Of all the road trips I鈥檝e plotted in my travel writing career, the best had this in common: they were scenic, they were unhurried, and they capped each day beneath the cosmos. The following astro-meets-adventure itineraries tick every box.

There鈥檚 no better way to celebrate the start of road trip season鈥攁s well as from April 21 to 28鈥攖han by taking a long, star-focused drive. Some of these itineraries might already be on your list, others may surprise you, and all can be completed in a long weekend. Here are the best stargazing road trips in North America.

Cook County Aurora Route

3+ nights | Northern Minnesota

Cook County is among the northernmost points in the continental U.S. That makes this Lake Superior region arguably the best place in the lower 48 to chase the aurora. Here鈥檚 a 140-mile out-and-back drive through northern Minnesota鈥檚 forested fringes.

• Lutsen: Start roughly 90 miles north of Duluth for a stint on the 300-mile Superior Hiking Trail by day. Trek by day, then unwind beneath the stars after dusk. Sprinkle in some wellness with a stay at , where each abode has a private sauna with forest-view windows.
• Grand Marais: Drive 20 minutes north along the lake to reach Grand Marais, a spirited arts community. See the stars in unmitigated splendor on a guided night-vision hike with , a first-of-its-kind outfitter located just outside of Grand Marais. To optimize your aurora odds, book an accommodation within walking distance of ideal lights-hunting perch Artist鈥檚 Point (like ).
• Gunflint Trail: Sip your last dregs of city life before heading an hour inland on the 57-mile Gunflint Trail. This traverse, thick with maples and birches, is famous for its numerous moose sightings. For remote stargazing, reserve digs like or pitch your tent at a local campground (typically open starting in May). If you have time, set aside another day to explore nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, another DarkSky Sanctuary

The Arizona Traverse

3+ nights | Arizona

Inky nightscapes abound in Arizona, where global light pollution authority DarkSky International has certified more than two dozen astronomical getaways. Catch the cosmos on this 340-mile road trip, which weaves northward through the Grand Canyon State鈥檚 space-watching听hotspots. Consider adding a few detours, like Petrified Forest National Park. Your adventure starts in Tucson, and can end in Flagstaff or Las Vegas鈥攂oth major Southwest transit hubs.

• Tucson: Start your Arizona Traverse on the new , a mini road trip in itself that connects a dozen astronomy attractions in and around the city. Highlights include Kitt Peak National Observatory, home to one of the world鈥檚 largest radio telescopes, and Saguaro National Park, a DarkSky-certified escape where towering cacti pierce a sparkly night sky. Camping is available in six designated Saguaro Wilderness Area campgrounds. (Note: the sites are only accessible by foot.)
• Sedona: Head roughly three hours north of Tucson for stop number two, Sedona, another DarkSky-certified destination with star-view options galore. Admire the silvery pinpricks from Beaverhead Flat Scenic Overlook or the Aerie trailhead. Or, watch for stars and peculiar flying objects on a guided UFO tour. Reserve accommodations like to enjoy the dark-sky splendor from bed.
• Grand Canyon National Park: There鈥檚 nothing like sky-watching from the spellbinding Grand Canyon, whether it鈥檚 a ranger-guided astronomy session on the South Rim, or DIY stargazing on the remote North Rim, which is open from mid-May to mid-October. For the ultimate twilight treat, try the lottery for a sleep at Phantom Ranch, the only lodging on the Grand Canyon鈥檚 base.

Baja Coast to Coast

2+ nights | Baja Sur, Mexico

You could make a multi-month adventure out of zigzagging along Baja鈥檚 many natural and night-sky attractions. But for those who don鈥檛 have unlimited PTO, here鈥檚 a bite-sized, 100-mile trip from the Gulf of California to the Pacific coast. You could tackle this road trip in a quick weekend, but I recommend at least four nights to soak up the culture and daytime marvels.

• Loreto: Start your Baja Sur weekend in Loreto, a seaside town famous for its blue whales, national parks, beach clambakes, and鈥攖hanks to a recent community movement鈥攕targazing. The local astronomy club Cielo Magic hosts for residents and tourists in town. There鈥檚 also a local sky-watching meetup every Friday near the main plaza. Or, take a roughly 30-minute drive out of town to admire the planets and stars in the foothills of the Sierra de la Giganta mountains. Stay at historic and centrally located , which has a rooftop for space-gazing above the main square.
• Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos: Crisscross the peninsula鈥檚 mountainous interior to reach this tiny coastal town鈥攁 magnet for whale watchers between January and March. But marine life isn鈥檛 the only reason to visit. You can also book twilight sand dune tours and picnics through local outfitters. Overnight at an before heading back to Loreto the next day.

Oregon Outback

3+ nights | Central-South Oregon

Few destinations top stargazers鈥� bucket lists like the Australian Outback, but most don鈥檛 know that the U.S. has its own version much closer to home: the Oregon Outback, a stretch of high desert in the state鈥檚 central and southern regions. The region鈥檚 half-dozen DarkSky destinations are all within a few hours鈥� driving distance. Consider spending an additional evening in Sisters, an artsy DarkSky-certified community just outside of Bend.

• Prineville Reservoir State Park: Begin an hour from Bend at Prineville Reservoir State Park, a stop with kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and fishing, as well as year-round for all-hours star access. If you鈥檙e more of a glamper, book one of the park鈥檚 five deluxe log cabins to start your trip in style.
• Summer Lake: A three-hour drive south of Prineville Reservoir will drop you in the 2.5-million-acre Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary. Try the Summer Lake Wildlife Area for birdwatching in the marshes and camping beneath the cosmos. Or, upgrade your visit with a stay at the , a collection of campsites and cabins with onsite soaking pools.
• Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge: This remote, high-elevation refuge鈥攋ust three hours southeast of Summer Lake鈥攊s the ultimate Pacific Northwest retreat for space lovers. Pitch a tent for free at to snooze beneath the stars, then spend your daytime hours searching for petroglyphs or hiking to see pronghorns, pikas, and bighorn sheep.

Nova Scotia to New Brunswick

3+ nights | Eastern Canada

Life in Atlantic Canada centers on the sea, but don鈥檛 sleep on this maritime region鈥檚 starry skies. Three Dark Sky Preserves lie within a picturesque, six-hour road trip across the region. You鈥檒l start in Halifax and end in Moncton, though you can add stops like Prince Edward Island along the way.

• Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site: Kejimkujik鈥檚 thick pine forests, set two hours west of Halifax, brim with natural wonders and Mi鈥檏maw culture. Try hiking or biking through forests or along the coast, or take a to follow the footsteps of the area鈥檚 earliest humans. After sunset, snag a campsite (open mid-May to late October) and point your eyes skyward for a glimmering twilight fresco.
• Fundy National Park: A four-hour drive north will lead you to Fundy National Park, home to the highest tides in the world. Explore the expansive mud flats and craggy coasts in the afternoon, then watch for planets and stars by camping in the Dark Sky Preserve (sites and yurts available year-round).
• Kouchibouguac National Park: Conclude your journey with a 115-mile drive up to Kouchibouguac National Park, a mosaic of honey-hued dunes and sprawling wetlands. Spend daylight looking for river otters and seals, or mountain biking the park鈥檚 nearly 40-mile trail system. Camping, available from mid-May to late October, provides the best twilight view. You can also try a nearby cabin, , and visit the park at night.

Across the Appalachians

3+ nights | West Virginia to Virginia

Link up three DarkSky getaways just a short trip from D.C. This Virginia-West Virginia adventure totals roughly 150 miles point-to-point. Spend more time in West Virginia鈥檚 Monongahela National Forest, a rock-climbing oasis, if your PTO allows.

