Month: July 2025

July 2025 RV Manufacturer Recalls: 5 Recalls Involving 5 RV Manufactures: Is Your RV on the List?

Is your RV on the list? A manufacturer recall can create a safety risk if not repaired.

Your recreational vehicle may be involved in a safety recall and may create a safety risk for you and your passengers. Safety defects must be repaired by a certified dealer at no cost to you. However, if left unrepaired, a potential safety defect in your vehicle could lead to injury or even death.

Thousands of RVs are affected by the latest RV recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Before you head out with your RV, check the latest roundup of NHTSA recalls to determine if your RV is affected.

What is a recall?

It’s always important to keep up with the latest recalls, no matter how small the issue may appear to be. Each week, NHTSA publishes the latest information on recalls from minor to major defects. NHTSA releases its most recent list of recalls each Monday.

When a manufacturer or the NHTSA determines that a recreational vehicle or item of RV equipment creates an unreasonable risk to safety or fails to meet minimum safety standards, the manufacturer is required to fix that vehicle or equipment at no cost to the consumer.

Per strict NHTSA protocols, manufacturers will next notify its dealer partners of the recall notice. Each notice will include details of the affected vehicles as well as the appropriate remedy.

It should be noted that RV recalls are related to vehicle safety and not product quality. NHTSA has no interest in an air conditioner failing to cool or slide out failing to extend or retract—unless they can be directly attributed to product safety.

Information on previous safety recalls follow:

Sand Hollow State Park, Utah © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Common types of RV recalls

There are three main types of RV recalls. Those issued by the RV manufacturer, the motorhome chassis maker, and third-party suppliers.

RV manufacturers, such as Forest River Inc., REV Group, Thor Industries, and Winnebago Indristies are the most common recalls. 

RV manufacturer recalls can be for various reasons such as a problem with the structure of the RV, an issue with the electrical system, or a problem with the plumbing. 

The motorhome chassis manufacturer such as Ford, Chevrolet, or Mercedes issues the second most common type of recall typically because of a problem with the vehicle components of the motorhome. 

The third type of recall is issued by a third-party supplier for various reasons, such as a problem with water heaters, appliances, and other non-OEM components. 

Regardless of the type of recall, it’s vital to have it fixed as soon as possible to avoid any further damage to your RV.

Register your RV with NHTSA

I recommend you register with NHTSA’s Recall Notification Email System. By registering with NHTSA, you can get recall information sooner!

Here’s what you need to know…

Sedona View RV Resort, Cottonwood, Arizona © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

July recalls

NHTSA announced 5 recall notices during July 2025. These recalls involved 5 recreational vehicle manufacturers—Forest River (1 recall), Airstream (1 recall), Winnebago (1 recall), Bowlus (1 recall), and Grand Design (1 recall).

Forest River, Inc.

  • 2026 Westbrook recreational trailers
  • 2026 Tracer recreational trailers

Liquid propane hose incorrectly routed

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2026 Westbrook and Tracer recreational trailers. The liquid propane (LP) gas hose may be incorrectly routed and rub against the furnace, causing a fuel leak.

What owners included in the recall should do

Dealers will replace and reroute the the LP gas hose, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 20, 2025. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 574-862-1025. Forest River’s number for this recall is 48-1954.

Airstream, Inc.

  • 2025 Interstate motorhomes

Awnings can be extended while vehicle is moving

Airstream, Inc. (Airstream) is recalling certain 2025 Interstate motorhomes. The Parametric Special Module (PSM) may fail to lock the controls, allowing the awning to be extended during transit.

What owners included in the recall should do

Dealers will correct the PSM pinning assignment, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 1, 2025. Owners may contact Airstream customer service at 1-877-596-6505 or 1-937-596-6111 ext. 7401 or 7411.

Mesquite Trails RV Resort, Mesquite, Nevada © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Winnebago Industries, Inc.

  • 2025-2026 Revel Sport notorhomes
  • 2024-2025 Vita motorhomes
  • 2025 Porto motorhomes
  • 2025 Adventure Wagon motorhomes
  • 2024-2026 View motorhomes
  • 2024-2026 Revel motorhomes
  • 2024-2026 Navion motorhomes
  • 2024-2026 Ekko motorhomes

Air bags may fail to deploy

Winnebago Industries, Inc. (Winnebago) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Revel Sport, 2024-2025 Vita, 2025 Porto, Adventure Wagon, 2024-2026 View, Revel, Navion, and Ekko motorhomes. Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) wires can be caught in the seat mechanism when the driver or passenger seats are adjusted.

What owners included in the recall should do

Dealers will inspect and re-route the wiring, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 19, 2025. Owners may contact Winnebago customer service at 1-641-585-6939 or 1-800-537-1885. Winnebago’s number for this recall is 199.

Bowlus Road Chief LLC

  • 2022-2023, 2025 Endless Highways trailers
  • 2024-2025 Volterra trailers
  • 2024 Terra Firma trailers
  • 2025 Rivet trailers

Hitch bolt maintenance instructions missing from owners manual

Bowlus Road Chief LLC (Bowlus) is recalling certain 2022-2023, 2025 Endless Highways, 2024-2025 Volterra, 2024 Terra Firma, and 2025 Rivet trailers equipped with an elongated hitch. The owners manual does not include instructions to retighten the two hitch bolts in the maintenance schedule.

What owners included in the recall should do

Bowlus will provide a supplement to the owners manual. Dealers will inspect, replace, and tighten the hitch bolts, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a schedule for recall notification. Owners may contact Bowlus’ customer service at service@bowlus.com.

Grand Design RV, LLC

  • 2025-2026 Lineage recreational trailers

Door entry latch may fail

Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Lineage recreational trailers equipped with Lippert Modularia entrance doors. The door latch mechanism may fail.

What owners included in the recall should do

Dealers will install a new retainer clip and install a secondary retainer to the tension rod, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 12, 2025. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design’s number for this recall is M910051.

Please Note: This is the 75th in a series of posts relating to RV Manufacturers Recalls

Worth Pondering…

It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn’t.

—Martin Van Buren

The Best RV Camping August 2025

Explore the guide to find some of the best in August camping across America

Where should you park yourself and your RV this month? With so many options out there you may be overwhelmed with the number of locales calling your name.

Maybe you’re an experienced RV enthusiast, maybe you’ve never been in one—regardless, these RV parks are worth your attention. After finding the perfect campground, you can look into RV prices, the different types of RVs, and learn how to plan a road trip. Who knows, maybe you’ll love it so much you’ll convert to full-time RV living.

I didn’t just choose these RV parks by throwing a dart at a map. As an RVer with more than 25 years of experience traveling the highways and byways of America and Western Canada—learning about camping and exploring some of the best hiking trails along the way—I can say with confidence that I know what makes a great RV campground. From stunning views and accommodating amenities to friendly staff and clean facilities, the little things add up when you’re RV camping. And these campgrounds are truly the cream of the crop.

Here are 10 of the top RV parks and campgrounds to explore in August: one of these parks might be just what you’re looking for. So, sit back, relax and get ready for your next adventure at one of these incredible RV parks!

RVing with Rex selected this list of parks from those personally visited.

Planning an RV trip for a different time of year? Check out my monthly RV park recommendations for the best places to camp in July. Also check out my recommendations from August 2024 and September 2024.

Jack’s Landing RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Jack’s Landing RV Resort, Grants Pass, Oregon

New in 2002, Jack’s Landing RV Resort offers 54 RV sites adjacent to Interstate 5 (Exit 58). The nicely landscaped park has paved roads and concrete parking pads. Jack’s Landing is big rig friendly with pull-through sites in the 70-75 foot range (also back-in sites) and conveniently located 30/50-amp electric service, water, and sewer connections, and cable TV.

Paved sites and fairly wide paved streets. Pleasingly landscaped and treed. The main office has restrooms, showers, a laundry, gym, and small ball court. Only negative is freeway noise.

Canyon Trails RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Canyon Trails RV Park, Boulder City, Nevada

Located 3 minutes from downtown Boulder City and 12 minutes from Hoover Dam, this park offers easy access to lots of activities. Canyon Trail RV Park offers 240+ full hookup RV camping sites. The utilities are centrally located. Our 50-foot pull-through site was ample in length but not much extra space. The site was wide enough to accommodate our toad. Good Wi-Fi from our site and a good selection of TV channels available on cable.

Verde Ranch RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Verde Ranch RV Resort, Camp Verde, Arizona

Verde Ranch RV Resort is a new RV park that offers 389 full hookup RV sites with 30/50 amp service and cable TV, 14 furnished vacation rental cottages including studio, one- and two- bedroom options; and Glamping options including Conestoga Wagons and Luxury Safari Tents. There is a variety of amenities for guests such as a clubhouse, convenience store, pool, hot tubs, pickleball courts, playground, dogpark, and more.

Verde Ranch RV Resort is located off Highway 260, the upscale resort gives guests access to unique amenities and picturesque views. Having been inducted into the “International Dark Sky Community,” Camp Verde is a premier tourism location. Within easy driving distance of Sedona, Cottonwood, and Jerome, the resort provides ready access to iconic Western destinations and the Verde Valley’s red rock countryside.

Toutle River RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Toutle River RV Resort, Castle Rock, Washington

Toutle River RV Resort is a 5-star resort built in 2009. Toutle River has some standard features such as a general store, clubhouse, and heated swimming pool as well as unique, exciting amenities you won’t find in other places. They have red cedar barrel saunas, a disc golf course, a jumbo-sized croquet court, and a karaoke pavilion. There’s also a free do-it-yourself smokehouse for jerky and fish as well as an orchard on site with apples, pears, cherries, and plums that guests are welcome to pick.

The park offers 306 full hookup RV sites many offering 6,000 sq ft or more and up to 100 feet long. Masonry fire pits and BBQs are located throughout the park and all premium sites feature a fire pit, BBQ, and park style picnic tables. These are truly beautiful sites.

Conveniently located near Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Toutle River RV Resort is located off I-5 at Exit 52, easy-on, easy-off.

Cedar Pass Campground © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Cedar Pass Campground, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Located near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, the Cedar Pass Campground has 96 level sites with scenic views of the badlands formations. Enjoy the stunning sunsets, incredible night skies, and breathtaking sunrises from the comfort of your RV. Camping in Cedar Pass Campground is limited to 14 days.

The campground is open year-round with limited availability in the winter season. Due to fire danger, campfires are not permitted in this campground and collection of wood is prohibited. However, camp stoves or contained charcoal grills can be used in campgrounds and picnic areas.

Flag City RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Flag City RV Resort, Lodi, California

Located at the junction of Interstate 5 and California’s Highway 12, Flag City RV Resort provides easy freeway access. The park is on the edge of Lodi Wine Country, best known for big bold reds particularly old-vine Zinfandels.

RV resort facilities include 180 full-hookup sites with 30/50-amp service (site lengths: 40-70 feet), concrete pads, picnic tables at site, Wi-Fi, heated pool and spa, three laundry facilities, 2.8-acre fenced pet run, and large club house.

Edisto Beach State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Edisto Beach State Park, Edisto Island, South Carolina

Edisto Beach State Park offers access to the Atlantic Ocean and beach. It also provides access to the saltwater marsh and creeks. An environmental education center highlights the natural history of Edisto Island and the surrounding ACE Basin. The trails wind through Edisto Island’s maritime forest of live oak, hanging Spanish moss, and palmetto trees. During your walk you may see white-tailed deer, osprey, or alligators.

112 RV and tent camping sites with water and 20/30/50 amp electrical service is available ocean-side and near the salt marsh. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available for park guests near the office area and in the Wi-Fi room located adjacent to the office.

Irwins RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

iRVin’s RV Park & Campground, Valemont, British Columbia

Big-rig friendly with pull-through sites in the 70-foot range, iRVin’s RV Park & Campground is a 5-star park with full-service sites including water, sewer, and electric power (choice of 30 or 50 amps). The park is nestled in the Robson Valley with a 360-degree mountain view, a quiet place where deer wander by occasionally.

Wi-Fi worked well from our site (#27). No problem locating satellite. iRVin’s is conveniently located one mile north of Valemont on Highway 5 en route to Alaska and an hour from Mount Robson and Jasper National Park.

Two Rivers Landing RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Two Rivers Landing RV Resort, Sevierville, Tennessee

Two Rivers Landing RV Resort is a luxury RV Resort nestled along the banks of the beautiful French Broad River. A 5-star resort with 25 river front (drive-in sites) and 30 river view (back-in sites), Two Rivers Landing offers 30/50-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV conveniently located centrally. Interior roads are paved; individual sites are concrete, 70 feet in length and 22 feet wide. All sites surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Our drive-in site faced the river. Wi-Fi worked well. A beautiful sunset looking out our front window. This is resort living at its best.

Idaho Falls Luxury RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Idaho Falls Luxury RV Park, Idaho Falls, Idaho

The best park in Idaho Falls, Idaho Falls Luxury RV Park has new infrastructure which includes site-based fast-speed Wi-Fi. The sites are huge with lots of space between; the sites are moderately out of level. There’s convenient access to the bike path (walking path) that follows the river. We did hear a train at night otherwise pretty quiet.

Worth Pondering…

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.

—John Ruskin

10 Amazing Places to RV in August 2025

If you’re dreaming of where to travel to experience it all, here are my picks for the best places to RV in August

Not all those who wander are lost.

—J.R.R. Tolkien

This snippet of lyrical verse is the second line in a poem included in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The line has been adopted by adventurous travelers the world over who have perhaps never read the poem in its entirety: “All that is gold does not glitter / Not all those who wander are lost / The old that is strong does not wither / Deep roots are not reached by the frost.”

Taken as a whole, the poem suggests that there is great value in nurturing deep roots—that those who understand their origins will be more likely to persevere through adversity. This is certainly a theme that echoes throughout Tolkien’s stories as his characters suffer their trials and burdens. It suggests that the interesting question is not whether we wander, but how. 

