First it was the moon, then it was cloudy, then it rained. I鈥檇 been waiting five days for the Oregon skies to light up. Then around 10:30 on a cold April night, the clouds lifted, and the constellations swung into view. Auriga was already rising in the west, with its brightest star, Capella, gleaming against the black. Leo was directly above me in one direction, the Big Dipper in the other. To the east hung the bright orange star Arcturus. UPDATE HERE听

My daughter and I were in Lake County, Oregon, a region that is savage but lovely, with sagebrush, juniper, and bunch grasses, and several fish and wildlife areas. There are hot springs, 300 species of birds鈥攁nd world-class dark skies.

Lake County is the westernmost of Oregon’s three southeastern counties. The entire parcel of real estate is called the Oregon Outback, or its 鈥渆mpty quarter鈥� because of the sparse population, vast ranges, and high deserts. When we arrived in the area for several days last month, snow still covered the ground down to about 3,000 feet, so high-altitude hiking was out. Instead, we settled for a scramble in an up-to 70-foot-deep ravine aptly named near Christmas Valley, in the northern part of the county. Nighttimes we looked at the skies鈥攐r tried to.

If a group of avid astronomers have their way, the combined 11.4 million acres (17,187 square miles) in these counties will become a , a designation for visual quality and remoteness. Pending approval by the Tucson-based nonprofit International Dark Sky Association (IDSA), the area would become the largest officially recognized stargazing sanctuary in the world.

鈥淲hat we are doing is preserving the best [dark skies] left in the lower 48,鈥� said Bob Hackett, executive director of Travel Southern Oregon. The group has submitted a 160-page application to the IDSA for this tract in Oregon to join 17 other locations around the world as official sanctuaries, but many local, state, and federal agencies must sign on first.

Thanks to the social distancing of recent years, stargazing has exploded in popularity even though as much as 80 percent of all Americans have never seen a star-filled sky, according to astronomy.com.

鈥淲e are passionate about this,鈥� said Bill Kowalik, a retired geologist who chairs the IDSA鈥檚 Oregon chapter. 鈥漈he first time you see the Milky Way, you don鈥檛 forget it.鈥�

Stargazing is best when there鈥檚 a new moon or during meteor showers, such as the Perseids, a prolific annual display associated with the comet Swift鈥揟uttle, which appears to originate from the constellation Perseus. This year the Perseids should be best seen from July 17 to August 24, peaking around August 13. Another prominent shower, the Delta Aquarids, whose point of origin or radiant is the constellation Aquarius, will peak around July 29 to 30. Together, the two displays should be a good show.

The state鈥檚 darkest-sky site, Kowalik said, is in the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge just outside of Lakeview, a town near the California state line. Southern Oregon is smack in the middle of the upcoming annular solar eclipse on October 14. Be aware: savvy travelers are already snapping up lodgings from Crater Lake National Park to the town of Burns, in the Oregon Outback.

Here are nine other great places to see thousands of stars, planets, star clusters, meteors, man-made satellites, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Milky Way.

1. Dark Sky Reserve, Central Idaho

滨诲补丑辞鈥檚 lies north of the Sun Valley Resort in Ketchum, in the south-central part of the state, a region where you can also hike, fish, go kayaking and paddleboarding, and view waterfalls. From Ketchum, drive up Idaho state Route 75 through the Wood River Valley. (Fees at the multiple campgrounds in the area range from $18-$24 per night; look for a list). A few miles up the road is the Sawtooth National Recreation Area visitor center, which has bathrooms open 24 hours to accommodate stargazers. About 23 miles further is Galena Lodge, with a hippie vibe and a restaurant with backcountry yurts ($125-$165). Just after that you鈥檒l find the Bethine and Frank Church Lookout at 8,700 feet, the most accessible viewing platform in the Reserve.

Stargazing has gotten so popular in those parts that Boise State University, with the help of a $1 million grant from NASA, has an astronomer-in-residence program. This summer, two astronomers will do lectures and stage star parties and meteor-watching gigs in Ketchum and Stanley, a small town 30 miles to the north of the overlook. , a rustic hotel near Stanley with stellar sky views, will host several activities.

2. Great Basin National Park, East-Central Nevada

One of the most remote national parks, this one offers hiking and backpacking trails, caves and wildlife viewing, and a whole lot of stars to see. High elevation, low humidity, and a desert climate that fosters clear skies all contribute to a marvelous show. Designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2016, it hosts an Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights from Memorial Day to Labor Day and an annual astronomy festival (September 14 to 16 this year). There鈥檚 even a run by the Nevada Northern Railway from Ely, 60 miles to the west, to take city dwellers out into the high steppe to look at stars under the guidance of national park rangers.

Campsites are scattered about the national park; my favorite was at Upper Lehman Campground, 7,500 feet elevation, with a nearby creek and tons of aspens. nearby cost $20 per night. Restaurant and lodging options are scarce in the nearby hamlet of Baker; to go the motel route, reserve space at the tiny months in advance. Rooms there average $97 a night; RV spaces are $35.

3. Cape Lookout National Seashore, Eastern North Carolina

This seashore has three barrier islands鈥擭orth Core Banks, South Core Banks, and Shackleford Banks鈥攚ith minimal light pollution. Access is by ferry. There are wild horses to see, birding, a lighthouse to ascend (207 steps), swimming (but no lifeguards) and fishing, and a visitor center on Harker鈥檚 Island, where the Crystal Coast Stargazers has public events. This is the only IDSA-certified site on the Eastern seaboard. Primitive is allowed on all three of the islands from March-November, but a $50 beach driving permit is required if you wish to park nearby. on South Core Banks rent for $100-$150/night. Think very rustic; and also that what you take in, you must take out, as there鈥檚 no trash pick-up there.

4. Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, Southwestern Texas

This massive piece of real estate encompasses 15,000 square miles of wilderness, a haven for hiking and backpacking, in western Texas and northern Mexico. Within the Reserve are several locations that offer telescopes and guided stargazing programs. The , which is 190 miles east of El Paso in Fort Davis, has star parties Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday nights, and special viewing nights.

In the tiny town of Marathon in south Texas are two observatory-grade reflector telescopes in an observatory 150 feet behind the (room rates range from $100-$150). Weather permitting, there are nightly. This middle-of-nowhere motel has become a big draw for astrophotographers. Closer to the Texas side of the Reserve are , at $14/night, and the ($170-$210/night) plus at $42/night.

5. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Northeastern Minnesota

This million-acre wilderness west of Duluth was designated a Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020. The spot is known for , often lasting several days, in the Superior National Forest for families and specialty groups, and for great hiking, trail running, and fishing. For stargazing, winter is actually a good time to visit, as there are more hours of darkness, fewer bugs, and the opportunity to dogsled. In warmer months, try the , which is free. , at the entry point for the wilderness, costs $20-$24.

6. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, North-Central Maine

Located in north-central Maine, the 87,564-acre Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument has some of the darkest skies east of the Mississippi. Biking, hiking, climbing, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing as well as stargazing take place here under the watchful eye of Mount Katahdin, at 5,262 feet the highest peak in the state.

As one of the newer national monuments, this one is sparse in amenities and has little signage. There is an annual night every September. Fees are $8/night at the near Stacyville, Maine.

7. Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge, Northwest Montana

One of the newest Dark Sky Sanctuaries (named last October) is this refuge with 9,225 acres, known for wildlife viewing and as a foraging and nesting habitat for migratory birds as well as its hiking trails. The sparsely populated state has a number of and a second Dark Sky Sanctuary at Medicine Rocks State Park, in Ekalaka, eastern Montana. The refuge offers camping within its boundaries. Try the nearby at $20/night. at the second sanctuary range from $4-$34.

8. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Western Colorado

This striking 2,000-foot gorge near the town of Montrose, parts of which only receive 33 minutes of sun each day, has excellent star viewing. The main activity is trout fishing and hiking, although the routes are strenuous to the point where to hike the primitive trails and scrambles. Above the floor are multipitch technical rock climbs requiring extensive experience to negotiate. Visitors peering down from the rims can also see the gorge鈥檚 steep spires, hence its nickname as a 鈥渧ertical wilderness.鈥� There is near both rims at $16/night, and a local group of astronomers stages an annual Astro Fest at the park each September.

9. Watoga State Park, Calvin Price State Forest, and Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, Eastern West Virginia

This patch of real estate in east-central West Virginia forms a combined 19,859 acres. Although barely a five-hour drive from the Washington D.C. suburbs, the area is enveloped in enough national forest land to allow extra-clear skies, along with lots of hiking and mountain biking trails, swimming and fishing. Lodging options include in Marlinton, where cabins start at $127/night, and two campgrounds: Beaver Creek and Riverside, starting at $50/night.

Plus: Where to Stay in the Oregon Outback

Places include: , a lovely spot 25 miles southeast of Burns with RV spaces ($40), tent sites ($35), teepees ($145), rooms and cabins ($99-$185), and the Bullgate campground ($10) in the in Summer Lake, a tiny community at 4,150 feet elevation, encircled by the 3,000-foot escarpment of Winter Ridge. About 20 miles down the road, has RV sites ($25/night), cabins ($130-$230), and a five-acre dry camping field ($25/night). If you ascend further to the antelope refuge at 6,188 feet, try the free in Plush. We stayed at the ($75-$165), overlooking our own private pond, and watched the skies with our eyes only, no telescope.

Tips on Smart Stargazing

It鈥檚 easy to get turned around in the dark. (In March a woman in Death Valley National Park spent the night outside and was found by rangers at daybreak after she left her group to fetch something from the parking lot.) Be careful out there.

-Stay with your group.

-Bring a flashlight or headlamp with red light and extra batteries. Red light helps you navigate while preserving your night vision.

-Bring warm clothes.