• Watoga State Park: Drive four hours west of Washington, D.C., or 2.5 hours north of Roanoke, for a starry retreat with all sorts of aquatic adventures. Watoga State Park, a 10,000-acre getaway with swimming, fishing, boating, and hiking, is part of one of the east coast鈥檚 largest DarkSky-certified areas. Overnighting in one of the park鈥檚 (from $157), or pitching a tent at one of its three (from $50), puts you smack-dab in the stargazing action.
• Natural Bridge State Park: Cross state borders to reach Natural Bridge State Park, a two-hour drive east of Watoga. This DarkSky-certified spot is full of karst terrain and navigable caverns. The park will host events starting April 25. Alternatively, book a primitive campsite or at a nearby campground and do your own star-watching from there.
• James River State Park: Around 60 miles east of Natural Bridge State Park, this Virginia escape offers pristine twilight skies and plenty of overnight accommodations, from park-run to full-service campsites. Spend your non-astronomy hours hiking the scenic 3.5-mile Cabell Trail or angling for smallmouth bass or catfish.

Klondike Highway

3+ nights | Yukon Territory, Canada

This historic highway parallels the route miners traversed during the Klondike Gold Rush. It鈥檚 also one of the continent鈥檚 best night-sky drives. Fortunately, you can tag some of the best bits in a long weekend. Start in Whitehorse, drive six hours up to Dawson City, then head back the way you came.

• Whitehorse: The aurora often flickers above Whitehorse, the Yukon territory鈥檚 main city, between early fall and spring. Book a private telescope session at the Yukon Astronomical Society鈥檚 Observatory, or try beneath the aurora. Come summer, enjoy another astronomical marvel: the midnight sun. Sleep just outside of town at forest-fringed , a quiet escape tucked amid evergreens.
• Carmacks: Just two hours north of Whitehorse, you鈥檒l find the quiet riverside town of Carmacks. Local companies offer aurora tours from mid-August to mid-April. Hit the hay at a hotel in town, then stock up on road-trip snacks at the general store for the next leg of your drive.

Dawson City: After the 220-mile drive from Carmacks, your arrival in Dawson City will feel like striking gold. This National Historic Site overflows with Indigenous and gold-rush history. Explore downtown on foot, then admire the nightscapes from a yurt. If you鈥檙e here for the midnight sun, try summer camping up in mountainous Tombstone Territorial Park, a protected area on the Dempster Highway.

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America鈥檚 national parks are known for their vast tracts of unspoiled wilderness, and we love celebrating the trails that take you deep into the backcountry听of these iconic landscapes. But sometimes, the best views in our national parks can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car. Here are the eight best national park scenic roads.

1. Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail Ridge Road carves a 48-mile path through the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, connecting the gateway towns听of Estes Park and Grand Lake. It鈥檚 one of the highest paved roads in the country, with a peak elevation of 12,183 feet at the Gore Range Overlook. The two-lane blacktop is a stiff challenge for cyclists (I always see a few on this road when I鈥檓 in the park) as it climbs more than 4,000 feet in just 12 miles, but it鈥檚 a convenient way for the rest of us to enjoy a high alpine environment; roughly eight miles of the road cruises above tree line with expansive views in either direction. Given the altitude, snowfall means the road is typically only open from late May to early October. I drove the road in July with my family one year, and we marveled at the amount of snow that was still piled up at the pass.

Best View听

The Gore Range Overlook (at mile 19.3 if you鈥檙e coming from Estes Park) sits near the crest of the road with long range views to the west of the Never Summer Mountains. Gaze down from the parking lot and you鈥檒l see small ponds scattered across the tundra. To the east, you can see Longs Peak, one of Colorado鈥檚 most famous 14ers.

Get Out of Your Car

If you drive the entire road, you鈥檒l have more than a dozen opportunities for short hikes. Make sure you explore from the Alpine Visitor Center. It鈥檚 usually not as crowded as Alpine Ridge, which also begins at the visitor center, but takes you through the high alpine tundra with views of the Never Summer Mountains in the distance and the Cache de la Poudre River below. You鈥檒l hit a forest of spruce and firs after two miles, which is where most people turn around. If you go all the way to Milner Pass, it鈥檚 an eight-mile out and back, dropping 1,000 feet on its way to the pass. Keep an eye out for pikas and marmots along the way.

Reservations

You need a to enter Rocky Mountain National Park during the summer, but if you鈥檙e only planning to stick to Trail Ridge Road and not visit the super popular Bear Lakes Corridor, then reservations are easier to get and only necessary between 9 and 2. So even if you don鈥檛 plan ahead, you could start your drive early and catch the sunrise, or start in the afternoon and enjoy the sunset.

2. Chain of Craters Road, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii听

You should drive this road now, while you can, because there鈥檚 no guarantee that the pavement will exist in the future. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island, encompasses several active volcanoes that have altered the landscape and the two-lane scenic highway multiple times in the last century. Currently, Chain of Craters Road is just shy of 19 miles long, traveling from the top of Kilauea Volcano to the Holei Sea Arch, which hangs over the Pacific Ocean. The road used to carry on past the arch, but that portion of the highway has been swallowed by lava. That鈥檚 what makes this road different from most others in the national park system; you get the opportunity to see the lava that created the Hawaiian islands up close and personal, as the road cruises by several active volcanic craters and the remnants of their outbursts.

Best View

Most of the pullouts along the road offer expansive views of lava fields in various stages of existence. The newer ones will be dark, rolling fields void of life, but the older lava flows will have vegetation and trees sprouting from the creases. The best view comes at the end of the road, when you can take a short walk to see the Holei Sea Arch, a tall, skinny window in a lava-rock cliff that formed over time as the Pacific Ocean slowly eroded the center of the rock.

Get Out of Your Car

There are a handful of hiking opportunities along the Chain of Craters Road. You can even hike what鈥檚 left of the former road beyond the current turn-around point at Holei Sea Arch. If you want a short hike, the .7-mile will take you on a boardwalk through an old lava field to a vast collection of petroglyphs that were carved into the lava more than 500 years ago.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

3. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia听

Skyline Drive runs 105 miles through the center of Shenandoah National Park, following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Consider this road a compressed version of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, which connects Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. You can do the road in half a day, but a campground and at the halfway mark make this the perfect two-day adventure. The two-lane road crests at 3,680 feet and offers 75 pullouts with views that extend deep into the mountains and down to the Shenandoah Valley below. Timing your visit during the fall, when the hardwoods in the surrounding mountains are popping with color, makes Skyline Drive a bucket list experience. Biking Skyline from end to end is one of the most memorable centuries on the East Coast. The road is open year round, but will occasionally be closed during the winter because of snow. Check the before you start your trip.

Best View

There are overlooks every couple of miles along Skyline, but the views really stack up around the midpoint as the road reaches its highest elevations. Spitler Knob Overlook, at milepost 48.1, looks west, taking in the Shenandoah River below and the mountains that divide Virginia and West Virginia on the horizon. The sunset from here is stunning, too.

Get Out of Your Car

Head for the highest point in the park by hiking the to the 4,049-foot Hawksbill Summit. The 2.1-mile out and back begins at milepost 46.5, and ends at an observation platform on top of Hawksbill with a 360-degree view of the mountains and surrounding Piedmont.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

4. Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana听

Yeah, this road is crowded, with parking lots along its path notoriously filling up by 10 A.M., but there鈥檚 a reason. Going-to-the-Sun Road, which bisects Glacier National Park while connecting the small gateway communities of West Glacier and St. Mary, might be the most scenic two-lane blacktop in the entire national park system. The 50-mile-long point to point highway delivers views of glaciated peaks, backcountry lakes, and the occasional waterfall, not to mention a great chance to see mountain goats. The road is an engineering feat as well鈥攊t took workers two decades to complete, with builders boring a number of tunnels into the cliffs. Going-to-the-Sun is only open to vehicles during the summer (typically from mid June to mid October), and there鈥檚 a brief hiker/biker season in May when human-powered traffic can access the road after it鈥檚 been plowed, but before the gates are open to cars.

Best View

Logan Pass is the most popular destination on the road, thanks to the visitor center and multiple trailheads there, but the Jackson Glacier Overlook has the sweetest view, as it gives you the best chance to see a glacier from the comfort of your car.