Where and how will you wander this month? The best places to RV in August allow you to enjoy a relaxing summer getaway without the swarming crowds. Throughout the month, weather is warm and there’s plenty of sunshine to be had making it a pleasant time to hit the road. But traveling during August also requires strategy: You’ll want to avoid long lines and hard-to-get reservations.

This August, I’ll not lament the fleeting days of summer. No, I will embrace it: There is still much to see and do—and places to travel in an RV. August is a time for lazy exploration and taking advantage of the last drops of the season while recharging for the months ahead. There are routes to be taken, mountains to climb, seafood to be eaten, and lakes to discover. Get out there and make the most of it.

Planning an RV trip for a different time of year? Check out my monthly travel recommendations for the best places to travel in June and July. Also check out my recommendations from August 2024 and September 2024.

Bisbee © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

1. Bisbee 

Tucked into the Mule Mountains near the Mexico border, Bisbee is a former mining town turned creative enclave with awe-inspiring scenic surroundings. The steep hillsides and old staircases offer built-in hiking routes with views of colorful historic buildings and sweeping mountain backdrops.

Just outside of town, the trails wind through high desert terrain offering peace and elevation. One favorite for nature lovers is the Juniper Flats Loop where nature enthusiasts often spot mule deer and hawks.

Bisbee’s location makes it a great base for scenic drives. The nearby Sky Island Scenic Byway reveals dramatic elevation changes and lush microclimates. For those into geology, the Lavender Pit is both fascinating and starkly beautiful. The surrounding hills also bloom with wildflowers in spring adding color to the rugged terrain. With cooler temperatures than most of southern Arizona and easy access to hiking, Bisbee is an offbeat but rewarding nature escape.

Cumberland Island © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

2. Cumberland Island

Accessible only by ferry or private boat, Cumberland Island is one of the most scenic places on the East Coast. Wild horses, historic ruins, long stretches of untouched beaches, marshes, and maritime forests can be found on the 9,800 acres of Congressionally-designated wilderness.

Its remoteness and sheer beauty were no doubt two of the reasons John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy held their wedding there in 1996. If you want the full scoop on the island’s history, book a spot on the Lands and Legacies tour that kicks off right after the 9 am ferry arrives on the island.

Related stories

Grand Canyon National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

3. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

If you’ve never seen Grand Canyon National Park, it’s high time you did! This national park is easily one of the most notable of them all and the vastness and beauty of the canyon simply cannot be put into words.

The south rim is the most popular point of interest at the Grand Canyon with dozens of viewpoints and many that offer views of the canyon’s heart: the Colorado River. Those looking for a more rugged experience will enjoy visiting the West Rim where visitors will find a more desert landscape, along with opportunities for helicopter tours and views from the famous glass “Skywalk” bridge. 

You will definitely want to enjoy at least one hike while checking out the Grand Canyon! I also recommend checking out the ranger-led activities especially if you have kids in tow. The park has many places for RV camping including campgrounds with full hookups.

Related stories

12 Tribes Casino RV Park, Omak © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

4. Small town charm

Located in the foothills of the Okanagan Highlands in North Central Washington, Omak (population: 4,774) has a famous tourist stop for photographing the balanced Omak Rock. Adjacent to Omak Lake, the rock will set you in the right direction for outdoor adventure fun.

Pack a picnic from produce found at the Okanogan Valley Farmers Market (Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m., June through October) combined with coffees and baked goods from The Breadline Cafe and then enjoy a leisurely day on the lake or along the Okanagan River. If you prefer land adventures take a scenic hike along the trails of the Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest.

For a fun family outing, bookmark your August calendars for the annual Omak Stampede (91st annual; August 7-10, 2025). This local celebration combines stampede events with rodeo dances, art shows, and more. Or treat the family to your own horseback adventure with a visit to Pine Stump Farms.

For a relaxing time, book a stay at 12 Tribes Resort Casino RV Park, a full-service resort with 72-foot long x 42-foot wide pull-through sites.

Shrimping boat © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

5. Get on Deck for 73 Years of Shrimp!

The Town of Delcambre, Louisiana, located about 20 miles southwest of Lafayette, is home to one of the area’s most productive shrimp fleets. The town devotes an entire weekend to honor this economic lifeblood. The Delcambre Shrimp Festival invites you to Iberia Parish for the 70th year August 13-17, 2025.

The festival has gained its popularity by providing a variety of delicious dishes and top-notch entertainment including national recording artists. Enjoy signature shrimp dishes like boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp sauce piquante, shrimp salad, and many more. Each and every shrimp dish consumed at the festival is prepared by volunteer members of the festival association.

Keystone © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

6. Keystone

At first glance, Keystone might be a turn-off as its year-round population of around 200 people evokes ghost town vibes. However, this serenity is one of the reasons the town is perfect for a weekend retreat away from the chaos. The other reason is its proximity to Mount Rushmore National Monument, one of America’s most iconic attractions. This monument alone is worth a visit to Keystone to see the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt engraved into a mountain.

Besides this monument, however, Keystone surprisingly has dozens of other thrilling attractions to delight travelers. Rush Mountain Adventure Park is one of these attractions featuring the Rushmore Cave, a mountain coaster, a zipline, a challenge course, and a gemstone mining area.

Keystone also hosts the National Presidential Wax Museum, home to over 100 realistic wax figures including every US President.

Mitchell Corn Palace © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

7. Mitchell

The town of Mitchell puts its name on the global map for hosting the World’s Only Corn Palace. This attraction alone is worth a weekend in Mitchell if you love creativity and the arts. Interestingly, this Corn Palace takes a different theme each year and is usually designed with up to 12 different colors of locally grown corn. Even more interesting, the Corn Palace serves as a venue for concerts, exhibits, and other community events and it hosts an annual corn festival (August 20-24, 2025).

Additionally, Mitchell is home to the Dakota Discovery Museum, a great place to learn about the lives of the Plains Indians, the Fur Trade, and the Dakota Territory. Visitors can check out this museum and then head to the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village to learn about the first people who inhabited the region more than a thousand years ago.

Nearby, Lake Mitchell is a great place to cool off with exciting activities like paddling and fishing. The area around the lake also has trails for hiking and biking, and a campground for extended stays.

Dead Horse Point State Point © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

8. Dead Horse Point

Often overshadowed by nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Dead Horse Point offers equally jaw-dropping views without the crowds. The overlook of the Colorado River, winding 2,000 feet below, is one of the most iconic vistas in the Southwest. The park’s trails lead across red rock cliffs, piñon-juniper woodlands, and high-desert mesas with panoramic views in every direction that glow gold and orange at sunrise or sunset.

Despite its proximity to some of Utah’s busiest attractions, Dead Horse Point feels surprisingly peaceful. A well-maintained trail system loops past multiple scenic viewpoints and the park is a designated International Dark Sky Park making it ideal for stargazing after a day of hiking. It’s a perfect base for travelers who want classic red rock scenery in a quieter setting.

The Wharf, Gulf Shores © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

9. Gulf Shores, Alabama

Away from the mountains, you’ll find Gulf Shores, Alabama—a stunning seaside destination perfect for RVers. Gulf Shores is the ideal vacation spot for families and beach lovers with miles of beautiful sandy beaches, delicious seafood, and plenty of fun attractions nearby.

Although the beach gets all the attention, you’ll find plenty of family-friendly activities in Gulf Shores. With over a dozen golf courses nearby, you can easily take your pick, all offering gorgeous greens and challenging play. If your crew is new to the game, Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf is another fun way to enjoy time with family. Whether riding the Ferris wheel at The Wharf or learning how to build unique creations at Sand Castle University, fun is never far away.

Santa Fe © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

10. The City Different

Santa Fe, New Mexico, is famously known as “The City Different,” a nickname that reflects its unique blend of cultures, architecture, and history. Established in 1607, Santa Fe is the third oldest city founded by European colonists in the U.S. and the oldest capital city in the country, serving under five different governments: Spain, Tewa Puebloans, Mexico, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. 

The city’s rich cultural heritage is evident in its adobe-style architecture which is preserved through strict regulations that require new buildings in historic districts to reflect the region’s traditional adobe construction.

Santa Fe is also renowned for its vibrant arts scene with over 250 art galleries, 14 unique museums, and a thriving community of artists, musicians, and writers. The city’s cultural diversity is a result of the blending of Native American, Spanish, and Anglo traditions creating a distinctive and historic atmosphere. 

Additionally, Santa Fe is known for its exceptional climate with 325 days of sunshine per year and its status as the highest altitude capital city in the U.S. situated at 7,199 feet. The city’s history is further enriched by landmarks such as the Palace of the Governors, the oldest government building in the country and the San Miguel Mission, the oldest church in the continental U.S.

Plus, several RV parks are nearby making it a convenient place to visit in your RV.

There you have it, folks, ten of the best places to travel in your RV in August. An RV road trip allows you to escape the monotony of everyday life and truly immerse yourself in nature’s beauty. So pack up the RV and get ready to explore. There’s no doubt that these places will provide a one-of-a-kind experience for you and your loved ones.

Worth Pondering…

It’s a sure sign of summer if the chair gets up when you do.

—Walter Winchell

Where to RV to See Wildflowers Year-Round

To see wildflowers year-round in your RV, plan a route that follows the changing bloom seasons across different regions and climates

If you’re thinking about a road trip to somewhere warm and colorful, here are the best places to see wildflowers in the U.S. Wherever you go, remember to respect the natural beauty—avoid trampling and stick to pics rather than picking. 

Flowers have long been powerful symbols in literature representing complex human emotions, ideas, and themes. Different flowers carry distinct meanings that authors use to enrich their works, often conveying love, purity, death, renewal, and more.

“To be a flower,” Emily Dickinson wrote, “is profound responsibility.”

A century later, in one of the most poetic children’s books of all time, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry made his hero’s central preoccupation the responsibility for a single flower—the Little Prince’s beloved rose: fragile and self-concerned, ferociously hungry for love, capable of such tenderness and such cruelty, so ephemeral and so stubborn, so much a miniature of the contradictory animating forces that make us human.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (“A rose by any other name…”) symbolizes timeless love; Blake’s poetry explores love’s purity and fragility; Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter uses the wild rosebush to reflect beauty amid moral complexity. Roses also symbolize eternal love in Romantic literature.

RVers love nature and when nature is in its most beautiful attire it’s covered with wildflowers. Fall colors and leaf changes are equally as beautiful and fleeting. To catch a glimpse of nature’s show you’ll want the flexibility to hop in an RV and go.

It’s the nature of wildflowers to grow up fast and fade away maybe lasting a month or two at most. If you want to see them year-round you’ll need to rely on planning and timing things just right. Don’t worry, it can be done!

Wildflowers © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

What is a Wildflower

A flower that grows naturally in the wild

The proper definition of a wildflower is a flower that was not planted, that grows naturally in the wild. But I’m not going to be a stickler here. In some locations—think Texas and its famous Bluebonnets—wildflower seeds have been collected and intentionally planted in gardens and along highways and wayfares. Wildflowers, because they grow in the wild, they are hearty flowers and when you catch them in bloom, it’s like an explosion of color. No matter what variety you see.

Peak time for wildflowers

The peak time for wildflowers varies by region and species

Obviously, in most places the peak time for flowers is in spring. But spring comes at different times in different parts of the country. Here’s where that timing thing comes in.

Wildflowers © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Wildflowers in the south

In Florida and the southern states wildflowers start popping out in early spring—think late February or March—and last until late fall around Thanksgiving. A drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains at the right time will show off southern wild blooms.

Wildflower in the north

In the north, they may not start showing up until late May or even early June. They may last in different waves for different species until the first frosts of fall. Generally, they start to fade and wilt a bit in the full heat and humidity of summer. There’s plenty of time to view wildflowers during peak camping season. Plan your first RV trip of the season around camping near a bloom.

Wildflowers © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Wildflowers in the west

The super blooms of California and Arizona are legendary. Entire hillsides turn a rainbow of colors for a brief period as a result of dormant wildflower seeds in western desert soil. This usually happens if there has been a rainy, wet winter season. A lot of environmental conditions must align for a super bloom to occur which makes this natural phenomenon worth traveling for. People flock to California from all over the country to view the super bloom and take photos against a blanket of color.

When viewing super blooms or any other wildflower bloom follow local laws and guidelines about staying on designated walking paths. Trampling the wildflowers could damage a fragile ecosystem.

For additional inspiration read (and enjoy the photos):

Wildflowers © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

How to plan an RV route to see wildflowers

Choose the right wildflower destinations and timing

But contrary to what many think, wildflowers bloom pretty much all year round as long as it’s not too cold. So if you want to see wildflowers year-round, you’ll want to set up a route. Fortunately, that route pretty much follows what just happens to be the favorite travel migration of many full-time RVers.

Let’s go over a few tips for finding beauty and blooms along your travels.

Try to stay in 70 degree weather as much as possible

Focus on timing and locations with mild spring temperatures

For most people, temperatures around 70-75 degrees are the most comfortable. The same is true for many of the most colorful wildflowers. If you start in the south in early spring and slowly make your way north to the I-10 corridor in Northern Florida and then head west, you can count on finding wildflowers all along the way.

When the weather starts hitting the 80s and above, somewhere in Texas come late March or early April, make your way into New Mexico and use altitude to make a slight turn to the northwest, keeping those temps in the 70s as you slowly make your way into the mountains of northern New Mexico and on into most any place north and west you want to go in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana.

Explore the west from May to September, visit the National Parks, get out of the most stifling heat, and keep climbing through the Rockies and beyond. Wildflowers will line your path. When the weather starts to get cold start coming down from the mountains and pick a northern route back east like I-94. Stop and explore the Dakotas—North and South.

Meander through Minnesota on into Wisconsin following, say, US-2, into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula until the growing chills turn the Sumac brown. Come down through the Michigan Lower Peninsula and head east through Ontario paralleling Lakes Erie and Ontario. Get to New York and the Adirondacks as fall colors peak and the northern wildflowers shrivel in the first frosts.

