If its adventure you’re looking for you can’t go wrong with a trip to America with its wide-open spaces, grand wildernesses, and beautiful national parks. But you don’t want to wander alone down the Appalachian Trail or raft down the Colorado River until you’ve gotten some practice under your belt and taken the time to see the most iconic sights the country has to offer along the way. So here are some of the best destinations for adventure travellers looking to sharpen their skills and still have a grand adventure. You can find campgrounds to stay at near all of these destinations.
The canyons of the Southwest are fertile hiking ground. The Grand Canyon is a must-see for any tourist, and Yosemite National Park is home to towering granite cliffs, which are no less majestic even if they aren’t as iconic. Speaking of which, Monument Valley on the Utah/Arizona border (which you might recognise from classic films like Stagecoach and Easy Rider) is another breathtaking location and is accessible from the major highway Route 163.
One way to see all these spots is with guided tours from companies like Grand American Adventures, which can take you to otherwise inaccessible spots while always being safe. For those who really want to ease themselves into things, there are even many such packages with nightly hotel stays, so you’ll always have a soft bed to look forward to after a day’s trekking.
View of Lower Yellowstone Falls from Artists Point
Another great destination is Yellowstone Park. Not only can you brag to your friends that you’ve hiked on America’s largest supervolcano (and really, anything involving the word ‘supervolcano’ is worth bragging about) but you can see the famous geyser Old Faithful or even track down one of the wolf packs that were reintroduced in the 90s—with a guide, of course—along with bears and eagles. Again, package tours are available.
Speaking of animals, you can also head to Alaska to see not just black and grizzly bears but caribou and even a wide variety of whale species with destinations like Kodiak Island and Denali National Park.
If you can find a guide—and in a country with as many great natural adventure hotspots as the US, you can—these are just the beginning. There are countless great trips to be had by the beginner adventurer, but start with one of these and you can’t go wrong.