Get Out of Your Car

Going-to-the-Sun provides access to some of Glacier鈥檚 most iconic hikes and landscapes, so you could spend a full week knocking out trails without ever venturing beyond the road鈥檚 corridor. The 2.8-mile is a classic. You won鈥檛 have the trail to yourself (it鈥檚 one of the most popular hikes in the park) but the terrain you鈥檒l experience is iconic Glacier, passing through meadows full of wildflowers in the summer before it听reaches a vantage point overlooking a high alpine lake nestled at the base of the granite-rimmed Bearhat Mountain. Turn back or double your mileage by following the trail to the edge of the lake itself.

Reservations

You need for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road from June 13 to September 28, between the hours of 7 A.M. and 3 P.M. Show up before or after that daily window if you want to drive the road but can鈥檛 score a reservation.

5. Crater Lake Rim Drive, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon听

Crater Lake is a sight to behold. The 13,148-acre pool is the deepest lake in the United States, fed entirely by rain and snowmelt, and completely encompassed by the rim of a volcanic crater that was formed more than 7,000 years ago during an eruption. And it鈥檚 all set within the backdrop of Oregon鈥檚 Cascade Mountain Range. The 33-mile Rim Drive gives you a chance to see this lake and the crater from every angle as it forms a paved, two-lane path around the entire scene. There are 30 overlooks along the way, most of which offer a good view of the bright blue water and Wizard Island, a cinder cone island rising 775 feet above the surface of the lake. One of the coolest features of the road is that it was built to disappear into the landscape, so that you can鈥檛 see it as you鈥檙e looking out over the lake. Like many of the scenic park roads built in the 1920s and 30s, Rim Drive has tight curves and very little shoulder, so drive cautiously and watch out for cyclists. Crater Lake National Park gets an average of 41 feet of snow a year, so the road closes for winter, typically from November 1 to June 1.

Best View

Watchman Overlook, 6.5 miles from the visitor center, has one of the best views of the lake, particularly at sunset as it faces west. There鈥檚 also a short, mile-long Watchman Peak Trail that leads to a fire lookout tower with a 360-degree view of the lake, crater, and surrounding Cascade Mountains.

Get Out of the Car

You鈥檒l get plenty of vista views of the lake from above, but is the only legal trail you can take down to the water鈥檚 edge. Find the trailhead on the East Rim Drive, 4.5 miles from where North Entrance Road intersects with West Rim Drive. It鈥檚 a steep, 1.1-mile sandy path from the road to the lake, dropping 700 feet before hitting the boulder-laden shore. Yes, you can take a dip in the water, but it鈥檚 cold, averaging 57 degrees in the summer.

Reservations

Crater Lake National Park doesn鈥檛 require reservations, but there is a $30 per vehicle entrance fee.

6. White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Canyonlands National Park鈥檚 White Rim Road isn鈥檛 like others on this list. Instead of a paved highway, is a 100-mile four-wheel drive route through the backcountry of Canyonlands, forming a loop around the park鈥檚 Island in the Sky district. It鈥檚 a two-day adventure, at minimum, requiring a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, as well as solid navigational and backcountry skills. But if you have the chops, there鈥檚 no better way to see the park than driving (or mountain biking, if you are so inclined) White Rim Road. Named for the pale slickrock that dominates much of the road鈥檚 terrain, the driving is a mix of sandy washes, rough rocky stretches and the aforementioned slickrock, which will occasionally take you to the edge of canyons. It鈥檚 a two-way road, but most people drive it clockwise. No matter which you go, it should only be attempted by overland veterans and always keep an eyee out for oncoming vehicles, hikers, and bikers. You鈥檒l see towering buttes and monoliths as you drive along the Green River and switchback your way up and down the edges of deep gorges.

Best View

You鈥檒l see some amazing scenery throughout the entirety of this road, but Monument Basin, roughly 30 miles into the drive if you鈥檙e moving clockwise, will give you the chance to park above beauitful canyons and snag an Instagram-worthy shot. Inside the basin below, you鈥檒l see countless red sandstone spires rising from the valley floor.

Get Out of Your Car

The is a 3.4-mile out and back that leaves White Rim Road at mile 65 and meanders across the slickrock to the ruins of a stone structure built by the indigenous people that inhabited the area hundreds of years ago. From the ruin, you鈥檒l have a grand view of the Green River below, with its lush banks standing in contrast to the red desert on either side.

Reservations

Any overnight along White Rim requires a . You can apply for a permit up to four months in advance of your trip ($36 permit fee, plus a $5 per person, per night camping fee), and designated campsites are scattered along the route.

7. Grand Loop, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho

驰别濒濒辞飞蝉迟辞苍别鈥檚 Grand Loop isn鈥檛 a single road, but a combination of two-lane roads that form a 145-mile figure eight through the heart of the park. You can do the entire figure eight or just tackle the upper or lower loop. If you attempt to drive the entire Grand Loop, it will be an all-day adventure. Some visitors even break it up into two full days, knocking up the Upper Loop on day one and Lower Loop on the second day. Drive the entire Grand Loop and you鈥檒l hit most of the highlights in America鈥檚 oldest national park, with a chance to stop at geothermal wonders like Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, and Grand Prismatic Spring, while also being able to take quick detours to iconic landscapes, like the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Lamar Valley, a broad grassland bisected by the Lamar River that attracts big game like bison and grizzly bears. If you have a snowmobile, you can explore the Grand Loop during winter, otherwise you鈥檒l have to plan your trip between May and the end of October, when the road is cleared of snow. And be prepared for the occasional 鈥渂ison jam,鈥� when cars stop to watch the locals.

Best View

Artist Point Overlook, a detour off of the Upper Grand Loop on the South Rim Drive, provides the best view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, which is 20 miles long and more than 1,000 feet deep. From this overlook, you get a great view of the canyon鈥檚 Lower Falls, a tumultuous 300-foot waterfall flanked by steep rock walls.

Get Out of Your Car

The seven-mile out and back from 听delivers views of the park鈥檚 most iconic landscapes, with vistas of the rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley (a primo wildlife watching spot), and Yellowstone Lake. On a clear day from the lookout tower on top of Mount Washburn, you can see straight into the Grand Tetons, too. You鈥檒l be following an old stage coach road on this hike, so there鈥檚 even a bit of Wild West culture thrown in for good measure.

Reservations

No vehicle reservations needed. Entrance fee is $35 per vehicle.

8. Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Maine

础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Park Loop is the quintessential national park scenic drive: it鈥檚 short, gorgeous, and provides access to the park鈥檚 most popular destinations. The 27-mile one-way loop traverses the eastern flank of 础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Mount Desert Island skipping from freshwater ponds to beaches and cliffs, delivering some of Maine鈥檚 most iconic coastal views along the way. Acadia gets three million visitors a year, so the road gets congested, but you can still complete the loop in just a few hours. Take your time though, as Park Loop provides access to short trails and beaches that could keep you entertained for days. If you get a timed entry permit, you can tack on the three-mile too, which rises 1,530 feet straight out of the ocean, offering long range views of the Atlantic.

Best View

Dramatic views are a near constant along Park Loop, but Otter Cliff stands out above the rest, literally and figuratively. Otter Cliff is 110 feet tall, making it one of the tallest cliffs on the east coast. Spruce trees sprout from the top of the cliff, while a boulder-strewn beach can be seen below. Hit the cliff during the summer and there鈥檚 a good chance you鈥檒l see multiple species of whales in the water.

Get Out of Your Car

Make a stop at Sand Beach, where you can take a swim if you鈥檙e brave enough to handle the Atlantic鈥檚 frigid temperatures, lounge and walk the , an easy stroll that accesses a variety of views of the Atlantic and Mount Desert Island鈥檚 coastline. The path will also take you to Thunder Hole, an inlet carved into the cliffs where incoming waves create a thunderous echo.

