The Best Adventure Experiences in the U.S., From Coast to Coast

There's no denying the appeal of America's national parks. Whether it's hiking in Yosemite or scouting grizzly bears in Denali, these protected spaces offer premier wilderness experiences. But often, getting to these special places requires traveling a long distance.

Many of the country's best wilderness experiences are even closer than you think — in fact, they might be near a city. Here, we've rounded up five outdoor activities in some of America's under-the-radar adventure capitals, plus where to stay and what to eat and drink.

Climb the Cumberland Plateau — Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee has easy access to some of the South’s finest rock climbing. It's located on the Cumberland Plateau — a 450-mile tableland that covers much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, with soaring sandstone walls, large boulders, and dramatic overhangs.

Sunset Park, on Lookout Mountain, stays cool in the summer and is a good choice for trad climbing (where the lead climber places removable anchors on the way up, for other climbers to follow). The Tennessee Wall, another trad spot, is one of the South’s finest. 

After working up a sweat, cool off at Flora de Mel, which brews up small-batch meads, including unusual flavors like chili-mango and blueberry-basil, using honey from its own apiary. For dinner, head to Calliope, where chef Khaled Albanna’s open-fire cooking integrates flavors from his childhood home of Jordan. Order squash couscous with herb-marinated crab, a charcoal-roasted half chicken, and pita with labneh and whipped feta.

Sleep in an old-growth forest at Treetop Hideaways, or get a glimpse of climber culture at the Crash Pad), a LEED Platinum–certified hostel with private rooms that feels almost like a boutique hotel.

Bike Where the Dinosaurs Roamed — Grand Junction, Colorado

As a biking destination, Grand Junction, Colorado may not be as well-known as Moab, Utah, but its routes can be just as challenging. Saddle up with Boneshaker Adventures, which offers private and group mountain-biking lessons, as well as programs for kids. Kokopelli’s Trail runs along red rock canyons where petrogylphs and fossils have been found.

Stay at Camp Eddy, which opened in August 2022, is beautifully situated on the banks of the Colorado River and has Airstreams, cabins, and RV sites for rent. In town, order a glass of skin-contact wine, blue-corn hush puppies, and trout rillettes at Bin 707 Foodbar. It’s run by Josh Niernberg, who was named a semifinalist for this year’s Outstanding Chef award by the James Beard Foundation.

Hike from Sea to Summit — Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham, Washington sits between North Cascades National Park and the Pacific coast. Its trails range from easy waterfront routes to strenuous ascents ending at ice-blue glaciers. For views of the San Juan Islands, head out on an easy trail at Larrabee State Park. Summiting the famous Mount Baker requires technical climbing skills, but you can still get superb views from the moderate 5.5-mile round-trip Heliotrope Ridge Trail.

The Heliotrope Hotel makes a great home base. It's an updated 1950s motel that leans in to the Pacific Northwest aesthetic, with hand-hewn tree-trunk coatracks in the rooms and photographs of snowy peaks and clear lakes on the walls. The outdoor hangout area has a firepit, a cornhole set, and a bike-washing station.

For post-hike beers and tamales, head to El Sueñito Brewing Co., or visit the Portal, where old shipping containers house businesses like the Selkie Scoop. Try the lemon-poppyseed ice cream.

Stargaze in Solitude — Flagstaff, Arizona

Thanks to its low levels of light pollution, Flagstaff, Arizona became the world’s first Dark Sky Community in 2001, and remains one of the country’s best places to view the cosmos.

After dusk, spread a blanket at Buffalo Park, a 215-acre green space within the city, and watch the sky come alive. Just north of town, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument typically offers night-sky programs in the summer. For a true scientific experience, visit the Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered in 1930.

Spend the night right on Route 66 at High Country Motor Lodge. Appropriately, it has a vintage feel, with cottages and rooms that frame a central pool and common area. There are lawn games, outdoor movie nights, and even a Nordic spa.

When it's time to eat, stop into Proper Meats & Provisions, a whole-animal butcher shop with a hefty sandwich list. A block away is the family-style Shift Kitchen & Bar. Try the “relleno burger,” with roasted poblano peppers, queso asadero, chipotle aioli, and house chips.

Paddle the World's Largest Freshwater Lake — Duluth, Minnesota

Set right on Lake Superior, Duluth, Minnesota is an unsung water-sports capital. Kayak Superior’s northern shore with Day Tripper of Duluth. You’ll glide through blue-green water and past soaring cliffs, with a spectacular view of Split Rock Lighthouse. Duluth is also a two-hour drive from the 1.1 million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, one of the country’s most remote places.

Solglimt, a five-room B&B, has Lake Superior beach access, and the waterfront Fitger’s Inn is a town favorite. For an only-in-Minnesota drinking experience, visit the tasting room at Vikre Distillery to sample aquavit, gin, and vodka made using local grains, foraged botanicals, and, of course, pure water from Lake Superior. Or opt for the Spruce Almighty cocktail, made with Vikre’s Boreal Spruce Gin, kumquat, lemon, and pomegranate. 

A version of this story first appeared in the July 2023 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Land of Plenty."