on the third floor of a Civil War–era stone warehouse perched on a pier and complete with a huge freight elevator. Crisis foreseen and averted.

The most important lesson in Ted’s patient lesson book comes at the beginning. He says that when you consider the whole canoe, it can seem impossible to build without years of training, but if you take it one step at a time—trace a shape, cut it out with a jigsaw, glue a couple pieces together, and so on—then before you know it the boat will emerge as though you just spun a chrysalis.

If it hadn’t been for Megan’s timely turn burning up the Broadway stage, I would likely have continued on in California, building ever more substantial homages to the table stylings of George Nakashima, Sam Maloof, and Gustav Stickley. But since the East Coast diversion had pulled me out of that potential rut, I experienced a powerful epiphany: shaping curved pieces freehand—with spokeshave, card scraper, chisel, and rasp—was to become like a god.

You see, most woodshop operations are set up to work on rectilinear forms, creating and cutting and joining square and plumb surfaces and corners to make many variations on the box, usually featuring 45- and 90-degree angles. But a canoe has exactly zero straight lines on it, so one sculpts its gunwales (“gunnels”) and thwarts and shapely bottom until one’s eye and caress pronounce its lines to be “fair,” thus creating an affection for the final product that transcends the love one might feel toward, say, a three-legged stool. Throw in a couple of custom, hand-carved paddles and I had fully reawakened that part of my youthful fancy determined to find a way to Narnia. Imagine the faerie magic in my every dainty step as I hoisted the completed Huckleberry upside down onto my shoulders for its inaugural portage to the freight elevator. Victory was upon me—shit.

As I said, the elevator was huge, but my canoe was 18 feet long. She would not come close to fitting, even on a diagonal. The small stairways were obviously not an option either, so my pal Jimmy DiResta and I rigged a block and tackle from an old freight hook on the roof and gamely hoisted it out the window and down to the pier.

Ted and Joan had traveled down from Bear Mountain Boats to see the launch, and Ted (generously) said that my work was exquisite, which made me cry, but only a medium amount. We were all on eggshells watching Huckleberry descend from a third-story window, but Ted said that he’d seen these canoes survive worse falls than that. The engineering of the form, plus the makeup of the shell, make them tough enough to survive even the dumbest of actors.

Over many creeks and rivers over many years, I have learned the hard way that Huckleberry can gamely scrape across a lot of rocks and gravel while suffering only minimal cosmetic damage. Still, do I wish that I had run the L.A. River before applying three brand-new coats of varnish to it only weeks earlier? Yes, I do wish that. I wish that so very much. But you can only strategize and try to account for every potentiality up to a point. When finally you are faced with the choice between the comfy living room and the unpredictable outdoor jaunt, there is but one clear answer: Do the goddamn thing. Drop to your knees in the mud. Get your hands dirty, wipe ’em on your shirt. Paddle your canoe down a fun expanse of weird urban river that might scratch it up. Why did I spend so much time and care building this watercraft if I don’t intend to get some thrills out of it?

Onward we went. The route through the Elysian Valley has a delightful mix of fast-moving chutes, medium twists and turns, a four-foot waterfall, a couple of brief portages (for canoeists), and two pond sections where the flow slows into a laconic, deep-water float, perfect for taking stock, bird peeping, and, well, ass scratching and beer snagging.

One true surprise was how clean the water was. Steve and Grove founded LARKS in 2013, partly as a way to support conservation efforts for the river. (Grove left the organization seven years ago but remains a close ally.) Today LARKS has a healthy relationship with a bunch of nonprofits and government agencies like , , the , and the .

But the focus on water quality dates back more than 20 years, when Steve, who is a sculptor by day, crafted a waterwheel that he placed in the river, plumbing it to an experiential artwork that collected and filtered the (then filthy) river water to make it, he says, “clean enough to drink.” This led him into a close working relationship with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, which maintains so-called water-quality beacons that serve as stop and go lights for L.A. River recreation. Of the 108 tests done in the Elysian Valley during the 2023 paddling season, 92 percent met EPA requirements for safe swimming. The nine exceptions (measurements usually taken after a storm flushed in dirt and waste) met a slightly lower standard that is still perfectly fine for canoeing and kayaking.

All I can say is that Morgan and I were impressed (and relieved) that the river smelled … perfectly fine. The water was also visibly clean, which added to the surreal quality of paddling through an industrial corridor between the 5 Freeway and a main train artery for both freight and passengers. In the section they call the Secret Pond, the water was over ten feet deep, and things got downright otherworldly as we calmly floated, chatting in a quiet reverie about the American coots swimming near the shore and then walking up the concrete bank with their strange, big-toed feet. A minor bloop caught my ear—a pair of double-crested cormorants surfacing right next to us, then diving back down into the depths of this unlikely fishing hole.

As our venture drifted to completion, we were left wanting more, which is utterly preferable to that feeling every paddler has known: Ugh, this is too long! When are we getting there?! I’m always a little melancholy when the hull runs lightly aground for the last time and we have to climb out of the cedar escape pod and step back into the reality of life on terra firma.

We flipped Huckleberry over to reveal a cluster of battle scars: a web of bright white abrasions against the golden honey brown of the varnished cedar. My compatriots lightly gasped and made noises like those prompted by minor stomach pain, but I shook my head and said: No, boys, don’t be sad. Those gouges are just telling us that we spent the day correctly. I’ve mended them before, and I’ll do it again.

Nick Offerman’s column for�����ϳԹ��� magazine has him regularly repairing gear, washing cow butts, and getting outsmarted by raccoons. He’s fine with that. He also just won his first Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for an episode of The Last of Us.

The post Nick Offerman Paddles a Badass Canoe He Built Down the L.A. River appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The sun had risen above the asthmatic haze of California’s San Joaquin Valley, and the disaster tourists would soon be arriving at the edge of Tulare Lake to take their selfies. It was a Saturday, two days before Memorial Day. County health authorities had warned the public to stay out of the contaminated water, an unwholesome brew of pesticides and animal waste. As for the Kings County sheriff, during media interviews he had informed would-be gawkers that the lake bottom—a vast depression at the southern end of the nation’s breadbasket—was private property. Trespassing rules would be strictly enforced.

Our shuttle driver, Vincent Ruiz—a 360-pound trucker, originally from Guadalajara, who owned a 13-acre farm a few blocks from the flood zone—steered around a ROAD CLOSED sign without a care. “Damn, I hadn’t seen this,” he said with quiet awe as we gazed upon acres of flooded pistachio trees. All goners.

We crossed a narrow bridge on 16th Avenue, which ran south from the city of Lemoore, and parked at a high spot, just before the pavement dipped into the drink. Tom Fowlks, my partner in crime, was there waiting in his baseball cap and sun shirt. A swollen cow pie swayed in the brown water next to our kayaks. Vincent leaned against the hood of his Jeep and said it was better us than him; no way he was getting in that water. My Tacoma would be safe next to his chicken coop until we returned, whenever that might be.

Though I had no interest in tangling with Johnny Law, I recognized this unusual spring for what it was: a once-in-a-generation opportunity to travel, by way of the federally navigable waters that all Americans have a stake in, 200-plus miles from the heart of these floods, a natural disaster by any measure, to the man-made disaster that is the Delta of San Francisco Bay. Between January and March of 2023, a total of 31 atmospheric rivers dumped nearly 60 feet of snow on Donner Pass and rain everywhere else. The last time that much snow fell in the mountains was 1952—the year I Love Lucy wrapped up its first season on television.

The storms resurrected the lowland connections among the valley’s water-starved rivers, whose flow had long been hijacked by farming barons, now trading their acre-foot allotments like crypto. (The main difference is that water, unlike Bitcoin, doesn’t usually get cheaper.) Some 326 billion gallons of liquid would be cascading down from the Sierra Nevada, undercutting homes, drowning multimillion-dollar almond orchards, and putting towns at risk of becoming fishbowl dioramas. The maximum-security prison in Corcoran, where Charles Manson had been held until his death, was protected by a 188-foot levee authorities feared was still too low to guard it from this normally dry lake, which now rivaled Lake Tahoe in surface area. (Tahoe covers 191 square miles.) Sheriffs in five counties were trying to keep people out of the surging rivers with emergency orders that reeked of nanny-state overreach in a part of California where the politics were more West Texas than West Hollywood.

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We in this country love our national parks. Last year the National Park Service logged nearly across all its units, from national historic sites to full-fledged national parks. I did the math and am happy to report that I’m responsible for several of those visits. Hey, I even bought a T-shirt in one of the visitors’ centers.

The problem is that we don’t love all of our parks the same. The disparity in visitation to the 63 national parks is striking. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was by far the most visited last year, with almost 13 million visitors. Other top contenders, such as Zion, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, and Acadia, had numbers in the 3 and 4 millions.

National Park of American Samoa was the least visited, with fewer than 2,000 visitors. I know what you’re thinking: National Park of American Samoa is probably lovely, but it’s kind of out of the way, being in the South Pacific and all. Similarly, Alaska’s eight national parks are stunning, but most of us won’t have the opportunity to visit Alaska this year.

But a lot of undervalued national parks right here in the lower 48 barely see any boots compared to the headliners we all know and love. While climbers and hikers sit in traffic jams in Yosemite, the rock spires and caves of Pinnacles National Park are relatively empty. Nearly 3 million people explored Olympic National Park, outside of Seattle, last year, but on the other side of the Space Needle, North Cascades National Park only saw 30,000.

Spending time in these lesser-visited parks not only gets you away from the crowds, it gives our most popular parks a chance to breathe.

Dawn Rodney, chief external affairs officer for the National Parks Foundation, says, “With annual visitation numbers increasing, some of the more well-known parks are facing overcrowding, which can lead to wear and tear of trails and visitor centers.” She also cites increased strain on park services, and potential impacts to wildlife and natural habitats.

Rodney says there are plenty of other options. “Chances are good there is at least one hidden gem closer to home than you might imagine.”

We dug into the national-park statistics and found the eight least-visited national parks in the lower 48. They’re protecting some of the most stunning landscapes in the country, but lack the crowds at the top parks in our system.

Bonus: Most of the parks on this list are free to enter.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Visitors in 2022: 25,454

Is it strange that the least-visited national park in the lower 48 is actually in the middle of the country? Isle Royale is a group of 400 islands located in the northwestern edge of Lake Superior, snugged up against the Canadian border. The main island, which has most of the trails and facilities, is 50 miles long and nine miles wide, and full of mountains—Mount Desor, the high point, is 1,394 feet, pretty good for an island—secluded bays, and healthy populations of gray wolves and moose. The landscape is spectacular, but the fact that it’s only accessible by boat or seaplane keeps the crowds at bay. Fortunately, a ferry runs daily during the summer (starting in mid-May) from the aptly named Grand Portage, Minnesota. The park is only open from April 16 to October 31. Because it’s an island, there are no cars, so once you’re here, you’re getting around by foot or boat.

Signature adventure: Backpacking the , from the Windigo Harbor to Rock Harbor, will carry you across the heart of the island. The 40-mile trail takes most people five days to complete, and established campgrounds along the way make logistics easy. You’ll get long-range views from atop exposed ridges and climb the Ojibway Tower, a lookout on the east end of the trail, to see the interior of the island, which is full of lakes and bays. Gaze at stars or chase the Northern Lights.

But don’t miss…the paddling. You can bring canoes on the ferry or rent one from Windigo or Rock Harbor ($40 a day). Because Lake Superior can be cranky, the park recommends paddling and portaging the island’s , linked by established routes/trails on the northeast half of the island. You can do a full “Chain of Lakes” paddle and hike across most of the interior lakes on the main island, a trip that requires 22 miles of canoeing and portaging, or focus on one of the interior ponds, like Lake LeSage, which is full of northern pike and offers a quiet shoreline campground.

Where to stay: Isle Royale has quite civilized digs considering its remoteness. , a full-service lodge on the northeastern edge of Isle Royale, has 60 rooms. Washington Creek Campground, near Windigo Harbor on the southeast end of Isle Royale, is the largest of the island’s campgrounds and offers a base close to the visitor center and store. Stays are limited to three nights from June 1 to September 17. are first-come, first-served and, yes, free.

Permits and fees: $7 per person entrance fee.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

Visitors in 2022: 30,154

The lack of attention to North Cascades National Park is baffling. The 504,654-acre park is loaded with the kind of terrain that most of us salivate over: backcountry lakes, jagged peaks, and more than 300 glaciers—the most of any park outside of Alaska. Cute animals like pikas and marmots and big animals like mountain goats populate the mountains, and each summer the meadows are full of wildflowers. One factor in the solitude may be that there isn’t a lot for casual visitors to do here. Within the park is only one paved road, Highway 20, aka The North Cascades Highway, running along the Skagit River for 30 miles. It’s a pretty drive, with plenty of overlooks, but other than that, you have to explore on foot. And the terrain is rugged, full of snow fields, glaciers, and towering granite peaks, so visitors need to come prepared for an adventure.

