#outdoor-recreation

#outdoor-recreation

Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, Colo., is an awe-inspiring canyon boasting scenery any traveler would be lucky to soak in. It's also, bafflingly, crowd-free. "People tend to head straight for the Grand Canyon, or maybe Arches or Zion national parks," says Adam Kinsey, owner and founder of Grand Junction's Handlebar Tap House as well as the new WestCo Brewing. The canyon boasts a serenity you simply won't find at the Grand Canyon, with its steady flow of tourists.

You may have heard of the Colorado River-it starts at the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park and is known for whitewater rafting -but one of the best ways to experience its grandeur and natural beauty is on a scenic drive. The Colorado River Headwaters Byway spans 80 miles, from Highway 34, north of Grand Lake, to State Bridge.

Located about 25 miles northeast of Atlanta, this small city of 79,000 is ideal for young professionals and families searching for a place with access to the outdoors, cultural activities, and relatively easy access to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). With Johns Creek as your base camp, you can spend your weekends walking the trails at the 46-acre Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center, paddling the Chattahoochee River, attending performances by the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, and sampling craft beer at Six Bridges Brewing.

There isn't a nook or cranny in the Almaden Valley that Ali Henry hasn't spent time in. She grew up here, camping, boating and fishing with her dad and her grandparents. Those long, sun-drenched days on the water often finished with fresh-caught trout sizzling over a campfire. Today, Henry is devoting her life to preserving and celebrating some of her favorite childhood hangouts as Santa Clara County Parks' first-ever woman chief park ranger.

When legendary mountain men, trappers, and explorers scrambled over Bend's forests, peaks, and rivers in the early 1800s, there were moments, amid the plying of beaver pelts, the mapping, surveying, and general Manifest Destiny-type tromping, when they were simply knocked out by the snow-dusted volcanic peaks, endless stretches of ponderosa pine, and the sagebrush-scented serenity of the high desert. After camping along Tumalo Creek in what is now Bend's beloved Shevlin Park in December 1843, famed US expedition leader John C. Frémont journaled,

The run clubs that took off in the past few years were outpaced by hiking. That's according to new data from Strava, a fitness tracking app, and AllTrails, a hiking navigation app. Strava's end-of-year report, analyzing data from over 30,000 users, found that hiking clubs grewsixfold in 2025 - nearly double the pace of run clubs. In 2025, AllTrails saw a 20% increase in users (i.e., people who created an account on the app) to 90 million.

Tucked between Lassen Volcanic National Park 's calderas and the winding roads that dip toward the Feather River Canyon, Plumas County feels like California before the crowds. During my recent drive through the area, I was transported to an undiscovered, more nostalgic version of the state, where narrow mountain highways lead to glassy alpine lakes and former gold rush communities still ooze with small-town charm.

Arizona is often defined by its icons-including the Grand Canyon and the Phoenix sprawl - but the essence of the state is just as alive in its smaller towns. Tucked into Arizona's canyons, deserts, and high plateaus are small communities that carry the stories of the miners, artists, ranchers, and Indigenous groups who shaped the region. These small towns, which range from just a few hundred people to almost 10,000, each offer something different.

Located roughly an hour and a half from Washington D.C., Shenandoah County, Virginia, is home to Blue Ridge views, boutique wineries, and charming valley towns steeped in history. Growing up in northern Virginia, I spent countless days leaf-peeping on the Skyline Drive and taking field trips to Shenandoah Caverns, but it wasn't until I returned as an adult that I realized just how special the area truly is.

Set within the rolling dunes of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the seven-and-a-half-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive takes travelers through magnificent woodlands, sandy ridges, and sweeping overlooks along the shores of Lake Michigan. The drive honors the late lumberman and conservationist Pierce Stocking and begins just south of Glen Lake before winding upward through thick hardwood forests. During the journey, visitors can stop at 12 viewpoints that showcase the area's diverse scenery.