-A mapping app like will trace your route out to a viewpoint so you can return the same way and not worry about losing the trail or overshooting your vehicle.

-Trekking poles are a great idea for stability when hiking in the dark.

-Let someone know where you are going and an estimated return time.

See also our list of top stargazing apps here.

Note that to your smartphone, using the settings in your iPhone or, for Androids, via the Twilight app.

Julia Duin lives in the Seattle area, and thinks her state of Washington has some of the best wilderness areas in the lower 48. She only began serious hiking in her 40s, when she took a job in Washington, D.C, and discovered the amazing trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway. She has skied since she was a teenager, and her proudest outdoor accomplishment is an 800-mile bike ride from the D.C. area to Lexington, Kentucky.

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Nevada is full of new and unexpected experiences at every turn. To fully embrace the adventures and quirks of southwest Nevada, photographer Paulina Dao hit the road with her cousin, Jessica Phung. Together, they traveled the Extraterrestrial Highway, in search of the state’s most out-of-this-world attractions.

Read more in 10 Ways to Get (Way) Out There in Nevada.

奥别鈥檙别听鈥攜our official resource for exploring the Silver State鈥檚 sometimes surprising, always exciting towns, cities, and public lands. With travel tips and inspiration straight from the heart of Nevada, we鈥檝e got you covered. All you need to do is get a little out there.

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Who needs a conventional vacation when you can have adventure with a side of quirky? Like a-forest-of-cars-turned-into-art kind of curious? For that, you have to visit Nevada. The Silver State welcomes the bizarre, celebrates the off-kilter, and nurtures the outrageous鈥攆rom the sea-level sand beaches of the Colorado River to the towering peaks of Great Basin National Park. And all of it is happily served with some of the wildest adventures in the country. Here are ten ways to get a little out there in Nevada.

The Extraterrestrial Highway

With the U.S. government officially investigating unexplained sightings, the world has gone crazy for UFOs. Nevada? It鈥檚 been ground zero for the phenomenon for decades. Driving Nevada State Route 375 puts you in the heart of the mystery, passing as close as allowed to the Nevada National Security Site and the top-secret military base Area 51. You鈥檒l also have the chance to snack on alien-themed jerky, take photos with out-of-this-world murals, and grab a burger at the UFO-themed Little A鈥橪e鈥橧nn. Just leave time to shop for souvenirs at the Alien Research Center, where a two-story silver alien welcomes you at the front door. The truth is right here.

Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary

Nothing gets the imagination going like a sky painted with stars. Is there life beyond our planet? Was that a meteor cruising across the sky鈥攐r something else? Nevada is home to some of the darkest skies in the lower 48, particularly at the Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary. In fact, this remote area located 150 miles north of Reno is so dark that it鈥檚 been designated one of the darkest places on Earth by . The rim is a 1,200-foot-tall escarpment that rises dramatically above a broad valley, giving you the perfect perch for spotting the show. Bring a telescope, or just your naked eye, and you鈥檒l be able to see constellations like Orion鈥檚 Belt and gasp at the Milky Way, which on clear nights looks like an angel spilled fairy dust across the sky. There鈥檚 no bad time to see the stars, but for a real spectacle, show up on a moonless night in July or August when the Perseid meteor shower is at its most active. Camping? This is an extremely remote area with no services; BYO everything, and be prepared to be self-sufficient.

Out There in Nevada

So many people think that Nevada is just the Strip and then a vast expanse of nothingness. They couldn鈥檛 be more wrong. Nevada is filled with hidden gems if you dare to explore. 鈥�, photographer and adventurer

International Car Forest of the Last Church

Have you ever looked across a desert expanse and thought, 鈥淵ou know what this field needs? A bunch of junk cars sticking out of the ground.鈥� Not likely. But that鈥檚 the inspiration that struck local artist Mark Rippie, who broke the Guinness world record for the largest car forest鈥攁 title he still holds. Located outside Goldfield, the International Car Forest of the Last Church boasts more than 40 cars, trucks, and buses sticking out of the ground. Walking through the car forest is a surreal stroll through the desert on a dusty path, which features sprouted vehicles fantastically decorated by artists from around the world. After exploring the art, take a stroll through Goldfield, a living ghost town (population around 250), which in the early 1900s was Nevada鈥檚 largest and richest city (population around 20,000).

Jarbidge

One of Nevada鈥檚 quirkiest charms? The remote outposts where modern pioneers are putting old mining towns back on the map. To experience one of the best, make the trek to Jarbidge, considered the most remote town in the lower 48, with a permanent population in the low double digits and no paved roads within 20 miles. Located at the bottom of a canyon, the historic town is the site of the last gold rush in America鈥攁nd the last stage-coach robbery. Grab a drink in one (or both!) of the town鈥檚 two historic saloons. The Red Dog Saloon still sports the original bar top, while the Outdoor Inn has a full menu, as well as ten rooms and occasional musical performances on the front porch. You鈥檒l also find working craftsmen like glassblowers and woodworkers operating studios on Main Street. Bonus: Jarbidge Wilderness Area is nearby and boasts 150 miles of hiking trails that traverse wildflower meadows and 11,000-foot peaks.

The Clown Motel

Clowns. They鈥檙e either a source of joy or the cause of great anxiety, depending on your perspective. Either way, you can lean into the wacky world of these colorful entertainers in Tonopah at the Clown Motel, which the owners call 鈥淎merica鈥檚 scariest motel.鈥� Each room is decorated in wild circus colors, while the themed rooms go a bit further with decor evoking classic horror films like The Exorcist, IT, and Friday the 13th. It鈥檚 not all scares, though: There鈥檚 also a collection of more than 5,000 different clowns.

Great Basin National Park

Here鈥檚 something really unusual: a gorgeous national park with near-zero crowds. While many national parks are busier than ever, Great Basin National Park, in eastern Nevada鈥檚 high desert, is one of the least visited units in the entire system. The 77,180-acre playground is packed with unusual finds, like the state鈥檚 only glacier, some of the oldest trees in the world, and an expansive cave system where scientists are still discovering new species of life.

Amargosa Big Dune Recreation Area

Nature puts on its own strange show in southwestern Nevada, where the sand sings to you. This rare phenomenon鈥攚hich happens at only a few dozen places around the world鈥攐ccurs when strong winds cause the sand to shift, creating a high-pitch singing sound. Amargosa Big Dune Recreation Area encompasses five square miles of shifting sand dunes, some of which are 500 feet tall. Located along the , Amargosa serves up the closest dunes to Las Vegas and is a popular destination for off-road enthusiasts, but it鈥檚 worth showing up just for the sweet song of mother nature.

Gold Butte National Monument

A trip here is about as close to time travel as most of us will get. At the 300,000-acre Gold Butte National Monument, petroglyphs transport visitors back 12,000 years to when Indigenous cultures created the area鈥檚 many paintings and carvings. And the rock art is just part of the attraction at Gold Butte, as the landscape is an otherworldly, Mars-like collection of red and tan sandstone outcroppings rising from the desert floor. Head to Little Finland, an area within the monument that boasts multiple panels of these pictures into the past, as well as surreal, goblin-shaped rock formations.

Guru Road and Black Rock Desert

The Black Rock Desert is totally unique: a 800,000鈥揳cre expanse of dry lake beds, hot springs, and canyons. Skirting it, the mile-long Guru Road accesses a series of open-air art exhibitions, from inspirational sayings painted onto stone to a larger-than-life tribute to Aphrodite. All of the art was created by artist DeWayne 鈥淒oobie鈥� Williams, who found a creative way to stay busy during retirement. Wander this eclectic road and you鈥檒l find stone tablets etched with aphorisms, a tribute to Elvis, and maybe strangest of all, the Desert Broadcasting System, which includes several TV frames, each offering panoramic views of the desert. After touring the artscape, explore the landscape. Off-road travel is popular in the adjacent Black Rock Desert, as is soaking in hot water. Head to for a hot tub with a desert view.

Big Bend of the Colorado

A sandy swimming beach in the middle of the desert? Yeah, that鈥檚 a surprise. It鈥檚 also beautiful. And oh-so refreshing on a hot day. Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area protects two miles of sandy beach along the Colorado River where the water is Caribbean clear. Before you take a dip, make a detour into the nearby resort town of Laughlin to take a contemplative stroll through the famous Laughlin Labyrinths.

奥别鈥檙别 鈥攜our official resource for exploring the Silver State鈥檚 sometimes surprising, always exciting towns, cities, and public lands. With travel tips and inspiration straight from the heart of Nevada, we鈥檝e got you covered. All you need to do is get a little out there.

The post 10 Ways to Get (Way) Out There in Nevada appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The only thing more important than enjoying the off-roader鈥檚 paradise that makes up the Longdale Trail System? Putting in the work to maintain the 45,000-acre space just outside of Las Vegas. Madi Carson links up with Vegas Valley 4 Wheelers to rally the new 2025 Toyota 4Runner and discover what goes into preserving this epic trail system.

For generations, Toyota has built durable legends destined for greatness. Whether you鈥檙e conquering off-road trails, hauling heavy loads, or seeking the versatility of an SUV, there鈥檚 听that鈥檚 just right for you.

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No adventure compares to driving across the United States. I鈥檒l never forget my first coast-to-coast drive. It was two friends and me, post college, in a beat-up Subaru loaded with everything I owned. We took the long way home, starting in the farmlands of Vermont and making out-of-the-way pitstops for hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains听of Tennessee, dining at legendary barbecue spots across Mississippi, and listening to live music in New Orleans. We drove west, climbed the highest peak in Texas, ate green chile in New Mexico, and stared into the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Most nights, we slept in a tent and dreamed of where the next day would take us. When we finally crossed the California state line toward our final destination, I remember feeling like I wanted to stay on the road forever.