Signature adventure: Mountaineering. The North Cascades have a rich history of mountain climbing, and many multi-day objectives that involve long approach hikes, glacier traversing, and technical climbing. For a true classic, shoot for the 8,815-foot Forbidden Peak, a pyramid-shaped mountain with high-quality rock and beautiful views. The West Ridge pits you against glaciers and snowfields to gain a narrow ridge with lots of exposure to reach the summit. If you have any hesitation about your mountaineering chops, hire a .

But don’t miss…hiking Diablo Lake. The turquoise-hued water of Diablo Lake is probably the most recognizable landmark within the park. You can see it from an overlook along Highway 20, but hiking the 7.5-mile out-and-back will give you a close look as well as long views of the peaks deeper inside the park.Where to stay: The majority of frontcountry campgrounds are along Highway 20. Most are open from May through September. Colonial Creek North Campground has 41 sites on Diablo Lake with direct access to day hikes. Sites can be six months in advance and are $24 a night.

Where to stay: The majority of frontcountry campgrounds are along Highway 20. Most are open from May through September. Colonial Creek North Campground has 41 sites on Diablo Lake with direct access to day hikes. Sites can be six months in advance and are $24 a night.

Permits and fees: No fee to enter the park.

Dry Tortugas, Florida

Visitors in 2022: 78,488

Situated 70 miles west of Key West, Dry Tortugas National Park is a collection of seven small islands sitting inside roughly 100 square miles of protected open water. It’s the most remote park in the national-park system and only accessible by boat or seaplane. Fortunately, a ($200 per person) will take you from Key West to Garden Key, the hub of Dry Tortugas, which holds the remnants of a 19^th century military fort as well as the only camping available inside the park. You can camp under palms, swim off the edge of sandy beaches, and snorkel or dive vibrant reef systems.

Signature adventure: Snorkeling and diving off Loggerhead Key. Reaching Loggerhead Key isn’t easy. If you don’t have your own power boat, you’ll have to paddle three miles from Garden Key, first filing your trip with the park service. But then you will find a 49-acre island complete with a lighthouse, coconut trees, and a white beach. From Loggerhead, you can snorkel Little Africa, a calm, shallow reef loaded with tropical fish and soft coral, or boat a mile south of the island to dive the Windjammer, a 19th-century shipwreck.

But don’t miss…exploring . The 16-acre island is the closest to Garden Key—so close that at certain times it’s accessible via a 50-yard-long sandbar. Otherwise, it’s a short paddle to reach Bush’s sandy beach and clear waters. Keep in mind Bush Key is closed periodically to protect nesting birds.

Where to stay: Garden Key offers the only camping, with campsites just south of Fort Jefferson. You will have to bring everything, including drinking water, you’ll need. The campsite’s location is ideal, though, with access to narrow beaches, plenty of swimming opportunities, and the chance to explore Fort Jefferson, a military post built in the mid-1800s to protect a then busy shipping channel. are $15 a night, first-come, first-served.

Permits and fees: $15 entrance fee; If you take the ferry, the cost is included in the $200 boat fee.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Visitors in 2022: 142,115

is in the middle of nowhere, and that’s a good thing. Sitting in the high desert of Eastern Nevada, near the Utah border, the 77,180-acre park is 300 miles north of Las Vegas and almost 400 miles due east of Reno, so it’s not the sort of place you just happen upon. You have to make a point to go there. But if you do, you’ll be greeted with a magnificent landscape both above and below ground. Great Basin has incredibly diverse terrain, from 13,064-foot Wheeler Peak to an expansive cave system. You can also explore Nevada’s only remaining glacier, alpine lakes at 10,000 feet, and bristlecone-pine forests that are estimated to be some of the oldest known trees on the planet, or stargaze in this designated International Dark Sky Park.

Signature adventure: Going underground. The most popular experience in Great Basin is traversing the Lehman Caves, a system of spacious limestone chambers beneath the surface that are packed with stalagmites and stalactites, also the more rare helictites: curved calcite features that look like giant shields. The only way to explore the cave is on a . You can see most of the system on the Grand Palace tours, which are 90 minutes long and travel more than a half mile through the caves. Multiple tours take place each day. Reserve a spot up to 30 days in advance ($15 per adult).

But don’t miss: hiking Wheeler Peak and its glacier. Starting from Wheeler Peak Campground, you can choose hikes that take you to backcountry alpine lakes, or the last remaining glacier in Nevada, or the top of Wheeler Peak, the second-tallest mountain in the state. Make the your priority. The 4.8-mile out and back leads you to the bottom of Wheeler Peak Glacier, a 2-acre patch of ice in the cradle of a cirque of towering granite peaks. The trail also passes through a bristlecone-pine grove, with trees estimated to be more than 4,000 years old.

Where to stay: There are four campgrounds with reservable sites inside Great Basin National Park. puts you in the thick of the action, with direct access to the 2.7-mile Alpine Lakes Loop Trail (passing two high lakes), Glacier Trail, and the Wheeler Peak Summit Trail. Get reservations a month in advance on a rolling basis ($20 a night). If you hit the park without scoring a reservation, is first-come, first-served and free.

Permits and Fees: No entrance fee.

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Visitors in 2022: 204,522

is small—just over 26,000 acres—but it protects one of the largest contiguous tracts of old-growth bottomland forest in the country. What that means is the trees are massive, with loblolly pines that stretch to 167 feet, creating one of the tallest canopies in the country, and tupelos and bald cypress growing out of the swamp with massive “knees” (protruding roots) that give the whole scene a primordial vibe. Blame the rivers; the Congaree and Wateree, which flood about 10 times a year, deliver nutrients to the forest that work like Miracle Grow.

Signature adventure: The paddling. Because Congaree protects what is essentially a swamp, it’s a paddler’s park, with more than 50 miles of marked boating trails throughout its 26,000 acres. Most visitors focus on the 15-mile , which runs through the heart of the park to connect with the Congaree River. Out and backs of any distance are possible from Cedar Creek Landing because of the imperceptible flow of the creek, with dark, tannin-stained water through a forest of bald cypress in either direction. For a 20-mile overnight, get a free at the visitor center, put in at Cedar Creek Landing, and paddle downstream to hook up with the slow-moving Congaree River, which forms the border of the park. You’ll spend the night at a dispersed backcountry campsite of your choice and pull out at the 601 landing. Bring your own canoe, or rent one from an in nearby Columbia.

But don’t miss…hiking Oakridge Trail. Hiking is secondary in Congaree, with the trails often closed because of flooding. You can check the status on the park’s website per above. When they’re open, a number of hikes take you through the old-growth forest. The 6.6-mile leads past some of the largest, oldest trees in the park to small, natural lakes where birds and wildlife like otters gather.

Where to stay: There are two frontcountry campgrounds inside Congaree, both requiring a walk from the designated parking lot to reach your site. Go for the small Bluff Campground, which requires a mile-long hike but sits well above the floodplain. You can book a up to six months in advance on a rolling basis ($10 a night).

Permits and Fees: Entrance to the park is free.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Visitors in 2022: 219,987

In west Texas, about 115 miles east of El Paso, protects 86,367 acres of mountains and canyons. That’s not a particularly large expanse, especially by Texas standards, but the landscape is stunning. Eight of the 10 highest peaks in the state are located here, not to mention 1,000-foot-tall limestone cliffs, narrow slot canyons, and 2,000 acres of snow-white sand dunes. There’s no scenic drive, though. To experience the best of Guadalupe Mountains, ditch the car and explore on foot.

Signature adventure: Summiting the 8,751-foot Guadalupe Peak, the tallest mountain in Texas. The 8.4-mile out and back climbs 3,000 feet, passing off-white sandstone cliffs and stands of douglas firs. The summit offers 360-degree views of the park, including (this area’s) El Capitan, a 1,000-foot limestone cliff to the south.

But don’t miss…the Salt Basin Dunes, a 2,000-acre tract of gypsum dunes up to 60 feet tall. The four-mile round-trip will deliver you to the north side of the dune field, where you can scramble some of the tallest mounds of sand. Make time for another short but tough day hike to , a narrow slot formation within Pine Springs Canyon. The 4.2-mile out and back will test your route finding (watch for the cairns) and requires rock scrambling.

Where to stay: The park has three developed campgrounds with sites you can reserve up to six months in advance. The is the most scenic of the three, with sites tucked into a forested canyon. The higher elevation ( 6,300 feet) and the shade from overhanging cliffs keep the campground cooler in the summer, too ($20 per night).

Permits and Fees: $10 per person.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Visitors in 2022: 221,434

, in northeastern Minnesota, is so far north it’s almost in Canada. It’s so far north that you can often see the aurora borealis from inside the park. Voyageurs protects a lush boreal forest full of conifers and deciduous trees, amid rocky outcroppings deposited by glaciers, all of which is inhabited by moose and wolves. More than a third of the 218,054-acre park is comprised of water, dominated by four large border lakes and 26 smaller interior lakes, so you will spend most of your time in the hull of a canoe, sea kayak, or motor boat.

Signature adventure: Boating, of course. Voyageurs contains more than 60 miles of interconnected water trails. The big lakes alone have 500 islands and 600 miles of shoreline to explore. Most people catch a water taxi or take a ranger-led tour to the Elsworth Gardens, a series of terraced stone rockworks and flower beds planted by a carpenter in the ‘40s on Lake Kabetogama. But we say head to the smaller, 8,869-acre Sand Point Lake, which has more than 100 islands to explore. The coolest destination is Grassy Bay Cliffs, which rise 125 feet from the edge of the lake. You can rent boats in the gateway community of .

But don’t miss…��the Northern Lights. The shimmering, green-hued beams occur sporadically in the night sky over the middle and high latitudes of the northern hemisphere, and when they’re active, you can see them from all over the park. You can check the for the lights up to a month in advance of your visit. Even if you don’t see the Northern Lights, you’ll see plenty of stars. Voyageurs is designated an and one of the best places in the country to gaze at the galaxy overhead. You can take in the view from anywhere inside the park, but the Meadwood Road Day Use Area is a “designated dark sky location,” offering an unobstructed horizon and with no artificial light nearby.

Where to stay: Voyageurs offers an intriguing mix of water-based camping and “houseboating” opportunities. There are 137 developed campsites, all of which are only accessible by boat. The backcountry sites require paddling across a lake and then hiking to reach each spot. All sites are $10 a night, with available six months in advance. But take your chance to rent a houseboat, which can be your place to stay and mode of transportation. All houseboat rentals are operated by companies outside of the park, but you’ll need to get an overnight through the park ($15 per night per boat).

Permits and Fee: No entrance fee

Pinnacles National Park, California

Visitors in 2022: 275,023

Of all of California’s national parks, probably gets the least attention, likely because it didn’t achieve full national-park status until President Obama upgraded it from a national monument in 2013. The 26,000-acre park protects the remains of ancient volcano flows in what is now Central California. After millions of years of erosion and tectonic-plate activity, those flows have formed a collection of massive monoliths, spires, and steep canyons. The park is divided into East and West districts, divided by the rock formations in the middle, but connected by more than 30 miles of trails that wind through oak forest, gorges, towering cliffs, and talus caves (formed by rockfall or rubble shed).

Signature adventure: Hiking the caves. There are two main areas, the Bear Gulch Caves in the East District and the Balconies Caves in the West District, both accessible to hikers without the need for climbing gear, thanks to the trails built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and complete with stairways and bridges. A variety of trails traverse the park and lead into the caves. For a big hike through diverse terrain, try the 8.4-mile , which will take you through the heart of Pinnacles’ rock formations before dropping into Balconies Cave, requiring a bit of scrambling in the belly of the system.

But don’t miss…the rock climbing. The Pinnacles holds hundreds of routes, from toproping options to multi-pitch routes on Machete Ridge. The rock can be chossy, so be careful, but overall there’s something for everyone to do and enjoy. For a mild classic, check out , a 5.4, four-pitch trad climb on solid rock that stays mostly in the shade. Hire a if you’re not confident in your trad skills. The bird-watching is spectacular too: the cliffs are home to impressive birds of prey, including peregrine falcons, eagles, and the California condor.

Where to stay: Pinnacles has a single campground located on the east side of the park. It’s a great campground, complete with a swimming pool and tent cabins if you want to go glamping light ($119 a night for tent cabins; $40 a night for standard tent sites). Make up to six months in advance.