Then skedaddle back south watching the Geese migrate above and the fall wildflowers below until you get to someplace in Florida where the 70s are a pretty much daily average all winter long (generally, south of a line from Sarasota on the Gulf to Port St Lucie) along the Atlantic Coast. Wildflowers will revive when the summer temps begin to drop. In the coldest months, head to the Everglades and The Keys. Wildflowers bloom there pretty much all year.

A clever climatologist routed a 70 degree road trip around the U.S. where you can enjoy 70-degree weather all year long. Here are three articles based on his climate research:

Wildflowers © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Where to find the best wildflower displays

Plan visits during the noted peak bloom months and consider popular hikes or scenic drives that showcase the flowers

Here are some specific wildflower blooms to look for.

Key West

In Key West, the wildflower and plant scene is rich and tropical, supported by the island’s warm temperatures and ample rainfall. While not all are strictly native wildflowers, many species thrive naturally or have become well-established in the local environment

In November and December look for Citron Zephyr Lily, Bitter Melon, and Pencilflower.

For an immersive experience visiting places like the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden offers a chance to see many native and tropical wildflowers and plants in a curated setting.

The Everglades

The Everglades is a unique subtropical wetland ecosystem rich in diverse native plants and wildflowers adapted to its wet and often saline environment. The glades are famous for bromeliads and epiphytic orchids. In fact, 39 native orchid species occur in the park in addition to about 750 other kinds of native plants. Seven different orchid species bloom in January and February.

Wildflowers © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Louisiana

Louisiana’s diverse ecosystems—from coastal wetlands and swamps to pine savannahs and prairies—support a rich variety of native wildflowers and plants well adapted to the state’s warm, humid climate. Louisiana’s coastal marshes and swamps are home to plants like the bald cypress and various Louisiana irises (including Iris fulva and Iris hexagona) which add vibrant color to wetland landscapes. Prairies and savannahs historically hosted diverse wildflowers and grasses such as purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and wiregrass.

State parks like North Toledo Bend State Park and Chemin-a-Haut State Park showcase many native species.

You want to be in Lousiana in early Match into April to see the wild azaleas. A must for RVing wildflower lovers is the 31 miles long Wild Azalea Trail that begins at the Valentine Lake Recreation Area near Garner and ends at the Woodworth. This is a National Recreation Trail because of its incredible beauty. There is nothing like being surrounded by wild azaleas when they’re in bloom.

Gather inspiration for Louisiana travels with these guides: 

Wildflowers © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Texas

Texas is famous for Bluebonnets. By the second week of April, you want to be in the town of Burnett, about 60 miles northwest of Austin and directly west of Georgetown on Highway 29. That’s when blooming wildflowers are usually at their peak and that’s when Burnett holds its annual Bluebonnet Festival.

Over 1,200 plant species including bluebonnets, desert marigold, desert primrose, and yucca are found in Big Bend National Park.

Here are some helpful resources:

New Mexico

New Mexico has eight distinct ecosystems from the desert in the south to 12,000 foot high mountains in the north. And every spring, the state’s meadows, mountains, canyons, and deserts burst with native wildflowers. It starts in March in the southern deserts and moves northward with warming temperatures and spring rains reaching a peak in central New Mexico by May.

Gather inspiration for New Mexico travels with these guides: 

Wildflowers © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Wyoming/Montana/Idaho 

From June through August up and down the Rockies wildflowers abound. In the forests, look for lupine. In the meadows and sagebrush-steppe, you’ll see spring beauties such as Indian paintbrush, glacier lilies, and steer’s head.

Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks are in bloom June and July. Arctic lupine, mountain arnica, glacier lilies; best viewed at Logan Pass and Hidden Lake Trail (Glacier National Park). All throughout the west and northwest, wildflowers can be found bursting with color right in through September.

The Dakotas

In the Dakotas, some of the best wildflower viewing spots are concentrated in South Dakota’s Black Hills region and North Dakota’s prairie and park areas, offering diverse blooms and scenic landscapes.

Look for wild Asters, Vervain, and maybe mint still blooming here into The Upper Midwest. Wildflowers throughout this area in September include Alstromeria, wild Chrysanthemum, and Sweet Violet.

Renowned for scenic drives like Needles Highway and Wildlife Loop Road, Custer State park features meadows filled with colorful wildflowers such as prairie coneflowers and scarlet globemallow. Trails around Sylvan Lake and the Sunday Gulch Trail offer immersive wildflower hikes.

Late spring and summer bring blooms of prairie coneflowers, sego lilies, and scarlet globemallow across rugged terrain in Badlands National Park. Sage Creek Wilderness offers quieter wildflower patches.

In spring, Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s prairie blooms with pasque flowers (wild crocus), draba, and prairie smoke, signaling the arrival of spring. The park’s upland prairies are excellent for wildflower walks and photography.

Here are some helpful resources:

Wildflowers © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Get a wildflower identification app

For identifying wildflowers using your phone

Use an app to help identify the wildflowers you encounter; there many to choose from. Picture This comes highly recommended. Simply take a photo and it then identifies the flower or plant and tells you all about it. Knowing what you see makes it even more special.  PlantNet an excellent alternative allows searching by region, helpful for narrowing down local wildflowers.

Happy Trails. And be sure to smell the flowers!

Worth Pondering…

Wildflowers are the loveliest of all because they grow in uncultivated soil, in those hard, rugged places where no one expects them to flourish.

—Micheline Ryckman.

Canada Has the Most Lakes in the World

Canada has the most lakes in the world with approximately 879,800 lakes that are 25 acres or larger which represents about 62 percent of all such lakes globally

In a country that boasts an incredible 879,800 lakes, you could say that visitors will never be too far from one of Canada’s impressive bodies of water. While the lakes in Canada’s Rockies are well worth checking out, almost unbelievably, Canada has more lakes than the other countries combined. For those keen to see even a handful, it can take a while to experience this vast country.

Since many of Canada’s lakes are of glacial origin no two lakes look the same. From the dreamy turquoise lakes of the west to the recreational havens of the east, Canada’s lakes are vastly different and their large numbers have proven to be a fantastic playground for nature lovers, photographers, and watersports enthusiasts.

Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

More lakes than all other countries combined

A remarkable statistic

Canada has more lakes than all other countries combined owning about 879,800 lakes that are 25 acres or larger which is 62 percent of all such lakes worldwide. Given that there are approximately 1.42 million lakes of this size globally Canada’s share exceeds the combined total number of these lakes in all other countries put together.

To put it simply:

  • Lakes ≥ 25 acres worldwide: ~1,420,000
  • Lakes in Canada ≥ 25 acres: ~879,800 (62%)
  • Lakes outside Canada (combined): ~540,200

This overwhelming majority means Canada alone has more large lakes than the rest of the world combined.

Additionally, some sources note that Canada has over 2 million total lakes if smaller sizes are included, further highlighting its unparalleled freshwater abundance. This unique concentration reflects glacial history, vast northern wilderness, and a climate conducive to lake formation.

One of the best aspects of the diversity of these lakes scattered throughout the country is that they are ideal for a wide range of recreational activities. The lakes in western Canada, for instance, are noted for their picture-perfect turquoise waters, making them ideal for kayaking, canoeing, and photography. In comparison, lakes in the central provinces and the east of the country are perfect for motorboating, fishing, and swimming.

Pyramid Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Countries with the most lakes in the world

  • Canada: 879,800 lakes
  • Russia: 201,000 lakes
  • United States: 102,500 lakes
  • China: 23,800 lakes

Although extremely popular destinations during the warmer months, Canada’s lakes are not visited only in the summer months and ice fishing is one of the major pastimes among locals as well as ice skating and even dog sleding. Given that Canada boasts 62 percent of the world’s 1.42 million lakes, not all of them are easily accessible. But those that can be easily accessed or accessed through a scenic hike are well worth experiencing especially the most iconic lakes.

A brief comparison of the largest lakes

  • Lake Superior (Canada, U.S.): 31,700 sq mi
  • Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda): 26,828 sq mi
  • Lake Huron (Canada, U.S.): 23,000 sq mi
  • Lake Michigan (U.S.): 22,300 sq mi
  • Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia): 12,700 sq mi
  • Lake Baikal (Russia): 12,200 sq mi
  • Great Bear Lake (Canada): 12,096 sq mi
  • Lake Nyasa (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania): 11,430 sq mi
  • Great Slave Lake (Canada): 11,030 sq mi

Given that there are other countries with numerous lakes each with its unique features and claims to fame it is interesting to compare these natural wonders. Lake Baikal in Russia, for example, is the world’s deepest and oldest freshwater lake. At the same time, China’s Qinghai Lake (also called Kokonor Lake) is the source of China’s two largest rivers, the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. Back in the United States, Lake Michigan boasts the world’s largest freshwater sand dunes with numerous beaches and over 100 lighthouses​​​​​​.

It is worth noting that great care should be taken when venturing onto a frozen lake in winter as this can be incredibly hazardous. Always follow local guidance and warnings to ensure your safety.

Beauvert Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

An overview of Canada’s largest lakes

Many of Canada’s largest lakes are shared with the United States and are part of the Great Lakes system

Canada is expansive covering most of the North American continent and sharing a border with the United States. Its border with the United States is the world’s longest land borde so you could say that this country is more than large enough to have the most lakes in the world.

The country boasts 563 lakes larger than 100 square kilometers (almost 40 square miles). The largest lake in Canada is Great Bear Lake located in the Northwest Territories. This impressive lake spans a staggering 12,096 square miles and is the largest lake fully located within the Canadian border compared to Lake Superior or Lake Huron which are much larger but shared with the United States.

Okanagan Lake, British Columbia © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Canada’s largest lakes

  • Lake Superior (Ontario): 31,700 sq mi
  • Lake Huron (Ontario): 23,000 sq mi
  • Great Bear Lake (Northwest Territories): 12,096 sq mi
  • Great Slave Lake (Northwest Territories): 11,030 sq mi
  • Lake Erie (Ontario): 9,900 sq mi
  • Lake Winnipeg (Manitoba): 9,416 sq mi
  • Lake Ontario (Ontario): 7,320 sq mi
  • Lake Athabasca (Alberta, Saskatchewan): 3,064 sq mi

Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes and like Lake Huron it is a popular destination for recreational activities such as boating, fishing, kayaking, and wildlife spotting. These lakes are surrounded by thriving lakeside communities that offer a range of amenities to cater to visitors.

In comparison, Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake, both located in the remote Northwest Territories, are significantly less visited than their Ontario counterparts. However, that does mean that these locations along the Arctic Circle offer a much more off-the-beaten-path and truly adventurous experience. While Great Bear Lake is the largest lake entirely within Canada’s borders, the Great Slave Lake is the deepest with a depth of 2,015 feet.

Skaha Lake, British Columbia © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Visiting Canada’s largest lakes

Guide to some of the best experiences and must-see spots

While all of Canada’s spectacular lakes are renowned for their vibrant waters and surrounding landscapes, some stand out for their stunning scenery and picturesque settings. In contrast, others are distinguished by their sheer size and some are admired for both their size and other qualities.

The many diverse lakes that can be seen throughout the country have become quite the icons and you will find that many people travel long distances to experience the most famous ones. What’s even more impressive than the beauty of Canada’s lakes is the area they cover. Approximately 553,743 square miles or nearly 9 percent, of Canada’s total area is covered by freshwater lakes and other bodies of water.

Lake Superior

  • Size: 31,700 square miles
  • Unique attractions: Scuba diving, trout fishing
  • Best time to visit: May–September for warm weather; fall for stunningly vibrant scenery
  • How to get there: Access via Thunder Bay, Trans Canada Highway, or U.S Highway 61

Lake Huron

  • Size: 23,000 square miles
  • Unique attractions: Visiting Manitoulin Island (World’s largest freshwater island), shipwreck diving
  • Best time to visit: June–September for the best weather
  • How to get there: Via Ontario Highway 21 or U.S. Route 23

Great Bear Lake

  • Size: 12,096 square miles
  • Unique attractions: Wildlife spotting (Grizzlies, Wolves, and Bald Eagles), Aurora hunting (winter)
  • Best time to visit: June-August, when the daylight hours are the longest; December–March for aurora viewing
  • How to get there: Via Yellowknife and onwards to Norman Wells or Délı̨nę airport

Great Slave Lake

  • Size: 11,030 square miles
  • Unique attractions: Ice fishing (winter), Aurora viewing (winter)
  • Best time to visit: June–August for lake activities; December–March for aurora viewing and winter activities
  • How to get there: By road via Highway 3 to Yellowknife

Located in various parts of Canada, from high above the Arctic north to the country’s southern border with the U.S., the four largest lakes in the northern territories each have their own unique characteristics, attractions, and charm, making them the visitor magnets they are.

Vaseaux Lake, British Columbia © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Canada’s most popular lakes

Renowned for their stunning natural beauty

  • Lake Louise (Alberta): Famous for its vivid turquoise waters caused by glacial silt and framed by the majestic Victoria Glacier. It is a top destination for canoeing, hiking, ice skating, and picturesque mountain scenery. The nearby Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise enhances its appeal as a luxury lakeside resort.
  • Moraine Lake (Alberta): Known for its striking blue color and dramatic backdrop of the Valley of the Ten Peaks, Moraine Lake is a favorite spot for photography, canoeing, and hiking. It is also famous as the “Twenty Dollar View” due to its appearance on the Canadian twenty-dollar bill.
  • Peyto Lake (Alberta): Recognizable from its wolf-head shape as seen from Bow Summit, Peyto Lake is prized for its turquoise glacial waters and panoramic alpine views. It offers excellent hiking trails and less crowded vantage points compared to Lake Louise or Moraine Lake.
  • Maligne Lake (Alberta): The largest natural lake in Jasper National Park renowned for Spirit Island and its pristine forest and glacier surroundings. Popular activities include scenic boat tours, kayaking, fishing, and wildlife spotting.
  • Lake Ontario (Ontario): One of the Great Lakes bordering Ontario, it combines urban attractions near Toronto with natural waterfront parks, beaches, and boating opportunities making it popular for both city dwellers and tourists.
  • Emerald Lake (British Columbia): Known for its brilliant emerald waters in Yoho National Park, it offers hiking, canoeing, and stunning mountain vistas.
  • Okanagan Lake (British Columbia): Famous for its warm waters, beaches, vineyards, and recreational boating and fishing.
Lake Osoyoos, British Columbia © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

With 879,800 lakes, including a range of sizes, from large bodies of water to smaller ponds, Canada is a must-visit destination, even if only for its selection of awe-inspiring lakes. A different perspective on this incredible piece of information is that Canada is home to three out of every five lakes on Earth, from the majestic lakes of British Columbia and Alberta to the recreational havens of Lake Winnipeg and Lake Ontario.

