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TOP 100 ADVENTURES IN THE UNITED STATES

Mount Whitney sign canyoneering near Escalante, Utah Katahdin, Maine
The United States is one of the premier adventure destinations in the World. The opportunities for adventure in our country are endless. Through my research and travels, I have attempted to make a list of the top 100 adventures in the United States. In the list below you'll find many of the best places in the country to hike, ride, climb, and more.

Take note that adventures that overlap states are listed below under each of the impacted states. This may make it appear as though more than 100 adventures are on the list. Also take note that I have purposely excluded certain outdoor activities from this list (e.g. sailing, SCUBA diving, surfing, skydiving, BASE jumping, horseback riding, dog-sledding, paragliding, etc.).

Happy adventuring!

Author/Contributor: Greg Parsons

TOP 100 ADVENTURES IN THE U.S


Alaska
Backcountry skiing and/or heli-skiing in the Chugach Mountains
Backpacking in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Mountaineering/climbing Denali
Sea kayaking in Glacier Bay National Park
Sea kayaking in Kenai Fjords National Park

Arizona
Backpacking to Havasupai (e.g. Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, Beaver Falls)
Hiking or backpacking in Grand Canyon National Park (e.g. Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch)
Spelunking in Kartschner Caverns State Park
Whitewater rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon

Arkansas
Mountain biking in Bentonville
Paddling the Buffalo River

California
Backpacking the High Sierra Camps
Backpacking the John Muir Trail
Backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail
Backpacking other areas in the Sierra Mountains
Hiking or backpacking Half Dome
Hiking or backpacking Mt. Whitney
Mountaineering/climbing Mount Shasta
Rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park
Rock climbing in Yosemite National Park (e.g. El Capitan, Half Dome, etc.)
Sea kayaking in Channel Islands National Park
Whitewater rafting the American River
Whitewater rafting the Kern River

Colorado
Backcountry skiing and/or heli-skiing in the Colorado Mountains
Bikepacking the San Juan Huts
Hiking 14ers in Colorado (e.g. Grays, Bierstadt, Elbert, etc.)
Ice climbing in Ouray
Mountain biking in Crested Butte
Mountaineering/climbing Longs Peak
Offroad driving in Ouray & Telluride (e.g. Imogen Pass)
Via ferrata climbing in Estes Park
Via ferrata climbing in Ouray
Whitewater rafting the Arkansas River
Whitewater rafting the Green River
Whitewater rafting the Yampa River
X-C skiing the 10th Mountain Division Huts

Florida
Paddling in Everglades National Park (e.g. Wilderness Waterway)

Georgia
Whitewater rafting the Chattooga River

Idaho
Backcountry skiing and/or heli-skiing in/near Sun Valley
Cycling the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes
Whitewater rafting the Salmon River
Whitewater rafting the Snake River/Hells Canyon

Kentucky
Rock climbing in Red River Gorge (e.g. Southeast Mountain Guides)
Spelunking in Mammoth Cave National Park
Spelunking the Cumberland Caverns
Via ferrata climbing in Red River Gorge

Maine
Backpacking the 100-Mile Wilderness of the Appalachian Trail
Hiking or backpacking Katahdin / Baxter State Park
Paddling the Allagash River
Sea kayaking the Maine coastline

Maryland
Cycling the C&O Canal Towpath
Cycling the Great Allegheny Passage

Michigan
Paddling in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Minnesota
Paddling in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Paddling in Voyageurs National Park

Missouri
Cycling the Katy Trail

Montana
Backpacking in Glacier National Park (e.g. Granite Park Chalet, Sperry Chalet, Highline Trail, Many Glacier Loop, etc.)

Nevada
Rock climbing in Red Rock National Conservation Area

New Hampshire
Backcountry skiing in Tuckerman's Ravine on Mt. Washington
Backpacking the AMC Huts of the White Mountains along the Appalachian Trail
Hiking Mt. Washington

New York
Backpacking the Adirondack Mountains (e.g. Mount Marcy, Mount Haystack)
Rock climbing the Shawangunk Mountains

North Carolina
Backpacking the Appalachian Trail
Whitewater rafting the French Broad River

Oregon
Backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail
Kiteboarding the Columbia River Gorge
Mountaineering/climbing Mount Hood
Whitewater rafting the Owhyhee River
Whitewater rafting the Rogue River
X-C skiing in Crater Lake National Park (e.g. West Rim Drive)

Pennsylvania
Cycling the Great Allegheny Passage

South Carolina
Whitewater rafting the Chattooga River

South Dakota
Cycling the George S. Mickelson Trail

Tennessee
Backpacking the Appalachian Trail
Whitewater rafting the Ocoee River

Utah
Backcountry skiing and/or heli-skiing in the Wasatch Mountains
Backpacking in Buckskin Gulch/Paria Canyon
Backpacking in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park
Bikepacking the Aquarius Trail
Bikepacking the San Juan Huts
Canyoneering in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Canyoneering in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Canyoneering in Zion National Park
Hiking Angel's Landing
Hiking or backpacking the Zion Narrows
Mountain biking in Moab
Mountain biking in Park City
Offroad driving in Moab
Rock climbing in Moab
Whitewater rafting the Colorado River
Whitewater rafting the Green River
Whitewater rafting the Yampa River

Vermont
Backpacking the Appalachian Trail
Backpacking the Long Trail
Mountain biking in East Burke (e.g. Kingdom Trails)
X-C skiing in Vermont from hut-to-hut (e.g. Catamount Trail)

Virginia
Backpacking the Appalachian Trail

Washington
Backpacking the Enchantment Lakes / Alpine Wilderness
Backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail
Backpacking the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier
Mountaineering/climbing Mount Rainier
Sea kayaking the San Juan Islands

West Virginia
Rock climbing in New River Gorge
Whitewater rafting the Gauley River

Wyoming
Backcountry skiing and/or heli-skiing in/near Jackson Hole
Backpacking the Wind River Mountains
Hiking or backpacking in Yellowstone National Park
Mountaineering/climbing in Grand Teton National Park (e.g. Grand Teton)
Snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park


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