The cross-country road trip is an American rite, a true pilgrimage where you can plan only so much; the rest will unfold wherever the road goes. These three epic journeys have starting and ending points, as well as some spots that may be worth pulling over for along the way, but what you make of the trip鈥攁nd what you ultimately take away from it鈥攊s up to you.

We鈥檝e picked three routes on major highways that cross the country (for a Southwest specific guide, explore our seven best road trips of that region), but along the way, we鈥檝e provided suggestions for detours and byways that get you off the beaten path and out of your car to stretch your legs, experience local culture, and see the sights you鈥檒l be talking about all the way to your next stop. You鈥檒l pull over for things like meteor craters, giant art installations, and donuts. With visits to roadside national monuments, waterfalls, and hot springs鈥攁nd with stays at unique hotels, campsites, and cabins along the way, these road trips aren鈥檛 just a long drive, they鈥檙e an incredible adventure waiting to happen.

The Music Lover鈥檚 Journey: Boston, Massachusetts, to Seattle, Washington

Route: Interstate 90

Distance: 3,051 miles

This northern route across the U.S. follows Interstate 90 from east to west, passing by major cities like Cleveland, Chicago, and Minneapolis. But you鈥檒l also touch on some of the country鈥檚 coolest wild spaces, like the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Inspire your road trip playlist by checking out the outdoor music venues and festivals throughout this route.

Pitstop: The Berkshires, Massachusetts

Hop on Interstate 90 in Boston and point it west. Your first stop is the Berkshires, a mountainous region filled with charming small towns 120 miles west of Boston. Go for a hike in , then pick up a tangleberry pie or farm-fresh apples from market in Great Barrington. In Stockbridge, the is worth a stop to learn more about American painter Norman Rockwell, who lived in the area, or check the performance calendar at , home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for major touring acts in this pastoral outdoor music venue. It鈥檚 worth the 30-mile detour off the highway to North Adams to post up for a night or two at (from $194), a revamped motor lodge that hosts guided hikes, live music, and pop-up dinners.

Must See: Niagara Falls, New York

Peel off the highway in Buffalo, New York, for a visit to , America鈥檚 oldest state park and home to its three namesake waterfalls. Grab a yellow poncho and a ticket ($14) to view the falls from below at the observation decks.

Pitstop: Saint Charles, Iowa

Take a detour to visit Saint Charles, Iowa, home to the four-day held each August on a 350-acre plot of grassland. This year鈥檚 headliners include Tyler, the Creator, Kacey Musgraves, and Lana Del Ray. You can camp on site during the festival and hop a free shuttle into nearby Des Moines. If you can鈥檛 make the show, Des Moines still delivers, with 800 miles of trails to explore on foot or bike, including the paved 25-mile , a converted rail-trail with an iconic bridge that鈥檚 lit up at night over the Des Moines River valley. rents bikes.

Pitstop: Black Hills, South Dakota

There鈥檚 tons to see in the Black Hills of South Dakota, including famous highlights like and , as well as lesser known gems like the third longest caves in the world at or the annual buffalo roundup each September in . Grab donuts for the road from , a famed roadside attraction. Stay in a canvas tent among ponderosa pines at (from $179), outside the town of Keystone.

Stretch Your Legs: Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming

It鈥檚 not far off I-90 to reach , a geologic monolith with deep roots to indigenous cultures in the northern plains and the country鈥檚 first national monument. Parking and trails can be crowded here, so skip the main lot and hike the 1.5-mile instead鈥攊t鈥檚 less busy and still has good views of the tower.

Pitstop: Bozeman, Montana

Post up at the (from $189) in downtown Bozeman, which has on the property. Stroll Main Street, then take a walk up through Burke Park, a few blocks away, for a nice view of town. It鈥檚 about an hour and 20 minutes drive to reach the north entrance to , known for its geysers and 2.2 million acres of wilderness. If you鈥檙e on the road for music, the in nearby Big Sky takes place in early August.

Pitstop: Coeur d鈥橝lene, Idaho

Home to Lake Coeur d鈥橝lene as well as dozens of smaller lakes, you鈥檒l want to stop in Coeur d鈥橝lene, Idaho, for a swim or a paddle. rents kayaks and paddleboards. on the southern end of Lake Pend Oreille has cabins and campsites (from $48), a , and access to 45 miles of trails for biking and hiking.

Must See: The Gorge Amphitheater, Washington听

Music听breaks up the drive, and there鈥檚 no better place to see live music outdoors in this part of the country than the in Quincy, Washington. There鈥檚 on-site camping during shows and an upcoming lineup that includes Billy Strings and Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Stretch Your Legs: Snoqualmie Pass, Washington

Hike to stunning alpine lakes on Snoqualmie Pass, just an hour outside of Seattle on I-90. You鈥檒l need a $5 to access most of the hikes in this area. The 2-mile follows the Snoqualmie River to a 70-foot waterfall. For a more stout climb, the 8.5-mile roundtrip hike to in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a real gem.

Final Stop: Seattle, Washington

Celebrate the end of an epic journey by watching the sunset over the Olympic Mountains and dipping your toes into Puget Sound from Seattle鈥檚 . Stay in the heart of downtown at the (from $189) and you can browse fresh produce and maker鈥檚 stalls outside your door. The 10-mile paved sits right along the waterfront. Want more live music to cap off your trip? The is downtown Seattle鈥檚 coolest music venue.

The Best National Parks Road Trip: San Francisco, California, to Washington, D.C.

Route: Interstate 80 and Interstate 70

Distance: 2,915 miles

Travel across the heartland of the U.S. on this iconic route along I-80 and I-70, passing through stunning western mountain ranges like California鈥檚 Sierra Nevada, Nevada鈥檚 Ruby Mountains, Utah鈥檚 Wasatch, and Colorado鈥檚 Rockies. You鈥檒l visit the great national parks across southern Utah听and hit cities like Denver, Colorado; Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, and Columbus, Ohio, before landing in the country鈥檚 capital.

Pitstop: Lake Tahoe, California

Depart San Francisco on Interstate 80 heading east, leaving the shores of the Pacific Ocean to begin a steady climb toward the mountains of the Sierra Nevada range.听, in the roadside town of Auburn, has good burgers and homemade pies for the road. Lake Tahoe is your first stop, a short but worthy departure from the highway. Stay at the new听 (from $138), which opens in March, and you鈥檒l be steps from the lake. Rent bikes at听 to pedal the world-class singletrack along the听 or grab a paddleboard from听. Don鈥檛 miss dinner at the newly opened, featuring eclectic dishes and locally-sourced ingredients.

Pitstop: Ruby Mountains, Nevada

听There鈥檚 not much on Interstate 80 as you cross Nevada between Reno and Salt Lake City鈥攅xcept for the Ruby Mountains, which spike straight up from the desert floor of the Great Basin. In the winter,听 offers heli-ski access to 200,000 acres of rugged terrain. In the summer, there鈥檚听. Stay at Ruby Mountain Heli鈥檚听 or one of their two mountainside yurts (from $190).

Must See: Great Basin National Park, Nevada

For a national park detour, consider visiting听, which has one of the darkest skies in the world for stargazing. Near the entrance to the park, the听 make for a great overnight stop and snack resupply station.

Pitstop: Moab, Utah

In Salt Lake City, you鈥檒l say goodbye to Interstate 80 and head south to meet up with Interstate 70, but not before spending time to explore the Mighty Five national parks that made southern Utah famous: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. You could spend weeks here鈥攐r just a couple of days. Be sure to book a self-guided or ranger-led hike in the slot canyons of the in Arches National Park and get a permit to hike the exposed rocky cliffside of in Zion National Park. (from $129) makes for a great base camp, or there鈥檚 .

Stretch Your Legs: Glenwood Canyon, Colorado

Get back on I-70 and make your way into Colorado, where scenic Glenwood Canyon makes for a stunning drive along the Colorado River. The paved parallels the highway for over 16 miles, making for an easy biking or running destination. Afterward, stay for a soak in the . A new 16-suite boutique hotel called Hotel 1888 is opening near the hot springs this summer.

Pitstop: Breckenridge, Colorado

Spend the night at (from $320), which opened in early 2025 at the base of Peak 9 at, home to skiing and snowboarding in the winter and biking and hiking come summer. Stroll the charming Main Street of downtown Breck and don鈥檛 miss a visit to the , a 15-foot-tall wooden art installation now located on the town鈥檚 Trollstigen Trail.

Must See: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

It鈥檚 not exactly on the way, but this adventure clearly detours for national parks, so make the trek north to Rocky Mountain National Park, a quiet, snowy paradise in the winter and a fishing and backpacking mecca in the warmer months. The short hikes to and are popular among families. For experienced mountain travelers, Longs Peak is the park鈥檚 most famous 14er鈥� leads guided treks to the peak. Stay overnight in Denver before you head into the plains: (from $189), the country鈥檚 first carbon positive hotel, opened in Denver鈥檚 Civic Center Park late last year.

Stretch Your Legs: Monument Rocks, Kansas

There鈥檚 a on an 80-foot easel鈥攐ne of three in the world鈥攙isible from the highway in the town of Goodland, Kansas. Then, pull over for 50-foot-high fossil rock outcroppings and limestone spires on the Kansas prairie at , which is on private land that鈥檚 open to the public south of Oakley, Kansas, right off I-70. 国产吃瓜黑料 of Topeka, you can visit the , a former school site that commemorates the historic end of racial segregation in public schools.

Pitstop: St. Louis, Missouri

Next stop on your national park tour? The of St. Louis. You can ride a tram 630 feet to the top of the arch, walk the palatial grounds beneath the architectural wonder, or admire the arch from a riverboat cruise along the Mississippi River. The (from $149) is housed in a historic shoe company building and has a rooftop pool and restaurant overlooking the city. is a public market with a food hall, retail shops, and live music, and don鈥檛 miss brunch amid a plant nursery at the city鈥檚 .

