2017 is just around the corner which means that summer is also just a hop, a skip, and a jump away. It it true that you’re going to have to endure a long, hard winter before the promise of spring and summer, but if you start planning your vacation now, that will take up enough time that the seasons filled with trout fishing, hiking, and swimming are going to be here before you know it.
If you’re an outdoorsy person who is trying to find new places to hit up in the good ole’ USofA, here are 3 destination hotspots where you can adventure, see some incredible sights, and froclick with the wildlife in 2017:
Glacier National Park
You have a fair share of national parks to choose to visit in the U.S. and surrounding areas, but when Glacier is as close as accessible as it is, you have no excuse not to visit. Glacier National Park is tucked into the Rocky Mountains in Montana and possesses over 700 miles of hiking trails.
It’s even more pertinent that you make your way over in 2017 and not any later because global warming is causing the glaciers to melt, and what is glacier national park without glaciers? The views are outstanding, the opportunities for activities are endless, and you just might see a grizzly bear! But preferably from a distance. Those guys are dangerous.
Maui, Hawaii
Maui is the dream. There is literally nothing about it that is overrated. Living there might get a little isolating at times, but if you just head on over to the island for a nice vacation filled with outdoor pursuits, you’ll have yourself the time of your life. Explore the vast beaches, drive the Road to Hana and be sure to hike the Pipiwai Trail and see the Waimoku falls. On your way to the falls, you’ll walk through bamboo jungles and be able to eat wild fruit fresh off of the jungle floor.
If you go to Maui during November, you’ll see whales as they migrate through the Hawaiian Islands, which is pretty amazing. If you don’t make it through during that time of year, any other time is great, and after you do the Road to Hana, head on up to the summit of mount Haleakala and have your breath be taken away at the beauty you see below.
The Idaho Panhandle
When talking about beauty, there is no place that compares to the Northwest. The Pacific Northwest is stunning in its own right, but if you head inland, you’ll have the greatest adventuring of your life through the Idaho Panhandle. North Idaho is filled with pristine lakes and mountains. The weather is warm but dry during the summers, and while there is much wildlife to see, you won’t get eaten alive by chiggers or bears. Go huckleberry picking, hike, shoot some guns, see what there is to see. You won’t regret it.