Like many places in Virginia-and the South as a whole-Lexington has a complicated history. Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson is buried in the mountain town-the graveyard, formerly known as the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery, was renamed Oak Grove Cemetery in 2020-and Robert E. Lee once served as the president of Washington & Lee University (W&L), then named Washington College.

Texas is drawing in new residents every day, whether it's those who want to dodge frigid winters and state income tax or those chasing a lower cost of living.

Surrounded by two of Colorado's highest "14ers" (mountains that rise above 14,000 feet), Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, Leadville is a playground for every kind of outdoor enthusiast. You can hike or bike the Mineral Belt Trail, paddle on Twin Lakes, or hit the slopes at Ski Cooper, all within minutes. And there's plenty to explore off the trails in town, too, with a growing arts scene, annual festivals, and a community that's as warm as the high-altitude sun.

Remote work has allowed people to live wherever they choose, no longer tied to urban and suburban areas to be close to their jobs. High urban and suburban home prices and the availability of remote work had Americans looking for more affordable cities that offer a good quality of life. The numbers tell a remarkable story of transformation. Between 2020 and spring 2024, two-thirds of population growth for those aged 25 to 44 occurred in areas with fewer than 1 million residents or rural counties.

Home to around 1,000 residents, Cave Spring, Georgia, sits a few miles from the Alabama state line and is only a 1.5-hour drive from Atlanta-and during the fall, it's the perfect destination for a day trip. Cave Spring is located at the western end of Vann's Valley and is named after the prolific limestone spring situated in the center of town that produces 2 million gallons of water per day.

If visiting Minnesota in the dead of winter doesn't sound appealing, then you probably don't know about The Great Northern Festival, an event that embraces the north's bitter cold and celebrates all things winter. Cross-country skiers make their way across frozen lakes, hockey players take to the ice, and people gather in the freezing cold to cool down following a steamy session in the pop-up sauna village.

Penticton, located in the South Okanagan Valley, is an hourlong flight west from Vancouver and a five-hour drive from Spokane, Washington. Its unique geography, between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake, along with its mountain surroundings, offers an enviable climate with hot summers and mild winters. The city takes pride in its deep agricultural roots, award-winning wineries and craft breweries, and an outdoor culture that draws athletes and adventure seekers of all levels.

"I've been camping and hiking my whole life, I moved to San Francisco and I saw the pace of life among my friends and people that I met. They said they were too stressed and I realized that they needed the nature experience that I grew up having, but they didn't know how to do it. They don't have the gear or the time and they don't know where to go...so my business partner and I realized that we should start a glamping business that made it easier for people to get outdoors, but it had to be comfortable, easy, and also fun,"

Coros' Nomad is marketed as a "go-anywhere, do-anything" adventure watch. It's got GPS and offline maps and will track a lot of activities, from yoga to bouldering. There's an "Adventure Journal," which the marketing copy promises will help you record "every step, catch, and summit." While it doesn't have some of the bells and whistles of a more expensive competitor like Garmin, it's a product seemingly aimed at campers, backpackers, and other outdoorsy types who aren't satisfied with something all-purpose like an Apple Watch.

This season, step into Hardy's Holiday Village, a full-scale, snow-dusted village filled with cozy shops that immerses guests in festive cheer. At Wrapped in Wonder, enjoy an intimate 90-minute tour of Hardy's Holiday Village, featuring a visit from Santa Claus, a private performance by the elves, a gingerbread house workshop and other exclusive experiences. As evening falls, adults can head to Nightcap, Nemacolin's nightlife hotspot, for Elves After Dark, a cheeky holiday-themed cabaret show.

Sandpoint, Idaho, is the kind of small town you dream about. Perched on the edge of a dazzling lake, at the foot of densely forested mountains, it's a historic charmer with youthful energy and lively music, art, and culinary scenes. It's also home to a historic railroad depot, Idaho's only Amtrak stop, which welcomes the Empire Builder. Nearby, Schweitzer draws an avid crowd of skiers, snowboarders, and mountain bikers, and the 1,158-foot-deep Lake Pend Oreille attracts sailors and swimmers alike.