Pitstop: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio听

Ohio has but one national park and it鈥檚 worth the detour to visit: has paddling along the Cuyahoga River, 20 miles of multi-use pathways along the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, and 125 miles of hiking trails through woodlands and wetlands. There鈥檚 no camping within the national park but has tent camping (from $40) nearby or the (from $200) is within the park and on the National Register of Historic Homes.

Final Stop: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Maryland

End your national parks tour of the U.S. with a visit to the . The C&O Canal follows the Potomac River for 184 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Washington, D.C. It makes for a great walk or bike ride. Pitch a tent at one of the free hiker or biker campsites or pull your car up to one of a handful of drive-in sites (from $10). Or you can stay in a (from $175) along the canal.

The History Buff鈥檚 Tour of the U.S.: Los Angeles, California, to Charlottesville, Virginia

Route: Interstate 40

Distance: 2,696 miles

This pilgrimage sticks to one highway only for most of the way: Interstate 40, which starts in the Mojave Desert of California and crosses the southern portion of the U.S., over the Rocky Mountains and through the Great Plains and the Appalachian Mountains. It traverses Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Much of the western route parallels the historic U.S. Route 66, so it feels like a throwback to another era, a perfect journey for those who love learning about our nation鈥檚 past.

Pitstop: Mojave National Preserve, California

听You can watch a drive-in movie, visit a ghost town, or hike through lava tubes in . You can鈥檛 miss a visit to , an hour away, for stellar stargazing, rock climbing, and 300 miles of hiking trails. Stay in an adobe bungalow at the centrally located (from $195), which has an on-site farm, restaurant, and picnic lunches to go.

Stretch Your Legs: Lake Havasu, Arizona

will deliver you a kayak or paddleboard to explore the waters of the , once a major tributary on the lower Colorado River and one of the last ecologically functioning river habitats in the southwest.

Pitstop: Flagstaff, Arizona

Post up at the (from $109) in Flagstaff, Arizona, and then go explore the sights around Flagstaff, including , an hour and a half north. The 3-mile , along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, makes for a mellow stroll. The on Route 66 in Flagstaff used to be a historic taxidermy shop and is now a popular bar for country music and line dancing.

Must See: Meteor Crater National Landmark

Yep, you鈥檙e pulling off the highway to see this: The most preserved meteorite impact site on earth is right off I-40 near Winslow, Arizona. For a $29 admission at the , you can sign up for a guided hike of the crater鈥檚 rim.

Stretch Your Legs: Continental Divide Trail; Grants, New Mexico

听You鈥檙e passing from one side of the Continental Divide to the other: Might as well get out of the car and go for a trail run or hike along the Continental Divide Trail, which crosses Interstate 40 near the town of Grants, New Mexico.

Pitstop: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Take a detour off I-40 in Albuquerque to spend a night or two in Santa Fe, the highest elevation capital city in the U.S., which sits at 7,000 feet in the high desert. Splurge on a night at (from $645), a full-service retreat in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos. For art and history buffs, the and the are well worth a visit.

Must See: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas

You鈥檝e already seen the actual Grand Canyon, so now it鈥檚 time to see the Grand Canyon of Texas, in , 25 miles outside of Amarillo. The park has camping and cabins, an 800-foot-deep canyon, mountain bike trails, and an outdoor stage where actors perform a Texas musical.

Pitstop: Hot Springs, Arkansas

You鈥檒l come to Hot Springs for the historic bathhouses and modern-day spa resorts. At , you can soak in one of two original bathhouses. Want to learn about some of the country鈥檚 most infamous criminals? , in downtown Hot Springs, has exhibits on Al Capone and Owen Madden. The (from $169) is housed in a centrally located historic building. Don鈥檛 miss: is the only brewery in the world that uses thermal spring water for its beers.

Must See: Crater of Diamonds State Park, Arkansas

If you鈥檙e into geologic history, add a visit to Arkansas鈥� , where you can dig for minerals and gems in a 37-acre field on an eroded volcanic crater. (And yes, notable diamonds have been discovered here.)

Pitstop: Nashville, Tennessee

From the music scene to the foodie paradise, you might never want to leave Nashville. Stay in one of eight suites in a 19th century mansion at (from $306), where wood-fired pizzas are served in the backyard. The currently has exhibits on Luke Combs and Rosanne Cash. Go for a walk or run in or take a guided bike tour of the city鈥檚 murals and street art with .

Pitstop: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, you can hike to waterfalls like Mouse Creek Falls or Mingo Falls, fish for brook trout, or bike the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road, which is closed to cars on Wednesdays from May through September. The coolest place in the park to sleep? The (from $189), located atop Mount Le Conte and accessible only via foot. Open from March through November, the lodge requires at least a five-mile hike to reach. Bookings for this year are mostly snatched up already, but you can get on the waitlist or plan ahead for next year.

Final Stop: Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Your trip finale comes in the form of ditching Interstate 40 in exchange for a meandering drive along the , a 469-mile stretch through the Appalachian Mountains and one of the most scenic roadways in America. You鈥檒l stop to see Whitewater Falls, the east coast鈥檚 tallest waterfall at 411 feet, and the rugged Linville Gorge Wilderness. Stay nearby at (from $175), which opened in the mountain town of Highlands in 2024 with a supper club and Nordic spa. They鈥檒l also book you outdoor excursions, ranging from rock climbing to fly fishing.

Megan Michelson is an 国产吃瓜黑料 contributing editor who loves long drives, even when her two children are whining in the backseat. She has recently written about Airbnb treehouses, the most beautiful long walks in the world, and the 10 vacations that will help you live longer.听

The post Three Epic Cross-Country Road Trips to Start Planning Now appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The Southwest always seems to me like a bit of a fever dream. The country鈥檚 deepest canyons, wildest buttes, and broadest deserts spread here from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, offering a landscape so unlike any other in the country, you might think you鈥檝e left earth altogether. It is a hot, inhospitable territory that demands respect, but it is also outrageously beautiful, with rock outcroppings that seem painted in shades of red and white, blooming cacti, and shifting dunes that undulate like waves onto the horizon.

The easiest and most efficient way to explore the Southwest is by car, bouncing from one breathtaking adventure to the next, so I鈥檝e created seven different road-trip itineraries, one in each state of this stunning slice of our nation. I鈥檝e driven the majority of these routes, while the remaining few are on my list of dream adventures. And each of these has something for everyone鈥攂eaches, sand dunes, cliffs, rivers, hikes, bike rides, fishing holes, and more.

Set your playlist, and pack the sunscreen. Here are the seven best road trips in the Southwest.

1. Nevada

Las Vegas to the Valley of Fire

Distance: 175 Miles
Duration: 3 days

The obvious, and most common, road trip from Vegas would be to beeline straight for the Grand Canyon, but you do not want to overlook the suite of public lands that rings Sin City. The fun begins just 20 miles west of downtown Las Vegas at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, a 195,000-acre park that is internationally known for its multi-pitch rock climbing, though my epic adventures here have been of other types.

My favorite way to explore Red Rock is by road bike, pedaling the 13-mile Scenic Drive through the heart of the park. The road has one-way traffic and a big shoulder, so there鈥檚 plenty of room, and you鈥檒l have both long-range and up-close views of the surrounding red sandstone cliffs and canyons. has bike rentals (from $40 a day). If you show up in the summer, do your adventures early in the morning before the heat gets unbearable.

Next skirt around the south side of Las Vegas for 70 miles to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, home to the massive Hoover Dam. I like Lake Mohave, a shallow, narrow reservoir below Hoover that follows the original path of the Colorado River through a series of canyons. If you鈥檙e looking for a full-day (or multi-day) adventure, paddle a piece of the 30-mile Black Canyon National Water Trail, which begins at the base of the dam and ends in Arizona, passing beaches, hot springs, and side canyons.

Only boaters with commercial licenses can launch below the dam, so hook up with , which offers DIY rentals and shuttles or guided trips throughout the water trail. Or for a quicker adventure, drive directly to Willow Beach, and paddle two miles upstream to Emerald Cave, a narrow side canyon with clear, shallow water below 75-foot sandstone walls (tours from $139 per person; rentals from $80 per boat).

has tent sites and RV sites in the hills above the sandy beach from $45 a night.

Driving north, you can stop at Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada鈥檚 largest state park at 46,000 acres, where red and pink sandstone cliffs and canyons fill the valley, the walls popping out of the tan, scrubby dirt. Catch the area at sunset and you could think the whole valley is on fire. The park is full of short, scenic trails for hikers. The 3.3-mile loop takes in iconic features, from a narrow slot canyon to the sinuous Fire Wave, where the striped sandstone seems to flow like water.

Snag a campsite at one of the two from $10.

2. Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park to Capitol Reef National Park

Distance: 125 miles
Duration: 3 days

It鈥檚 tempting to try to hit all of Utah鈥檚 national parks in a single trip, but you鈥檇 have to cover more than 1,000 miles and spend more time in your vehicle than on the trails. Instead, focus on this slice of Utah by driving the 122-mile Scenic Byway 12, which connects Bryce Canyon National Park with Capitol Reef National Park, hitting Grand Escalante National Monument in the middle. I drove this route last fall and was in constant awe of its beauty and diversity, as we cruised through sandstone tunnels at one point, then climbed to an aspen forest at another.

Pick up Highway 12 in the small town of Panguitch, about 50 miles east from Interstate 12, and keep driving east to Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce, known for its hoodoos (sandstone spires that rise from the valley floor) is one of the country鈥檚 smallest national parks at just 35,835 acres, which means you can see a lot in a short amount of time. Combine Queen鈥檚 Garden Trail with Navajo Loop Trail for a that begins on the rim of the canyon, then drops into the belly, passing hoodoos, arches, and tall cliffs.