Permits and Fee: Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

All visitation numbers are from the National Park Service’s

Graham Averill is ���ϳԹ��� magazine’s national-parks columnist and freely admits that he needs to do a better job exploring lesser-known destinations among the units. Most of his national-park visits are to the two busiest in the country, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, both of which happen to be in his backyard from Asheville, North Carolina.

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Best. Winter. Ever.

That’s what skiers in the western U.S. have been saying, thanks to record snowfall throughout the Sierra Nevada and much of the Rockies. As of mid-April, California’s statewide snowpack is 237 percent of its average level. Utah recorded 201 percent—more snow this winter than it has seen in 40 years. Colorado can’t claim the season that Utah and California have had, but the powder is still piling up (and coming down), with a snow stash of 132 percent of its average. There’s been so much snow that some resorts around the country plan to stay open until July 4.

And it’s not just skiers who are enjoying a banner year: 2023 promises to be one of the most memorable rafting seasons in recent history.

According to Steve Markle, vice president of Communications for , one of the largest rafting outfitters in the U.S., “All the rivers are gonna be moving. Each watershed is a little different, but in general, we’re talking about bigger, faster water with fewer eddies.

“To see [the snow] stacked up across the entire West like this,” he says, “is unprecedented.”

Not only does the deep snowpack mean grander rapids on some of the most coveted whitewater, but that boating companies can run trips for weeks longer. Take the Yampa River, a Class IV trip through Utah’s Dinosaur National Monument. A typical rafting season there begins when the snow starts melting, in early May, and ends by mid-June, but this year OARS expects to run trips on the river well into July.

Yet bigger water also means bigger risk, so this is no season to paddle solo without substantial training. Hire a guide service to lead you down one of these waterways. Not sure about which guide service to trust? If a river passes through a national park, call or email the park for a list of trusted guide services with permits to run trips there. Ask a guide service about their safety practices. The best operators are increasing safety measures this spring, such as raising the minimum age for certain trips, paying their guides to take extra training, and, in some cases, running motorized support rafts to be on hand for rescues. Remember, too, that the water is cold, so plan ahead and use caution.

Here are five western rivers you can be stoked to raft this spring.

The Yampa in Colorado/Utah

Beginning in northern Colorado’s Flat Tops, a mountain range within Routt and White River National Forest, the Yampa runs for almost 250 miles before joining Utah’s Green River. The best section awaiting rafters is inside Dinosaur National Monument, on the state border: 47 miles of fast, Class III-IV waves and drops between the walls of sandstone canyons. If you have the skills and gear, you can apply for a via a lottery system from December 1 to January 31 each year—but know they’re limited and hard to come by. You can also book a , choosing between single- or multiday options. Peak Yampa season will run from May into July this season.

The Merced in Central California

The Merced flows out of Yosemite National Park, in central California, and typically has a short window for being navigable by raft, often ending by Memorial Day. This year outfitters expect to be able to run the river into August. During low snowmelt seasons, the Merced is a relatively tame, 16-mile-long Class III experience; this year, however, the record snowpack promises an extravaganza of Class IV roller-coaster wave trains. No permit is required to raft the Merced, but guided options are available and can be found .

Cataract Canyon in Utah

Cataract Canyon, southwest of Moab, Utah, might be the most iconic stretch of river rafting in the West. The canyon begins at the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers, doubling in force before carving through the red sandstone cliffs of Canyonlands National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Most guided trips down this 100-mile-long gorge last four days, are packed with Class III-V rapids, and include beach camping and hikes through side canyons. Find permits for individual trips , or skip the red tape and go with a . This year the season will begin in May and run into October.

The Owyhee in Idaho and Oregon

The National Wild and Scenic Owyhee, which wends through Idaho and Oregon, doesn’t actually run that often. In fact, due to lesser snowpack, most guides haven’t run trips on the Owyhee since 2019. This year, however, snow levels in the Pacific Northwest are over 250 percent of their annual average, promising rafting on the Owyhee through mid-May. The Lower Owyhee, which travels through Oregon’s high desert terrain, is the most coveted adventure; expect a mix of flat water peppered with Class III-IV rapids through 2,000-foot-tall canyons. The 55-mile multiday trip passes through desert badlands full of sandstone formations, tall sagebrush, and landscapes home to big game like antelope and bighorn sheep. Pull off to soak in a hot spring tucked into the grass on the river’s edge. See info on permits and guides . Owyhee season has already begun and is expected to wrap up in mid-May, so act fast.

The South Fork of the American in California

Another watershed benefitting from the Sierra’s massive snowpack is the South Fork American, just an hour east of Sacramento. It’s actually a dam-release river, with recreational flows allotted each year. During years of drought, such releases are typically only guaranteed on weekends. But this year rafters began running the rapids of the South Fork in late March—and expect to go clear into October Most people opt for the family-friendly day trip, with Class II-III rapids shooting through the foothills of the Sierra, but there’s also a popular overnight option that covers 21 miles. For more information, including how to apply for a permit, check out details .

Graham Averill is ���ܳٲ������’s national parks columnist. During the summer, he spends most of his time in a raft on dam-released rivers in the Southeast, but dreams of taking his family on a big, multi-day Western river trip.

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Social media has done strange things to public-lands use. On one hand, it’s gotten loads of newcomers into the great outdoors. On the other, all those posts increase visitation to just a few easy-access photo ops in a handful of parks. Last year, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that among the 424 units it manages, 26 percent of the system’s nearly 300 million visitors went to the eight most visited parks.

On seeing these numbers, I did a double-take—and then a deep dive, examining many of America’s less-traveled natural wonders. After all, there are 640 million acres of federally managed lands and 18.7 million acres of land managed as state parks. Surely plenty of other places are worth a trip.

I’ve been to every national park in the U.S. and learned a lot along the way about how to get off the beaten path. I also researched park, campground, and trail-review websites; perused countless traveler photos; and asked other outdoor writers and various trail users across the country about their favorite hidden gems.

I wasn’t choosy about designations, like state park, preserve, or national monument. My mission was to get to the bottom of which little-visited spaces had the most spectacular scenery and diverse outdoor activities.

The result? A list of the country’s most underrated parks in every state, with something for everyone, from the adrenaline-fueled adventure athlete to the armchair, or hammock-swinging, appreciative lakeside reader. Here it is.

Alabama

Stephens Gap Callahan Cave Preserve

The dramatically lit 143-foot cave leading into would look more at home in a sci-fi movie than a U.S. park, and that’s why it made our list. This cavern, set in a woodland about 30 minutes outside of Huntsville, is a local favorite for photographers and cavers, but what is less known is that day hikers can access its huge walk-in entrance via a forested 1.5-mile (round trip) trail. A for the cave, which has daily visitor limits, is required, and should be arranged two to three weeks ahead. Pack a helmet, also required, and wear sturdy trail shoes or hiking boots with excellent tread. Descending the deep entrance pit takes technical skills and rappelling equipment; do not attempt to enter that way without experience and specialty equipment. Use caution even on the walk-in passage, which passes the pit.

Alaska

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

With an expanse of over 19 million acres (roughly the size of South Carolina), the , or ANWR, is the largest federally protected conservation area in North America. Though it may lack the striking, glaciated summits of Denali National Park and the easy road access of Kenai Fjords, ANWR is home to enormous caribou herds, all three species of U.S. bears (brown, black, and polar), muskoxen, wolves, and more than 200 species of migratory birds. Getting to this remote park in the majestic Brooks Range is a journey, but a few trekking companies like offer itineraries to take the edge off your planning.

Arizona

Chiricahua National Monument

is often hailed as a “wonderland of rocks,” a unique landscape of rhyolitic formations caused by volcanic eruptions and erosion over millennia. Travelers can sightsee on a paved, eight-mile scenic drive or lace up their trail runners and hit the park’s 17 miles of hiking paths (Lower Rhyolite Canyon is filled with pinnacles). With two bills currently moving through Congress aiming to redesignate Chiricahua as a national park, perhaps the visitation tide will turn, but for now, the place is a diamond in the rough.

Arkansas

Buffalo National River

In 1972, Buffalo River became the country’s first national river, flowing freely for 135 miles through the woodsy Ozark Mountains. As Buffalo is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48, watersports are front and center here–visitors can kayak jaw-dropping class III in the spring–but the NPS-managed park is also home to miles of hiking and backpacking trails, rock-climbing routes, bike trails, and ethereal night skies.

California

Pinnacles National Park

Established by President Obama in 2013, Pinnacles is the newest of California’s nine national parks, still often overlooked in favor of Instagram favorites like Yosemite and Joshua Tree. This central Cali stunner offers a long list of epic outdoor adventures all its own, from rock climbing up fins of volcanic breccia, to hiking through moss-lined caves and marveling at endangered California condors in their natural habitat.

Colorado

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Skip the timed entry permits and crowds of Rocky Mountain National Park for the dark, foliated metamorphic rock of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, a vertiginous ravine carved by the churning Gunnison River some 2,700 feet below the rim. Road trippers will delight in the park’s many accessible overlooks–you can see how Painted Wall got its name–while advanced hikers may want to scramble down an inner canyon route (permit required), and climbers with advanced traditional skills climb its steep and committing routes. The place had only 300K visitors last year, so you’re sure to enjoy some of the solitude you seek.

Connecticut

Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge

With much of the East Coast developed by enterprising industrialists before the conservation movement was born, it can be difficult to find land where wildlife is free to roam. At , visitors can meander through some of the oldest maritime forest and largest undeveloped coastal wetlands in Connecticut, a mere 30 minutes from New Haven. Ranger-led programs introduce the curious to the area’s shorebirds, terrapins, and wildflowers, but intrepid explorers might prefer to take a hike in the Salt Meadow Unit or paddle along the Menunketesuck River in search of egrets and ibises.

Delaware

Brandywine Creek State Park

Chock-full of family-friendly activities (disc golf, anyone?) in the densely populated Mid-Atlantic is the 933-acre . Situated six miles from central Wilmington (and 20 miles from Philadelphia), it offers a reprieve from urban-summer humidity. Hiking, canoeing, tubing, and kayaking are all popular pastimes, and the park’s sprawling meadows, lined with red oak and tulip poplar, are the perfect place for a spring picnic.

Florida

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park

Yes, Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota has preserved thousands of acres of unspoiled American prairie, but did you know there’s a sizable grassland preserve in Florida? At , 90 minutes from the metropolis of Orlando in central Florida, outdoor recreationists can bask in the state’s largest remaining tract of dry prairie, home to American kestrels, red-shouldered hawks, and white-tailed kites. More than 100 miles of multi-use trails for hikers, bikers, and equestrians crisscross the park’s 54 thousand acres, and there’s even an astronomy campground specifically designated for Milky Way viewers to gaze up, free of bright lights and campfires.

Georgia

Providence Canyon State Park

Even with the cute oxymoronic title of Georgia’s “little Grand Canyon,” is often passed over in favor of larger state parks like Cloudland Canyon. Though Providence’s 150-foot-deep gullies were caused by poor farming practices in the 1800s, today’s visitors who hike the area’s 2.5-mile loop trail will be treated to some of the most stunning vistas in the state–conifer forests crumbling into pink, orange, and red-hued rock–without the crowds of big-name parks. You can hike, bike and run here. Looking to pop open your ultralight tent? The park also offers a 7-mile backcountry trail with .

Hawaii

Ahupua’a ‘O Kahana State Park

On the eastern edge of Oahu, far from the bustle of touristy Waikiki, lies , a longtime locals’ favorite with loads of sandy space to stretch out on. Framed by the verdant Ko’olau Mountains, this ahupuaʻa, or ancient Hawaiian land division, is one of the few in the state that’s publicly owned. As such, it’s designed as a “living park,” where visitors can enjoy both the sunshine-spattered beach and the surrounding valley, which is home to a heiau (religious temple), ko’a (fishing shrines), and several agricultural terraces. The 1.2-mile Ko’a and Kilo Trail is an excellent way to explore the area’s aforementioned cultural sights.

Idaho

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Most of Idaho’s mountain seekers make a beeline for the Sawtooths, but the 652,488-acre expanse of , on the state’s western border with Oregon, deserves a detour. This is the deepest river gorge in North America, the canyon rim’s high point a staggering 8,000 feet above the Snake River’s roaring rapids. There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails to tramp across here, and you can run and bike, but the best way to get up close and personal with Hells Canyon is on the water. No boat? No problem. offers full- and half-day tours.