Worth Pondering…

A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.

—Henry David Thoreau, Walden

The Towns Too Tough to Die

With foresight and determination, city leaders have worked hard for over a century to preserve our Old West history in the most famous Western towns

Some people rescue abandoned dogs, beached whales, or wild mustangs. 

Then there are those inspired individuals with the foresight to rescue history before it escapes our collective memories. 

These three true western towns are examples of places where history lives and the spirit of the Old West is still alive thanks to crusaders like Edna Landin who led an effort to save the 1882 Tombstone Courthouse and designate the town as a National Historic District. 

Sharlot Hall was another rescuer of history in Prescott where she served as Territorial Historian from 1909 until 1912. 

Often, it’s a collective effort to establish a historical society to preserve the vintage buildings, photos and artifacts that tell the stories of how their towns developed. 

I salute these rescuers and encourage readers to visit these three true western towns to experience what they have preserved. Plus, put on your cowboy boots and also stop at the other towns where there’s a whole lot of history happening. 

“The Towns Too Tough to Die” primarily refers to Tombstone, Arizona, a historic town famed for its resilience and legendary Old West legacy. Tombstone earned this nickname due to its survival against numerous adversities such as gunfights, fires, Indian wars, economic declines including the Great Depression, and social upheavals, yet it remained a vibrant community rather than becoming a ghost town.

The phrase is also notably associated with the 1942 Western film “Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die” which dramatizes the events leading up to and including the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The film stars Richard Dix as Wyatt Earp, Kent Taylor as Doc Holliday, and features other historical figures like the Earp brothers and the outlaw Curly Bill Brocious. It portrays Wyatt Earp’s transformation into lawman and his battle against the outlaw Clanton gang to restore order to Tombstone

Tombstone Courthouse Historic State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Tombstone, Arizona

Famous for its mining boom, legendary gunfight, and enduring Wild West legacy

Frontier justice was quick in Tombstone in the 1880s. Five men were hanged March 28, 1884 at the Tombstone Courthouse for their part in a failed robbery and murder of four in the so-called Bisbee Massacre of December 8, 1883. 

The mastermind of the holdup, John Heath, got a life sentence in Yuma Territorial Prison. But outraged Tombstone citizens broke Heath out of jail at the courthouse, got a rope and hung him from a nearby telegraph pole. Five weeks later, the others dropped to their deaths at the courthouse gallows, according to Curtis Miles, Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park manager.  

That violent tale is just one of many told at the courthouse which is an essential stop in Tombstone. In addition to accurate portrayals of the O.K. Corral shootout, the state historic park has a recreated gallows outside the red brick Victorian building.

The courthouse was abandoned after the Cochise County seat moved to Bisbee in 1929 just as the Great Depression tanked the Tombstone economy. The town had already been suffering as mining declined over several decades. 

But Tombstone soldiered on, earning its nickname The Town Too Tough to Die.

The big renaissance of Tombstone followed development of the motion picture industry and the invention of the Western film genre. That led to 40 or 50 Western-themed shows on three networks in the 1950s and ’60s. Those movies and TV shows captured the attention of generations of viewers now drawn to Western outposts like Tombstone.

Sharot Hall Museum, Prexcott © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Prescott, Arizona

The original capital of the Arizona Territory

A half century ago, one of Prescott’s many Victorian-era homes was facing demolition to make way for a Jack in the Box restaurant. 

But a grassroots campaign raised $25,000 to move the 160-ton Bashford House built in 1877 eight blocks to the Sharlot Hall Museum. It was restored two years later and sits near the Territorial Governor’s Mansion, a modest 1864 log cabin.

“People here have always had that kind of appreciation for the history of Prescott and preserving it. That’s just what makes it so special” said Kathy Mancino, sheriff of the Prescott Corral of Westerners International. 

The 50-year-old Prescott Corral, with 225 members, is one of the largest groups of Westerners International which was founded in 1944 and has 60 U.S. chapters and 20 abroad. 

The Prescott organization whose purpose is to preserve authentic Western history is among a slew of groups and local museums celebrating stories of the Old West. That includes historical societies, Arizona Rough Riders, Whiskey Row Renegades, Prescott Regulators, Elks Opera House Guild, and Yavapai Cowbelles, a ranchers group established in 1949. 

Prescott’s museum scene is impressive for a city its size. It includes the above-
mentioned Sharlot Hall Museum, Phippen Western Art & Heritage Museum, Museum of Indigenous People, and storefront Western Heritage Center on Whiskey Row. 

The 1916 Yavapai Courthouse Plaza is the hub of the Prescott visitor experience along with Whiskey Row. A monument honoring Rough Rider Buckey O’Neill graces the plaza.

Whiskey Row’s most prominent watering hole is the Palace Restaurant and Saloon which was rebuilt in 1901 after a disastrous fire leveled the 1877 saloon. The infamous Earp Brothers and Doc Holliday drank at the old Palace. 

Doc’s common-life wife known as Big Nose Kate is buried at the Prescott Pioneer Home Cemetery—just down the hill from Sharlot Hall.

Oatman © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Oatman, Arizona

A “living ghost town” 

Prospector Johnny Moss first mined the area for gold in the 1860s staking claims to two mines, one named Moss, the other Oatman after Olive Oatman who was kidnapped by Apache warriors, sold to Mojave Indians, and released after five years near the current townsite in 1855.

Gold mining would have its ups and downs in the Black Mountains until the early 1900s.

Oatman got a boost with a major gold discovery in 1908 but it wasn’t until 1915 when two miners struck a $14 million gold find that led to one of the West’s last gold rushes.

By summer of 1916 over two hundred mines were operating in the Oatman district.

At the conclusion of World War I many ex-soldiers flooded into the Oatman area both in search of employment at the mines and reportedly to take advantage of Arizona’s dry climate to rehabilitate from being gassed in the war.

By 1930, it was estimated that 36 million dollars worth of gold had come from the mines. The town boasted two banks, seven hotels, 20 saloons, and 10 stores. By the mid 1930s, the boom was over and in 1942 the last remaining mines were closed as nonessential to the war effort.

Oatman was more fortunate than other former mining towns as it was located on U.S. Route 66, known as The Main Street of America, a popular and important road for travelers. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard stopped at the town during their 1939 honeymoon. Gable fell in love with the town and returned frequently to play cards with the locals. The Oatman Hotel still features the Gable Lombard Honeymoon Suite.

In the late 1980s, Route 66 again became a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. Oatman started becoming very lively again.

Oatman today is a tourist town. The main street is lined with shops and restaurants. Wild burros, descendants of those brought by long-ago miners wander the streets. Gunshots are heard as the Ghostrider Gunfighters perform daily displaying blazing six-gun shootouts in the middle of Main Street.

Williams © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Where history lives

Places that preserve and showcase rich historical heritage

Santa Fe, New Mexico

An exhibit at the New Mexico History Museum honors the 100-year history of Santa Fe’s Indian Market. Another exhibit explores the legacy of the Fred Harvey Company. 

Williams, Arizona

Ride the Grand Canyon Railway to the national park including special steam-powered runs on 11 dates in 2023. In town, enjoy the relics of Route 66 and the World Famous Sultana Bar.

Placerville, California

See the historic downtown, the Fountain-Tallman Museum in an 1852 building and tour the Gold Bug Mine. 

Kingman © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Kingman, Arizona

Route 66 gets a lot of attention here but the Mohave Museum of History and Arts and nearby ghost town of Chloride are worth a visit. 

Medora, North Dakota

This historic city is the gateway town to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Summertime is best to tour the local historic sites and attend the ever-popular Medora Musical.

Jerome, Arizona

This former mountain mining community earned the nickname The Wickedest Town in the West during its heyday when rich copper ore deposits attracted miners, merchants, madams, and more to the Arizona Territory.

Mesilla © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Mesilla, New Mexico

The heart of the picturesque village of Mesilla is much the same as it was one hundred years ago. Thick walled adobe buildings which once protected residents against Apache attacks, now house art galleries, restaurants, museums, and gift shops.

Amador City, California

Amador City’s oldest structure, built around 1855, is the center portion of the Amador Hotel. Up Main Street is the stone Fleehart Building (now the Whitney Museum) that dates from the 1860s. The original mining-era buildings are now home to unique shops.

Bisbee, Arizona

Bisbe proved to be one of the richest mineral sites in the world producing nearly three million ounces of gold and more than eight billion pounds of copper not to mention the silver, lead, and zinc that came from these rich lands. By the early 1900s Bisbee had become the largest city in the Arizona territory. 

Keystone © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Keystone, South Dakota

Keystone is a town with a split personality. Most visitors come to know New Keystone which is a mile-long retail district stretched along US-16A, the main route to Mount Rushmore. But Old Keystone or Old Town is the original gold mining settlement along east-flowing Battle Creek.

Worth Pondering…

You damn dirty cow thief, if you’re anxious to fight, I’ll meet you!

—Wyatt Earp to Ike Clanton before the fight at the O.K. Corral

These Are the Most Beautiful Views in Arizona

These are the most treasured views in Arizona

In a state that ranges from wide-open desert to snow-capped mountain peaks, no two scenic views in Arizona are exactly alike.

Some of Arizona’s most unforgettable scenic views are obvious—it’s nicknamed the Grand Canyon State for a reason. Some, like Horseshoe Bend, have become international sensations on social media. Others, like Chiricahua National Monument in the southeastern part of the state exist well under the radar and that helps make them extra surprising to visit.

A new USA TODAY network project showcasing breathtaking—and perhaps, underappreciated—views throughout the United States. These are some of the most beautiful landmarks, scenic vistas, and hidden gems you can truly treasure in Arizona.

Mather Point, Grand Canyon National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Grand Canyon: Mather Point

Offers expansive and breathtaking panoramic views of the canyon

What makes Mather Point at Grand Canyon special? The Grand Canyon makes a big first impression and Mather Point is the first overlook most South Rim visitors see. It’s a short walk from the visitor center and parking lots.

Mather Point—named for Stephen Mather, the first National Park Service director—has an expansive view of the geological marvel. On a clear day, it’s possible to see up to 30 miles to the east and 60 miles to the west including portions of the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch, the lodge at the canyon bottom.

Mather Point is one of the most famous and popular viewpoints located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It sits at an elevation of about 7,119 feet. Mather Point is approximately 2 miles east-northeast of Grand Canyon Village and about 0.75 miles east of Yavapai Point. It is a short walk (about 5 minutes) from the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and nearby parking lots with no direct parking at the point itself. Visitors can also use the free Kaibab/Rim Route (orange) shuttle bus that stops at Mather Point.

Things to do at Grand Canyon’s Mather Point: Mather Point connects to the Rim Trail, a 13-mile mostly paved path that links other scenic viewpoints, trailheads, and landmarks like the Yavapai Geology Museum. The nearby visitor center is a stop on the park’s free South Rim shuttle that connects to the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails, hotels and lodges such as the historic El Tovar, and the Hermit Road viewpoints—accessible only by shuttle during the peak season from March through November—that include the sunrise and sunset viewing favorite Hopi Point.

  • Do you have to pay to see the Grand Canyon: Visiting Grand Canyon National Park costs $35 per vehicle, valid for seven days.
  • What is the closest town to the Grand Canyon: The closest town is Tusayan, about 1.6 miles south of the park entrance station where travelers can find restaurants, hotels, and gas along a few blocks of State Route 64. More amenities are available in Williams, a Route 66 town about an hour from Grand Canyon’s south entrance; things to do in Williams include a historic train ride to and from the Grand Canyon.
  • Details: South Rim, Grand Canyon Village; (928) 638-7888
Massai Point, Chiricahua National Monument © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Chiricahua National Monument: Massai Point

Key viewpoint and destination at the end of the 8-mile scenic Bonita Canyon Drive

What makes Chiricahua National Monument special? An underappreciated southeastern Arizona treasure, Chiricahua National Monument is having a moment. The 8-mile scenic drive to Massai Point reveals expansive views of sky island landscapes with 17 miles of hiking trails for deeper exploration.

The 12,000-acre site on a mountain range historically inhabited by the Apache people is well off the beaten path. But it’s getting noticed in social media channels as a travel dupe for Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park and Arizona politicians are seeking national-park status for it. The Chiricahuas are one of Arizona’s sky islands, isolated mountain ranges above deserts and grasslands.

Chiricahua National Monument is a spectacular destination renowned for its extraordinary volcanic rock formations, extensive hiking opportunities, and rich natural and cultural history. If you’re drawn to dramatic landscapes shaped by ancient volcanic activity, diverse ecosystems, and a quieter, less crowded national park experience, Chiricahua is an exceptional choice.

The monument preserves rhyolitic tuff formations created by a massive volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago. These formations have eroded into towering pinnacles, hoodoos, and balanced rocks creating a “Wonderland of Rocks” that is visually stunning and geologically fascinating.