Heading north, Highway 12 moves through the heart of the massive Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a 1.9-million-acre park with expanses of slick rock and sandstone canyons stretching all the way to the horizon. I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days in the monument, scrambling down slot canyons and bushwhacking through the heart of a broad canyon before reaching the lush Escalante River. It鈥檚 beautiful but unforgiving terrain that delivers plenty of solitude. Drive the unimproved dirt Hole-in-the-Rock Road (high-clearance two-wheel drive vehicles are usually OK) 33 miles south to the Dry Fork Slots to hike a through Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons, where the passage narrows to about a foot wide at certain points, and scrambling is mandatory. Too adventurous? Try hiking to , a 6.5-mile loop through a smooth canyon that ends at a 124-foot waterfall.

There鈥檚 plenty of camping and lodging around the town of Escalante. , inside the monument, offers seven primitive sites ($10 a night) with no frills. Or go upscale and snag a cabin or Airstream at , a camping-and-cabin resort with a drive-in movie theater, pool, and food truck (cabins from $175 a night).

Driving 65 miles further north on Highway 12, you鈥檒l climb Boulder Mountain through Dixie National Forest before hitting the town of Torrey and Capitol Reef National Park. Here, you鈥檒l find historic fruit orchards, sandstone domes, and more canyons than you could ever hope to explore. Start your journey with , a 3.4-mile out-and-back that crosses broad sections of slickrock before ending at a 125-foot-wide natural arch. Or hook up with and go canyoneering, dropping into the belly of narrow canyons deep inside the park ($300 for the first person).

For a longer adventure, check out our sister publication’s “.”

3. Colorado

Colorado National Monument to Rocky Mountain National Park

Distance: 310 miles
Duration: 3-5 days

Colorado offers a ton of incredible scenery, and this particular road trip takes you from the desert canyons of Colorado National Monument to the high alpine terrain of Rocky Mountain National Park. The diversity of adventure is off the charts, too, with opportunities for sandstone-heavy hikes, big mountain-bike descents, and whitewater rafting.

Start near the western border of the state, at Colorado National Monument, a 20,000-acre park with sheer cliffs and vertigo-inducing sandstone towers. Just driving the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive is worth the price of admission, with near-constant views of the canyon below, including of the massive Independence Monument, a 450-foot tall sandstone pillar.

But you鈥檒l definitely want to get out of your car and explore this monument by foot. The Devil鈥檚 Kitchen is an easy, 1.2-mile out-and-back that gives you the chance to scramble over boulders and explore narrow sandstone channels. Get up close to Independence Monument on the , a 5.2-mile point-to-point that meanders past some of the monument鈥檚 most recognizable rock formations, including the set of rounded pillars dubbed the Coke Ovens and a tower known as the Kissing Couple, because it looks like two people entwined.

After exploring the monument, head east for 25 miles to the town of Palisade, where you can tackle a piece of the , a 32-mile mostly downhill piece of singletrack that drops 6,000 feet off the rim of the Grand Mesa into the edge of downtown. The trail has multiple access points, so you don鈥檛 have to bite off the entire distance. has shuttles and rentals starting in March (check then for prices).

Head 75 miles northeast to Glenwood Springs to spend the night at , which has van-life sites on the Colorado River (from $112 a night) as well as glamping tents and cabins (from $179 a night). You can book a half-day on the Colorado, which includes the 1.5-mile-long class III Shoshone Rapids (from $75 per person), or just soak in one of the 17 different pools at , where each tub is tailored to a different temperature (from $44 per person).

When you鈥檙e refreshed, or worn out, drive northeast for 125 miles through to Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the most popular national parks in the country (4.1 million visitors in 2023). Don鈥檛 worry, most of those visitors enter through the Estes Park side, while you鈥檒l access the park on the much-less crowded Grand Lake entrance. I remember, on a trip with my kids, seeing a moose in the valley near Grand Lake and marveling that we were the only people on the trail at the time.

Head to the for a choose-your-own-adventure sort of hike. For a short jaunt that packs a big punch, hike the three-mile out-and-back Green Mountain Trail up to Big Meadow, which in the summer is full of wildflowers and hosts the occasional moose. Or if you really want to get after it, combine the Green Mountain Trail, Tonahutu Creek Trail, and Hayach Lakes Trail for a 17-mile out-and-back that culminates at Hayach Lake, a natural pool that sits at 11,000 feet in elevation in the shadow of the craggy Nakai Peak. Turn it into an overnight if you like, choosing among multiple backcountry campsites along the way ($36 fee for a ).

For a longer adventure, check out our sister publication’s “.”

4. Texas

San Antonio to the Gulf

Distance: 250 miles
Duration: 3-5 days

Texas is big, so you need to narrow your focus for a road trip here, because getting from point A to point B can sometimes take you all day. This particular route starts with some urban exploration in San Antonio and ends on one of the longest undeveloped beaches in the country. In between are quiet swamps, beach campsites, and plenty of paddle trails.

San Antonio might not seem like the perfect place to start an adventure trip, but the city鈥檚 15-mile River Walk, expanded in the late 1990s, has served as an inspiration for other similar projects ever since and it鈥檚 still one of the coolest urban bike rides you can do. Five miles of the path cruise through downtown, but the best biking is just south of town in the , an eight-mile linear park that connects historic missions, grasslands, and wildflower meadows, all protected as the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park.

After spinning around San Antonio, drive east towards the Gulf of Mexico, making a pitstop at Palmetto State Park鈥攁 small stretch just 25 miles east of San Antonio, that鈥檚 home to the sort of tropical jungle you鈥檙e more likely to find in Florida鈥攃omplete with dwarf palmettos blanketing the forest floor. If you bring your own boat or paddleboard, you can slide along the languid San Marcos River, or explore Palmetto鈥檚 small Oxbow Lake. Hiking trails lead through swampy marshes with light-green water filling the forest floor. If you鈥檙e not in a hurry, pitch a tent in the park鈥檚 ($12 a night) before heading to the beach.

Head south on Highway 183 to Mustang Island State Park, which separates Corpus Christi Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. The park protects five miles of Gulf-facing coastline, and has 50 drive-up where you can pitch a tent on the beach ($13 a night, first-come, first-served).

The beach is the obvious draw here. The Gulf is typically calm and warm, although some people are known to surf during hurricane swells. But the park also has more than 20 miles of marked paddling trails that traverse the western edge of the island, weave through islands in Corpus Christi Bay, and offer shallow water for fishing for redfish and speckled trout. runs daily guided trips (from $90 for two people) and rentals (from $50).

If you need more beach (and who doesn鈥檛?) scoot 15 miles down the coast to Padre Island National Seashore. If you have a 4WD vehicle, you can down-island for up to 60 miles until you leave the crowds behind. The national seashore is a hot spot for birding, with 380 different species reported, thanks to the island鈥檚 location on a major migration route. Look for the endangered piping plover or the super colorful painted bunting.

5. New Mexico

Taos to the Bisti Badlands

Distance: 275 miles
Duration: 3-5 days

I haven鈥檛 spent enough time in New Mexico. Or seen enough of it. The last time I was there, on a fly-fishing trip, I couldn鈥檛 bring myself to leave the Taos area. So many fish, so many green chili dishes. But I regret my solitary focus, because the state has much to offer. This particular road trip delivers a variety of adventure and landscapes that I鈥檓 convinced only New Mexico has.

The trip begins with a bang by rafting a tumultuous section of the Rio Grande, just 30 miles southwest of Taos. Different run options offer a variety of adventure, but the classic is a 17-mile portion through the Rio Grande Gorge, also dubbed the Taos Box because it is walled by black basalt cliffs. The trip brings a full day of whitewater action, with a six-mile section of non-stop class II and III rapids known as The Racecourse. If the weather is warm enough, you can swim in a few pools along the way, and good guides will point out petroglyphs on the rock walls. Book your trip with and you鈥檒l get hot fajitas for a riverside lunch (from $110 per person).

Spend the night at the wellness retreat of Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa, where the natural springs feature arsenic, Lithia, soda, and iron, all minerals thought to have healing properties (from $239 a night).

Keep heading southwest to , a super volcano that erupted 1.2 million years ago, creating a 14-mile-wide circular depression that has evolved into a lush basin full of creeks and meadows. Think of Valles Caldera as a mini Yellowstone, complete with hot springs, wildlife-viewing opportunities, and broad grasslands. A large elk population calls the caldera home (look for them in the meadows during early morning and evening), and keep an eye out as well for prairie dogs and coyotes. The Valle Grande Exploration Trail is a short, .8-mile walk through a prairie to a manmade pond that served as a watering hole when the area was a private cattle ranch. The South Mountain Trail is a bit more involved, taking you four miles up a narrow valley and to the top of South Mountain, where you鈥檒l enjoy a view of the entire basin.

You鈥檒l only be 20 miles west of Bandelier National Monument, which protects 33,000 acres of canyons and mesa that were the Ancestral Puebloans鈥� home until 1550. They used blocks of soft volcanic rock to build homes at the bases of cliffs, carving additional rooms into the walls themselves. Hike the 1.4-mile Pueblo Loop Trail to see some of these archeological sites first hand. You鈥檒l even get to climb ladders into some of the rooms carved into the side of cliffs. Grab a campsite at the monument鈥檚 ($20 a night, reserve up to six months in advance).

It鈥檒l add some mileage, but you need to cap this road trip off with a walk on the moon, or at least, as close as most of us will ever come to walking on the moon. The , in northwestern New Mexico, are loaded with some of the strangest rock formations you will ever see, with cap stones and some massive cliffs actually in the shapes of manta rays, all rising from rolling taupe shale hills. The Bisti Badlands are part of the BLM鈥檚 60-square-mile Bisti/De-Na-Zen Wilderness Area, which has no formal trails or paved roads. The De-Na-Zin parking area, off county road 7500, will give you access to the dry Bisti Wash, which you can hike into the heart of the badlands to see all of the weirdness for yourself.