Illinois

Matthiessen State Park

Located a mere 2.5 miles south of the often-crowded Starved Rock State Park sits a haven for waterfall chasers of all ages, . A scenic variation from Illinois’ mostly flat farmlands, set about an hour and a half from Chicago, this nature haven is centered around a mossy limestone canyon, punctuated by towering cascades and a handful of black oaks. The most picturesque of the bunch is 65-foot Lake Falls, which is framed by an immense, arcing bridge over the Matthiessen Lake Dam.

Indiana

Shades State Park

If you’re looking to hike or canoe in woodsy Indiana, go no further. At 3,082 acres, is one of the Hoosier State’s smaller preserves, but we believe in quality over quantity when choosing our outdoor hangs. Far less crowded than nearby Turkey Run State Park, Shades is home to old-growth trees, ladder-accessible ravines, rippling waterfalls, hiking, backcountry camping, and primo views of sandstone-lined Sugar Creek. Pro tip: go in fall when the sugar maples and tulip poplars put on a fiery show.

Iowa

Palisades-Kepler State Park

Comprised of 840 acres of wilderness along the shady banks of the Cedar River, is a Midwest explorer’s dream. The park boats year-round hiking on five miles of trails through old-growth hardwood forest, wildflower meadows, and river and bluff views; and opportunities to cast a line for bass, walleye, and catfish. it is a treasure trove of echinoderm fossils, and it contains ancient conical Native American burial mounds. For those hoping to stay the night, an on-site campground and four cabins are .

Kansas

Kanopolis Lake State Park

has the honor of being the first state park in Kansas, and though its grayish-orange sandstone bluffs may seem out of place in the state’s otherwise flat grasslands, they’re a staple of the Smoky Hills region, Ellsworth County. The park itself centers around a 3,500-acre reservoir and is split into two scenic areas: Horsethief and Langley Point. Hikers should head for the hills and spend a day on the 7-mile Horsethief Canyon to Red Rock Canyon Loop, looking for white-tailed deer, while boaters and beachgoers will want to post up along the water at Langley Point.

Kentucky

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Though many of Kentucky’s adventure-loving crowds will seek out favorites like Mammoth Cave and Carter Caves, and its myriad of tributaries deserve their time in the limelight. Encompassing 125,310 acres of the sweeping Cumberland Plateau, a wooded landscape full of steep gorges, natural bridges, sedimentary canyons, and rocky riverbanks, this national river and recreation area is paradise for adventurers. Here, it’s possible to run class IV rapids, then hike to a pair of stunning sandstone arches in the same day, or mountain bike along West Bandy Creek and maybe climb a sport or trad route at sunset. Hunker down at Charit Creek Lodge or in one of the park’s five campgrounds.

Louisiana

Chicot State Park

is the largest in Louisiana, spanning 6,400 acres of diverse ecosystems that stretch from the swampy Atchafalaya Basin to the mellow hills of center state. As the Bayou State’s nickname implies, the park is a haven for paddlers and anglers who want to bask among the quiet waters and spooky cypress knees of Lake Chicot (the state-record largemouth bass was once caught here), but it’s also home to 20 miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails, which encircle the lake.

Maine

Camden Hills State Park

is located a 90-minute drive south of Acadia National Park, so no wonder it is overlooked in favor of its famous neighbor, but this coastal escape offers much of the same spectacular year-round scenery. In summer, enjoy a morning hike up the steep 1-mile trail to Mount Battie for panoramic views of the rocky Maine coastline, nearby Penobscot Bay, and, on a clear day, Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain, then board a harbor cruise to check out the park’s undulating ridgeline from the Atlantic. Hike, bike and run on nine miles of trails of varying difficulty. When autumn hits, motor up the Mount Battie Auto Road for some of the best leaf peeping in the country, and in winter, break a sweat on miles of designated cross-country ski trails.

Maryland

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Home to one of the largest breeding populations of bald eagles on the East Coast, is a 28,894-acre stretch of mixed hardwood and loblolly pine forests, tidal marsh, and freshwater wetlands. The park, which has five miles of hiking trails and 17 miles of water trails, is perfect for paddlers as well as birders observing one of the best migratory bird corridors in the U.S. Sometimes referred to as “the Everglades of the north,” Blackwater sees thousands of ducks (from 20 different species), snow geese, and tundra swans during peak season, in November. Year-round residents include blue-winged teals, great blue herons, and the formerly endangered Delmarva peninsula fox squirrels.

Massachusetts

Wompatuck State Park

As state parks go, is on the smaller side, at a mere 3,526 acres, but it still delivers a , 12 miles of non-motorized roads for biking, a boat/kayak launch, and 40 miles of paths for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. The trails here wind through dense stands of White Atlantic cedar and shag bark hickory to idyllic ponds and the larger Aaron River Reservoir. Go in fall for unforgettable foliage.

Michigan

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

The Upper Peninsula and the , or Porkies, as they’re affectionately called by locals, offer killer outdoor access. At 60,000 acres, this protected area is the largest state park in Michigan, and it’s full of hiking, disc golf, and paddling opportunities amid old-growth hemlock and sugar-maple forests, sparkling lakes, rushing waterfalls, and hilltops overlooking the chilly blue water of Lake Superior.

Minnesota

Cascade River State Park

This wooded wonderland, 10 miles from the quaint North Shore town of Grand Marais, is home to a series of , as the mighty Cascade River drops a whopping 900 feet through ancient basalt lava flows in its final three miles. Avid hikers should check out the 3.5-mile Lookout Mountain Loop, with its panoramic views of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. In winter, a groomed cross-country ski trail provides hours of snowy fun.

Mississippi

Natchez National Historic Park

Here in the Magnolia State, a lot of press goes to promoting the 444-mile, NPS-managed Natchez Trace Parkway, but relatively little points to its eponymous , a beacon for history buffs seeking to learn about the area’s rich and sometimes brutal cultural history. At Natchez, guests can tour Civil War sites highlighting the Federal occupation of the city; visit Forks of the Road, once the second-largest slave market in the Deep South; and see Melrose, a preserved antebellum-era plantation in the country.

Missouri

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

For caving and geology nerds who reside in the Midwest, is a fantastic place to spend a weekend. The property centers around one of Missouri’s finest examples of karst topography, with a tree-topped natural arch of limestone, a handful of sinkholes, and two large caves. Devil’s Icebox, the largest of the two, is over six miles long and is currently closed to protect a cauldron of endangered gray bats. Not so into caves? Hike or bike across miles of trails that wind through the park’s preserved grasslands.

Montana

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Though loads of attention is heaped onto the NPS’ national parks, the agency manages hundreds of less-traveled public lands, too, , in southern Montana, is easily one of the most scenic of our country’s parks, national or otherwise. Established by an act of Congress in 1966, the park protects massive, man-made Bighorn Lake and dozens of miles of rust-orange sedimentary strata forming the surrounding ravine. Top activities here include trout fishing in the Afterbay, plus boating, hiking, and backcountry camping up tributary creeks and canyons amid shrubs and coniferous forests. A great variety of wildlife includes bighorn sheep, bears, and mule deer.

Nebraska

Platte River State Park

The Cornhusker State often gets razzed for being flat “flyover country,” but offers a wealth of outdoor adventures. Canoe along the mellow Platte River Water Trail, hike the park’s 6.7-mile loop trail past a burbling waterfall, challenge yourself on a series of designated mountain biking trails among the forested rolling hills and bluffs, and, when the day is done, cozy up in one of the site’s vintage cabin rentals.

Nevada

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

Next time you’re in Las Vegas, skip Valley of Fire for a nearby park that’s far less crowded yet jam-packed with fascinating history–. Sitting at the southern end of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, the park has some pretty incredible scenery and opportunities for adventurous hiking and scrambling. This area was designated in 2014 to protect over 436 paleontological sites with Ice Age-era fossils of mammoths, ground sloths, camels, and the giant North American lion.

New Hampshire

Cardigan Mountain State Park

New Hampshire’s rugged White Mountains have long been a favorite of outdoor fanatics, but the fee-free is often ignored in favor of bigger fare, like Franconia Notch and the Presidential Range. Crowd-averse trekkers will love the 360-degree views from Cardigan Mountain’s treeless granite summit, atop which a 1924 observation tower sits. Along the park’s many trails, visitors will pass through a northern hardwood forest of sugar maple, beech, and yellow birch, before ascending a rocky ridge of red spruce and cinquefoil as they near the rocky bald. The area offers hiking, snowshoeing, and nordic and backcountry skiing.

New Jersey

Wawayanda State Park

With a name taken from a Lenape phrase meaning “winding, winding water,” is a stronghold of preserved natural marvels, situated an hour’s drive from the hoi polloi of Newark. Not only does its 35,161-acre breadth contain a twenty-mile stretch of the storied Appalachian Trail, but visitors can also gaze out at sweeping views from Pinwheel Vista or marvel at the awe-inspiring fall colors along the Wawayanda Lake Loop. The park offers hiking, biking, horseback riding, canoe rentals, a boat launch, and .

New Mexico

Chaco Culture National Historic Park

With social-media darlings like the Grand Canyon clogging the airwaves, it can be easy to forget that the NPS is home to scores of other sites preserving our country’s Native cultures. offers a little bit of everything–crumbling Menefee badlands, prominent sedimentary cliffs, and a series of Chacoan “great houses.” These structures, called by the NPS “the largest, most complex, and best preserved prehistoric architectural sites” in North America, showcase a regional system of Indigenous communities that flourished between the 9^th and 13^th centuries. Visitors can explore the great houses via ranger-led tours or self-guided hiking trails.

New York

Fillmore Glen State Park

The Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York is a leaf peeper’s paradise, and its narrow gorges and waterfall-rich hiking trails draw visitors year round. Yet somehow, has remained something of a secluded oasis, just 30 minutes north of Ithaca. Here, hikers can climb past five waterfalls, crane their necks to take in views of unique shale and siltstone rock formations, and check out a replica of the log cabin that Millard Fillmore, the 13^th president, was born in. Anglers can fish for trout and largemouth bass in the Owasco Lake inlet, and winter visitors will love the miles of cross-country skiing and snowmobiling on unplowed roads.

North Carolina

South Mountains State Park

Set in a branch of North Carolina’s famous Blue Ridge Mountains, about an hour east of the progressive and artsy mountain town of Asheville, 21,000 acres feature miles of connecting trails through undulating hills dotted with oak, pine, and hickory trees. Whether you’re an equestrian hoping for a horse-friendly campsite, a mountain biker looking to feel the wind on your cheeks on steep, twisty terrain, or a new backpacker looking to reserve sites near reliable water, this wooded haven is a worthy alternative to the bumper-to-bumper traffic in Great Smoky Mountains.

North Dakota

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

The powerful Missouri River is a hallmark waterway in North Dakota’s vast landscape of sprawling grasslands, and offers a place in which to learn about the vibrant culture of the Northern Plains Native Americans. The park offers trails to depressions in the earth that hint at a once-thriving Hidatsa village, as well as a reconstructed round Earthlodge furnished with replica artifacts. In addition to appreciating the site’s incredible Indigenous roots, anglers here can try their hands at catching northern pike, walleye, and trout along the Knife and Missouri Rivers ().

Ohio

Brecksville Reservation

Cuyahoga Valley is one of the most-visited national parks in the U.S., but three miles north of its busy waterfall and trails through rock ledges sits , a wooded park just outside urban Cleveland that locals revere for its quiet oak-hickory forests and seven gorges of eroded Berea sandstone. Spooky Deer Lick Cave and a new hiking loop around the massive boulders and tranquil waterfall of Chippewa Creek Gorge are the area’s must-sees, that is, if you’re not practicing your putt at the Seneca Golf Course.

Oklahoma

Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge

Home to thousands of migrating sandhill cranes, shorebirds, ducks, and even the occasional endangered whooping crane, the has been designated as a Globally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy. This 32,197-acre land mass contains a multitude of north-central Oklahoma’s ecosystems, from mixed-grass prairie to forested riparian zones and historically-significant salt flats (the Cherokee Nation used salt from the region in the preservation of meats). Birding and hiking are the major draws here, though many also fish and dig for crystals.

Oregon

Owyhee River Wilderness

Eastern Oregon’s , or, more specifically, the winding road through Leslie Gulch, will have road trippers feeling like they’re delivering a ring to Mordor. Towering spires of umber-tinted rhyolite tuff sprout out of the earth like giant fingers, and you will find peaceful solitude in rafting the Owyhee Wild and Scenic River. Camp down a dusty dirt road at Slocum Creek for spectacular sunrise vistas before venturing out on a hike through the bitterroot blooms and honeycombed rocks of Leslie Gulch or Painted Canyon.

