Top Picks | Winter Carnivals
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The Very Best US Winter Carnivals
This winter, when you need to get out of the house for a little excitement, make plans to visit one of our country's winter carnivals. A winter carnival is an excellent place to experience unusual winter activities and festivities. Get ready for the ice-sculpting contests, dog sled races, sleigh rides, parades, and terrific, warm-you-up winter foods. Here are just a few winter carnivals you could visit this winter.
Top Picks | Ski Mountains: West Coast
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The Very Best Ski Mountains | West Coast
The West Coast of the United States is full of great ski mountains. Ski mountains in the west are known for their amazing powder, blue skies, and optimal conditions. Everyone on the West Coast has their particular favorite spot -- determining which are the best is a wonderful challenge! These are just a few of the West Coast's great ski mountains.
Top Picks | National Parks
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Top National Parks
Ever since their inception in 1872, the national parks have been the pride and joy of campers all over the country. Visited by millions of people each year, these amazing parks protect some of the United States' finest wild spaces, from the Everglades to the Grand Tetons and Alaska's Glacier Bay. The park system got its start with the creation of Yellowstone in 1872 and today boasts 58 parks, the newest of which is Great Sand Dunes in Colorado. On your next camping trip, head to one of these phenomenal national park destinations.
Top Forest Destinations - Fall Color
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Top Forest Destinations - Fall Color
Kancamagus Scenic Byway, New Hampshire
Head to New Hampshire during the first two weeks of October for breathtaking fall color. You’ll have an excellent view of the hills and trees from the Kancamangus Byway, a three-hour long route that winds through the notches of the White Mountains. Don’t miss a view of the famous "Old Man of the Mountain" in Franconia Notch.
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
This 469-mile scenic route is one of the most famous drives in the country. Running from the southern Appalachian Mountains of Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains, the parkway takes you high into the mountains, so you’ll have unmatched views of the hills and valleys below. This area has the biggest concentration of hardwood trees in the U.S. Visit in late September and October to see red maples, yellow poplar, red sassafras, and crimson oaks.
Chautauqua and Allegheny Country, Pennsylvania and New York
The western edge of New York and Pennsylvania offers some of the best fall color anywhere. These lush woods are a fun place to explore in spring and summer, and in the fall they pop with color as the oak, cherry, yellow poplar, ash, and maple trees turn red and orange. A great way to view the trees is from the 29-mile long Longhouse Scenic Byway.
Green Mountains, Vermont
For serious fall color, nothing compared with a trip to Vermont. The gorgeous Green Mountain National Forest is 100 miles long, running all the way from the Appalachian Gap to the Massachusetts border. For a good view of the trees, take Route 100 across the width of the state from Wilmington to Stowe. The best color show runs from mid September through the second week in October.
Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, or “UP,” is a camper’s paradise. With hundreds of miles of Great Lake shoreline, rivers and trout streams, and endless hiking trails, this is a great place to camp during any season. But in the fall, the UP puts on a special show when the leaves change. You can wander through the forests, hiking to one of the region’s 150 waterfalls or watching for wildlife like deer, moose, wolves, bears, eagles, and charming chipmunks.
Top Picks | Forest Destinations - Deep Woods
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Top Forest Destinations
Whether you’re looking for lush coastal evergreens, spicey-sweet pine forests, or deciduous woods that burst with color in the fall, you’ll find the perfect destination on this list. All of these forests offer quiet and tranquility, excellent wildlife viewing, and the special coziness that comes from being in the woods. From coast to coast, here are some of our nation’s best:
California Redwoods
These towering, ancient trees grow naturally in circles, creating magical groves throughout their woods. Head to the California redwoods and get to know this unique coastal ecosystem, from the Chinook salmon in the streams to the Roosevelt elk that graze in the meadows. While you’re here, watch for gray whales on the coast, black bears in the forests, and endangered marbled murrelets on the beach.
The Rainforests of the Olympic National Park, Washington
The lush forests in the Quinault, Queets, Hoh, and Bogachiel valleys are some of the most spectacular examples of primeval temperate rain forest in the lower 48 states. These rain forests once stretched from southern Oregon to southeast Alaska, but little remains outside of protected areas. You’ll find Sitka spruce and lacey hemlocks, plus pine and Western red cedar trees, many of which are hundreds of years old.