Reservations

You don鈥檛 need reservations to enter Acadia or drive the Park Loop, but you will need them if you want to drive the summit road to the top of . Entrance fee to the park is $35 per vehicle.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national park columnist. He loves a scenic road with an overlook as much as the next tourist and he recently wrote about the best road trips in the Southwest. He鈥檚 excited to plan his family鈥檚 next spring break trip, too.听

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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.

We鈥檙e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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The Centennial State is famous for its world-class river rapids, sky-high summits, and popular national parks. But somehow, its multitude of hot springs has remained an overlooked secret.

From rustic tubs in the wilderness, to full-service resorts with restaurants and posh spa offerings, Colorado is home to some seriously stunning geothermal pools, and its is celebrating its tenth听anniversary in 2025. I鈥檝e spent the last two years traveling to every soaking hub that I can muster (it鈥檚 a hard job, but somebody鈥檚 gotta do it), and put together the ultimate for a weeklong road trip to the best hot springs in the state.

This loop can easily be modified into a long weekend or tackled from a different starting point, for those with limited time.

Day 1: Denver to Chaffee County

Distance: 128 miles

It鈥檚 time to vacate the big city in search of steamy solace. Cruise through the conifer-studded hills of Highway 285 as you head southwest out of Denver. Hankering for a roadside attraction? The tiny town of Bailey is home to a historic , serving up Polish hot links and elk jalepe帽o brats.

Once you arrive in Chaffee County, you鈥檒l descend into a wide alpine valley, bordered by a wall of fourteeners听known as the Collegiate Peaks. From here, you鈥檝e got a few options for soaking. Nab a cabin or lodge room at the more upscale 听(from $175 per night), reserve a car campsite at rustic 听(from $66 per night), or rent an entire house with its own private pool at 听(from $385 per night). In the summer, nearby Buena Vista features world-class rafting and kayaking, so don鈥檛 forget your paddle.

*Day passes for Cottonwood and Mount Princeton are also available for purchase.

Day 2: Chaffee to Saguache County

Distance: 57 miles

About an hour south of Buena Vista sit a handful of less-developed springs. If you鈥檇 like to beef up your day鈥檚 activities, head 30 minutes further south to the , which is tucked away in the foothills of prominent Kit Carson Peak, where the former mining town has turned into a hub for Hindu, Buddhist, and new age spiritual practicies.听You could also tick a national park off your list, by continuing south on Highway 17 for a day of dune sledding at Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Choose from two main hot springs when you bed down on day two: 听(from $225 per night) and 听(from $50 per night). Valley View Hot Springs is part of a , and you鈥檒l have to pay a $35 annual membership fee to reserve a campsite, cabin, or day pass for soaking. It鈥檚 also an entirely clothing-optional property, ideal for those who want to go au naturel while they soak. (day passes from $18) is a bit more developed, with clean, simple lodge rooms, glamping sites, and on-site dining options for when all that relaxing inevitably stokes your hunger.

Day 3: Saguache County to Pagosa Springs

Distance: 109 miles

Wind through craggy, forested peaks on the two-hour drive along Highway 160 to Pagosa Springs. Pull over to hike the one-mile-long trail up to , a thundering cascade that鈥檚 105-feet high. Or, if you鈥檙e itching to get straight to soaking, brave the entire 109-mile drive until you come to the (day passes from $67), situated on the banks of the powerful San Juan River.

Though it was first discovered by the Southern Ute Tribe centuries ago, this site has been home to a more European-style bathhouse since 1881. These days, it鈥檚 home to a full-service resort, with 25 individual hot spring pools, a variety of rooms and suites, on-site dining, and an elegant spa. Schedule a deep tissue massage to get the kinks out, then chow down on a Green Chile Cheeseburger as the sun sets over the river basin.

Day 4: Pagosa Springs to Durango

Distance: 69 miles

Given the day鈥檚 shorter driving distance, I鈥檇 recommend sleeping in and grabbing breakfast in Pagosa Springs at , then motoring over to , to learn about the rich Native history of Southern Colorado. Stop for lunch in the outdoorsy mecca of Durango ( is a local gem) before navigating slightly out of town to reach (passes from $39, which you must book at least three months in advance).

Enjoy phenomenal mountain views from this world-class spa, which offers a variety of organic facials and healing massages. Or simply book a two- to three-hour听soaking window for the afternoon. At night, hang your hat at the Western-style log cabins at (pup-friendly lodging from $200 per night available).

Day 5: Durango to Ouray

Distance: 62 miles

This drive is more about the journey than the destination. Travel north on the , one of the most stunning byways in the country. Originally built by railroad mogul Otto Mears in the 1880s, this high-altitude road tops out at a staggering 11,018 feet. Along the way, motorists can stop at Molas Pass for hiking trails and panoramic mountain views of the San Juans. If you鈥檇 rather go chasing waterfalls, pull over just before Ouray for a top-down look at Bear Creek Falls.

Either way, don鈥檛 miss a quick stopover in Silverton, a historic mining town that now serves as an outdoor recreation hub. Knock back a pint and some al pastor tacos at , then continue past historic silver mines on the winding highway up to Ouray, often referred to as 鈥渢he Switzerland of America.鈥� If you鈥檙e camping nearby, opt for a day pass at (from $26), right in the center of downtown. But if you prefer a few more creature comforts, this town has options galore. Choose between (from $189 per night), (from $120 per night), and (from $160 per night),听each of which has its own private ponds, so you can stargaze while you soak.

Day 6: Ouray to Glenwood Springs

Distance: 176 miles

Enjoy the shift from tree-topped summits to rust-red mesas on the three-hour drive north through Montrose and Grand Junction. If you鈥檙e a national parks junkie, stop over at Black Canyon of the Gunnison for cliff鈥檚 edge vistas into a narrow ravine of dark gneiss. In July and August, don鈥檛 forget to pull over in bucolic for a box of regionally famous peaches.

Savor the historic lodge and soaking ponds of (day passes from $38), which is home to the world鈥檚 largest hot springs pool, measuring a full two city blocks in length. Famous faces, like President Teddy Roosevelt and notorious gangster Al Capone, once frequented this geothermal spa, which was constructed in 1888. Of course, if you鈥檇 prefer a more solitude-centric soak, you could reserve a cabin or a coveted day pass at 听(day passes from $34), 30 minutes away by car. There, you鈥檒l find three steamy lagoons with views of towering Mount Sopris, plus a variety of funky log cabins, all pet-friendly. Pro tip: book at least one month in advance; this site can be competitive.

Day 7: Glenwood Springs to Steamboat Springs

Distance: 115 miles

Though your soaking saga is nearly complete, there鈥檚 one more essential stop along the route: Steamboat Springs. Enjoy a dramatic morning drive through the tree-freckled cliffs of Glenwood Canyon before veering north onto Highway 131. Swerve past arid mesa tops and cow pastures all the way to your destination.

Steamboat Springs is a haven for serious skiers and snowboarders in the winter months, but come summer, it changes pace to become a rafting hub for those who dare to descend boulder-strewn Clear Creek. Here, offers a family-friendly soaking experience (day passes from $29), complete with waterslides and cold plunges. Just outside of town, (day passes from $20, cash only) caters to nature lovers who prefer glamping and car camping options tucked away in the quietude of an old growth forest. Visiting while it鈥檚 dumping snow? The offers a safe and easy ride when you鈥檙e done slaying the pow.

Emily Pennington is a national-parks expert and self-proclaimed hot-springs addict who鈥檚 also a longtime contributor to 国产吃瓜黑料. To date, she鈥檚 visited every U.S. national park and hiked on all seven continents. She recently wrote about visiting every national park, the most stunning trails in California, and a hot springs resort in a ghost town.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Colorado’s Best Hot Springs appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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.

I left Breckenridge on July 3 and headed west without a plan. I鈥檇 crashed the night before with my friend Sorrel, at the mountainside condo she was renting full-time. I was on a seat-of-my-pants road trip around Colorado without a place to sleep on the eve of one of the biggest camping holidays of the year. At a highway rest stop in the early afternoon, I sent a hail-mary DM to a college acquaintance named Emily who lived in Crested Butte to see if she was around and would let me crash.