Pennsylvania

Caledonia State Park

may be only 70 miles from busy Baltimore, yet it is a gateway to 84,000 acres of protected state forests and miles of day-use and overnight hiking trails–including a tiny piece of the Appalachian Trail. Named after an iron furnace owned by Thaddeus Stevens in the mid-1800s, the park hosts two developed campgrounds, surrounded by hemlock and white pine, with RV hookups and hot showers, picnic tables along shaded Conococheague Creek, and opportunities to fish for trout (brown, brook, and rainbow). ��

Rhode Island

Lincoln Woods State Park

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the union, but it is home to excellent outdoor recreation, and , in Blackstone Valley, has a host of activities for even the pickiest nature lover. Sunbathe on the freshwater beach at Olney Pond, ride along equestrian-only trails, cycle around miles of steep, shaded singletrack, or simply kick back with a beer and a good book in one of the shaded picnic shelters.

South Carolina

Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge

Situated inside the immense 350,000-acre Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto (ACE) Basin System (one of the largest undeveloped wetlands out east), the is a center for amphibians, fish, and huge numbers of migratory and resident birds. The preserve, which is only 20 miles southwest of Charleston, offers trails with photo blinds for covert wildlife viewing, plus 25 miles of unpaved service roads for year-round hiking, biking, and birding (be on the lookout for colorful painted buntings and threatened wood storks) among the forests, estuaries and fresh and salt-water marshes.

South Dakota

Jewel Cave National Monument

Often overlooked in favor of its same-state national park brethren, Badlands and Wind Cave, is a destination in its own right, especially for avid hikers and cavern enthusiasts. With more than 215 surveyed and mapped passages, many of which are open to the public via ranger-led tours, it’s the third-longest cave on the planet. An abundance of calcite crystals and gypsum spiders decorate its walls, sparkling like diamonds when a headlamp hits just right. While most visitors focus on the cave and its miles of passages, you can also hike and bike among the wildflowers and pine forests on a variety of surface trails in the area.

Tennessee

Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park

If you’re into river rafting, big vistas of lush hills, and crowd-free trails, has got you covered. Not only does the park boast 23 miles of river, rated from class I to class V (yes, to take you out for the day), it’s also surrounded by the 655,598-acre Cherokee National Forest and home to a 47-site campground at , which offers primitive sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and grills.

Texas

Big Bend Ranch State Park

In West Texas’ arid landscape of ocotillo and prickly pear, most road trippers head straight for Big Bend National Park, but they’re missing out on some pretty incredible water access, backcountry camping, and Chihuahuan Desert trails just a few miles north. Though less developed than its NPS cousin, stretches along the Rio Grande for 311,000 acres, containing 238 miles of multi-use paths for biking, hiking (Closed Canyon is a classic slot hike), and horseback riding, paddling access to immense river canyons, 70 miles of 4×4 roads, and some of the darkest night skies on earth.

Utah

Kodachrome Basin State Park

A joke on the internet says the entire state of Utah should be declared one giant national park, and honestly, I’m here for that. , in south-central Utah, sits just off one of the prettiest stretches of road in the country, Scenic Byway 12, and is home to towering chimneys of crimson sandstone, striated mesas of crumbling sedimentary rock, and, when spring hits, some incredibly hearty wildflowers. Reserve a site at one of the park’s , hit the 1.5-mile Angels Palace Trail, and stay up late for mind-boggling Milky Way views.

Vermont

Smugglers’ Notch State Park

OK, so isn’t exactly a secret, but most visitors to Vermont’s bucolic Mount Mansfield area head straight for Stowe Mountain Resort, neglecting one of the state’s premier natural preserves, a stone’s throw away. Named after a narrow pass in the Green Mountains, Smugglers’ Notch provides a gorgeous corridor to waterfall-fed swimming holes; 50+ miles of cycling-ready singletrack; numerous boulder problems (short routes done ropeless), and, in winter, ice climbs; and leg-busting hiking trails (including a steep, 4-mile trek to the summit of Vermont’s highest peak).

Virginia

Grayson Highlands State Park

You don’t have to go all the way to Iceland to swoon over wild ponies; Virginia’s is populated by more than 100 of them. Set near the state’s southern border with North Carolina, the park is considered an “alpine Eden,” with streams full of trout, miles of grassy balds, broad meadows teaming with flowers, and (relatively) pain-free trail access to Mount Rogers, the tallest peak in Old Dominion.

Washington

North Cascades National Park

Even though a highway runs right through North Cascades, this gem consistently ends up among the five least visited national parks. That’s because the 505,000-acre park is subdivided by Ross Lake National Recreation Area and abutted by Lake Chelan to the south (bring your stand-up paddleboards), meaning that all you adventurous souls will have to hike for it. Thankfully, the park is home to over 400 miles of trails, past cyan-blue glaciers and remote alpine peaks, including an 18-mile dog-friendly stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. Backpackers rejoice–there’s enough scenery here to last a lifetime.

West Virginia

Babcock State Park

The outdoor mecca of West Virginia is one of the country’s best-kept secrets, and , located 20 miles north of the iconic New River Gorge Bridge (you know, the 3,000-foot steel arch in every Instagram photo), shows it off to full effect. Not only is the park free to visit (as are all of WV’s state parks), it’s a forested utopia for anglers, waterfall lovers, cyclists, and hikers of all ages. In addition to a , Babcock rents out adorable 1930s-era , originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Photographers–don’t miss the Glade Creek Grist Mill, where you can learn about the process of grinding cornmeal and take calendar-worthy fall-foliage photos.

Wisconsin

Big Bay State Park

You’ll need to hop on a 20-minute ferry ride to surrounded by Lake Superior’s midnight blue waves, but once you arrive, you’ll be greeted by lush boreal forests, stunning lakeside cliffs, and hiking paths that hug the water’s edge. Pitch a tent at one of the area’s (there are hot showers), then take a dip in the park’s eponymous big bay.

Wyoming

Curt Gowdy State Park

As home to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, Wyoming has stiff competition right at home in outdoor recreation on public lands, but , between Cheyenne and Laramie, gives larger parks a run for their money. The 3,395-acre park, which is a surprisingly short two-hour drive from Denver, has been hailed for possessing an “Epic” trail system by the International Mountain Biking Association, plus twelve (that’s not a typo) , a free-to-the-public horse corral, and three reservoirs where visitors can boat and fish for rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. Coniferous forests, sharp granite escarpments, and an abundance of birdwatching as well.

and can be used to download info on many of the campgrounds and hiking and biking trails noted above. (Gaia is owned by ���ϳԹ��� Inc., the company that owns ���ϳԹ���.)

Emily Pennington is a freelance adventure journalist based in Los Angeles. She has visited all 63 U.S. national parks (62 of them in a year) and many more without the magic “national park” appellation. Her book, Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks, about the parks journey, came out in February (Little A/Amazon Publishing). As of press time, she was in the Galapagos.

The post The Most Underrated Park in Every State appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Rafting the Grand Canyon is a bucket-list trip for many people and a spectacular way to fully experience the beauty, solitude and unique environment of this natural wonder. Along your rafting trip, you’ll have opportunities to stop and do hikes to Ancestral Puebloan sites, see waterfalls, swim in turquoise waters and spot wildlife like bighorn sheep. The Colorado River extends for 279 miles through Grand Canyon and attracts approximately 22,000 visitors per year, mostly on commercial raft trips.

How Long Does It Take to Raft the Entire Grand Canyon?

Depending on how fast the river is running, how many stops you make to camp alongside this 279-mile stretch of river and if you have motorized rafts or oar boats, rafting the entire Grand Canyon can take anywhere from 7-18 days. The fastest way to raft the Grand Canyon is with motorized boats that can cover the distance in about 7 days, depending on how many stops you make. For those in oar boats, plan on between 15-21 days.

To raft the entire Grand Canyon, you’ll put in your boats at Lee’s Ferry, which is located 42 miles south of the Glenn Canyon Dam in Page, Ariz. Until Navajo Bridge was built in 1929, people had to cross the Colorado River by ferry at Lee’s Ferry. While a new wider bridge was built in 1995, you can still walk across the Historic Navajo Bridge.

From there, you’ll spend the next 60 miles in Marble Canyon, a beautiful place that stretches to where Little Colorado River meets the Colorado River. With gorgeous towering cliffs, this canyon is home to so many wonders. There are Ancestral Puebloan storage granaries in Nankoweap Canyon. Even 12,000-year-old remains of the extinct Harrington mountain goat have been found here, as well as ancient figurines that are more than 4,000 years old. This canyon is actually part of Grand Canyon National Park.

Your first whitewater rapids will be Soap Creek and Badger rapids. Soap Creek is at mile 11. After you leave Marble Canyon, you’ll reach Hance Rapid, the first Class 8 that you will encounter. Located at mile 76.5, it’s one of the biggest rapids on the Colorado, with the largest single drop (30 feet). At mile 87.5, you’ll raft past Phantom Ranch, an iconic set of historic cabins and dormitories with a canteen that you can only reach by boat, by foot or by mule. Pull over to walk to the Phantom Ranch canteen to mail a postcard from the heart of the Grand Canyon.

Some of the biggest rapids of the trip follow, including Crystal at mile 98 (with its large holes in the center of the river), Sapphire, Turquoise and Ruby rapids. However, you’ll navigate the infamous Lava Falls rapid at 179 miles, and it’s really big and some would say, scary. It’s a 9-10 on a scale of difficulty with 1 being easiest and 10 most difficult. It’s a really technical rapid with steep drops and large waves like the Big Kahuna (yes, it is named) that can flip a boat.

At mile 225, you’ll be at the starting point for shorter “Diamond Down” rafting trips through the Hualapai tribe’s section of Grand Canyon. You’ll probably see Haulapi River Runners’ signature blue motorized boats fording the rapids.

You’ll finish your trip at Pearce Ferry 279 miles from Lee’s Ferry. Years ago, Pearce Ferry used to be located in Lake Mead’s Pearce Bay. But drought has shrunk water levels in the lake. Today, Pearce Ferry is along the fast-flowing Colorado River.

Do I Need a Permit to Raft the Grand Canyon?

A permit is included in all guided commercial trips, so if you signed up to go on a guided trip, you don’t need to worry about the getting a permit.

For private groups, rafting the Grand Canyon is only allowed obtained through the National Park Service or, on the lower section, via the Hualapai tribe since 109.4 miles of the lower section is on their land where the Hualapai Nation meets the Colorado River. Private groups may apply for a permit through the park’s annual lottery system. For more information go to��

To get a permit from the National Park Service, you need to create a user account if you don’t already have one . Then, you’ll log in to fill out a lottery application. Keep in mind you will need to list both the trip leader and the Potential Alternate Trip Leader (PATL), both of whom need an account in the system for your lottery application to be processed. In 2022, there was a $25 fee for the application. In 2022, the lottery opened on March 1 and closed March 3 at 12 p.m. MST. You can log into your account to find out if you got the dates you selected, but you will also be notified by email. There are additional river permit costs that you will pay if you get selected in the lottery.

An important thing to know is you can’t just apply for this lottery without at least one person on the trip for the entire time having significant experience running either a previous Grand Canyon river trip as a boat operator in command or participated as a boat operator in command on a river of similar difficulty.�� The selection of boat-operators is the responsibility of the trip leader.

If you plan to pull over on the stretch of the river where the Hualapai Reservation meets the Colorado, you will need a permit. Anyone found on the Hualapai Reservation where it meets the Colorado River who doesn’t have a valid camping permit may face serious penalties, including impoundment of all river and camping gear, arrest and prosecution in Hualapai Tribal Court. To buy a Hualapai Nation river camping permit, call the Hualapai Nation Game and Fish Department at 928-769-2227 or 928-769-1122 or by email at hualapai.rafting@hualapai-nsn.gov

This 279-mile stretch is wild, with no developments of any kind except for the off-the-grid store and lodge at mid-way through the trip. River trips involve primitive backcountry camping on river beaches and being blissfully removed from the bustle (and all electronics) of urban living.

How Hard is Rafting the Grand Canyon?

Rafting the Grand Canyon is difficult and requires serious river experience for those leading the rafting trip. The Colorado River through Grand Canyon encompasses 160 sets of rapids that are so unique and generally difficult to run that they have their own rating system. While other rivers follow a whitewater rating system of I-V, Grand Canyon rapids are rated on a scale of 1-10. Some of these rapids are extremely difficult to run unless you are a very experienced river runner who has run similar-sized rapids in the past successfully. Unless you are traveling with people who are experts at running highly technical whitewater, plan to hire a commercial outfitter with seasoned guides.

