If you love outdoor adventure, then you will love all of the activities and sights that are outlined in my Capitol Reef National Park Guide. While some of the other national parks in Southern Utah may get more attention on tourist sites, any hardcore national parks enthusiast will tell you that Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden gem in the US National Parks system.
While Arches and Canyonlands draw most visitors to Moab, the Corona Arch hike remains one of the region’s true hidden gems. Close to town, easy to reach, and accessible for most hikers, it’s quickly becoming a local favorite—especially since the arch itself is every bit as big and beautiful as the famous Delicate Arch inside Arches National Park.
Known by many as the “Niagara of the West”, the breathtaking Shoshone Falls in Southern Idaho is a landmark that all travelers who visit the American Southwest should have on their itinerary. With a drop of 212-feet (roughly 65-meters), Shoshone Falls is actually 45-feet (or roughly 14-meters) taller than the infamous Niagara Falls on the border between New York State and Canada. In addition to the high drop, the fact that rim of Shoshone Falls stretches to roughly 1,000-feet wide makes this waterfall special. So if you are a waterfall enthusiast, landscape photographer, or just love to see some of mother nature’s breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, the Shoshone Falls in Southern Idaho is an absolute must-see destination.
As anyone who has traveled the United States by car extensively will tell you, sometimes you just happen to come across a landscape during your travels that so completely blows your mind that it renders you speechless. For me, one of these is undoubtedly the kind of weird, extremely cool, and very unique landscape of Craters of the Moon National Monument in southern Idaho. If you aren’t familiar with this park, you are definitely missing out. If you were to take a road trip thru Idaho, the contrast between the black lava formations and craters found inside the national monument and the landscape found throughout the rest of the state is nothing if not striking.
While Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon may not be as well-known as some of the other parks in the Western United States, that doesn’t mean it isn’t every bit as beautiful. In fact, as lake parks go, it may be the most beautiful in America. Centered around a deep, water-filled volcanic crater that has formed the deepest lake in North America,
The Great Lakes region is one of the most overlooked travel destinations in the United States, offering a surprising mix of natural beauty and memorable experiences. A standout highlight—often featured in any Mackinac Island Visitor Guide—is Mackinac Island on Lake Huron. Once a military outpost, it’s now a peaceful, car‑free escape for travelers looking to slow down and disconnect.
Consisting of 117 known caves, the biggest of which spans roughly 8 acres and is the largest accessible cave chamber in North America, Carlsbad Caverns is one of the most unique landscapes in the American National Parks system. In addition to being an amazing landscape, the national park is also home to some fantastic wildlife.
The Apostle Islands is one of the most beautiful places in the Midwestern United States if not all of North America. Tourists flock to the islands each year to do some kayaking, hiking and enjoy the beautiful beaches. However, each year I see tourists arrive in the Apostle Islands completely unprepared. They either don’t have the right clothing for the climate, don’t have the right gear for the activities they would like to try, or don’t have the equipment to keep them safe and comfortable while camping.
If you are into hanging out by the lake, camping out on a beautiful summer night, and doing some challenging hiking, then you will absolutely love Indiana Dunes. The park has some of the most beautiful beaches in the great lakes, which should come as no surprise as the park is known for its gigantic coastal sand dunes. These same dunes create some of the most unique and beautiful landscapes for hiking as well.
There are a lot of amazingly beautiful landscapes in the Great Lakes region of the United States, but not many are as beautiful as the Apostle Islands in Northern Wisconsin. In addition to being well known for its beautiful rock cliff coastline and amazing sea caves, the Apostle Islands are also known for being one of the best places in America to go kayaking. In fact, it is such a prolific kayaking destination that it attracts some of the best kayakers in the country, if not the world, each year.
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