6. Arizona

Grand Canyon to Monument Valley

Distance: 250
Duration: 3-5 days

I spent most of my youth believing Arizona was a desert wasteland, but in recent years I鈥檝e had the chance to turn that around with some of the state鈥檚 wonderful signature adventures. Yes, much of Arizona is desert, but it is no wasteland. It鈥檚 a vibrant landscape full of life and adventure. I鈥檝e driven ATVs across the desert, biked lonely gravel roads near the border of Mexico, and ridden a mountain bike into a cactus on the outskirts of Scottsdale. In short, I love Arizona, and as much fun as I鈥檝e had in that state, I still have so much to discover. The following road trip meanders through Northern Arizona, beginning in Grand Canyon and connecting a few waypoints that I still need to tick off my bucket list.

You could argue that all adventure trips in Arizona need to feature Grand Canyon National Park, and I wouldn鈥檛 disagree, so we鈥檙e hitting that 6,000-foot-deep ditch first. Also, Grand Canyon Village is just 1.5 hours from Flagstaff, so it鈥檚 a logical first stop. Is the Grand Canyon crowded? Yes. But the vast majority of visitors stick to a few scenic overlooks. The last time I was at the South Rim, I lost the crowds after hiking about a mile on the . But you鈥檙e going to do a lot of hiking on this road trip, so consider biking The Hermit Road, which hugs the south rim of the canyon for seven miles from the village, offering copious views along the way. The best part? It鈥檚 closed to private vehicles from March through November. rents cruisers (from $30).

Try to get a room at , an iconic national park lodge if there ever was one (from $391 starting in March). Or snag a coveted site at , which is first-come, first- served.

Heading north for 130 miles, you鈥檒l hit the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, a 280,000-acre geological wonder of buttes, canyons, and cliffs that tends to get overshadowed by its grand neighbor. Still, you may have seen photos of the swirling pink and tan sandstone layers of rock in the Coyote Buttes known as The Wave. It鈥檚 a stunning scenic reward that requires a tough hike through the desert. Accessing the Coyote Buttes requires a ($6). Grab one four months in advance, or try your luck with the daily lottery.

If you can鈥檛 score a permit, try hiking the 1.2-mile out-and-back through White Pocket. There are no marked or maintained trails in the monument, but cairns will guide you through more wavy sandstone features. Wherever you hike, look towards the sky for the endangered California Condor, which are hatched and released in the monument each year. And bring (or rent) a 4WD vehicle, as there are no paved roads inside the monument. Grab a site at the BLM鈥檚 , which views a cluster of sand-white buttes ($12 per site, first come/first serve).

Roughly 100 miles east, near the border of Utah, sits the 91,696-acre , a broad valley where 1,000-foot-tall sandstone towers rise abruptly from the earth. You can see some of the most iconic features, the Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte, from the visitor center, but you鈥檒l want to hike the Wildcat Trail, a four-mile loop that wraps around the West and East Mitten Buttes. It鈥檚 the only self-guided trail open within the park, so to explore any more requires hiring a local Navajo guide with . A number of operators run auto tours of the 17-mile scenic loop road within the park, but consider booking a stargazing tour, also with Monument Valley Tribal Tours, that focuses on nighttime photography, framing the buttes within the context of the Milky Way and surrounding stars (from $95).

7. California

So Cal Coast to Mojave Desert

Distance: 300 miles
Duration: 4-5 days

Because this is a collection of road trips through the Southwest, I鈥檓 focusing on Southern California, as the terrain in the area is more complementary to the Southwest vibe than, say, that of California鈥檚 Redwood National Park or Yosemite Valley.

This trip starts on the coast and ends with the dunes in the Mojave Desert, so there鈥檚 plenty of sand along the way, as well as big rocks, desert camping, and hiking. Keep the L.A. fires in mind when you鈥檙e traveling to Southern California. Hopefully the worst of that fire will be in the rearview by the time you make this trip, and while this route steers clear of the burn areas, the disaster has impacted residents throughout the region. Be considerate.

California鈥檚 coast is loaded with state parks, but San Onofre State Beach has a rugged character that鈥檚 hard to match, with cliffs rising directly from the beach and whales and dolphins often spotted in the water. If you fancy yourself a worthy surfer, you can paddle into the lineup at the world-famous Trestles break on the north end of the park, which has been ground zero for Southern California鈥檚 surfing culture since the 1940s. The park offers beginner breaks, too. In fact, San Onofre has one of the more gentle waves in Southern California. offers beginner lessons at the San Onofre Bluffs Beach, which is flanked by 100-foot cliffs (from $100 per person).

Try to score a site at the (reserve up to six months in advance, starting at $45 a night) or San Mateo Camp, a couple of miles inland.

Leave the beach and head east, making a pit stop at the sleeper destination Anza-Borrego Desert State Wilderness, an often overlooked member of California鈥檚 crowded public-lands portfolio. The park is packed with palm oases, slot canyons, and after a wet winter, fields of wildflowers. Stretch your legs on the , a three-mile out and back that begins near the park鈥檚 visitor center and climbs up a canyon, ending at an overlook of a palm oasis (currently recovering from a previous wildfire) with a seasonal waterfall.

Continuing east for 60 miles, and you鈥檒l wrap around the Salton Sea to hit Joshua Tree National Park鈥檚 southern entrance (if you鈥檙e tired or showing up late, look for free campsites on BLM land between I-10 and the park鈥檚 entrance). Spring is a great time to visit the park, as the temperatures are manageable, and the local cacti and Joshua Trees for which the park is named could still be sprouting flowers. Lace up your hiking boots and hit the trails. The easy 1.4-mile is a no-brainer loop that delivers you to a natural arch, with plenty of opportunity to scramble on sandstone boulders along the way. For a bird鈥檚-eye view of the park, climb the 5,456-foot Ryan Mountain via its and for a vista stretching clear to the 11,000-foot San Gorgonio Mountain. I tried running to the top of Ryan Mountain the last time I was in the park, but the 1,000-foot elevation gain got the better of me.

Aside from the BLM land near the south entrance, the park has six with sites you can reserve up to six months in advance. They鈥檙e all good.

Still want more desert? Great, because you鈥檙e heading 70 miles north of Joshua Tree into the heart of the Mojave National Preserve, 1.6 million acres of dunes, cliffs, and cactus that somehow only gets half a million visitors a year. You have to hike the , a 45-square-mile expanse that will have you thinking you鈥檙e in the Sahara. The popular three-mile Kelso Dunes Trail will take you to the top of the tallest mound, which rises 650 feet.

Also, the easy, mile-long Lava Tube Trail provides access to an actual lava tube, where the sun pours in through a 鈥渟ky light鈥� in the stone. Wherever you explore, keep an eye out for the desert tortoise, a threatened species that lives in the Mojave鈥檚 valleys and moves slowly through the heat. The preserve has three developed campgrounds. Try to reserve a spot at , which has potable water ($25 per night).

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national-parks columnist. He鈥檚 been in love with road trips since he read Jack Kerouac鈥檚 On the Road at age 17. His longest road trip to date was a month-long romp through the Southwest with his wife and twin then four-year-olds. Recently, he wrote about bucket-list golf courses, the best hikes in Joshua Tree National Park, and the nine national parks that will need timed-entry reservations this year. One of the weirdest places he鈥檚 ever slept for a story was a renovated lookout tower in the middle of the ocean.

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Search and rescue crews in Las Vegas continue to have a busy start to 2025.

On Wednesday, February 6, members of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s search and rescue squad saved a woman who had fallen from a climbing area in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

According to a , the woman, who was not named, had fallen while climbing near the White Rock Hills hiking and climbing area. She landed in a boulder field and was unable to hike out.

“The victim fell while climbing and was unable to move due to a back injury,” read a statement from the department.

White Rock Hills is located in a remote corner of the park, approximately 6 miles past the park entrance, down a dirt road. The area is ringed by a four-mile trail that takes climbers to several different climbing routes.

Rangers from the Bureau of Land Management hiked in to the area and made contact with the victim, but they were unable to bring her to safety on foot. Officials decided to send an emergency helicopter to the area. According to the release, three search and rescue officials flew in on the helicopter and helped the ground crews move her to a suitable extraction point.

Dramatic photos showed the helicopter removing the injured climber. According to the release, she was taken to a ground ambulance.

The rescue was the third major lifesaving mission in Red Rock Canyon this year involving rock climbers. On Saturday, January 18, crews responded to near the Pine Creek area of the park.

One rescue involved four climbers who became stranded on the “Cat in the Hat” climbing route after their ropes became entwined. The four were preparing to rappel the route when the incident happened, and they retreated to a ledge. One of the climbers, Joe De Luca, was able to call rescuers from his cell phone.

As De Luca was waiting for rescue crews to reach his party, he witnessed the other incident 100 or so yards away. A climber named Micah Manalese, 30, fell from a route and hit the rocks approximately 130 feet below.

鈥淚t was evident to me that the chance of life was zero, or at least very low, if we didn鈥檛 do something quickly,鈥� De Luca told Climbing.

De Luca called rescuers after the fall occurred, but they were unable to save Manalese.

Her partner, Robert Hiett, for听Climbing.听

“With her training, she somehow still managed to squeeze in time with her family and friends. She could do it all,” Hiett wrote.

Red Rock Canyon is one of the most popular outdoor destinations in the Southwestern U.S., and climbers and hikers flock to the destination in the winter and early spring, before temperatures begin to soar in late April. The canyon’s famed Navajo Sandstone formations are traversed by several dozen climbing routes.