When is the Best Time to Raft the Grand Canyon?

Most commercial trips run between May and October, with the peak demand months being June, July, and August. This makes sense because summer is the time most people want to be on a river. However, it is the hottest time to be in the Grand Canyon with temperatures that soar to more than 100 degrees. You’ll want to be aware of heat-related illnesses if you go in the summer.

Go in fall or spring to avoid the crowds and . Private trips often go in winter when more permits are available.

How Much Does a Grand Canyon Rafting Trip Cost?

All authorized by Grand Canyon National Park to run trips are required to meet certain safety and environmental regulations.

Since the National Park Service only allows a fixed number of river visitors through Grand Canyon each year, spots on commercial trips are limited and typically fill at least one or two years in advance. Trip lengths and cost range from $399 for one-day rafting adventure with the Hualapai River Runners to $6,700 and up for a 18-21-day trip running the entire Grand Canyon. Modes of travel vary from motorized rafts to oar-powered boats to wooden dories. You’ll be camping alongside the river as there are no hotels, with the exception of Phantom Ranch, along the way.

in the Grand Canyon is run by the Hualapai River Runner Guides. It’s a great way to raft the Grand Canyon without having to commit to a multi-day trip. The first 12 of the 40 miles are filled with fun rapids, and you’ll pass interesting landmarks like where several of John Wesley Powell’s men abandoned the river trip down the Colorado River, never to be seen alive again. The remaining miles you’ll motor though flat water.

Hualapai River Runners guided rafting groups depart from Peach Springs, Ariz., on Historic Route 66 from the Hualapai Lodge by bus, driving for a an hour down to the river’s put-in spot. You can either raft to a take-out spot where a bus will greet you and return you to Peach Springs. Or you can raft to a helicopter landing spot after lunch where you will take a helicopter up to the top of the Grand Canyon, at . While up there, you’ll have a chance to walk the SkyWalk, a glass horseshoe-shaped bridge over the Grand Canyon, as well as see cultural dances and interpretative exhibit panels on Hualapai life past and present.�� From Grand Canyon West, you’ll return to Peach Springs via bus.

Along your rafting trip down the Colorado River with Hualapai River Runners, your guides will give informative narrations on Hualapai cultural history. Their motorized rafts are designed specifically for traversing the Colorado River.

Booking Your Trip

Deciding to take a river trip through the Grand Canyon is easy. Most people with a sense of adventure and a love for the outdoors, dream of such an experience: We imagine clinging to a raft as it bucks and surges its way through wave after wave of frothing brown water; we envision sleeping on a beach surrounded by the canyon’s sheer walls with a narrow strip of stars twinkling overhead; or we picture ourselves clamoring over rocks and up around waterfalls through a twisting side canyon. It sounds idyllic. The tricky part is making that dream a reality.

Sixteen companies offer guided trips through Grand Canyon National Park. On average, these companies have been in service for 34 years, so you can’t really rule out one for its lack of experience. Furthermore, all licensed outfitters are held to the highest safety and environmental standards set by the National Park Service, so you can rest assured that every company will provide you with a safe, environmentally responsible trip.

So how do you decide? You can narrow down your choices by considering what you personally want out of the your experience. You may be interested in the cruising luxury of a motorized-raft trip: the size of these big boats soften the power of the rapids and motors allow you to move faster down the river. Or you may want to get wet and paddle your own craft on a kayak-supported expedition. You can spend as few as three days on the river or as many as 19. Your trip may focus on natural or human history; or you might want to explore the canyon with your camera under the tutelage of a professional photographer. Some companies use wooden dories to navigate the river, others have a flotilla of paddle rafts, oar rigs and inflatable kayaks.

To filter through all your options, the best place to start is at the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association website:��. This site provides a summary of all the licensed commercial outfitters in the canyon with links to their individual websites, so it’s the perfect place to see what kind of trips appeal to your specific goals and needs. Trips fill up quickly so you should try to sign up as early as possible to secure your dates. Sometimes this means more than a year in advance. If you are looking for something sooner, you may be able to fill a spot at the last minute however, so it’s worth contacting the outfitters to see if there have been any cancellations.

Here are some criteria to look for: Type of river craft (motorized rafts, oar-powered rafts, paddle rafts, or kayaks), the length of trip, activity focus (hiking intensive?), theme (natural history trips, photography, music, geology, etc.), time of year (weather, water levels, temperatures) and special considerations (trips for seniors, physically challenged, families, etc.).

Tips and Tricks for Rafting the Grand Canyon

There are some definite tricks to staying comfortable and happy on rafting trips through the Grand Canyon. Protect your skin. Lotions and sunscreens are essential, but only go so far in preventing the ravages of sun, heat, water and sand. For your feet, what you really need to do is wear dry shoes and socks when hiking. Don’t look to your guides for inspiration. Their feet are toughened by months on the river, so just because they choose to walk to Thunder Falls in their flip flops doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for you to do so. Keep your feet as dry as you can. When you get into camp, take off your river shoes and allow your feet to air out. If you have a pair of neoprene socks, you can wear those under your sandals when you are hiking or in the raft. You may not win any fashion contests, but the neoprene will keep your sandpaper-like sandal straps away from your delicate skin.

As for the rest of your body, keep slathering on the sunscreen. Better yet, wear a long-sleeved loose-fitting cotton shirt. White or other light colors are best, even if they end up rather brown at the end of the trip. You can douse your shirt in water to keep cool and the full cover works better than sunscreen in preventing burns. Wide-brimmed hats are also essential. Make sure your hat, and your sunglasses, are attached to you with a strap, otherwise, you are likely to lose them in the first rapid you encounter.

What to Wear During a Grand Canyon Rafting Trip

You don’t need much on a Grand Canyon trip if you go during the warm or hot season: a couple of t-shirts and one or two pairs of nylon shorts, one pair of long pants, one fleece sweater or jacket, one or maybe two bathing suits, rain gear, toiletries, a book, sunhat, a small towel, and a few miscellaneous items. Think about bringing clothing that dries quickly, is loose and comfortable, and doesn’t show dirt, because regardless of how often you jump in the river for a bath, your clothes are going to be permanently brown by the end. Pants are a good idea for the evenings. If it gets windy, you’ll be happy to have something to protect your legs from the sting of blowing sand and to offset the chill of cool evening temperatures.

Temperatures can be cold especially when a storm rolls through. If the weather is good, you need little more than a fleece jacket to throw on in the evening, but if it is rainy, you’ll probably want some kind of insulating layers to put on under your raincoat. Bring a down parka for cool nights and mornings. Talk to your outfitter and find out what temperatures are expected during your trip. It’s hard to fake a warm layer out of multiple bikini tops, so be prepared for the worst-case scenario by bringing a few warm and waterproof items.

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In a land of spectacular and diverse environments, curating ���ϳԹ���’s definitive list of the best park in every state is a tall order. To do so, I solicited recommendations from my colleagues and searched high and low for the spot that exemplifies the region’s natural features—be they precipitous cliffs, lush river valleys, or vast��icy expanses—and does what an outdoor recreation area should do: get��you away from the hoi polloi and immerse��you in the landscape.

Our selections are not your Yosemites and Grand Canyons, where you have to elbow your way to the front of the pack at Tunnel View and Mather Point. Go to those if you want. But also carve out time to enjoy these less visited destinations, which are both especially scenic and well-rounded in their offerings. Whether you like exploring on foot, water, or two wheels, the picks on this list have something for everyone. We weren’t strict about whether it was a national or state park—or even a different type of recreation area altogether—but we were strict about selecting the best destinations.

Alabama

Little River Canyon National Preserve

In the state’s northeastern corner, the 15,288-acre contains both the eponymous waterway—n��in the Southeast—and the 600-foot-tall Little River Canyon, one of the��deepest east of the Mississippi. Climb and rappel any of the overlooks.��Hike and bike backcountry roads. (Keep an eye out for Paleozoic fossils that date back up to 540 million years.)��And check out a handful of waterfalls situated amid an unusually diverse range of flora, like the endangered Kral’s��water plantain and carnivorous green pitcher plant. You’ll find��top-notch Class III–V whitewater and abundant fishing along the length of the Little River, which runs along the flat��top of Lookout Mountain.��Although camping is not allowed, you’ll at DeSoto State Park, abutting the preserve.

Alaska

Kenai Fjords National Park

Denali is undeniably enticing. You’ll experience the same sense of awe at one of Alaska’s less visited parks: , near the town of Seward in south-central Alaska. The rare fjord estuary ecosystem is found in only five other places on the planet (none of which are in North America). This massive 669,984-acre park on the Kenai Peninsula has ample mountaineering. There’s��also a bucket list��hike: a��spectacular 8.2-mile��round-trip day hike that gains 1,000 feet of elevation.��The Harding Icefield, a��patch of��frozen water that’s nearly 714 square miles long and up to a mile thick,��offers hiking and mountaineering. Kayak glacial lagoons with clown-faced puffins for a day trip, and backpack or boat camp the coastal backcountry amid Sitka spruces and blooming fireweed.

Arizona

Red Rock Ranger District

Okay, so this one isn’t technically a park—but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better playground in��Arizona. The 160,000-acre manages the portion of Coconino National Forest Arizona surrounding Sedona. The visitor center at Red Rock Ranger Station will tell you everything you need to know about the region, like where to find Sedona’s famously technical mountain biking, cinnamon-colored��spires for trad climbing, and even��fishing and swimming in Oak Creek—a rare treat in the otherwise parched desert landscape. There are four developed fee campgrounds in the district (no dispersed roadside camping), but backpacking is permitted as long as you venture at least a mile from trailheads.

Arkansas

Buffalo National River

In 1972, a 135-mile stretch of the became our country’s first nationally protected waterway. A local treasure, the river remains less known outside of northern Arkansas. It meanders, undammed, through the Ozark Mountains’��karst rock formations in one of the ��of the national park system. (More than 500 caverns attract a multitude of endangered bats.) In addition to water-based activities like floating past the massive limestone bluffs and angling for 12 species of game fish, such as smallmouth bass, visitors can hike the 95,000 acres surrounding the river, including almost 36,000 acres of designated wilderness.

California

Redwood National and State Parks

Comprising��131,983 acres, are scattered along the Northern California coast six��hours north of San Francisco.��This mix of federal and state land is home to some of the world’s tallest trees, as well as a sea stack–lined coast (keep your eyes peeled for whales and harbor porpoises) and three rivers, including the Wild and Scenic Smith, the largest free-flowing river system in California. While most national parks don’t allow mountain biking, the former logging roads here are an exception. Camping is available at four developed campgrounds, or hit the 200-plus-mile trail system to enjoy eight backcountry camping areas.

Colorado

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

The Rockies are best known for soaring peaks, but the range is also home to the tallest dunes in North America, located in southern Colorado. Explore ’s 30 square miles on foot—backpacking is a great way to see the park’s alpine lakes and wetlands, too—or retire at one of the developed campgrounds after a day of fat biking, dune sledding, and splashing in the shallow, surging current of Medano Creek. In February and October, you’ll see a sedge��of more than 20,000 sandhill cranes in addition to the park’s usual suspects, like pronghorns, yellow-bellied marmots, and bighorn sheep.

Connecticut

American Legion and Peoples State Forests

Combined, the total just over six square miles—but they pack in a lot of activities. In Connecticut’s wild northwest corner, the West Branch of the Farmington River divides the two areas and provides some of the best freshwater fishing in Connecticut. This Wild and Scenic River—a national designation granted to less than 0.25 percent of U.S. waterways—is a natural hub for float trips. Base out of Austin F. Hawes Memorial Campground and spend your days biking forest roads, , and hiking a 14-mile network of rugged trails that yields views of waterfalls and the river valley below. During the winter months, there’s cross-country skiing and even an at the Falls Cut-Off Trail.

Delaware

Cape Henlopen State Park

��ocean-based activities abound: swimming, boating, surf fishing, kayaking, clamming, paddleboarding, and windsurfing are all on the table. The park is home to two surf breaks, and . On land, hike or bike up to five��miles within the park, or use it as a launch point for the nation’s first nonmotorized transcontinental path, the��American Discovery Trail,��which��begins here and passes through cities, towns, farmland, and wild areas en route to Point��Reyes National Seashore in Northern California. Camp among pine-studded sand dunes, or venture to the nearby Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve, Delaware’s only publicly owned wild beach, which contains undeveloped dunes��and marsh habitat.