  • Things to do at Chiricahua National Monument: The 8-mile scenic drive to Massai Point reveals expansive views of the rhyolite rocks; balanced rocks can also be seen along the drive. There are 17 miles of hiking trails including the easy Bonita Creek Loop that gives visitors views of wildlife like whitetail deer and birds. Chiricahua is classified as a Dark Sky Place by the International Dark Sky Association making it a destination for stargazers.
  • Do you have to pay to see Chiricahua National Monument: No, Chiricahua National Monument has no entrance or parking fees.
  • What is the closest town to Chiricahua National Monument: Willcox, about 35 miles northwest of the monument entrance, is the closest city. The monument is 71 miles from Bisbee, the historic former mining community that’s now a hip arts enclave and 63 miles to Tombstone, an important part of Wild West history as the place where the O.K. Corral gunfight happened.
  • Details: 12856 E. Rhyolite Creek Road, Willcox: (520) 824-3560

Horseshoe Bend: Page

Famous horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River

What makes Horseshoe Bend special? One of Arizona’s most photographed and Instagrammed sites, Horseshoe Bend is near the Arizona-Utah state line where the Colorado River flows. It’s part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and is adjacent to the Navajo Nation. Horseshoe Bend gets its name from the sinuous river meander around a sandstone formation. It has a lot in common with the Grand Canyon: Horseshoe Bend was carved out by the Colorado River over millions of years and is one of Arizona’s most visited natural landmarks.

  • Things to do at Horseshoe Bend: A half-mile paved trail leads from the parking lot to the Horseshoe Bend overlook. The walk takes about 40 minutes round-trip; you can spend as much time as you like exploring the overlook.
  • Do you have to pay to see Horseshoe Bend: It costs $10 to park a car or $5 to park a motorcycle at Horseshoe Bend. Although Horseshoe Bend is located on National Park Service land, the parking lot is owned by the city of Page which charges for parking. American the Beautiful and other national-parks passes are not accepted.
  • What is the closest town to Horseshoe Bend: Page is about 5 miles north of Horseshoe Bend. Several hotels along U.S. Route 89 offer views of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam. Restaurants include BirdHouse, praised by Tripadvisor users as one of the nation’s best quick service restaurants and Yelp users as Arizona’s best fried chicken.
  • Details: U.S. 89 between mile markers 545 and 544, south of Page: (928) 608-6072
Cathedral Rock, Sedona © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

More treasured views

Take in my top picks

Arizona is a treasure trove of breathtaking viewpoints beyond the Grand Canyon, offering a diverse range of landscapes from desert summits to volcanic rock formations and lush forested rims. Here are some top picks for more treasured views that capture Arizona’s unique natural beauty:

Sedona: Cathedral Rock

Stunning red sandstone formations

Sedona’s red rock formations are world-famous and Cathedral Rock, a towering sandstone butte, offers one of the most photographed views. A 1.5-mile round-trip hike (steep in parts) rewards with panoramic vistas of the valley, especially at sunset. Nearby vortex sites add a spiritual dimension.

Blue Mesa, Petrified Forest National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Petrified Forest National Park: Blue Mesa

Features vibrant bands of blue, purple, gray, and peach hues

This park’s colorful badlands, petrified wood, and ancient fossils create an otherworldly landscape. The Blue Mesa Trail offers striking views of blue and purple “Tepees” formations, dating back 225 million years. It’s less crowded than other sites, ideal for a quieter experience.

Monument Valley: John Ford’s Point

Offers breathtaking panoramic views of Monument Valley’s vast desert landscape

Straddling the Arizona-Utah border, Monument Valley’s towering red sandstone buttes (some reaching 1,000 feet) are iconic, featured in countless films. John Ford’s Point offers panoramic views of formations like the Mittens and Merrick’s Butte, best at sunset for vibrant colors. A 17-mile scenic drive or guided Navajo tour enhances the experience.

Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Saguaro National Park: Cactus Forest Drive

Runs through the heart of an extensive saguaro cactus forest

Near Tucson, this park showcases the iconic saguaro cactus against a desert backdrop. The 8.3-mile Cactus Forest Loop Drive (East District) offers pullouts for jaw-dropping views while the Valley View Overlook Trail (West District) is perfect for sunrise photography.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument: The Wave

Famous for its undulating, wave-like patterns in vibrant red, orange, and pink Navajo sandstone

Known for its smooth, wave-like sandstone, The Wave is a photographer’s dream but requires a hard-to-get permit. Other areas like White Pocket or Paria Canyon offer equally stunning red rock vistas with fewer restrictions, though access can be challenging.

Ajo Mountain Drive, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: Ajo Mountain Drive

Diverse desert landscapes and iconic cacti

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument offers stunning desert views centered around its namesake cactus which resembles organ pipes and is rare in the U.S. The Ajo Mountain Drive, a 21-mile scenic loop showcases sweeping vistas of rugged mountains, sprawling Sonoran Desert, and dense stands of organ pipe and saguaro cacti. The drive’s high points reveal panoramic landscapes, best at sunrise or sunset when the cacti and peaks glow gold and red.

Worth Pondering…

To my mind these live oak-dotted hills fat with side oats grama, these pine-clad mesas spangled with flowers, these lazy trout streams burbling along under great sycamores and cottonwoods, come near to being the cream of creation.

—Aldo Leopold, 1937

Black Hills Adventure: A Summer RV Journey

A summer road trip through South Dakota’s Black Hills offers a mix of stunning landscapes, iconic landmarks, and outdoor adventures. Here’s a concise plan to hit the highlights, tailored for an RV-friendly road trip.

From afar, South Dakota’s pine-laden Black Hills really do appear black, especially once the sun begins to dip behind their peaks. That’s what the Lakota Sioux also noticed about this sacred territory when they appropriately named it Paha Sapa which literally translates to Black Hills.

It’s not hard to understand how this land’s lucrative appeal both due to its natural beauty and the discovery of gold in the area in 1874 led to numerous brawls between the U.S. military and the Lakota who were ultimately forced to relinquish the land to the U.S. government in 1977. 

Even still, a road trip through these hills today is one laced together with Lakota culture, complex history, otherworldly landscapes, and all the bison a carnivore could ever want. And with Badlands National Park conveniently close by, a detour there is a hog-killin’ time (that’s Wild West slang for a lot of fun). Here’s one great way of doing it.

  • Trip length: 4 days; 178+ miles, depending on stops and detours
  • Where to start and finish: Begin your trip in Rapid City which will wrap up in a few days at Badlands National Park.
  • Things to know: Driving around the region consists of lengthy interstate stretches—especially around Badlands—and winding, take-it-easy cruises—notably around Custer State Park—to do the scenery justice.
  • Weather: Summer temps range from 60-85°F but afternoons can hit 90°F. Pack layers and sunscreen. Badlands can be hotter; bring ample water. Shade is virtually nonexistent on the trails.
Black Hills © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Stop 1: Rapid City

Rapid City, often called the “Gateway to the Black Hills,” is a vibrant hub for exploring the region’s natural wonders, historic sites, and cultural attractions.

  • Location: Centrally located at the edge of the Black Hills, Rapid City is within an hour’s drive of Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Badlands National Park, making it ideal for day trips.
  • Population: 78,000, second-largest city in South Dakota
  • Getting around: Downtown is walkable but an RV or car is needed for attractions like Dinosaur Park. Parking lots are generally RV-friendly; confirm size limits.
  • Vibes: The urban hub of western South Dakota, Rapid City is more than a gateway to the state’s natural beauties. Be sure to linger in its creative, historic downtown.
  • Do: Perhaps the city’s most famous attraction is the statues of all 45 US presidents lining the downtown streets (allegedly 9/10 the size of their real-life counterparts). Grab a free walking tour map at the visitor center (529 Main St.). It’s fun for history buffs; takes about 1-2 hours to stroll.
  • See: You could spend hours browsing Prairie Edge & Sioux Trading Post’s three stories of galleries and goods made by Northern Plains tribes before walking over to admire traditional buffalo hide drums at Dakota Drum Company. Top the day off (literally) by driving up to Dinosaur Park for panoramic views of Rapid City, accompanied by life-size dinosaur sculptures. 
  • Eat: Go for your daily bread (or pastry) at the Sour. For laid-back Mexican fare on an outdoor patio, it’s Qué Pasa Mexican Cantina.
  • Stay: Even if you don’t stay a night at the Hotel Alex Johnson, do pop into its lodge-like lobby and learn about their star-studded roster of past guests like Alfred Hitchcock and Jane Goodall—and some spooky guests rumored to have never left.
  • Camp: Camping options include Rapid City RV Park & Campground (4110 S Hwy 16), Lazy J RV Park (4111 Jackson Blvd), Rushmore Shadows Resort (23680 Busted Five Ct., ~10 miles south), and dispersed camping in Black Hills National Forest.
Black Hills © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Stop 2: Deadwood

  • The drive (41 miles, 45 minutes): Take US I-90 W and get off at Exit 30. Follow US-14A to Deadwood.

Deadwood is a historic gold rush town in the Black Hills about 40 miles northwest of Rapid City (~45-minute drive via I-90 and US-14A) making it a perfect stop on your summer road trip. Known for its Wild West legacy, vibrant Main Street, and modern casino scene, Deadwood blends history, entertainment, and outdoor adventure.

  • History: Founded during the 1876 Black Hills Gold Rush, Deadwood was home to legends like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Its entire downtown is a National Historic Landmark.
  • Parking: Downtown Deadwood has limited RV parking; use lots at the Deadwood Welcome Center (501 Main St.) or Tin Lizzie (555 Main St.). Avoid narrow side streets with large RVs.
  • Vibes: The stage of many a wild Western legend, Deadwood is where the gold rush (so much gold, it was sticking in the horses’ hooves, one observer reported) peaked in the Black Hills in the late 1800s. Architecturally, very little has changed since. Step inside any hotel today, however and you’ll come face-to-face with one of Deadwood’s over 20 casinos.
  • Do: Book a tour at Deadwood’s brothel museum which is housed in one of the town’s former brothels and covers the complex stories of the women who lived and worked in the town’s 104-year-long brothel scene.
  • See: Then catch daily reenactments starring the town’s most famous gold rush characters like Wild Bill Hickok and Jack McCall such as main street shootouts (sounds gruesome but it’s oddly a family-friendly experience). Or dive even further into the town’s history at the Days of ‘76 Museum (ample RV parking).
  • Eat: Sit outside for breakfast or lunch at Pump House at Mind Blown Studio, a former Texaco station that’s now a glass-blowing studio with an attached cafe. Then don your fanciest jeans for a fine steak dinner at Legends Steakhouse inside the Franklin Hotel. Saloon No. 10, a historic bar where Wild Bill was shot serves bison burgers and craft beers with live music nightly in summer.
  • Stay: If walkability is a priority, spend the night at Holiday Inn Resort Deadwood Mountain Grand, formerly a plant that extracted gold from slime in its earliest days, recently renovated with all the modern hotel amenities. For an elegant, better-than-glamping respite, book a night in one of the bungalows at Shortgrass Resort.
  • Camp: Deadwood offers RV-friendly campgrounds but book early for summer (June-August). Most are within 5-10 miles due to limited space in town: Deadwood KOA (11484 US-14A, 2 miles north), Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort (20189 US-85, 10 miles north near Spearfish), Whistler Gulch Campground (235 Cliff St., in Deadwood), and dispersed camping in the Black Hills National Forest.

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Custer State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Stop 3: Custer State Park

  • The drive (70 miles, 1 hour and 20 minutes): Take US-385 S to SD-87 S in West Pennington. Drive to SD-87 S in West Custer. Optional detours include Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial.

Custer State Park is a 71,000-acre gem about 40 miles south of Rapid City (~1-hour drive via SD-79 and US-16A) and 25 miles from Mount Rushmore (~40 minutes via US-16A). A highlight of your summer Black Hills road trip, it’s renowned for its stunning landscapes, abundant wildlife, and RV-friendly amenities.

  • Entrance fee: $20/vehicle for a 7-day pass
  • Activities: Offers hiking, biking, fishing, and cultural experiences, perfect for RV travelers seeking adventure and relaxation.
  • Vibes: A state park with the grandeur of a national park, Custer is bison country though it’s also roamed by elk, white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorns, wild donkeys, and an exploding population of chirping prairie dogs. I like to think Windows drew inspiration from Custer’s landscape when deciding on its default computer background.
  • Do: You can self-drive the park’s 18-mile Wildlife Loop Rosd but a buffalo Jeep safari grants you off-road access and fascinating background about the park’s wildlife. Book a 7 pm tour to catch the sunset behind the hills. 
  • See: Needles Highway (SD-87, 14 miles, ~45 minutes) is a winding drive through granite spires and tunnels including the narrow Needles Eye Tunnel (8’4” wide, check RV clearance). Enjoy stunning views of Cathedral Spires.  Not suitable for large RVs due to tight turns and low tunnels; use a tow vehicle or rent a car if needed.
  • Drive: Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway combines Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, and parts of US-16A (67 miles total) and features pigtail bridges and views of Mount Rushmore. Allow 3-4 hours for the full loop. Note that Iron Mountain Road has low tunnels (e.g., 10’9” high); stick to smaller vehicles.
  • Hike: For a manageable hike, head to Sylvan Lake for a uniquely rocky descent on Sunday Gulch Trail. Just remember: however far you go, you’ll have to come back up to return to your car. Or take a leisurely 1-mile walk around the lake pausing to admire the view from its colossal surrounding boulders (one of which has a cameo in National Treasure: Book of Secrets). Then saddle up for a guided trail ride with Blue Bell Lodge. Then impulsively switch career paths after buying a cowboy hat at a gift shop.
  • Eat: Over in the town of Custer, Skogen Kitchen is anything but traditional where fried chicken steamed buns, beef tartar tacos and duck confit all feature on the innovative menu.
  • Stay: There’s something undeniably American about staying in a national park lodge. State Game Lodge is known as former US President Calvin Coolidge’s 1927 “Summer White House,” and today, guests can book its historic rooms as well as newer, regular hotel rooms attached to the original structure. Or you can stay in a cozy, woodsy room at Creekside Lodge right next door, which is also where the buffalo safari tours meet.
  • Camp: Custer State Park has seven campgrounds, four with RV sites. No full hookups but most offer electric and dump stations nearby.
Custer State Park camping © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

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Badlands National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Stop 4: Badlands National Park

  • The drive (86 miles, 1 hour and 20 minutes, including a stop in Wall): Take SD-79 N back toward Rapid City and merge onto I-90E. Pull off in Wall for a pit stop at the infamous Wall Drug before entering the park’s north entrance.

