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(Photo: Max Romey)
Your Window to the Wild
Sponsor Content: Toyota

America鈥檚 Most Awe-Inspiring Destinations

Follow an uncommon adventurer who creatively maps the country鈥檚 most wild and wondrous locations, traveling off-road in a 2025 Toyota 4Runner

Published:  Updated: 
Image
(Photo: Max Romey)

If you want to find your own version of wild, you might need some guidance. Following an adventurer inspired by the uncommon trail can help. Take . This Alaska-based multi-hyphenate artist, filmmaker, educator, and environmental advocate is, above all, a visual storyteller. Romey鈥檚 watercolor paintings allow him to process the world around him, seeing more in vivid surroundings than meets the eye.

国产吃瓜黑料 recently captured Romey鈥檚 exploration of the rugged high-desert landscapes south of Flagstaff, Arizona, where he traveled off-road in a 2025 Toyota 4Runner and let his creativity run wild.

(Photo: Toyota)

Each new horizon helped him shape vivid, hand-painted visions of some of the country鈥檚 most wondrous destinations. Start imagining your own journey beyond with a few of the top locations below. Then Your Window to the Wild鈥攁s well as the vehicle to get you there.

 

(Illustration: Max Romey)

Texas Wild聽

Devils River State Natural Area, Texas

Every Texan who loves the wild has Devils River on their list, but plenty never make it. That鈥檚 because it鈥檚 about as remote as Texas gets, tucked deep in the rocky hills of Val Verde County, where a spring-fed river runs cold and clear through desert canyons. The water looks tropical at first, almost Caribbean, but the landscape beside it is marked with mesquite and cactus. You won鈥檛 find crowds or cell service out here, just serious serenity and complete quietude. The dark skies alone are worth the trip.

The route: From Highway 277, turn onto Dolan Creek Road and drive 22 miles of rocky washboard gravel to the Del Norte Unit. High clearance is essential. Campsites are primitive, with no hookups or running water鈥攂ut plenty of desert and sky.

Find your wild: Wade straight from camp into the river鈥檚 cold current or explore the dry canyons that climb away from the banks. With a permit and a boat ( in Del Rio can help with shuttles and rentals), you can paddle the river, navigating travertine shelves and some mild rapids. Whatever your approach, Devils River delivers the kind of raw, unfiltered setting that just might change you.

 

(Illustration: Max Romey)

An Ancient Fog Forest

Redwood National and State Parks, California

In far Northern California, a patchwork of state and national parks protects the tallest trees on Earth. The redwoods here (painted above) can top 350 feet and live for more than 2,000 years. They trap the fog and turn sunlight into mist, forming a kind of arboreal cathedral. It may feel like you鈥檝e wandered into ancient surroundings steeped in the forgotten past. After all, some of the trees here are older than written English.

The route: Drive Highway 101, then detour onto Newton B. Take Drury Scenic Parkway for the cinematic version or Howland Hill Road near Crescent City for a tighter, wilder ride. Davison Road (gravel with shallow creek fords) takes you out to Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon.

Find your wild: Walk the narrow gorge of Fern Canyon, where 50-foot walls drip with greenery. Kayak the Smith River, California鈥檚 last major undammed waterway, or just pull over, step into the trees, and lose yourself in the mystery.

 

Florida wild
(Illustration: Max Romey)

Wild Florida聽

Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

Big Cypress sits next to the Everglades but sees a fraction of the traffic. Water moves slowly. Gators glide in the shallows. Egrets laze. The air smells like damp pine or a recent thunderstorm. You鈥檒l find cypress domes and sawgrass prairies stretching to the horizon, tangled mangrove tunnels, and skies so wide they swallow the road ahead. This prehistoric swamp will enchant you even before the mind-melting sunset begins.

The route: Loop Road runs 24 miles along the preserve鈥檚 southern edge. It鈥檚 partly gravel and often pitted with potholes. For more remote access, drive the Turner River/Wagonwheel/Birdon Loop through the interior. During the rainy season, expect standing water, soft shoulders, and muddy pullouts. High clearance is a smart call.

Find your wild: If you have all day, paddle the Turner River through twisting mangroves and open glades, or go thigh-deep on a ranger-led swamp walk among orchids, air plants, and cypress knees. You might spot a gator鈥攐r ten.

 


A wild world awaits. With its awe-inspiring capabilities and incredible versatility, the is the ultimate tool for powering through, crawling over and diving into your world of adventure. Discover 鈥榊our Window to the Wild.鈥

Lead Photo: Max Romey

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