The post Rescue Crews Saved Another Climber in Nevada鈥檚 Red Rock Canyon appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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

You can also have a national-park experience for free another way, by visiting one of the 20 national parks that don鈥檛 charge an entrance fee ever. Come and go as you please without dropping a dime. Many of them are among our least-visited national parks, which means you might have these landscapes to yourself.

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

1. Biscayne National Park, Florida

A coastal park located in south Florida where the mainland transitions to the Keys, Biscayne National Park is a collection of islands, mangroves, coral reefs, and open water that鈥檚 largely inaccessible except by boat. While entering the park doesn鈥檛 cost a thing, if you鈥檙e bringing a boat and want to anchor at certain areas, expect a $25 docking fee on weekends and holidays.

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

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料: Biscayne Bay is known for its shipwrecks, and the Mandalay, a schooner that sank in the 鈥�60s, is one of the top sites, as the hull sits in shallow enough water to be seen by snorkelers as well as divers. This wreck is part of the which includes five others. Don鈥檛 want to spend your time underwater? Head to Boca Chita Key, also part of the park, a 32-acre island with camping ($25 a night, first-come, first-served), hiking, and a lighthouse. The half-mile trail that circumnavigates the small island leads to its beaches.

2. Channel Islands National Park, California

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

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

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

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

3. Congaree National Park, South Carolina

You could say Congaree National Park is a swamp, and you wouldn鈥檛 be wrong, but the word doesn鈥檛 do the place justice. The 26,692-acre Congaree holds the largest intact old-growth bottom-wood forest in the South, boasting trophy-sized loblolly pines and cypress that rise straight from the water. The same forest has one of the tallest canopies in the eastern United States, with an average tree height of more than 100 feet.

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

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料: Most of the fun in Congaree is water-based, so bring a canoe or paddle board and slowly make your way through the , a 15-mile marked 鈥減ath鈥� that winds through old-growth cypress. The current is mellow enough to paddle up or downstream, so you don鈥檛 need a shuttle.

4. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

Gateway Arch isn鈥檛 like other national parks on this list. It鈥檚 an urban park, located in St. Louis, that was originally set aside to commemorate the cultural significance of our country鈥檚 push westward. It鈥檚 only 91 acres, tucked into the banks of the Mississippi River, and has the 630-foot Gateway Arch as its centerpiece. Fun fact: this is the tallest arch in the U.S. Inside the park are five miles of paved trails for walking and running along the Mississippi.

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

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

7. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

It takes some effort to reach Great Basin National Park, in eastern Nevada roughly 285 miles north of Las Vegas, but once you鈥檙e there, you won鈥檛 need to contend with crowds. Only 140,000 people a year venture to Great Basin, compared to 14 million visitors for Great Smoky Mountains National Park听in 2023. Yet Great Basin has towering 13,000-foot peaks; groves of shimmering aspen as well as old-growth bristlecone pines, which are believed to be the oldest known tree species in the world; and a fascinating system of caves to explore.

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

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料: The cave tours are popular, but I say hike to the top of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, where views of the Great Basin Desert, the only 鈥渃old鈥� desert in America鈥攖he precipitation comes from snow鈥攕tretch in every direction for 100 miles on a clear day. It鈥檚 a 6.1-mile that gains 3,000 feet, much of which is above tree line, so take it slowly if you鈥檙e coming from sea level. Interested in something milder? Hike the 2.7-mile , which brings you to the edges of Teresa and Stella Lakes, both pools surrounded by evergreens.

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

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

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

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料: Most visitors stick to the scenic Newfound Gap Road and its short nature trails, but I recommend hiking the 11-mile out-and-back up to LeConte Lodge, a backcountry inn on top of the 6,000-foot peak of the same name. Some sections of the trail are so exposed you use cables for safety, and you鈥檒l pass through Alum Cave, a rock overhang with a long-range view into the park. If you can鈥檛 score overnight reservations at the lodge, purchase a sack lunch from the kitchen for a picnic in some quiet spot with a view before heading back down to the trailhead.

9. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

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

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

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

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

10.听 Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

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

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

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料: Try to get a campsite or lodge room at the float-plane accessible (make reservations starting January 5, $18 per campsite per night) on the edge of Naknek Lake, and hike the 1.2-mile out and back to Brooks Falls, where the park鈥檚 most popular bear cam catches grizzlies poking around the water for salmon. Don鈥檛 worry, the hike ends at an overlook a safe distance from the action.

11. Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

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

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

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

12. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

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

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

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

13. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

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

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

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

14. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

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

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

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

15. National Park of American Samoa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17. North Cascades National Park, Washington

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

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

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

18. Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands

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

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

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

19. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

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

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

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

20. Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

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

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

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

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

The post Entry to These 20 National Parks Won鈥檛 Cost You a Dime appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It鈥檚 not often that a ski vacation brings together epic ski resort offerings and the limitless amenities of a city. When you make Reno Tahoe your urban base camp for winter adventure, you get the best of both worlds. Take your pick of world-class Tahoe ski resorts, all within an hour of downtown Reno, and pair them with a vibrant city scene with endless dining options and access to tons of off-the-slopes activities. Once you experience the urban base camp lifestyle in Reno Tahoe, you鈥檒l wonder why you waited so long to plan a ski trip based out of the Biggest Little City. Spend the day exploring more than 170 trails, 16 bowls, and 3,600 skiable acres at . Check out , a local favorite, where you can drop into or cruise the groomers. Then head back to Reno for an urban apr猫s scene. What does that entail? Here鈥檚 a look at all the apr猫s-ski fun Reno Tahoe has in store this .

Hot Springs and Chill

Nothing beats a soak when you鈥檙e fresh off the slopes. If you鈥檙e skiing , near Incline Village, take the scenic route back to the city and stop off at . A respite for the Washoe people and later for travelers en route to the California Gold Rush, this geothermal spring is the perfect place to let tired legs recover after a big ski day. The facility has a large outdoor pool and smaller private pools鈥攁ll naturally heated to the perfect soaking temperature. For an upscale experience, opt for , inside Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. This deluxe spa has been awarded the highly coveted Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star designation. Treat yourself with a hydrating body wrap to replenish dry winter skin, or bliss out with a massage. Make a day of it by enjoying the other spa amenities like the brine inhalation light therapy lounge and soaking tubs before and after your treatment.

Dine Downtown

Big ski days make for big appetites. In downtown Reno, your are as wide open as your favorite groomer. Right in the middle of the downtown action in the Riverwalk District, serves up shareable dishes that are perfect for groups and families. Start with a cocktail or glass of wine from the vacation-worthy drink menu and a classic apr猫s-ski crowd pleaser: Gruy猫re and white wine fondue served with green apples and a brioche pretzel. Then choose from a menu of hearty dishes鈥攚ood-fired pizzas crafted with homemade sourdough crust and regionally sourced ingredients, artisan-style pasta dishes, or steaks freshly cut at the Liberty USDA butcher shop鈥攖hat hit the spot after a day on the snow.

More of a brewpub person? Opt for . Originally constructed as the headquarters of the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway, this historic building is now home to Nevada鈥檚 first combined brewery and distillery that specializes in craft beer and whiskey. The on-site restaurant serves upscale takes on classic pub fare, including steak frites with bourbon honey butter and grass-fed burgers with bacon-onion jam and white wine aioli. Pair your meal with a whiskey cocktail or the brewery鈥檚 flagship Ranch Hand pilsner.

Experience the City鈥檚 Culture

For a truly local vibe, head across the river to , where you鈥檒l find streets lined with shops, unique cocktail bars, and . Grab a table at , across the river in MidTown. This American-style tapas bar serves a metropolitan atmosphere alongside creative, shareable plates that will satisfy your whole crew. Order a variety for the table鈥攍emon piccata meatballs, Korean barbecue spiced cauliflower, and salmon bruschetta on grilled focaccia. If you鈥檙e still hungry, there are always more plates to try.

Down the street, delights guests with hearty dishes made from organic, locally sourced ingredients. Tuck into a generous serving of red wine鈥揵raised pot roast served with saut茅ed baby carrots, asparagus, and house garlic mashed potatoes. Or go for the braised baby back ribs鈥攁 house specialty鈥攕lathered in house barbecue sauce and served with cheesy corn grits and organic wilted greens.

Keep the Fun Going

With access to public land and open spaces right outside the city, Reno will keep you entertained off the slopes. Fuel up at before renting in town. Then head to Chickadee Ridge for a mellow 2.3-mile out-and-back trail offering beginner-friendly terrain with big views overlooking the Desolation Wilderness and Lake Tahoe. In late winter and early spring, chickadees鈥攌nown locally as cheeseburger birds because of their distinct song that sounds like the word 鈥渃heeseburger鈥濃€攎ake for an exciting spectacle on their namesake trail. With their black caps, these friendly native birds are easy to spot. You may even get a chance for a closer look鈥攂old chickadees are known to land on hikers atop the ridge.

Need some time out of the elements? Try the indoor bouldering gym at . This competition-level facility features 7,000 square feet of bouldering routes and offers to non-hotel guests. Or head just east of town to the in Sparks, where you can work those ski legs and maybe even dial a new terrain park trick. While you鈥檙e on that side of town, don鈥檛 miss a chance to stop by the , a community maker space where local artists bring large-scale fabrication art to life. The space is open to the public for tours Tuesday through Saturday, when you can see work-in-progress pieces and watch the artists in action.

Reno Tahoe is where ambition is rewarded and you can push those boundaries, try something new, and make memories to last a lifetime. Head to for inspiration and begin planning today.

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In 2010, a camping trip to the Sahara opened my eyes to the magic of the night sky. I was a college junior spending the summer abroad in Morocco, and until then I鈥檇 never seen the Milky Way, let alone a meteor shower, due to light pollution back in my suburban hometown of Dayton, Ohio. But that night, tucked into a sleeping bag beneath the African desert鈥檚 real-life planetarium, I saw them both. The experience opened me up to all the unfathomable marvels of the universe.