I recently visited Bentonville, the home of Walmart, in northwest Arkansas. The city is modern, upbeat, and diverse, with many new restaurants and plenty of history. Bentonville is one of the greenest cities I've been to, with miles of hiking and biking trails. Everyone in Bentonville either works for Walmart ora supplier for Walmart - or knows someone who does, an Uber driver said as he showed me around the downtown.

Nestled at the base of the soaring Sierra Nevada mountains, the small town of Bishop, California, has autumn views that rival leaf-peeping destinations the world over. This rugged little mountain town is located in Owens Valley on Highway 395, near landmark destinations such as Death Valley National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Mount Whitney (the tallest point in the contiguous United States).

Time spent in the resort town, located roughly 15 miles south of Bend, is still one of my fondest childhood memories. Its pine forests merge with high-desert meadows, shaped by volcanic-forged landscapes and the winding Deschutes River. Over countless trips, I came to crave the serenity of crossing the California-Oregon border. It's easy to see why it's such a beloved destination: It blends the ease of an all-inclusive resort with full immersion in nature.

Since Berkeley infamous Kite festival has been deemed terminated. Vallejo has taken the helm to host a feasible kite event grounds with perfect wind currents to take flight with the kites. Plenty of parking, washrooms, eating facilities within walking distance, and even access to ferry and bus service to Bart. Weel planned event for neighbors in up and down Bay Area to access . Fly or fight your kite 🪁

As you start to have children, your priorities change. In your younger years, you may have wanted a bustling city with great brunch spots, happy hour deals, and bars that stayed open until the wee hours of the morning. But when you think about where you want to live as a family, you have to consider proximity to highly rated schools, possibly a more spacious home, and ways you can engage with your community. That said, where exactly you plant your roots becomes more important than ever.

In the heart of New Hope, the 12-room Ghost Light Inn is walkable to all of the interesting town's shops and restaurants. The beds are king-size and the walk-in showers spacious. Many of the guest rooms have Juliet balconies overlooking the Delaware River and the charming hamlet of Lambertville, New Jersey, just across the bridge. You can also enjoy the view from one of the Adirondack chairs on the patio by the river.

If you hike, camp, or have outdoorsy friends, chances are you've seen-or maybe even sat in- this cult-favorite bench. It's beloved by many for good reason: Unlike stiff camping chairs, this one sits low to the ground at just over one foot high, making it ideal for cozying up by a fire pit, stretching out at the beach, or sitting back at an outdoor concert without blocking anyone's view.

When you think of Colorado mountain towns, skiing hotspots like Aspen, Vail, or Breckenridge might come to mind. But amid the rugged San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, the former mining community of Durango, Colorado, is one of the last bastions of affordable skiing in the state-with easy access to fresh powder and all the Old West charm you could ask for.

Trailcenter Rytterkngten is part of the nationwide initiative Danish Trailcentres, buildings designed to promote outdoor activity and nature access across Denmark. Designed by Matters in 2021, built in 2025, the project was initiated by DIF and Lokale & Anlgsfonden, in collaboration with Bornholm's regional municipality. Trailcenter Rytterkngten is located at the highest point in Bornholm, 162 meters above sea level, in the heart of Almindingen, Denmark's third largest forest.

"One of my favorite getaway recommendations from New York City is Hudson, New York in the Hudson Valley," Victor Rivera, the general manager of LUMA Hotel Times Square, shared with Travel + Leisure. "It's only about a two-hour train ride from Penn Station on Amtrak, and the views of the Hudson River along the way already help you transition into a completely different pace of life."

I got into paragliding 16 years ago. I always knew I wanted to fly something, but planes and skydiving weren't practical and very expensive, Hudson says. I ended up buying a one-way ticket to Hawaii and saw them paragliding in the mountains there, and I knew that's what I wanted to do. One of the benefits of paragliding, she says, is that it's very calming and sort of meditative, and you don't really think of other problems or stress while you're up there.