Florida

Biscayne National Park

combines the best of southern Florida. You’ll find the Everglades’ famous mangrove swamps—Biscayne’s are also packed with alligators and crocodiles—as well as the spectacular coral reefs and abundant sea life you’d expect to find in the keys, such as manatees, sea turtles, dolphins, and rays. Since 95 percent of the park is water, you’ll want to rent a kayak, paddleboard, or canoe from the visitor center (or launch your own craft for free). There are multiple marine trails for , and the Maritime Heritage Trail guides snorkelers and divers past six diverse shipwrecks that span nearly a century. Although the park is far from remote—downtown Miami is��visible—you can still get adventurous. Experienced paddlers can cross the seven-mile expanse of Biscayne Bay and pay $25 to roll out a sleeping pad on one of two island campgrounds��on Elliott and Boca Chita Keys.

Georgia

Cumberland Island National Seashore

The largest and southernmost barrier island in Georgia is good for more than just swimming and beachcombing. features 17 miles of undeveloped beaches, as well as pristine maritime forests and marshland. Walk 50-plus miles under live oak and saw palmetto groves, keeping your eyes peeled for wild horses, alligators, and sea turtles. To get there, take the ferry from St. Marys, or kayak to the island. (Leave from town, from nearby Crooked River State Park, or from Amelia Island, which is just over the Florida border.)��Three��campgrounds��are situated in designated wilderness areas; you can bike to two others. (Rent some wheels on the island or bring your own via ferry.)��Sea kayaks can be pulled ashore for camping by the Plum Orchard dock,��behind the Sea Camp Ranger Station, and in the Brickhill Bluff Wilderness Campground.

Hawaii

Waiʻānapanapa State Park

Bypass the hordes at Haleakalā and watch the sunrise from black sand Paʻiloa Beach at . The drive along Maui’s southeast coast is epic��on its own, and while the park does draw a good number of pit-stopping tourists��on the Highway to Hana, most just want to snap a photo of the lava tube and stroll to the freshwater pools before going on their way. Unpack your tent and you’ll find there’s more to explore. Several hiking trails traverse through dense flora—stands of guava, coconut, and breadfruit trees and the largest pandanus grove in Hawaii—and pass natural��and cultural attractions like rocky coves, ruins, a haiau (or temple), blowholes, and jagged rock arches. On a calm day, swim 200 feet into Paʻiloa Bay��to climb a��freestanding sea stack��where you can leap from��about��35 feet—or��45 feet if you’re feeling bold.

Idaho

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Straddling the Oregon-Idaho border, the Snake River cuts North America’s deepest river gorge. At nearly a mile and a half tall, Hells Canyon is taller than even Grand Canyon by almost 50 percent. The 650,000-acre�� includes 217,000 acres of wilderness, where you can backpack along isolated ridges in exchange for epic panoramas. The 8,000-foot Seven Devils Mountains tower above Class II–IV whitewater and plenty of .

Illinois

Kickapoo State Recreation Area

At , you’ll find 22 ponds and access to the Middle Fork River amid 2,842 acres of sycamore and maple forest. There are also launch ramps at nine lakes, and you can angle for large- and smallmouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie, redear sunfish, and sizable rainbow trout. Ice fishing is available in the winter, as is cross-country skiing. In the warmer months, camp at one of 184 sites and spend your days biking 12 miles of the state’s best singletrack (ranging from easy to very technical) or running past wild cherry trees and vibrant wildflowers on 35 miles of trails. (Get a good workout on the difficult��7.6-mile .)

Indiana

Brown County State Park

Sure, the Hoosier State just got its first national park, but Indiana Dunes is already getting close to 2 million visitors a year—and��unlike ,��it doesn’t have nearly 30 miles of flowy singletrack��ranging from cruisey to white-knuckling.��This park��in central Indiana’s Little Smokies is actually slightly larger than its shiny new neighbor to the north. At nearly 16,000 acres, Brown County is the biggest in Indiana’s park system. Hike more than 18 miles of trails through flowering dogwood and sweet gum trees (read: gorgeous fall color). Or connect to the greater , which has 260 miles of trails for hiking and backpacking, including the 13,000-acre .

Iowa

Backbone State Park

Designated in 1920, Iowa’s first park��is still its best. Named for a steep, narrow, 80-foot-tall ridge of bedrock cut by the Maquoketa River,��,��in northeastern Iowa, is 2,000 acres of oak and maple woods packed with dolomitic limestone outcrops. The ample rock makes for great top-roping and trad climbing, as well as varied hiking on a rugged 21-mile multiuse trail system. Cyclists will enjoy the Barred Owl, Bluebird, East Lake, and West Lake Trails—or hit the 130-mile Northeast State Park Bike Route connecting Wapsipinicon and Pikes Peak State Parks on county highways. Explore Backbone Cave and the reservoir, Backbone Lake, which offers boating and some of the Iowa’s best trout fishing. You can crash at two campgrounds within park boundaries.

Kansas

Wilson State Park

The Sunflower State isn’t all flat prairie. Situated in the Smoky Hills region of central Kansas, ��features��rolling hills that give way to prominent sandstone bluffs. Tire yourself out on the challenging or at Wilson Reservoir, which makes for pleasant SUPing, swimming, kayaking, and fishing for bass and walleye, before adjourning to one of the campsites. The adjacent Wilson Wildlife Area has 8,000 acres of hiking and habitat for deer, pheasants, Canada geese, and coyotes.

Kentucky

Big South Fork National River and��Recreation Area

On the southern border of the Bluegrass State, Big South Fork Gorge makes a 40-mile cleft in the Cumberland Plateau. Although ranges well into Tennessee, it has Kentucky’s characteristic sandstone arches—without the crowds of the better-known��Red River Gorge. At Big South Fork, you’ll find sport climbing, Class IV paddling, bike-only trails, and bluff hikes overlooking scenic gorges and oak woodlands.

Louisiana

Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Complex

Set amid western Louisiana’s��old-growth hardwood and pine,�� has 17 primitive walk-in camp sites (and one drive-in site). It also has a boat launch for nonmotorized vessels, which makes for peaceful fishing for bass, perch, sunfish, and catfish. Ensconced in the 600,000-acre Kisatchie National Forest, you’ll have access to more than 100 miles of multiuse trails for running, hiking, and backpacking;��opportunities for ��on roads and trails;��and swimming at Kincaid, Caney, and Stuart lakes.

Maine

Baxter State Park

At��200,000 acres,�� is a no-brainer. The difficult decision is narrowing down its recreation options: 200 miles of trails for hiking and backpacking, including the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, on Mount Katahdin; 337 campsites; mountain, road, and fat-biking routes; paddling on backcountry Wassataquoik Lake and Webster Stream, which includes Class I–III rapids and a Class V drop at Grand Pitch; and some of the most remote and challenging mountaineering in New England—not to mention .

Maryland

Assateague Island National Seashore

A dynamic barrier island that’s constantly reshaped by weather, is different every time you visit. Play in the surf and wander 37 miles of white sand beach in search of the isle’s famed wild ponies. Registered over-sand vehicles can rove a designated segment. The nearby island of Chincoteague is connected via a paved��four-mile bike path. At the end of the day, there are drive-in, walk-in, and backcountry campsites—you can even kayak to .

Massachusetts

Mount Greylock State Reservation

It can be tough to find room to sprawl in one of the most densely populated parts of the nation. But 12,000-acre , in the northwestern corner of Massachusetts, fits the bill. Named for the 3,491-foot peak—the state’s tallest—the park has 70 miles of trails, including 11.5 miles of the AT��and the historic Thunderbolt Ski Trail, good for hiking, mountain biking, backcountry skiing, and more. Backpackers will find primitive camping and trailside shelters amid the sylvan charm of the Berkshires.

Michigan

Isle Royale National Park

With only 25,000 annual visitors to its 132,018 acres, ��has one of the lowest area-to-visitors ratios��on this list. To get there, you have to take a ferry from Houghton, Copper Harbor, or Grand Portage. Famous for its , this off-the-grid archipelago features 165 miles of trails and 36 campgrounds (some accessible only by boat) to serve as your base camp for a few days of��running, hiking, fishing, and diving on shipwrecks. Canoes and kayaks are excellent means of transportation within the park, though the former is better suited for the islands’ inland lakes than for open waters.

Minnesota

Voyageurs National Park

Named for the French Canadian travelers who explored what’s now the Minnesota-Ontario border, is best seen from its plentiful waterways. The 218,000 acres are��almost half water, including four major lakes and 26 smaller ones for kayaking and canoeing the interior of the park. That said, there’s also plentiful forest hiking with numerous overlooks, as well as��snowshoeing or cross-country skiing during winter months. Choose sections of the 30-mile Kab-Ash Trail, an interconnected system of four trailheads, or do the whole trail for a tour of the park. The numerous campsites include backcountry options. Brings binoculars to see the park’s moose, gray wolves, beavers, bald eagles, and river otters, and empty your pockets for wild berries and hazelnuts.

Mississippi

Gulf Island National Seashore

Stretching for 160 miles along the coast, extends all the way into the Florida Panhandle. Its ecosystems range from sultry bayous to gorgeous white-sand barrier islands, and you’re liable to see everything from dolphins and sea turtles to American black bears and armadillos. Explore the wild islets on foot, by boat, and in the water—the snorkeling and diving are prime. On shore, the 15.5-mile round-trip Live Oaks Bicycle Route connects the Davis Bayou Campground to the town of Ocean Springs, where you can resupply. Boat-in backcountry camping is available on the gorgeous Perdido Key.

Missouri

Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park

In the heart of the St. Francois Mountains, is worth a visit just for its eponymous maze of rocky wells that form a veritable playground of shallow pools to dip in and rocks to scramble over��in the East Fork Black River. But there are also 150-plus miles of trails within a 20-mile radius of Johnson’s Shut-Ins, including some of Missouri’s best singletrack. A section of the Ozark Trail��connects to neighboring Taum Sauk Mountain State Park and is lined with a string of natural wonders, such as Mina Sauk Falls and the Devil’s Tollgate rock. Johnson’s Shut-Ins is one of only five state parks in Missouri that allow climbing. Check out the rare forest seeps, where water wells up from holes in the ground, as well as the dolomite glade, which is representative of the Ozarks but rare in this particular region.

Montana

Flathead National Forest

Glacier National Park is spectacular, yes, but its 3 million annual visitors aren’t as pretty. The nearby has similar high-alpine terrain and fewer people. Diverse��recreational��opportunities��are endless: run some whitewater, mountain bike, or go backpacking. To narrow down the massive tract into something more manageable, check out , a splendid 15,000-acre hiking area in the Hungry Horse Ranger District. Camp and ski in the backcountry, or bring your rods—more than 20 lakes in the immediate vicinity provide��excellent lake fishing for cutthroat trout.

Nebraska

Smith Falls State Park

Home to the Nebraska’s tallest waterfall, is a perfect adventure base camp. Sleep there and use it as a launch point for paddle trips on the 76-mile Niobrara River, a National Scenic River that wends through dramatic bluffs. Hikers can walk to the 45-foot Fort Falls within nearby Fort Niobrara Wilderness Area, as well as Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, a 19,131-acre parcel that’s home to bison, elk, prairie dogs, and other critters. Just a few more miles down the road, the 321-mile Cowboy Trail—America’s longest rail trail—takes off. Be sure to bring your gravel bike.

Nevada

Great Basin National Park

Near the Utah border lies the Silver State’s most underrated treasure: . There’s no entrance fee to this 77,000-acre park, which sits at around 10,000 feet in the high desert. Be sure to summit the state’s second-tallest mountain, 13,000-foot . You’ll have to stick to lower elevations to walk among the park’s 4,000-plus-year-old bristlecone pines and . You’ll need a guide to take you through most of the caverns, although one wild cave, Little Muddy, is open to independent cavers with permits.��With the exception of the short trail between Baker and the Great Basin Visitor Center, bikes are allowed only on roads in the park. However, you can connect to adjacent BLM and Forest Service land to bike trails that smell��of sagebrush. Backpacking is free��on the 60-plus miles of trails in this International Dark Sky Park—one of six��designations granted by the International Dark Sky Association to help��preserve��dark sites as a natural resource.

New Hampshire

Franconia Notch State Park

centers on a dramatic pass through the White Mountains, but that’s hardly its only attraction. The southeast face of Cannon Mountain has long been a hotspot for alpine and trad climbing in New England, and the park also has plenty of options for hiking and running. Walk through old-growth forest or moss-covered , a 90-foot-tall granite canyon that has narrow sections with only a 12-foot gap between its walls. Sleep��at Lafayette Campground or Lonesome Lake Hut, the latter of which looks across a glacial lake and Franconia Ridge on the other side of the pass. Did we mention there’s skiing nearby at , too?