鈥淐ome through!!鈥� she responded. 鈥淲e can go skiing!鈥�

We鈥檇 seen each other once or twice since graduation, but we were mostly internet friends who both loved nerding out on skiing, social justice, and reading. Two hours later, I pulled up in front of her house. Emily outfitted me with a cutoff Canadian tuxedo and we set off for Paradise Divide. We bootpacked up a 300-vertical-foot snowfield and made the most of what remained of winter鈥檚 snowpack. I laughed to myself as slush hit my bare legs with each turn, marveling at how much less interesting my day would have been if I鈥檇 just tried to find a dispersed spot to sleep on my own.

I took off for my cousin Julie鈥檚 house in Salt Lake City, Utah, the next day, exhilarated by connecting the dots across the West鈥攚ithout dropping a penny on lodging. I鈥檇 started to travel this way in my early twenties, plotting destinations based on where I had someone to crash with for free.

It鈥檚 a natural dirtbag urge to eliminate the cost of lodging from travel. To drive your truck down a Forest Service road and sleep in the back, to nestle under a throw blanket on your friend鈥檚 couch, to lay your sleeping pad in the dirt on BLM land. In the U.S, a small Air BnB for two adults typically costs $125, according to . On average, a hotel room will run you about , so staying for free can save up to $1000 for a weeklong trip. It can also put an otherwise financially out-of-reach tourist destination on the table. Lindsay, a renewable energy policy director friend of mine based in Rockport, Maine, admits that visiting Tahoe during peak ski season was only possible for her and her family because they house-sat for a friend who was away.

I worked in outdoor education leading trips for four summers, which meant I ended up with connections in exactly the type of places I wanted to go: a friend in Gunnison, Colorado, to crash with when it was a powder day, a place to stay in Jackson, Wyoming, when it was primetime to see wildflowers and float the Snake, folks to visit in Bend, Oregon, when it came time to recertify my Wilderness First Responder and ride bikes.

The savings on lodging are just the beginning. On previous visits to Crested Butte, a friend got me buddy passes at the resort and free slices during his shifts at the pizza place in town. When I crashed on my friend Eddie鈥檚 couch in Jackson Hole, he punched out my touring boots for free during one of his shifts at the shop. The rich get richer, as they say.

Saving money isn鈥檛 the only benefit of traveling this way. Crashing with friends may be a frugal way to travel, but having a network of people to stay with is indicative of social wealth. Being connected to folks in expensive mountain towns听 can open up the list of accessible destinations, and in turn, grow the network even more. I reconnected with Emily in Crested Butte while visiting my friend Colt who lived there, and when he moved away, I still had a place to crash.

More importantly, when I鈥檓 staying with locals, I get to tap into the heart of each place in a way I wouldn鈥檛 if I came on my own鈥攆ollowing friends around the mountain and finding hidden stashes, tagging along to house parties, learning which pullouts along the river have fewer crowds.

For those without an established network of friends in mountain towns, there is , a service that connects budget travelers to a global community of 鈥渇riends they haven鈥檛 met yet,鈥澨� according to their website. When I was traveling in Argentina in 2013 with my college roommate, we met an American on an overnight bus who put us in touch with two couch surfing hosts in Bariloche鈥搘here she had just left and where we were headed. A few days later, we huffed it up a winding dirt road to meet Juli谩n and Alejandra, who not only let us blow up our sleeping pads on their tile floor, but cooked and played music with us, showed us around the city, and gave us priceless insider trail recommendations. We were supposed to stay for two days, but four days later, we were still there, soaking it all in.

In my mid-twenties, I lived alone in a three-bedroom house on the side of North Table Mountain that had absurdly low rent in Golden, Colorado. It was a thrill to be able to open my doors to others like they鈥檇 opened theirs to me. I鈥檇 pile friends in sleeping bags on the living room floor after karaoke nights at the dive bar in town, or unfold the futon in the gear room for visitors passing through to ski.

It was big enough that friends began offering it to their friends. My friend Emma was living in a tiny studio and had a friend visiting for a few days to take the Single Pitch Instructor course required to be a rock guide鈥揷ould she possibly stay with me instead?

I鈥檇 only met Betsy once, but it seemed like a no-brainer. This had something to do with having the space, and something to do with the way I wanted to be in the world. I wanted to be open to experiences and people and the ways we can mutually support each other. I wanted to leave room for magic.

Over the next few days, Betsy slept on the futon in my gear room, we split meals, and got to connect one-on-one in a way we wouldn鈥檛 have otherwise. Extended time in a shared space leads to a depth of conversation that just doesn鈥檛 happen grabbing a beer at a brewery or on a bike ride. She passed her course, hugged me goodbye, and headed back to Jackson. Betsy wasn’t just Emma鈥檚 friend now, she was my friend, too.

A while later, my college roommate Natalie called me and asked if her new boyfriend could crash with me on his way back to Temple University, where they were both in med school. I hadn鈥檛 met Mark, and had just gone through a breakup. I didn’t exactly feel like making conversation with a stranger.

When he pulled up, I summoned everything inside me to get to know someone who mattered to someone who mattered to me. We hung out on my back deck, drank beers, and chatted and laughed for hours鈥攊t turned out that having a favorite person in common made it easy for us to get along.

I went to bed that night reminded that I could still laugh, that there were still good people in the world, and that there might be joy and experiences I couldn鈥檛 possibly predict ahead.

When you live with your arms open to others, you never know when the karma might come back your way. Four years after Betsy slept on my futon, she became an editor at Backcountry Magazine. I got a text from her out of the blue saying, 鈥淧itch me some ideas! We鈥檇 love to publish your writing.鈥�

Five years after Mark stayed with me in Golden, he married Natalie. When I fell trail running and tore my shin open, I FaceTimed Mark, now an ER doctor, from the parking lot to see if he thought I needed stitches.

Crashing with friends turns hard goodbyes with people you love into a glorious network of landing pads all over the world. It converts people you鈥檝e never met into people you鈥檝e shared coffee and conversation with. It turns the mountain towns of the world into accessible and affordable destinations. It is personal and intimate in a way that hotels and Airbnbs and sleeping alone in your truck are not.

This form of travel may seem best suited to unattached dirtbags in their twenties, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be confined to that demographic. If you鈥檙e down to get creative with sleep solutions, you can keep your arms open to visitors and your mind open to visiting others. My 65-year-old dad parked his camper in our driveway when he came through Truckee, California, on a ski trip. I slept in Lindsay鈥檚 ancient van in her driveway when she was living in a one-bedroom apartment in Boulder with her husband and two-year-old. I stayed with Natatlie鈥檚 parents after my lodging fell through for her wedding, feeling like the fifth Taylor sister by the end of the weekend. We might all pass through moments of life where it鈥檚 easier for us to host or be hosted for a variety of reasons. I invite you all to join the church of You Can Always Crash on My Couch, where the belief in karma is strong, and the latchstring is always out.

A year ago, my partner, Andy, and I moved to Anchorage, Alaska. In some ways, it would fundamentally change the way we traveled鈥搉o longer would we spontaneously crash with folks on a multi-state road trip or have folks crash with us passing through to other destinations in the West. But in Anchorage we鈥檇 finally upgraded to a guest room with a real bed and a door that closed. The pain of leaving our communities in the West was eased by the knowledge that we鈥檇 be able to host people on their way to the Alaska Range, that we could lure visitors in with backcountry skiing and wild-picked berry pancakes and conversation around the breakfast table. And we鈥檇 always be able to go back to the lower 48, to our twinkling constellation of landing pads all over the country.