In the years since, I鈥檝e built a travel-writing career around my fascination with the moonlit world. Recently, my noctural adventures have included: watching nesting sea turtles with Indigenous guides in Panama, pitching a tent on the Greenland ice sheet in a snowstorm, chasing the northern lights in Iceland, and searching for fluorescent rocks on the shores of Lake Superior鈥攁mong many other sleepless excursions.

These trips, and many more such outings, fill the pages of my upcoming book, , published by National Geographic and available on December 3. I hope the following three adapted excerpts鈥攕ome of my favorite experiences鈥攊nspire you to skip sleep and soak up the night鈥檚 wonders, too.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Ice-Sheet Camping in Greenland

Spend an icy night camping above the Arctic Circle, following in the crampon-carved footsteps of polar explorers on the Greenland ice sheet. It鈥檚 a rare and immersive way to admire the world鈥檚 second largest expanse of ice, a blustery behemoth that blankets nearly 80 percent of Greenland鈥檚 landmass with icy mountains, teal lakes, and a minefield of crevasses and moulins (deep shafts in the ice).

Given the harrowing surroundings, most overnight ice-sheet jaunts are reserved for professional exploration or scientific research teams. But makes the dream possible for more amateur, yet still intrepid, guests. The outfitter鈥檚 two-day, one-night camping trip offers a taste of expedition life鈥攂ut don鈥檛 let the short duration fool you. A sleep on the unforgiving 656,000-square-mile sheet of white鈥攁n expanse roughly the size of Alaska鈥攊s no walk in the park.

On the trip, you and a team of trekkers haul tents, sleeping bags, and fuel for roughly one hour of hiking into the ivory abyss. Once you reach your overnight accommodations鈥攁n open patch of ice鈥攊t鈥檚 time to build camp from the ground up. You鈥檒l crank ice stakes, sort gear, pitch tents, and collect snow to boil for water.听It鈥檚 grueling work, but the sweat鈥檚 worth it for quality time with this rare wonder.

Once camp is set, you鈥檒l have the opportunity to hike among ice mounds and pristine cerulean water bodies, aurora hunt (in the spring or fall), and admire the midnight sun come summer. Just as memorable are the deep conversations shared over freeze-dried dinners in Camp Ice Cap鈥檚 orange globe mess tent. One topic that鈥檚 sure to arise among these fragile landscapes: climate change.

As the news headlines show, Greenland鈥檚 ice sheet is ground zero of earth鈥檚 shifting climate. The white mass is expected to lose up to 110 trillion tons of ice by 2100鈥攁 change that could raise sea levels by a foot. To do its part protecting this natural resource, Camp Ice Cap tour operator Albatros Arctic Circle has a strict Leave No Trace policy. That means everything you bring with you must be carried out.

Each season introduces a different flavor of adventure. Come in the calmer summer months for ice hikes with endless hours of daylight and, on the warmest days, even short dips in meltwater 鈥渓akes鈥� (water temperaturess hover slightly above freezing this time of year, but a warm sun can make the quick swim surprisingly refreshing). Visit in the shoulder seasons鈥攕pring or fall鈥攆or a chance to see auroras. But be prepared for particularly unpredictable and unforgiving weather that time of year. You could have a snowstorm, clear aurora-streaked skies, or both in the same night.

Weather is all part of the Camp Ice Cap adventure, as is the journey to get there in the first place. The trip begins in Kangerlussuaq, located inland in central-west Greenland. This town, home to one of the island鈥檚 main international airports, has the only road in Greenland that connects to the ice sheet. It鈥檚 a potholed 15.5-mile route, with potential reindeer and musk ox sightings along the way.

A good base level of fitness is required for a Camp Ice Cap visit, as the hiking can be strenuous and requires a bit of agility on the ice. Albatros Arctic Circle provides tents, sleeping bags, trekking poles, crampons, and food, but it鈥檚 up to you to pack warm-weather essentials: coats, gloves, hats, wool layers, headlamps, and, by all means, an extra pair of socks.

While You鈥檙e in Greenland

If a night at Camp Ice Cap whets your backcountry Greenland appetite, Kangerlussuaq has more where that came from. The town is connected to the island鈥檚 famed , a 100-mile thru-hike that runs from inland Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut on the west coast. Expect unspoiled tundra sprinkled with musk oxen and reindeer on this roughly ten-day trek.

Other Greenland Marvels

A quick 45-minute flight north from Kangerlussuaq will drop you in Ilulissat, home to the Unesco World Heritage site . This 34-mile patchwork of icebergs, some 10 to 20 stories tall, stems from the Sermeq Kujalleq (also known as Jakobshavn Glacier), which runs from the Greenland ice sheet. It鈥檚 one of the world鈥檚 fastest-moving glaciers, and scientists believe it produced the fateful iceberg that struck the Titanic in 1912.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Riding the Star Train in Nevada鈥檚 Great Basin Desert

In the early 1900s, the Nevada Northern Railway put the remote town of Ely on the copper-mining map. More than a century later, the railway鈥檚 historic locomotives still tote riders into Nevada鈥檚 听pi帽on- and juniper-dotted Steptoe Valley鈥攁lthough visitors now come seeking a different sparkly prize: clear, bedazzled nightscapes. They鈥檒l find this rare bounty aboard the special-edition , which runs deep into the Great Basin Desert.

Up to 80 percent of Americans can鈥檛 see the Milky Way due to light pollution. The same can鈥檛 be said for those at the far-flung Great Basin, which covers much of Nevada. This 190,000-square-mile high-desert patchwork of sagebrush grasslands, rolling mountains, and broad valleys boasts some of the country鈥檚 darkest nightscapes. The Nevada Northern Railway, now a national historic landmark in Ely, roughly four hours north of Las Vegas by car, makes the most of the celestial entertainment via the Star Train, which departs around sunset on select Fridays between May and September.

As the desert transitions from honey-hued golden hour to coal black night, onboard rangers from nearby Great Basin National Park and railway staff share tidbits about the night-sky attractions that await. Once you鈥檝e reached your final destination鈥攁 private Great Basin viewing pad with high-powered telescopes鈥攔angers narrate the universe鈥檚 marvels, from Saturn鈥檚 iridescent rings to any stargazer鈥檚 beloved treasure, the glowing Milky Way.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Hunting the Southern Lights in Australia

You鈥檝e heard of the northern lights, but did you know you can chase those sky fluorescents in the Southern Hemisphere, too? Spotting these elusive green and violet streaks, known as the southern lights, or aurora australis, requires a bit of luck. Like the northern lights in the Arctic, southern-lights sightings are most frequent over Antarctica. But the Antarctica travel season鈥攕ummer鈥攃oincides with the all-hours midnight sun. What鈥檚 an aurora hunter to do?

Head to Tasmania, a landmass better positioned for aurora sightings than virtually anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere, excluding the White Continent. Its aurora potential has to do with its geographic position and the mechanism through which auroras occur.

During solar storms, the sun flings charged particles into space. When the protons and electrons reach earth, they congregate near the north and south geomagnetic poles, then react with the atmosphere to create ribbons of green, purple, red, or blue. Typically, the lights appear over far north or far south stretches of earth such as Iceland or Antarctica, but when a solar storm is strong enough, you can catch them farther in toward the equator. Tasmania, situated close to the south geomagnetic pole, is one of the hemisphere鈥檚 most reliable perches.

鈥淲e have no landmass in the Southern Ocean that corresponds with Norway or Iceland,鈥� says Tasmania-based Margaret Sonnemann, author of . In the Arctic or Antarctica, where the charged particles collide with the atmosphere in the skies above, you can see the reaction鈥攖he auroras鈥攕traight overhead. In Tasmania, you鈥檒l typically admire the show from a distance, roughly between 45 to 60 degrees on the horizon.

This vantage point offers a unique perspective. When the lights are overhead, green colors are the most noticeable, says Sonnemann. 鈥淪ide on, you see the layers of color.鈥�

Given Tasmania鈥檚 pristine night skies, you can spot these colorful night swirls all over the island. Look for a panorama with minimal obstructions to the southern horizon; the northern banks of a large lake looking south, or the island鈥檚 southern coast looking out to sea, are ideal.

Some tried-and-true Tasmania aurora spots include Goat Bluff Lookout on the South Arm Peninsula, Carlton Beach, Tinderbox Bay, and the . For a southern lights鈥揻riendly hotel, try , which has minimal light pollution and unobstructed south-facing views across Lake Pedder. Hit Taroona Beach, south of Hobart, during the warmer months to catch a thrilling after-dark duo: auroras snaking across the sky as electric blue bioluminescence pulses across the water.

One advantage of Tasmania aurora hunting: you can catch the lights year-round. Tasmania experiences nighttime darkness in every season. Though you鈥檒l have more hours of potential aurora displays in the darker winter, you could snag a stellar show on a warm summer night.

Fast Aurora Facts

The hue of an aurora depends on where the sun鈥檚 charged particles collide with earth鈥檚 atmosphere. Red auroras hit at the ionosphere, around 150 miles high. Green streaks occur in a mildly dense stretch of the atmosphere, roughly 60 to 150 miles from the ground. The rarer purple hues appear when the reaction strikes in our thick lower atmosphere, about 60 miles above earth鈥檚 surface.

Stephanie Vermillion is a travel and adventure journalist with a particular interest in after-dark adventures, from the wonders of the night sky to the nocturnal happenings on planet earth. She recently wrote about how to take great aurora photos on an iPhone.

100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World鈥檚 Ultimate 国产吃瓜黑料s After Dark, by Stephanie Vermillion

The post 3 of the Most Wonder-Filled Night 国产吃瓜黑料s on Earth appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.