New Jersey

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The undammed��Middle Delaware River separates the Garden State from neighboring Pennsylvania with a 1,000-foot-deep chasm��through the Appalachian Mountains. Ranging from a quarter-mile wide at river level to a mile across��from��the top of one mountain to the opposite side, to say the Delaware Water Gap is impressive would be an understatement. The surrounding 70,000-acre is��also impressive, with its��waterfalls, hemlock-filled ravines, and nearly 200 lakes and ponds. You can hike more than 100 miles of trails, 28 of which are on the AT. Bring a gravel bike for the 32-mile McDade Recreational Trail and your climbing gear for trad missions on Mount��Tammany and Mount��Minsi. Or set off on a multiday trip on the Middle Delaware River. In the winter months, a Nordic ski setup and ice-climbing gear will come in handy.

New Mexico

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

In southwestern New Mexico, is contained within the Gila Wilderness: 558,014 acres of unspoiled��mountainous terrain. The nation’s first wilderness area, Gila features more than 400 miles of trails for day hiking and backpacking. In addition to learning about the Mogollon Native American history��of the area, visitors will enjoy two hot springs within walking distance of the visitor center at the national monument. Mexican gray wolves roam the region, as do javelinas, a��medium-sized��pig-like mammal. In the surrounding Gila National Forest, you’ll find fly-fishing and free camping at Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary, one of only four International Dark Sky Association–certified sanctuaries in the world.

New York

Adirondack Park

A patchwork of public and private lands, upstate New York’s is colossal. Of the 6 million acres originally protected��in 1894—which still shape the park’s boundary—2.6 million acres known as Adirondack Forest Preserve remain firmly in the state’s hands. The remaining 3.4 million acres are privately owned but regulated by the Adirondack Park Agency to minimize the effects that these hamlets and agricultural and industrial areas might otherwise have on��the park’s natural features. Adirondack Park is deservedly famous for its wealth of hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding, whitewater rafting, lake paddling, fly-fishing, and climbing. The Adirondack Forest Preserve��contains nearly 20 different sweeps of wilderness, including Saint Regis Canoe Area, the largest wilderness canoe zone in the northeastern United States��(and the only one in New York). If you’re up for portaging, pond-hop a classic route known as the Nine Carries.

North Carolina

Cape Lookout National Seashore

On the southernmost tip of the Outer Banks, off North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, the 56-mile�� is part of a paper-thin strand of barrier islands. Comparable to the more popular to the north—albeit a bit more difficult to reach—Cape Lookout gets a fraction of Hatteras’ millions of annual visitors, even though it’s equally��beautiful. Climb 207 steps up Cape Lookout Lighthouse (equivalent to scaling a 12-story building), try your hand at crabbing or clamming, go windsurfing, or just splash around in the warm Atlantic waves. While there are only two trails, many people hike and backpack the islands in search of wild horses. (Remember to follow these .) With 112 miles of shore, Cape Lookout has also become a go-to sea kayaking destination on the mid-Atlantic coast.

North Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

South Dakota isn’t the only place ��in the United States that you’ll find badlands geology. Clocking in at well over 70,000 acres, ’s plains give way to caprocks and colorful layers of stone and bentonite clay. Roam in search of bison and elk—hikes range from ten��minutes to 12 hours—or grab a paddle and take a multiday float trip down the Little Missouri River. There are two official campgrounds, but with nearly half the park designated as wilderness, you can also camp in the backcountry amid wild roses.

Ohio

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

The Buckeye State’s sole national park, 33,000-acre , is the largest protected natural area��in Ohio. Visitors can enjoy day hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, and paddling the Cuyahoga River amid evergreen forests, sedge-dotted wetlands, and prairies. One of the park’s largest grasslands was once the site of Richfield Coliseum, a large-scale event venue that was home��to��the NBA’s��Cleveland Cavaliers; it was torn down in 1999,��and 327 acres of asphalt were replaced with native plants. The Palace on the Prairie site now attracts ochre-colored monarch butterflies and rare birds like Henslow’s sparrows.

Oklahoma

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

You’d be forgiven if you didn’t expect to find top-notch granite in the Great Plains. Welcome to the , a 59,020-acre preserve in southwestern Oklahoma. The rugged Wichita Mountains protect mixed-grass prairies and oak forests from howling winds and provide multipitch trad and sport climbing, as well as top-roping and bouldering. Hike past fauna such as bison, elk, burrowing owls, and river otters, and go fishing for largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie, and channel catfish. Keep your eyes peeled for the state reptile:��the striking turquoise Oklahoma collared lizard. has 90 sites, but if you’re looking for a little more seclusion, backcountry camping is available in the 8,570-acre Charon’s Garden Wilderness Area for just two bucks.

Oregon

Oswald West State Park

Two hours west of Portland, the 2,484-acre is not nearly as expansive as many of the parks on this list, but its wild scenery will make you feel like you’re far from society. The rugged cape epitomizes seaside Oregon’s allure: temperate rainforests filled with salmonberries and ferns populate the inland areas, while surf batters volcanic basalt and sandstone cliffs. Although this stunning park no longer allows camping, there’s plenty to keep you busy on a day trip. A good surf break,��Short Sands Beach (aka��Shorty’s)��is also��a favorite with beachgoers for its seclusion and protection from the stiff coastal breeze. Offshore, protects a variety of aquatic species. Opt for a run or hike on the nearby Oregon Coast Trail, or do an eight-mile round-trip up Neah-kah-nie Mountain, one of the state’s most prominent coastal peaks.

Pennsylvania

Ohiopyle State Park

Pennsylvania has a lot of parks, but none exhibit the same combination of size and recreational diversity as . With more than 25 miles of��mountain bike��trails in its 20,000 acres and high-quality whitewater on the Youghiogheny River (including a set of falls you can drop during a few weeks out of the year), there’s no shortage of adrenaline-inducing activities. Slip down natural water slides, view the deepest gorge in Pennsylvania from Baughman Rocks, and explore rare plants and fossils on the Ferncliff Peninsula, which has a distinctly mild and humid microclimate. Spend the night under the stars at Kentuck Campground, or hit the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, a 70-mile trail accessible year-round for backpacking.

Rhode Island

Arcadia Management Area

Rhode Island’s largest recreation area, the 14,000-acre ��proffers more than a dozen hiking trails, tons of bouldering, and 40 miles of technical singletrack for mountain bikers. It also features swimming, some of the state’s best freshwater fishing, and the Wood River, which has Class I–II whitewater suitable for both kayakers and canoeists. All tuckered out? There are walk-in campsites where you can pop up a tent away from civilization.

South Carolina

Congaree National Park

Part of the Congaree International Biosphere Reserve (a UNESCO designation granted to areas of exceptional biodiversity, natural resources, and cultural heritage), central South Carolina’s features the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Hikes through the floodplain forestland range from less than a mile, like the boardwalk loop, to more than ten miles. is accessible on foot or by paddle. Hit the Congaree River Blue Trail, a 50-mile designated recreational paddling trail that reaches downstream��all the way from Columbia.

South Dakota

Custer State Park

When in South Dakota, head for the Black Hills. ’s 71,000 acres boast more than 500 climbing routes, miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, and Sylvan Lake, a picturesque destination for swimming and paddle boarding beneath granite crags. The area is also known for its abundance of wildlife: birds, bison, and trout all flourish. You’ll find nine campgrounds as well as primitive camping in French Creek Natural Area, a sheer gorge surrounded by 2,200 acres of undeveloped pine and hardwood forestland.

Tennessee

Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park

Perched atop the eastern Cumberland Mountains in southern Tennessee, the linear follows the trail of the same name from the Cumberland Gap to Signal Point, near Chattanooga.��It encompasses more than 210 miles of trail��and adjacent lands (and it’s growing!), with access to vistas, waterfalls, and deep gorges. and are popular sections for day hiking and climbing, while backpackers can reach remote campsites along the length of the trail. The 31,500-acre Cumberland Trail Park intersects three NPS territories, including the Obed Wild and��Scenic River,��three major wildlife zones,��and six locally managed natural regions, for a combined total of more than 330,000 acres of public lands.

Texas

Big Bend National Park

doesn’t get nearly the same visitation numbers as other parks in the system, perhaps due to its out-of-the-way location on the Mexico border, hours from the nearest major city. However, the park’s main attractions are jaw-dropping.��Follow the Rio Grande back into the quiet depths of Santa Elena Canyon, and hike through fields of fragrant wildflowers while gazing up at��towering red rock formations like Mule Ears. Bring a boat to float the Rio Grande, and��toss your passport into your backpack—you can cross the international border to visit the Mexican town of Boquillas by ferry or walk across when the water level is low enough. During peak periods, escape into mountainous backcountry to backpack, or just post up at designated primitive car-camping sites, which are removed from the lion’s share of park traffic. End a long day in the Chihuahuan Desert Biosphere Reserve with a stroll down a pictograph-covered trail to take a dip at the hot springs under starry skies.

Utah

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Skip the at the darlings of Utah’s park system—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion—in lieu of . While the��Mighty 5’s rocks are more famous��(Delicate Arch, for example, or Bryce’s otherworldly spires), you’ll��see many of the same��types of formations��at GSE. Get your fill of , bridges, hoodoos, and badlands as you hike, backpack, and camp the monument’s 1 million-plus acres. Its namesake, a 200 million-year-old geological staircase, separates the park into a series of cliff plateaus and has the most extensive network of slot canyons in the country. More popular, though, is the less remote Escalante Canyons area in the east, where visitors will find slickrock and swimming holes, like the 130-foot��Lower Calf Creek Falls.

Vermont

Smugglers’ Notch State Park

Christened for a narrow, 1,000-foot-tall rift through the Green Mountains, ��feeds into the less dramatic but much larger Mount Mansfield State Forest. Its��40,000��acres have hiking—including the difficult climb up 4,400-foot Mount Mansfield, the state’s highest point—as well as bouldering, ice climbing, caving, and mountain biking.��The area is��part of the greater Mount Mansfield Natural Area, a national landmark that��features extensive alpine tundra��and arctic plant life��that’s rare in the Northeast.

Virginia

Shenandoah National Park

At 200,000 acres, dwarfs��all other parks in Virginia.��Bike the 105-mile��Skyline Drive, which traces the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains through the park.��Check out the area’s renowned and bouldering, or go fly-fishing on more than 70 streams. There are 196,000 acres of backcountry and wilderness, as well as 500-plus miles of trails leading through��oak-hickory forest. When you get tired, pitch a��tent��at one of five campgrounds or in the backcountry.

Washington

North Cascades National Park

��is��the most heavily glaciated��area in the lower 48, with more than 300 glaciers in its arsenal. Its��rugged terrain is home to elusive wildlife like lynx and wolverines, but people love it��too. Find��excellent backpacking, numerous long road-biking routes—there are even two bicycle-specific campsites:��site A3 at Newhalem Creek Campground and site 115 at Colonial Creek South—and all types of climbing, from mountaineering to bouldering and sport climbing.��Book��boat-in��or car-camping sites ��if you don’t want to��carry��everything on your back.

West Virginia

New River Gorge National River

is renowned for its whitewater, from the demanding Class III–V sections of the Lower Gorge to the canoe-friendly Class I rapids of the upper area. But the 70,000 acres of protected land adjacent to 53 miles of the New River are��also optimal for land-based sports. There are 1,400-plus climbing routes, tons of options for , almost 100 miles of hiking trails, great fishing, and primitive campsites. Keep an eye out for wildlife like raptors, southern flying squirrels, kingfishers, and great blue herons.

Wisconsin

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Comprising��12 square miles��of mainland and 21 islands, is home to 50 miles of maintained trails. In addition to striking sandstone cliffs and sandy beaches, the archipelago has rocky ��that support unique ecosystems��and��caves that ice over in winter, creating a walkable attraction when Lake Superior freezes (though access is sometimes ). View lighthouses and scenic vistas on foot or by boat, or go diving��in Lake Superior. Camping is available on 19 of the Lakeshore’s 21 islands��and at one campsite on the mainland. You might see bears, beavers, red foxes, mink, and otters.

Wyoming

Bridger Wilderness Area

While the Tetons get millions of visitors, the Wind River Range, just southeast, is a wilder gem. is truly spectacular, with more than 40 named peaks over 13,000 feet, including Gannett Peak (Wyoming’s highest) and Gannett Glacier, the largest��in the American Rockies. About 600 miles of trails crisscross the area, and while vehicles (including bikes) are not allowed in the wilderness zone, there’s plenty of room to ride in the surrounding Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Editor’s Note: We frequently update this parks guide, which was originally published on June 6, 2019.

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