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My partner and I always fight while packing the car for a road trip, especially around the holidays. It brings out the worst in us. Our stress and anxiety turn into arguments about how to organize the trunk, and鈥攏ot kidding鈥攚hether he really needs to bring his espresso machine. Help! How can we avoid another packing meltdown this month? 鈥擱oad Weary

As a minimalist packer, it drives me bonkers when people stuff their car to the ceiling with nonessentials. My mom is a notorious overpacker and lives in constant fear of not having enough snacks when she travels. Because I loathe driving, I鈥檝e just accepted that on even the shortest road trip with her, my knees will be crunched against the dashboard to accommodate gallons of water and a cooler of food jammed behind my seat. (If we ever got caught in a storm, we鈥檇 survive comfortably for a few days.)

My best friend, Katherine, usually argues with her husband, Carmino, about packing for their annual December road trip from Brooklyn to South Bend, Indiana, to visit his grandmother. Fights ensue because they think they have more room in their Jeep Gladiator than they actually do. 鈥淵et every year we still pack it to the brim,鈥� she says.

Carmino is a wanna-be chef, so he insists on traveling with his own kitchen supplies, including a 25-by-25-inch wooden cutting board and numerous pasta-making machines and tools. Additionally, they head out with a Yeti cooler packed with artisanal New York City treats and return with his grandmother鈥檚 homemade Polish sausage and pierogies to share with family on the East Coast. 鈥淚鈥檓 talking like 90 pierogis,鈥� Katherine says.

In fairness, Katherine packs her own pillows, and sometimes blankets, for their hotel stays en route to Indiana, which drives him crazy. Getting rest during family holidays is essential, she rationalizes. 鈥淎t least I use them all week long, versus one day,鈥� she says.

Why Does Packing for a Holiday Road Trip Feel Particularly Tense?

One of the biggest fights 国产吃瓜黑料 editor Mary Turner ever had with her father was over a casserole dish that she placed in the trunk of the car when he wasn’t looking as they were about to drive to a relative’s house for Thanksgiving. “He discovered it right before he closed the trunk, and all hell broke loose,” she says. “He is super anal听about what goes where in the car, and I apparently hadn’t followed those rules.”

Vacations, travel, and packing are cognitively stressful, says Sarah Pressman, a professor of psychological science at the University of California at Irvine. 鈥淲e have to juggle a lot of mental tasks and questions,鈥� she says. For example: What needs to be packed? Will it fit? What am I forgetting? Will I really need this? Excessive cognitive load, she says 鈥渃an be tiring, distracting, and potentially diminish our patience.鈥�

Holiday travel especially is a pressure cooker of stress, says Los Angeles鈥揵ased therapist Laurel Robert-Meese. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e often trying to get everyone else鈥檚 needs met,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e rushing out of the house to get to your parents鈥� or in-laws鈥�, and know you might be out of your routine for a few days, stress is heightened.鈥�

A huge trigger of travel stress is unrealistically high expectations, says Pressman. 鈥淲e want everything to be absolutely perfect during the holidays or on a major vacation,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen our expectations aren鈥檛 met鈥攆or example, in a chaotic packing situation鈥攊t鈥檚 easy to be disappointed and lash out at whoever is around us.鈥�

To diffuse the situation, ask yourself what鈥檚 more important: that the car is packed a certain way or that you get to your destination safely and relatively on time, says Robert-Meese. 鈥淎nd do you want to be right, or do you want to stay married?鈥� When someone throws a tantrum about a backpack being on top of the suitcase, or between suitcases, that typically represents something bigger, she says. 鈥淚f someone is anxious about something鈥攍ike seeing their parents鈥攖hat may manifest in criticizing something trivial, like where the suitcase was placed.鈥�

Does Car Size Matter?

My friend Carly and her husband, Ross, live in Boulder, Colorado, and love road-tripping with their two girls, but they hate the Tetris of configuring everything just right into their vehicle. In 2017, they purchased a bare-bones but roomy Sprinter cargo van that they refer to as their mobile garage. But they quickly learned that when you have a bigger vehicle, you want to pack your entire house, including the espresso machine, a giant cooler that contains the contents of their fridge, a case of wine, plus all of their family鈥檚 adventure gear. 鈥淧retending we have a Subaru instead of a Sprinter might help with quantity control,鈥� she admits.

Tiny cars in Europe are a personal affront to many Americans used to SUVs. Yet when my friends and I go on ski trips to the Continent, my frugal friend Michael, who lives in New York City, inevitably always rents the smallest car. We manage to make it work after what Michael鈥檚 wife, Meredith, calls 鈥渢he great packing saga.鈥�

Meredith is a pro when it comes to packing any size car. 鈥淭he biggest or most angular or geometric pieces鈥攍ike skis鈥攇o in first,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nything that fits neatly in the corners of the trunk. Then it鈥檚 Jenga with smaller bags or soft bags. And finally, you plug every crack and crevice with small bags, extra coats or sweatshirts, or sneakers.鈥� Her personal bag, usually teeming with snacks and extra clothes, stays up front within easy reach.

Who Should Get the Final Say?

Delegating one person to pack the car鈥攁nd being responsible for knowing where everything is鈥攃an reduce stress, says Pressman. 鈥淪ometimes one person has a special skill of optimizing the available space. So let them be the one to make those decisions instead of randomly throwing things in or fighting over what goes where,鈥� she says.

If one of your travel partners is super organized and wants to decide what goes where in the car, let them, says Pressman. Decide what your priority is. 鈥淧ick your battles to maximize happiness, and figure out who should be in charge based on personal strengths and preferences,鈥� she says.

Michelle and Andy Gilbert of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, are a perfect example. Michelle says she always forgets to pack all kinds of stuff: 鈥淲e’ve had to stop for bras, toothbrushes, hair products, underwear鈥�. You name it, I’ve forgotten it.鈥� Her husband, on the other hand, is a meticulous packer; he makes a checklist on his phone and ticks things off as he packs.

鈥淲e are very different people,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e laughs at me but never gives me a hard time. It鈥檚 an unspoken rule that he’s in charge of any important documents, as well as packing the trunk or back of the car, especially if we have a lot to bring. I’m in charge of the front area of the car snacks, blankets, the fun stuff.鈥�

If you anticipate going head-to-head about one specific travel issue, set some rules beforehand. For example, maybe the driver gets to decide what feels safest for their comfort in terms of car organization, but the passengers can take control over what goes in the back seat. What’s most important is establishing clear lines of communication and talking through individual priorities before packing and loading begins, says Pressman. Consider compromises, and work together to create a plan that will make everyone happy.

Kelli Miller, author of , suggests using a sliding scale between one and ten to determine who is more emotionally invested. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e a seven when it comes to organization and your partner is a two, you take the lead,鈥� she says. Miller agrees that clear, constant communication is key.

How to Make Packing the Car Less Stressful

Plan Ahead

When we procrastinate, and then feel like we don’t have time to do what we need, that activates our stress response, says Pressman. 鈥淭his heightens negative emotions and makes us more irritable and reactive,鈥� she says.

Carly says her family鈥檚 packing history confirms this. If it鈥檚 done at the last minute on the day of a trip, it always results in tears, the silent treatment, and, inevitably, leaving an hour later than intended.

Miller recommends starting to pack at least three days ahead, to give yourself time to shop for necessities, decide who is responsible for what, and determine what nonnegotiable items have to make it into the car.

Assign Roles

When people have specific responsibilities, things feel more controlled and communication is high, says Pressman. 鈥淢y husband and I typically make a shared Google Docs packing list of what we need and who is packing what,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his reduces surprises and conflicts over forgotten items. I often find myself asking him the day before, 鈥榃hat am I forgetting?鈥� And nine times out of ten he’ll remember something I forgot.鈥�

But Make It a Team Effort

Carly tries to make packing a family affair. 鈥淚 recently discovered that I can give my eight- and ten-year-old daughters a packing list and put them in charge of their own bags,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his relieves some stress, as I鈥檝e outlined what they need, and they are expected to execute. If they forget something, it鈥檚 on them.鈥�

Everyone also helps haul bags and gear from the house to the van, and then her husband loads it.