Badlands National Park, located about 80 miles east of Rapid City (~1.5-hour drive via I-90), is a must-visit on your summer Black Hills road trip. Spanning 244,000 acres, its dramatic landscape of eroded buttes, pinnacles, and colorful rock layers combined with vast prairies makes it a striking contrast to the lush Black Hills. Known for its fossil-rich geology, abundant wildlife, and epic stargazing, it’s a perfect stop for RV travelers seeking adventure and natural beauty.

  • Entrance fee: $30/vehicle for a 7-day pass or use an America the Beautiful Pass ($80/year)
  • RV restrictions: Badlands Loop Road is RV-friendly (no low tunnels), but Sage Creek Road is gravel and may be rough after rain. Max RV length for Cedar Pass is 50 ft; confirm site size when booking.
  • Vibes: Shade and grass are elusive at Badlands whose striking rock formations are millions of years old, eroded over time by the elements. The result is a craggy skyline of painterly layers in varying hues of red, orange, brown, gray and, in the right lighting, purple.
  • Do: Badlands Loop Road (Hwy 240, ~40 miles, 1-2 hours), the main scenic drive through the park, connects overlooks like Pinnacles, Yellow Mounds, and Panorama Point. It’s ideal for RVs with pullouts for photos and short walks.
  • Hike: A hike is a must for any visitor in Badlands. With only a day to spare, four fabulous options sit beside each other: Window, Door, Notch, and Castle. Window and Door are brief, accessible ¼-mile boardwalks with the option to continue onto the bedrock. Notch is the most popular trek in the park at 1.5 miles round-trip and a portion of the trail climbs a log ladder. If you have more time, challenge yourself to the 10-mile round-trip Castle with the hopes of catching sight of bighorn sheep and pronghorn.
  • Note: Trails are exposed; summer heat (80-95°F) can be intense. Carry water (1L/person) and start hikes before 10 am.
  • Do: Take shelter in your car’s AC and drive the entire loop around the park. Then watch the sunset turn the rocks a vivid orange from Pinnacles Overlook.
  • Stargazing: Badlands’ dark skies are ideal for astronomy. Join ranger-led night sky programs (summer evenings) or view stars from Pinnacles Overlook. Bring binoculars or a telescope.
  • Eat: Cedar Pass Lodge Restaurant near the visitor center is the only dining option in the park serving bison burgers, Indian tacos, and salads. Or drive 10 minutes from Badlands’ northern entrance to the town of Wall which literally sits on the 20-mile wall of the park. Stop into Wall Drug—you’ve likely spotted many of its almost 300 bold signs miles before you arrive. Try one of their legendary donuts, free ice water (which put this formerly tiny pharmacy on the map in the 1930s) and peruse over 76,000 sq ft of gift shops, an arcade, photo ops like a giant jackalope, and mini Mt Rushmore, a restaurant—and yes, there is still a pharmacy inside that mimics its original structure. Some say tourist trap; I say iconic roadside attraction.
  • Stay: Spend your final sleep in a private log cabin at Badlands Frontier Cabins in Wall.
  • Camp: Badlands has two campgrounds plus nearby options for RVs. Book early for summer. No full hookups in the park but dump stations are available. Buffalo Gap National Grassland surrounding the park offers free boondocking (e.g., near Nomad View Dispersed Camping area off Sage Creek Rd.)
Badlands National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

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Worth Pondering…

In the Black Hills, nature has carved a masterpiece of stone and sky.

—John Muir

Must-do Activities at Every National Park

The must-do activities at every national park ranked by the annual number of visitors

America is a tapestry of national parks offering everyone the chance to enjoy the great outdoors in some of the most stunning natural settings in the country. From the icy wonders of Alaska’s remote glaciers to the crystal-blue waters of the Florida Keys, there’s something for everyone.

Using data from the National Park Service’s Annual Park Ranking Report to rank the 63 national parks by their recreational visits in 2024, I searched for the best, most interesting activities to do at each along with the best time to visit and how to prepare for a journey to each.

To see the lightning bugs in perfect unison in South Carolina or observing the caribou migration in Alaska you must be ready to make your trip at a specific time of the year.

Looking for a little adventure to tap into your inner Indiana Jones? Is history and nature your thing? Read on to see my list of must-do activities at every national park and don’t be surprised if you find yourself planning your next road trip.

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

1. Great Smoky Mountains: Cycle Cades Cove

  • Location: Tennessee, North Carolina
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 12,191,834
  • Details: With a small section of the Appalachian Trail running through it, the Great Smoky Mountains touts towering mountains with cliff-side walkways perfect during all four seasons. Considered the most popular spot in the park by the National Park Service, Cades Cove promises many wildlife sightings including black bears, coyotes, and turkeys. While many walk and bike the 11-mile loop, a roadway circles the cove for motorists who prefer a scenic drive. Other famed Smoky Mountains sections include the trails of Charlies Bunion, Andrews Bald, and Chimney Tops with a 1,400-foot elevation, 2-mile hike.

2. Zion: Hike Angels Landing

  • Location: Utah
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 4,946,592
  • Details: Aside from hiking Angels Landing, running the Zion Half Marathon is one of the best things you can do in the national park. When not in the sky touring the mountain from a helicopter, visitors can look up to the sky when stargazing both very popular park activities. Rock climbing, scenic roadway tours, off-roading, and watching a sunrise or sunset in the canyons are considered must-do activities at Zion.
Grand Canyon National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

3. Grand Canyon: Visit Grand Canyon Village

  • Location: Arizona
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 4,919,163
  • Details: The grandest sections of the Grand Canyon include the North Rim and Bright Angel Trail, both of which recommend setting aside a half or full day to visit. For serious visitors, the Grand Canyon offers a Ranger Program with walks and talks during the year on the North and South Rim. But the most popular part of the park is the Grand Canyon Village, the entryway to the ravine and location of Yavapai Point.

4. Yellowstone: See Old Faithful

  • Location: Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 4,744,353
  • Details: Old Faithful—a predictable cone geyser that has spewed every 44 to 125 minutes for decades—is one of the most magnificent offerings of the park. But there’s more to do at Yellowstone including hiking to the Yellowstone Grand Canyon that tops the hot water springs. Another incredible spot is Yellowstone Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the park where panoramic views are most visible by car.

5. Rocky Mountain: Hike at high elevation

  • Location: Colorado
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 4,154,349
  • Details: The Colorado national park sees many visitors walking along the five-state-long, 3,100-mile Continental Trail Divide. While visitors can enjoy the 6-mile hike into the ghost town Lulu City, an abandoned mining village notorious for apparitions, all year, they can also spend a long weekend in Colorado at the Rocky Mountain National Park Night Sky, a three-day event held every summer.

6. Yosemite: Hike Half Dome

  • Location: California
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 4,121,807
  • Calling Yosemite a shrine to human foresight made up of glaciers and granite, the National Park Service says the best time to visit the High Sierra is April through October. Seeing the many viewpoints of Half Dome, an 8,800-foot mountain encompasses all the best things to do at the California park. If not ice skating under or hiking up Half Dome, visitors can also experience it while rafting or tubing down the Merced River.

7. Acadia: Cruise on the Queen Mary

  • Location: Maine
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 3,961,661
  • Details: Acadia National Park includes Mount Desert Island, the most massive island off the Maine Coast in the town of Bar Harbor. Some must-do activities in the area include soaking up the scenery while walking the shore path or cruising on the Queen Mary. From March to October, whale watching is widespread. The Maine park launched the Artists-in-Residence experience to attract new visitors—particularly artists who can express the beauty of the land through their respective creative mediums.

8. Olympic: Hike up your shorts and go tidepooling

  • Location: Washington
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 3,717,267
  • Details: Tidepooling is one of the top things to do at Olympic National Park in Washington with reviews reporting Rialto and Second Beach as the best spots to explore underwater wildlife. Roaming through the Hoh Rain Forest is also a must-do activity along with Hurricane Ridge which can be hiked in the summer and accessed by sled in the winter.

9. Grand Teton: Camp in the backcountry

  • Location: Wyoming
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 3,628,222
  • Details: Two prime spots to visit at Grand Teton are the scenic mountain valley of Jackson Hole and Jenny Lake, a 2-mile long, 250-foot deep basin and 7.5-mile trail that lead to falls or canyons. Other must-do activities according to the National Park Service include cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter and backcountry camping in the summer which requires advanced planning. Another must-do is hiking any of Grand Teton’s 12 top-rated trails which range from arduous and lengthy to aligned and short.

10. Glacier: Photograph Grinnell Glacier

  • Location: Montana
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 3,208,755
  • Details: The National Park Service says “a quintessential part of any Glacier visit” is touring Going-to-the-Sun Road. When you get out of the car from the scenic drive between the east and west sides of the mountain, hiking the Highline Trail and photographing the Grinnell Glacier is a must-do activity and offers a look at a variety of wildlife, including mountain goats, bears, marmots, and bighorn sheep.
Joshua Tree National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

11. Joshua Tree: Climb desert sandstone

  • Location: California
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 2,991,874
  • Details: There are many must-do activities at Joshua Tree such as the Indian Cove Nature Trail, rock climbing at Echo Cove, or hiking among hulking boulders on the Arch Rock Trail. Eight developed campgrounds offer overnight excursions with most visitors frequenting Joshua Tree during the week from October through May and on the weekends from mid-February to mid-May. Of course, checking out the park’s namesake trees in the Colorado and Mojave Deserts is one of the first things any visitor does when visiting the grounds.

12. Cuyahoga Valley: Watch birds in Beaver Marsh

  • Location: Ohio
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 2,912,454
  • Details: Great blue herons are just one of the magnificent birds visitors can see in the Beaver Marsh. They are regularly seen in the area and some visitors even see their young. There are several more activities to participate in at Cuyahoga Valley including hiking the Virginia Kendall Ledges, riding the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, biking along the Towpath Trail, taking in Brandywine Falls, and camping at the Stanford Trail campground.

13. Indiana Dunes: Go geocaching

  • Location: Indiana
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 2,705,209
  • Details: Fifteen miles of beaches give way not only to impressive sand dunes and blowouts but marshes, wetlands, groves of black oak savanna and maple sugar trees, and fields of wildflowers that come and go with the seasons. Geocaching the world’s largest treasure hunt is one of the unique visitor experiences at the national park as well as Dark Sky parties, fun-filled nights of constellation study, and the annual Indiana Dunes Bird Watching Festival every May.

14. Gateway Arch: Ride to the top

  • Location: Missouri
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 2,563,052
  • Details: The Gateway Arch reflects St. Louis’ role in the Westward Expansion of the United States during the nineteenth century. The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s role in opening the West, to the pioneers who helped shape its history, and to Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse. The highlight of a visit to Gateway Arch National Park is a ride to the top of the 630-foot Gateway Arch for a panoramic view of the surrounding area. 
Bryce Canyon National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

15. Bryce Canyon: Watch the sunrise

  • Location: Utah
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 2,498,075
  • Details: The Bryce Point scenery draws visitors to the Utah park. But it’s not just Bryce Point that visitors often frequent; they also praise positively named points including Inspiration, Sunrise, and Rainbow. Even the visitor center is a must-see as the prairie dog maze and interactive consoles offer incredible experiences.

16. Hot Springs: Take a hot bath

  • Location: Arkansas
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 2,461,812
  • Details: There are 26 miles of trails through Hot Springs National Park to explore but sitting down afterward for a thermal bath along Bathhouse Row is the way to go. The springs are noted for their healing and therapeutic benefits and there are eight bathhouses to choose from including Buckstaff which has been operating since 1912. When the day is done, sit back at the first brewery in a national park, Superior Bathhouse Brewery and enjoy a beer made from the thermal spring water.

17. New River Gorge: Have an adventure whitewater rafting

  • Location: West Virginia
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 1,811,937
  • Details: One of North America’s oldest rivers, the New River runs through a park with more than 70,000 acres. The New River runs for 53 miles—it starts at Bluestone Dam and finishes at Hawks Nest Lake. Experience the river’s whitewater which ranges from easy to Class III with guided rafting tours from various licensed companies in the area. 
Shenandoah National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

18. Shenandoah: Skyline Drive

  • Location: Virginia
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 1,720,211
  • Details: It’s a slow drive along the 105-mile Skyline Drive, Shenandoah’s only public road with 70 lookouts to see the majesty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Fall is the best time to take the three-hour drive after the leaves have changed but pay attention to the weather because snow can close the road rapidly. Winter visits are still worth the trip and increase the chances of seeing some of the area’s diverse wildlife.

19. Mount Rainier: Experience a wildflower ‘paradise’

  • Location: Washington
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 1,620,006
  • Details: A trip to Mount Rainier in early August is the prime time to see the vast wildflower fields of Paradise in full bloom. Multiple trails lead straight into the lush fields of pink, purple, red, and white wildflowers at the base of Mount Rainier. For winter buffs, the area experiences huge amounts of snow every winter perfect for skiing, sledding, or snowshoeing.
Arches National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

20. Arches: Peer through the Windows

  • Location: Utah
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 1,466,528
  • Details: Arches National Park is a great spot to take the family with several easy hikes and breathtaking views. The Windows Section gives visitors the opportunity to view beautiful red-rock arches all within a half-mile walk. The park is most popular during the winter since the temperature exceeds 100 regularly in the summer.

