The 50 Best American Adventures

National Geographic recently posted their "50 Best American Adventures". After scanning the list I realized that I really need to get out more. The only item on the list that I can technically check off is Number 23: Hike the Roan Highlands.

It seems the list is a little biased against the east. Only five of the top adventures that made the list are in the east, with the Roan Highlands being the only item in the Southern Appalachians.

I guess you could say that I've had a couple of "near" adventures. I once did a sailing excursion along Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior (10). I also once drove from Durango to Moab (16), shouldn't that count?

I've been to Ouray, Colorado (18) several times, and have done quite a bit of hiking around the small mountain town (Little Switzerland) in the San Juans. I've even hiked and biked a couple of short sections of the Colorado Trail (26). Now I know this is really stretching it, but I actually know someone who's done the California Death Ride (29).

Although I've never done any climbing in Red River Gorge (37), I have spent a lot of time camping and hiking there. And although I never had the guts to raft the Gauley River in West Virginia (38), I've twice rafted the New River - which flows into the Gauley!

Here are the top 5:

1. Biking the Continental Divide Trail: Multistate
2. Kayaking Lake Yellowstone: Wyoming
3. Rowing Down the Grand Canyon: Arizona
4. Climbing Mount Rainier: Washington
5. Canoeing the Adirondacks: New York

To check out Nat'l Geo's full list, please click here.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.