Take a Breath and Laugh

If you鈥檙e fighting about how to pack the car, don’t feel like you have to push through while panicking, says Pressman. 鈥淣egative emotions focus our attention and make it harder to find creative solutions to problems,鈥� she says. 鈥淭ake a breath, take a five-minute break, and talk about the good things that will happen on your trip. Even a quick knock-knock joke can do wonders to diffuse the tension and help you get back to the grind in a more helpful mood.鈥�

One of her favorite jokes: Why did the tire get invited to all the road trips? Because it always knew how to roll with it!

Jen Murphy is the travel-advice columnist for 国产吃瓜黑料 Online. She grew up in New Jersey, the only state where it鈥檚 still illegal to pump your own gas. She鈥檒l cope with a messily packed car as long as she doesn鈥檛 have to fill the tank.听

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I think of my old car sometimes when I drive by the Walmart Supercenter. The parking lot there was essentially the launch point of my first real long-distance road trip as an adult, spanning ten days and eight states in the late spring of 2004. We drove my 1996 Pontiac Grand Am GT, a car that my friend Nick announced had taught him that he would “never buy a two-door car.”

I didn鈥檛 keep a journal of the trip, but I believe Nick said that while standing in the Watchman Campground in Zion National Park, on maybe our eighth day of wrangling gear in and out of the car’s back seats. We couldn鈥檛 use the trunk because it was full of everything I could justify bringing from my grad school apartment in Missoula, Montana, to our terminus in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I was moving in with my then-girlfriend. We tried to keep what we needed in the backseat, and of course to access anything in the backseat, you had to fold the front seat down, lean in, and bend around the corner.

I believe this type of two-door design was, and maybe still is, referred to as a 鈥渃oupe,鈥� a word that is almost never paired with the word 鈥渁dventure,鈥� which is what we were trying to use the Grand Am for, and certainly not the word 鈥渄irtbag,鈥� which is the type of adventure we were trying to have.

We left Missoula about 10 days before Memorial Day. Nick bussed in via a Greyhound from somewhere in Iowa, an 18-hour ride he鈥檇 probably never do again.听 So a car, any car, a space he鈥檇 only have to share with one person, probably felt like an improvement.

I had gotten the car through my college roommate Chris, whose brother, Andy, had bought it at an auction, repaired the one thing that was wrong with it (someone had tried to steal the passenger-side airbag), and then sold it to me. There were a few reasons why it was not the ideal road trip car, some of which were my fault.

I had packed the trunk almost full by the time Nick added his stuff, and then attached a trunk-mount Yakima bike rack to haul an old Schwinn mountain bike all the way to Arizona, so if either of us wanted anything in the trunk, we had to remove the bike, pull off the bike rack, and then open the trunk. The bike and the rack, of course, fell off the back of the car multiple times on bumpy mountain roads, first on our way up and down to the Mt. Pilchuk trailhead outside of Seattle. The summit was in a cloud when we arrived at the end of our short, steep hike.

People sleep in all kinds of adventure vehicles鈥攐ld vans, new Sprinter vans, RVs, trucks with toppers, trucks with campers, station wagons, even in sedans in which the back seats fold down. The Grand Am鈥檚 seats did not fold down. And we couldn鈥檛 recline the front seats very far on account of all our stuff in the backseat. Still, we slept in the car twice, because we were young and durable, and had no other options, once next to the ocean somewhere near Aberdeen, Washington, and once near Barstow, California, where we鈥檇 driven after hiking up Half Dome and being unable to find a campsite anywhere near the park.

We camped almost all the other nights, except for a couple nights we spent on friends鈥� floors in Seattle and Bend. The trunk light somehow melted a hole in Nick鈥檚 Therm-a-Rest on the second-to-last day of the trip, so he slept rather uncomfortably on our last night in Mexican Hat, Utah. We鈥檇 walked into the ranger station at Natural Bridges National Monument late that afternoon and asked about campsites, and in an I-swear-this-actually-happened exchange that I鈥檝e written about elsewhere鈥攊t鈥檚 so dumb it sounds like I made it up鈥攖he ranger said, 鈥淵ou guys don鈥檛 want to camp here. You鈥檒l be done with this park in an hour. Tell you what: Are you intense?鈥�

I looked at Nick, kind of shrugged, and nodded. We were young, fairly fit, and maybe looked pretty intense, I guess. The ranger went on to tell us to head south to Valley of the Gods, the entirety of which was BLM land, and we could just pull off the road and camp anywhere we found a spot. We thanked him for the advice and left, and I was unlocking the car door in the parking lot by the time I realized what he鈥檇 actually said. Over the roof of the car, I said to Nick,

鈥淥h, he meant 鈥榠n tents,鈥� like are we camping in tents or do we have an RV.鈥�

鈥淵eah,鈥� Nick said, not understanding my confusion.

The low clearance of the Grand Am meant we didn鈥檛 get too far into Valley of the Gods before we chickened out and drove back to the paved highway, and spent the night in a paid campground behind a lodge in Mexican Hat. It was not that intense. The next day we drove through Monument Valley, checked out the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and gave the car a well-earned rest in a visitor parking spot at my girlfriend鈥檚 apartment complex in Scottsdale, after the biggest adventure it would ever go on.

To be fair, I had not bought the car under any pretense of it being a 鈥渞oad trip vehicle鈥� or 鈥渁dventure vehicle.鈥� I bought it because it was a pretty good deal, from a trusted friend, and I was not very picky about cars. And I didn鈥檛 treat it that well鈥擨 bought it in 1999, if memory serves, and I have been sober since March 2002, but the period of time between was a bit rough on the car. The inoperable driver鈥檚-side window was my fault (rolling it down when it was iced over), as was whatever went wrong with the front right wheel (hit a curb at high velocity). The windshield had been shattered once (a friend tried to jump over the car as we were leaving a party; I eventually got it repaired), and the trunk-mount CD player had been smashed by a full beer keg that rolled into it (on the drive back to our party).

Still, it was what I had, and entering the job market in 2004 with a graduate degree in journalism, I wasn鈥檛 exactly ready for a down payment on a new BMW. Or any car, really. I worked for a year in the Phoenix area, and then moved to Denver, where the Grand Am was even less useful, because, you know, snow.

Luckily, Nick, who lived in Denver, had bought a 2004 Toyota Tacoma, and was willing to drive to Summit County ski resorts in the winter and mountain trailheads all summer. One winter day, though, I drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park to snowshoe, and met a guy my age who also happened to be from the Midwest. We chatted all the way back to the parking lot, and when I stopped behind the Grand Am, he asked, 鈥淚s this your car?鈥�

I said, 鈥淵eah. It鈥檚 kind of a Midwest car.鈥�

He said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a meth car.鈥�

I wasn鈥檛 about to defend the Grand Am鈥檚 honor. I mean, its overall aesthetic didn鈥檛 exactly scream 鈥淣OT a meth car,鈥� but it also had never really let me down, at least not in a big way. And although we never drove my car to a trailhead if there was any sort of questionable dirt road involved, I thought of the day the previous summer that we had taken Nick鈥檚 Tacoma to climb Grays and Torreys peaks. The road to the trailhead was rough with bumps, holes, and big exposed rocks, and I was glad Nick had volunteered to drive his truck.

But then, about a half-mile from the trailhead, the Jeep in front of us slowed, and in front of the Jeep was someone in a Honda Civic negotiating a very tricky-for-a-sedan spot in the road, backing up, re-orienting, pulling forward, backing up again, and then sending it, with nary a scrape. The Civic made it to the trailhead just fine. I lived in Colorado off and on for 15 years, and I learned that whenever you think that a Forest Service road is impassable by anyone without high clearance and 4-wheel-drive, you鈥檒l always see that someone made it up to the parking area in a goddamn Honda Civic.