21. Hawaii Volcanoes: Drive the Crater Rim

  • Location: Hawaii
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 1,433,593
  • Details: Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park centers on a pair of active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. While the Crater Rim Drive sustained serious damage when Kilauea erupted in 2018 much of it is open again and gives an up-close look at the steam vents and lava that make up most of the island.

22. Death Valley: Visit Badwater Basin

  • Location: California, Nevada
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 1,440,484
  • Details: The giant Badwater Basin salt flat, the largest at America’s lowest level of minus-282 feet is a must-see at Death Valley with the National Park Service reporting, “These large salt formations, in the shape of a large polygon, form a unique landscape that appears to stretch on forever.” Other activities include listening to underground pops and pings at Devils Golf Course and visiting Zabriskie Point, considered one of the most famous sights in Death Valley.
Capitol Reef National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

23. Capitol Reef: Stand atop Cassidy Arch

  • Location: Utah
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 1,422,490
  • Details: It’s difficult to get to the spot where outlaw Butch Cassidy hid out in the hills of southern Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park but the hike is worth it. Stop by Fruita Ranch or Gifford Homestead on the way to Cassidy’s Arch and get a glimpse into the lifestyle of the area’s first settlers. Check harvest schedulesto visit one orchard and eat fruit straight from the trees.

24. Sequoia: Pay homage to General Sherman

  • Location: California
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 1,309,573
  • Details: Measuring in at 275 feet tall with a 36-foot diameter at the base, General Sherman is the world’s largest tree by volume. General Sherman is the main attraction inside Sequoia’s largest sequoia grove, the Giant Forest, and is reached with just a half-mile walk down a paved trail. On your way to the Giant Forest, drive up Crescent Meadow Road and you will pass through the tunnel log caused by a great sequoia falling across the road in 1937.
Badlands National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

25. Badlands: Scramble Notch Trail

  • Location: South Dakota
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 1,094,245
  • Details: Large, multicolored rock formations are the premier attraction within the 244,000 acres that make up the Badlands. The Notch Trail is the best way to step right to the edge of the cliffs and see all that the White River Valley offers. People with a fear of heights should avoid the 1.5-mile trail which includes climbing a log ladder to reach the Notch. Avoid the rain as well since roads can become impassable and trails slippery.

26. Saguaro: Hike among giant cacti

  • Location: Arizona
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 946,369
  • Details: Hiking the trails provides a great view of the mighty saguaros, the largest cacti in the country, growing up to 50 feet tall. Saguaro National Park is divided into two districts separated by the city of Tucson but both spots have trails with varying degrees of difficulty and are open year-round. If you can stand the heat visiting from late April through June offers a chance to see the saguaros’ flowers in full bloom.

27. Canyonlands: Mesa Arch

  • Location: Utah
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 818,492
  • Details: The views at Canyonlands begin as soon as you get to the visitors center in southeastern Utah and there are plenty of scenic drives to satisfy the inner sightseer. Sunrise is the best time to visit and photograph Canyonlands’ feature attraction, Mesa Arch which is just a half-mile walk down the Mesa Arch Trail. The Island in the Sky section of the park which contains Mesa Arch is open year-round with shorter winter hours. If you have a few days (and some survival skills), a trip out to the remote Maze area offers solitude and serenity.

28. Everglades: See gators

  • Location: Florida
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 741,983
  • Details: There are plenty of ways to get an up-close look at one of the thousands of alligators in Everglades National Park, the third largest park in the lower 48 states. The 15-mile road to the Shark Valley Visitors Center can be done by tram, bike, or foot, and alligators can be spotted sunbathing along the asphalt trail. For more daring types, several alligator farm shows offer feeding giant reptiles that can reach 15 feet. The dry season of December to April is the most popular time to visit since temperatures and humidity are low and the bugs are tolerable but the wet season offers more alligator activity.

29. Glacier Bay: Take a boat tour

  • Location: Alaska
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 736,284
  • Details: There are several activities at Glacier Bay from hiking trails to flightseeing but taking a boat tour is the most personal way to see all that the park’s 3.3 million acres have to offer. Passengers can see massive ice chunks calve from Margerie Glacier or icebergs exploding to the surface as they break off the base of Johns Hopkins spotting wildlife from whales and sea lions to grizzly bears and moose along the way. Dressing in layers is recommended for boat tours which run every morning from mid-May through mid-September since the park closes for the winter.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

30. Theodore Roosevelt: Drive the Badlands

  • Location: North Dakota
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 732,951
  • Details: Two different scenic routes put the Badlands on display with frequent scenic overlooks and tons of wildlife from bison to snakes. Theodore Roosevelt was called the Conservationist President—protecting over 230 million acres during his presidency—and visiting Maltese Cross Cabin gives visitors a look into the past. The best time to visit is May through September to avoid the snow though the park is open year-round.

31. Haleakala: Catch a sunrise/sunset

  • Location: Hawaii
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 732,477
  • Details: The drive to the top of Haleakala will take you through as many ecological zones as a trip from Mexico to Canada, featuring more endangered species than any other national park. Seeing a sunrise or sunset from the peak of Haleakala or House of the Sun draws nearly half the visitors to the park annually. Check the weather before you go and make sure you have reservations for sunrise (none needed for sunset).
White Sands National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

32. White Sands: Hike Dune Trails

  • Location: New Mexico
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 702,736
  • Details: Southern New Mexico’s White Sands National Park offers 275 square miles of sparkling sand dunes positioned in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert’s Tularosa Basin. White Sands was a national monument until its status was upgraded in December 2019 to a national park. Dune Trails is a network of trails that are appropriate for all abilities from the accessible half-mile Interdune Boardwalk to the black diamond-rated Alkali Flat Trail which takes three hours to finish. 

33. Mammoth Cave: Take a tour

  • Location: Kentucky
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 707,042
  • Details: Mammoth Cave is the most extensive known cave system in the world at over 400 explored miles and all the history and beauty can be overwhelming without a guide. From simple tours like the Frozen Niagara Tour to the steep inclines and stairs of the Historic Tour, Mammoth has something for the history or adventure buff inside. Mammoth Cave is open year-round but tours can vary from season to season.

34. Kings Canyon: See General Grant

  • Location: California
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 699,389
  • Details: The second largest tree in the world called General Grant can be seen at this park. It extends 268 feet into the sky and reaches 34 feet in diameter. It’s less than a half-mile walk down a paved trail to see General Grant. The park is open 24 hours a day all year and operates with nearby Sequoia National Park where General Sherman, the largest tree in the world lives making it possible to hit both in one day.

35. Redwood: Drive among giants

  • Location: California
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 622,883
  • Details: A scenic drive through Redwood reveals ancient forests, a rugged coastline, upland prairies, and oak woodlands. When not driving, visitors are encouraged to walk through the Redwood forest for half-day and full-day excursions. At the end of the day, backcountry camping gives visitors the full Redwood experience of sleeping under 240-foot trees.

36. Big Bend: Soak in Langford Hot Springs

  • Location: Texas
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 561,548
  • Details: A soak in the Langford Hot Springs is the perfect way to end a day of hiking inside Texas’ Big Bend National Park exploring popular spots like Santa Elena Canyon, once called the Grand Canyon of Texas. J.O. Langford built a limestone bathhouse in the early 1900s after hearing of the healing powers of the 105-degree springs on the banks of the Rio Grande. The springs are a short quarter-mile hike from the trailhead on the southeastern part of the park so after a full day of hiking, relief is a short walk away.
Petrified Forest National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

37. Petrified Forest: Camp in the Painted Desert

  • Location: Arizona
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 559,254
  • Details: In the northern section of Petrified Forest lies the Painted Desert, 100 miles of multicolored badlands that stretch through the Navajo Nation to Grand Canyon National Park. A little preparation is required to camp beneath the dark skies like obtaining a free backcountry permit but once you get off the half-mile trail leading into the desert you’re free to roam and camp anywhere. You can check out the old Studebaker on Route 66 on your way in, too.

38. Biscayne: Snorkel reefs and shipwrecks

  • Location: Florida
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 512,213
  • Details: Get out the snorkel and scuba gear for a trip to Biscayne National Park, aka Watery Wonderland. Sunken ships are just a few underwater sites for visitors. For those who prefer to stay above water, boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, lobstering, and watching wildlife are other activities to enjoy. Children have the option to be a Junior Ranger by visiting three mascots including Peter the Panther, Diego the Dolphin, and Aleesha the Alligator at three of South Florida’s national parks, including Big Cypress and the Everglades.

39. Crater Lake: Drive the Scenic Rim

  • Location: Oregon
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 504,492
  • Details: Crater Lake itself is the featured attraction in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains and the 33-mile Scenic Rim Drive is the best way to see the nation’s deepest lake. The park is open year-round but the roads around the rim close from late October through early April. The trail is narrow but offers a bunch of spots to jump out and take pictures. Boat and trolley tours are available if you want to skip the driving.

40. Wind Cave: Take the Natural Entrance Tour

  • Location: South Dakota
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 499,389
  • Details: Wind Cave features the world’s highest concentration of boxwork formations, a structure of honeycomb-patterned calcite protruding from the cave walls. The best way to view this rare geologic sight is the Natural Entrance Tour beginning at the cave’s only known natural opening which the Lakota consider sacred as the place their ancestors first emerged from the Earth. The park is open year-round and offers plenty of hiking trails, wildlife, and camping opportunities for anyone that doesn’t want to venture beneath the Earth.
Mesa Verde National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

41. Mesa Verde: Tour Long House

  • Location: Colorado
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 480,065
  • Details: The Pueblo called Mesa Verde home from 600 to 1300 A.D. constructing elaborate buildings and dwellings among the cliffs of Colorado. Long House is the second largest of Mesa Verde’s 600 cave dwellings and the best chance to get up close and personal with the history of the Pueblo. The only way to see Long House is via a ranger-led tour and you have to buy a ticket for the two-hour tour before making the 45-minute drive out to Wetherill Mesa. The park itself is open year-round but provides tours only in-season.

42. Denali: Spot the Big Five

  • Location: Alaska
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 466,277
  • Details: The spectacle of North America’s most significant peak, Mount McKinley, is a close second but wildlife is the main attraction in the 6 million-acre park. There are 39 species of mammals to check out at Denali but the Big Five—moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, and grizzly bears—are the Holy Grail. The best way to see Denali is by bus tour in the summertime since there’s only one road through and winter weather is especially unpredictable.

43. Carlsbad Caverns: See the Big Room

  • Location: New Mexico
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 460,474
  • Details: The largest single cave chamber in North America, the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns was once dubbed “The Grand Canyon with a roof” by Will Rogers. Visitors can take an elevator or walk the winding mile-plus Natural Entrance Trail down to the massive limestone enclosure where multiple trails await. The best time to visit the park is at sunset from late May through October when hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats leave the caves to hunt. The park offers an amphitheater to watch the flight but you will have to take mental pictures as cellphones and cameras can disrupt the bats’ behavior.
Lassen Volcanic National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

44. Lassen Volcanic: Hike Boiling Springs Lake Trail

  • Location: California
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 357,571
  • Details: While Bumpass Hell Trail may be the feature attraction at Lassen, Boiling Springs Lake is worth a trip in and of itself. A short walk through meadows and fields leads to the 125-degree lake with some of the park’s best mudpots at the outskirts. Make sure you stay on the trails: stepping off could result in a dip in acid water.

45. Great Sand Dunes: Go sandboarding

  • Location: Colorado
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 437,661
  • Details: Flying down a mountain in Colorado isn’t a unique experience but doing it on the sands of Great Sand Dunes National Park certainly is. The park has a lot to offer including climbing North America’s tallest dune but sandboarding and sledding are the unique activities at the park. The park is open year-round but spring and fall are the best times to carve some sand since it can reach 150 degrees during summer days. Special equipment is needed as well which you can rent at a couple locations outside the park entrance.

46. Virgin Islands: Dive beneath the surface

  • Location: Caribbean
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 423,029
  • Details: It’s tough to see Virgin Islands National Park without a pair of swim trunks as over 40 percent of the park is underwater. Crystal-clear water and a variety of colorful reefs and wildlife make the seas a prime spot for snorkelers and scuba divers. For snorkelers, Hawksnest Bay boasts one of the most extensive stands of Elkhorn coral while Cinnamon Bay Beach offers a submerged historic village and a sunken plane to explore. Congo Cay presents a chance to dive a little deeper, dropping off into the open ocean and see more abundant wildlife such as rays.

47. Kenai Fjords: Take a boat tour

  • Location: Alaska
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 419,468
  • Details: Taking in the sights from aboard a tour boat is the best way to experience all that Kenai Fjords has to offer. Float to the base of a few of the park’s 40 glaciers and spot a variety of marine wildlife including sea otters, seals, and a variety of whale species. Summer is the best time to visit when the days are longer and roads can remain open—and don’t fret if it rains since it creates ephemeral waterfalls off the glacier.
Pinnacles National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

48. Pinnacles: See a California Condor

  • Location: California
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 354,076
  • Details: One of the smallest and youngest national parks, Pinnacles offers a variety of places for birdwatching and hiking. High Peaks is the prime spot to see the pinnacle of birdwatching in the park. Visitors can enjoy the birds year-round.

49. Black Canyon of the Gunnison: Drive the rims

  • Location: Colorado
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 335,862
  • Details: The South Rim at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison offers a dozen different spots including Chasm View, Painted Wall, Pulpit Rock, and Sunset View—a walk right to the edge of the sheer, 2,000-foot walls of the canyon. July is the busiest time at the South Rim but only a few hours-drive away is the more scenic North Rim. Just 1,200 people visit at the busiest times and the weather makes the rims inaccessible by car from November to April.

50. Channel Islands: Kayak Painted Cave

  • Location: California
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 262,581
  • Details: Painted Cave on Santa Cruz Island is one of the largest sea caves in the world cutting a quarter-mile into the island and providing amazing views. Getting to Santa Cruz Island by charter will also allow visitors to do some whale watching, snorkel the kelp forest, and see plenty of marine wildlife all in a single visit to the Channel Islands.
Congaree National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

51. Congaree: Follow the fireflies

  • Location: South Carolina
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 242,049
  • Details: For a two- to three-week period between mid-May and mid-June, the night sky in Congaree National Park lights up for the Fireflies Festival (May 16-25, 2024). Visitors descend upon Congaree to see the millions of synchronous fireflies illuminate in perfect unison just feet off the ground during mating season. Although there are several restrictions during the famous festival, the park is open late and nearby Columbia offers plenty of places to stay.

52. Guadalupe Mountains: Desert hiking

  • Location: Texas
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 226,134
  • Details: Guadalupe Mountains National Park offers over 80 miles of hiking trails deep in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas. Devil’s Hall Trail, featuring a natural rock staircase and Guadalupe Peak, dubbed the Top of Texas present two good day-hiking options. Visitors to the park should come well prepared since the nearest gas station is 35 miles away and the park has no store and no cell service.

53. Voyageurs: Rent a boat

  • Location: Minnesota
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 199,030
  • Details: The only national park in Minnesota, Voyageurs is a system of lake waterways that requires a boat most of the year to see its vast beauty. Fishing in the waters of the Rainy Lake Basin yields some of the best walleye and bass populations in the country. The park is open year-round but trade in the boat for a snowmobile during the winter months.

54. Great Basin: Traverse Bristlecone Trail

  • Location: Nevada
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 152,068
  • Details: The 5-mile hike through the Bristlecone and Glacier Trail leads to the base of Wheeler Peak and Nevada’s only glacier. Along the way, hikers can walk through the Bristlecone Pines, one of the oldest living organisms on Earth. Great Basin offers several experiences unique to its borders including tours of the Lehman Caves which offers over 300 shield formations in its explorable depths. The park is open year-round but some areas close during the winter months.

55. Dry Tortugas: Explore Fort Jefferson

  • Location: Florida
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 84,873
  • Details: The Florida Keys offer great opportunities for sun and fun—and a little bit of history at Fort Jefferson, the largest brick building in the Western hemisphere. The fort served as a prison during the Civil War requiring over 16 million bricks to complete with many shipped from Maine. Guided snorkeling tours of the fort’s underwater ruins provide colorful fish and reefs, and encounters with wildlife like sea turtles from which the island draws its name.

56. Wrangell-St Elias: Backpack a sixteener

  • Location: Alaska
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 81,670
  • Details: Measuring more than 13 million acres, Wrangell-St Elias in south-central Alaska is the largest designated wilderness in America. Access to much of the park is incredibly tricky including its most extensive collection of peaks above 16,000 feet in North America led by Mount Saint Elias, the second largest mountain in the U.S. For more adventurous types, sightseeing tours can end with a wilderness drop-off for backpacking through the mostly unexplored terrain.

57. Katmai: Stay at Brooks Camp

  • Location: Alaska
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 36,230
  • Details: Katmai National Park is located on the Southern Peninsula of Alaska and is home to more brown bears than people, an estimated 2,200. The best spot to view them is from Brooks Camp which features multiple viewing platforms to watch them feed on salmon in the Brooks River. June through mid-September is the best time to visit since these hibernators hunker down for the winter and the camp closes down for most visitors.

58. Isle Royale: Scuba dive shipwrecks

  • Location: Michigan
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 28,806
  • Details: On Lake Superior between Michigan and Minnesota, Isle Royale’s frigid depths preserve the remains of 10 notable shipwrecks ready for exploration by licensed divers. Ranging in depth from 2 to 260 feet, the oldest ship dates back to 1877 when the island was teeming with copper mines. Anyone without scuba training can still find something to do on Isle Royale including exploring those old copper mines, seeing the Rock Harbor Lighthouse, which dates back to 1855, and seeing the Northern Lights.

59. National Park of American Samoa: Immerse yourself in the Samoan culture

  • Location: American Samoa
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 22,567
  • Details: The National Park of American Samoa welcomes you into the heart of the South Pacific, to a world of sights, sounds, and experiences that you will find in no other national park in the United States.

60. Lake Clark: Visit Proenneke Cabin

  • Location: Alaska
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 18,505
  • Details: Lake Clark offers plenty for the outdoor adventure seeker, from kayaking and fishing on the 50-mile lake to hiking and sightseeing on the 4 million, mostly unexplored acres. The shores of nearby Upper Twin Lake are host to Proenneke Cabin built in 1968 by Richard Proenneke using resources from the area and tools he made himself. Getting there can be tricky with no roads leading to Lake Clark so an air taxi and water landing on the lake are the best routes for getting there in the summer when the cabin is open for tours.

61. Kobuk Valley: Experience the caribou migration in the fall

  • Location: Alaska
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 17,233
  • Details: Caribou, sand dunes, the Kobuk River, Onion Portage are just some of the facets of Kobuk Valley National Park. Thousands of caribou migrate through, their tracks crisscrossing sculpted dunes. The Kobuk River is an ancient and current corridor for people and wildlife. For 9,000 years, people came to Onion Portage to harvest caribou as they swam the river. Even today, that rich tradition continues.

62. North Cascades: Hike Desolation Peak

  • Location: Washington
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 16,485
  • Details: The top of Desolation Peak provides beautiful views of the North Cascades range which contains one-third of all the glaciers on the mainland United States within its 789 square miles. The peak offers literature fans an added thrill as writer Jack Kerouac spent a summer inside the fire tower at the top while serving as a fire lookout. Summer is the best time to visit the park since snow closes down many of the access roads from October through June.

63. Gates of the Arctic: Visit a gateway community

  • Location: Alaska
  • Recreational visits in 2024: 11,907
  • Details: This vast landscape does not contain any roads or trails. Visitors discover intact ecosystems where people have lived with the land for over ten thousand years. Wild rivers meander through glacier-carved valleys, caribou migrate along age-old trails, and endless summer light fades into aurora-lit night skies of winter.

For more tips on exploring national parks, check out these recent blog posts:

Worth Pondering…

However one reaches the parks, the main thing is to slow down and absorb the natural wonders at leisure.

—Michael Frome

Is Phoenix Really Boring? Arizona Cities Rank among the Least Exciting in the U.S.

A controversial ranking in which Phoenix was placed as the 10th most boring city in the country by a recent study from FinanceBuzz has sparked debates and mixed reactions from locals and outsiders alike

From popular sporting events to critically acclaimed restaurants to gorgeous hiking trails for all abilities, Phoenix truly offers something for everyone.

As the fifth-largest city in the United States—and still growing—Phoenix is clearly a hotspot (pun intended).

So, why did a recent study called “Bored in the USA” conducted by financial publication FinanceBuzz rank Phoenix among the top 10 most boring cities in the country? Is it because outsiders think locals just sit inside all summer?

Actually, FinanceBuzz didn’t even take the scorching temperatures into account when giving Phoenix its disheartening rating. The real reasons for Phoenix’s low score, though, might surprise you.

Phoenix from Hole in the Rock in Papago Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Is Phoenix a boring city?

Phoenix has a reputation for being considered a boring city by some surveys

No, of course not, and any resident or visitor will tell you that. There’s no shortage of things to do and quirks that make America’s hottest city unique.

Regardless, FinanceBuzz ranked Phoenix as the 10th most boring out of the 75 biggest cities in America. Ouch.

The reasons behind the disappointing ranking: There are 1.7 concert venues available for every 100,000 people, the third-lowest rate in the country. Additionally, Phoenix has the sixth-lowest rate of annual celebrations and events per capita in the country, according to FinanceBuzz.

Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

How to beat the heat

Limit outdoor activities during peak heat hours

Phoenix is America’s hottest desert city characterized by extreme heat especially during summer months. In 2023, Phoenix set a record with 54 days reaching temperatures of 110°F or higher, surpassing the previous record of 53 days set in 2020. The summer of 2023 was the hottest ever recorded in Phoenix since records began in 1895 with July averaging 102.7°F and August 98.8°F.

Phoenix typically experiences 111 days annually with highs of at least 100°F. On average, there are about 21 days per year with temperatures exceeding 110°F.

In 2024, Phoenix broke the record for the longest streak of days over 100°F, enduring 113 consecutive days above 100°F.

What strategies are residents and officials using to cope with the intense heat?

Papago Park, Phoenix © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Why Phoenix is NOT a boring city

Phoenix offers a dynamic mix of natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, vibrant arts, and engaging events 

Phoenix is far from boring due to its vibrant mix of natural beauty, cultural richness, and diverse activities. The city is surrounded by stunning desert landscapes with iconic spots like Camelback Mountain and South Mountain Park offering hiking, biking, and breathtaking views.

Outdoor enthusiasts can explore over 200 miles of trails or enjoy water activities at nearby lakes like Saguaro or Canyon. The weather with 300+ sunny days a year supports year-round outdoor adventures from golfing on world-class courses to hot air balloon rides over the Sonoran Desert.

Culturally, Phoenix thrives with a dynamic arts scene. Downtown’s Roosevelt Row is a hub for street art, galleries, and live music while institutions like the Phoenix Art Museum and Heard Museum showcase everything from contemporary to Native American art. The city’s food scene is a draw, blending Southwestern flavors with global cuisines—think authentic tacos, craft breweries, and James Beard-winning restaurants like Barrio Café.

Catch Cactus League Spring TrainingEvents keep the energy high with festivals like the Arizona State Fair, First Fridays art walks, and spring training baseball games for MLB fans. Phoenix’s growing tech and startup scene adds a modern edge attracting young professionals and fostering innovation. Plus, its proximity to Sedona, Tucson, or the Grand Canyon makes spontaneous road trips easy.

Posts on X echo this vibe with locals and visitors raving about Phoenix’s hiking trails, vibrant nightlife, and unique desert charm. It’s a city that balances adventure, culture, and relaxation, making it anything but dull.

More on Phoenix

Tucson © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Tucson ranked among most boring cities

Tucson has been ranked among the most boring cities in America

The second-largest city in Arizona was ranked No. 17 on FinanceBuzz’s list. While a detailed explanation for this was not provided, Tucson received a score of 23.5 out of 100.

FinanceBuzz said a lower score means the city is more boring. For comparison, the “most exciting” city received a total score of 72.7 and Phoenix scored 20.5.

Is Tucson a boring city?

Tucson is recognized for its natural beauty and relaxing atmosphere

Tucson is anything but boring offering a vibrant blend of natural beauty, cultural depth, and unique activities that keep things lively. Nestled in the Sonoran Desert, it’s surrounded by five mountain ranges making it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Saguaro National Park with its iconic cacti, offers hiking, biking, and stunning sunsets while Sabino Canyon provides trails and a cooling tram ride. Mount Lemmon, just an hour away, delivers skiing in winter and hiking in summer with temps often 20°F cooler than the city.

Old Presido, Tucson © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Why Tucson is NOT a boring city

Tucson’s combination of outdoor activities, cultural richness, historic sites, and unique local experiences make it a dynamic and engaging city—not boring by any measure

Tucson has a lot going for it if you’re into outdoor activities, culture, or a laid-back vibe. It’s surrounded by five mountain ranges making it a hotspot for hiking, biking, and rock climbing. Saguaro National Park is right there with iconic desert landscapes and trails. The city gets 280+ sunny days a year so outdoor stuff is almost always an option. If you’re into stargazing, Tucson’s dark skies and proximity to Kitt Peak National Observatory are big draws. People on X often rave about the natural beauty with some calling it a “hidden gem” for its desert charm and outdoor access.

Culturally, Tucson shines as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy boasting a 4,000-year-old food heritage. From legendary Sonoran hot dogs at El Guero Canelo to innovative farm-to-table spots, the food scene is diverse and award-winning. The city’s history comes alive in places like Mission San Xavier del Bac, a 300-year-old architectural gem, and the vibrant Barrio Viejo, filled with colorful adobe homes and murals. Art thrives at the Tucson Museum of Art and along Fourth Avenue’s eclectic galleries and shops.

Tucson’s event calendar is packed with highlights like the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, one of the world’s largest, and the All Souls Procession, a unique Day of the Dead celebration. The University of Arizona adds youthful energy with its campus hosting museums, a planetarium, and Pac-12 sports. X posts often highlight Tucson’s laid-back yet lively vibe, praising its hiking, stargazing (thanks to world-class observatories like Kitt Peak), and quirky festivals.

With its mix of outdoor adventures, rich Mexican-American heritage, and a thriving arts and music scene, Tucson keeps residents and visitors engaged year-round.

Tucson © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

More on Tucson

How did the study pick the most boring cities?

Evaluated 75 of the biggest U.S. cities based on five major categories

According to FinanceBuzz, data for five major categories related to fun and excitement were collected for each city using various sources including the Census Bureau and Yellow Pages.

  • Population makeup: Percent of the population aged 65 and older, percent aged 20-34 years old, number of international visitors per capita
  • Culinary scene: Number of Yelp’s top 100 restaurants, number of Michelin-honored restaurants per capita, number of James Beard-honored restaurants per capita, percent of restaurants that are chains
  • Outdoor activities: Parks, climate, number of hiking trails per capita and walkability
  • Nightlife and celebrations: Number of nightclubs, concert venues, annual celebrations, and events per capita
  • Things to do: Number of sports teams, number of amusement places and arcades per capita, number of Traveler’s Choice attractions per capita
Mission San Xavier de Bac, Tucson © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Top 20 most boring cities in America

Here are the top 20 most boring cities in America according to the 2025 FinanceBuzz study

Top 20 most exciting cities in the US

These cities stand out for their vibrant cultural scenes, diverse culinary offerings, abundant entertainment, and nightlife options

Worth Pondering…

Tucson had opened my eyes to the world and given me… a taste for the sensory extravagance of red hot chiles and five-alarm sunsets.

—Barbara Kingsolver