The Grand Am survived our 10-day, eight-state road trip, and saw its share of national parks and quite a few Forest Service roads, but it was never my first choice if anyone else was willing to drive their vehicle for a day of hiking or skiing. One night in February 2006, I was cruising up Josephine Street in Denver with my then-girlfriend, and a guy floored it from a stop sign on 5th Avenue, not seeing us until his car bulldozed into the front passenger side of the Grand Am at full speed. We rammed into a light pole on the street corner, hard enough to bend it, but not hard enough to knock it over. Just after we came to a stop, I looked over to my girlfriend and asked, 鈥淎re you OK?鈥� She answered yes, she thought she was OK. A few seconds later, I quietly but excitedly said, 鈥淚 think the car鈥檚 totaled.鈥� The car鈥檚 destruction, of course, being the only way I would be able to replace it, with my $25,000/year salary at the newspaper. As soon as the insurance money came, I found an all-wheel-drive 1996 Subaru Impreza Outback on Craigslist. I figured it could take me anywhere I wanted to go, and it did.

The Grand Am was a bad fit for the lifestyle I wanted at the time鈥擨 was chomping at the bit to see the world, and the world I wanted to see didn鈥檛 have smooth roads leading to it. It was a piece of gear that didn鈥檛 work that well. But when I was first starting out, none of the stuff I had was very good鈥攃otton pants, clunky hiking boots, bargain backpacks that didn鈥檛 fit, a heavy sleeping bag, the cheapest climbing shoes I could find, thrift-store snowboard pants.

Would some better gear have been nice? Sure. But I鈥檓 glad I didn鈥檛 let it keep me from getting out there.

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Camping in 120 degree heat can be deadly. But can it also be beautiful? What started as a lark鈥攁 road trip in search of very, very hot weather鈥攂ecame an exercise in humility for writer Leath Tonino and his buddy Sean when they spent a night out in the desert. Their mission was to find the hottest patch of sand they could drive to, camp out, and survive. But as the mercury climbed and the sun obliterated their minds, their Mad Max adventure started to look more and more like a window into something amazing鈥攁nd terrifying.

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Colorado is home to four seasons of vast wonders, with its mountain views, wide-open spaces, and opportunities to connect with the land. It鈥檚 no surprise the state attracts hikers, mountain bikers, skiers, and road-trippers from around the world. But Colorado鈥檚 beauty is on full display in fall, when the landscape transitions into a golden masterpiece鈥攁 dream for any outdoor enthusiast. To fully capture the magic of , we talked to three members of the , an inclusive community dedicated to mountaincraft education, adventure, and conservation.

Road Trips

Fall road trips are an excellent way to explore Colorado鈥檚 diverse landscapes. The best person to ask about the state鈥檚 is Matt Enquist. As the author of Colorado鈥檚 Best Hikes for Fall Colors, Enquist has driven all over the state in search of the best destinations to see the changing leaves. He lives in a hiking, skiing, and climbing haven鈥攖he San Luis Valley, in south-central Colorado. The area is home to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and the impressive Sangre de Cristo Range.

国产吃瓜黑料: Colorado is packed with beautiful driving routes. What do you love most about fall road-tripping in Colorado?听

Matt Enquist: I love the fresh, cool air and the hunt for the perfect campsite. There鈥檚 no time to be outside like in the fall. The beauty of the changing leaves, the perfect weather, and the opportunity to get outside before a long winter truly make fall the best time of year.

Out of all the fall road trips you鈥檝e been on in Colorado, which one is the most memorable?听

When I was writing my book, my research took me all over the southwestern part of the state. The drive from up to along the famed , through , and down into via was truly incredible. The route has jaw-dropping color at every turn, prominent peaks, and some of the best camping I鈥檝e found. Ouray is full of hot-spring pit stops, Ridgway has great food, and Last Dollar Road is an adventure in and of itself. The dispersed camping overlooking Wilson Peak and its sea of yellow, red, and orange aspen leaves is world class.

Mountain Biking

The cool fall days in Colorado are perfect for mountain biking. And Riley Hanlon knows the state鈥檚 mountain biking trails well as a Colorado Mountain Club member and a freelance filmmaker based in . Home to miles and miles of glorious mountain biking areas, including North Table Mountain and White Ranch Park, Hanlon loves spending time riding with family near the Front Range and beyond.

There鈥檚 nothing quite like biking through colorful aspens in the crisp autumn air. Can you describe your perfect fall ride in Colorado?

Riley Hanlon: It鈥檚 finally time for layers and warm drinks! After the heat of summer, I get so excited for brisk fall mornings. I enjoy having cozy layers and hot coffee for the drive to wherever I鈥檓 riding and getting to start with some layers on for the ride, shedding them as I go without ever getting too hot. My perfect fall ride in Colorado also includes finding the best spots to fly through golden aspens!

If you could only recommend one Colorado mountain biking destination to someone planning a fall visit, what would it be and why?

People staying in the Rocky Mountain Front Range鈥攆rom to 鈥攖end to focus on getting out to or other far-out destinations, but I personally love . You can get some lift assist at if that鈥檚 your thing. Or get laps on the trail systems off Vasquez Creek for some easy-access rock rolls and great flow through aspen groves. And afterward you get to stroll through the village or get a beetroot latte from (my favorite!). It鈥檚 an enjoyable day trip from the Front Range or a good first or last stop on a camping trip out in the mountains.

Hiking

When it comes to finding scenic fall hiking trails in Colorado, Urszula Tyl knows exactly where to go. As a trip leader for Colorado Mountain Club, Tyl spends a lot of time safely guiding hikers into beautiful areas. She also enjoys exploring new trails and backpacking in Colorado鈥檚 pristine wilderness. Her vibrant energy and zest for getting people together outside made her the perfect person to ask about fall hiking in the state.

Colorado is a well-known hiking destination with a seemingly endless selection of trails to explore. Why is the state鈥檚 fall hiking unlike anywhere else?

Urszula Tyl: There are many reasons I look forward to fall hiking in Colorado. Fall brings pleasant temperatures, making it a perfect time to enjoy a hike. As summer ends, so does the monsoon season, which brings less risk of afternoon storms and more time on the trail.

Colorado also has spectacular fall foliage. The aspens all around the state begin to change color and create a beautiful contrast against the green pine forests and mountain landscapes. You don鈥檛 have to go far to get a glimpse of fall color. However, many areas across the state, such as , are especially breathtaking to see. If you visit RMNP in fall, you might hear elk bugling, too.

There are a variety of ways to experience the magic of fall in the state. Whether you鈥檙e looking for a multiday adventure, a morning hike in the mountains, or a cool evening stroll along the river, the options to get out and explore around the state are seemingly endless. There are trails for everyone in Colorado, including accessible trails in .

To experience the magic of Colorado trails in the fall, what area do you recommend visitors explore and why?

For a truly magical fall hiking experience in Colorado, I recommend exploring the in . This trail offers a fantastic opportunity to witness the vibrant fall colors of the aspens among the rugged mountain peaks and pine trees.

The 3.1-mile Raccoon Trail is easily accessible to anyone staying in the Front Range and provides beautiful panoramic views throughout the hike. As you meander through the colorful foliage, you鈥檒l find serene spots that capture the essence of fall in Colorado.

After your hike, unwind in nearby Golden, where there are plenty of food options available. One of my favorites is the , a food hall with a diverse range of dining options, plus beer, cocktails, and wine on tap. Enjoy a variety of foods, from Mexican to sushi, and take advantage of the rooftop with views overlooking Clear Creek.

Colorado is a four-season destination offering unparalleled adventure and recreational pursuits, a thriving arts scene, a rich cultural heritage, flavorful cuisine, and 28 renowned ski areas and resorts. The state鈥檚 breathtaking scenic landscape boasts natural hot springs, the headwaters of seven major rivers, many peaceful lakes and reservoirs, 12 national parks and monuments, 26 scenic and historic byways, and 58 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet. For more information or a copy of the Colorado Official State Vacation Guide, visit or call 1-800-COLORADO. Follow Colorado on , , , and .

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