An Extensive Travel Guide to The USA

If you think the portions served at restaurants are big, you’ll be happy to know that the United States’ adventures are even bigger! That’s right. You can find some of the most incredible, epic explorations and outdoorsy experiences in the world carved into national and provincial parks, ski resorts, and more. America boasts of outstanding skiing and snowboarding opportunities (look at Colorado), amazing hikes (we’re eyeing Grand Canyon, the five national parks in Utah, Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc.), mountain biking (hello: Oregon), and surfing (California, here we come). When it comes to the best things to do in the United States, you’ll find a never-ending list of adventures, and we want to tell you all about the best places to go to do the following activities!

Hiking and Backpacking in the US

A USA adventure travel guide would be incomplete without mentioning the bombardment of hikes stretching across its phenomenal backyard. Thankfully, we’ve mentioned a few incredible hikes in Grand Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park already (helping to make this section just a little bit shorter), but there are still a lot more to talk about. We’ll try and keep this brief!

Let’s start with some backpacking adventures! If you’re looking for unforgettable trips exceeding one day of exploring the mountains, head to Yosemite National Park. You’ll find some epic backpacking excursions here, such as the High Passes Backpacking trip, which traverses four elevation passes, or the 51.6mi Red Peak Pass Backpacking adventure. For unreal backpacking routes spanning the USA, check out our article on America’s 10 Best Backpacking Trips for long trails etched all across the USA (Alaska, Wyoming, Maine, Utah, etc.).

Other places to find epic hikes are Glacier National Park (best hike: The Epic Grinnell Glacier Trail), Zion National Park (best hike: Observation Point Hike), or around Anchorage, Alaska (best hike: Harding Icefield Hike).

Skiing in the US

Skiing slots into some of the best adventures in the United States! Exceptional ski resorts dot this massive country. For the best skiing, pack your gear and go to Colorado, where a long list of top-notch places to ski and snowboard await. This list includes Vail Mountain Resort, Aspen Snowmass, and Telluride Ski Resort. Vermont and Utah also boast of incredible skiing! Head to Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont or Snowbird in Utah.

Mountain Biking in the US

You won’t find a better place to mountain bike in the U.S. than near Bend in Oregon! This town is dubbed the “Best Mountain Bike Town in the U.S.” Basically, you need to go here if you’re craving mountain biking adventures. The best part is that all levels will find routes here that cater to their abilities and experience.

Some sweet routes are the Mckenzie River Trail, Tiddlywinks Mountain Biking Trail, or the shorter Whoops Loop. For more biking trails near Bend, take a look at this article, detailing the top 10 routes in this area.

Surfing in the US

“Everybody’s gone surfin’; surfin’ USA.” The Beach Boys had it right: if there were an ocean across America, everyone would be surfing, just like they do in California. For the best surf towns in California, head to Santa Cruz, San Clemente, Ventura, Huntington Beach, Malibu, Santa Barbara, or Newport Beach. But California isn’t the only place with an inviting surf-ready coastline. Hawaii is definitely one of the better places to catch a wave—and you get to bask in tropical wonders while you’re there. Surfers will fall in love with Haleiwa and Pa’ia.

Outer Banks in North Carolina, Ocean City in New Jersey, and New Smyrna Beach in Florida are also excellent surfing locations.

Surfing in the US

“Everybody’s gone surfin’; surfin’ USA.” The Beach Boys had it right: if there were an ocean across America, everyone would be surfing, just like they do in California. For the best surf towns in California, head to Santa Cruz, San Clemente, Ventura, Huntington Beach, Malibu, Santa Barbara, or Newport Beach. But California isn’t the only place with an inviting surf-ready coastline. Hawaii is definitely one of the better places to catch a wave—and you get to bask in tropical wonders while you’re there. Surfers will fall in love with Haleiwa and Pa’ia.

Outer Banks in North Carolina, Ocean City in New Jersey, and New Smyrna Beach in Florida are also excellent surfing locations.

Rock Climbing in the US

The USA doesn’t come up short when it comes to ideal rock climbing adventures. Embark on unforgettable climbs in the Pacific Northwest, climb secret gems in the southeast, and explore arid scenery in the deserts—all you need to do is pick your desired view, and off you go. Yosemite National Park hosts several notable climbing routes, including the sheer face of El Capitan.

Joshua Tree National Park also encompasses a network of climbing routes. Beginners will like Intersection Rock or Quail Springs Rock. Advanced climbers will feel an adrenaline rush on Loose Lady and Big Moe!

Seriously considering a trip to the United States? To ensure you see the best that this country has to offer (in a way that caters to you), it’s a good idea to join a pre-planned tour. This way, you can ditch the detailed planning process and discover USA’s best, worry-free. We’ve handpicked our three (current) favorite tours sprawled across the United States. Are you ready to be even more tempted to travel here? Read on for a list of great adventure trips in the United States.

Alaska and Yukon Adventure Tour: Catch a glimpse of Canada’s north and America’s Alaska on the epic 22-day Alaska and Yukon Adventure Tour. Wind along subarctic passes by foot and paddle along the enchanting, wild Yukon and Teslin Rivers. This tour begins with a seven-day canoe trip, where you’ll paddle to scenic, remote campground stays while murmurs of the gold rush past and phenomenal natural scenery will whisk you away to another land, where the worries of haunting reality no longer exist. You’ll then ditch the paddles for hiking boots, exploring the best that the Yukon and Alaska have to offer.

Rae Lakes Backpacking Tour: Wind by a montage of surreal views sprawled throughout Kings Canyon National Park in California’s intimidating Sierra Nevada mountains. Traverse a section of the famous John Muir trail (yes, he’s the guy who created most of the inspiring nature quotes shared on social media) and admire the exceptional scenery unfolding before your eyes as you hike. At night, you’ll get the chance to fall asleep to nature’s lullabies, waking up to sunrises over lakes and creeks.

Yosemite Falls Backpacking Tour: If you want to squeeze in a hiking adventure amid city ventures or other explorations, this 3-day backpacking tour in the incredible backpacking tour in Yosemite is a must-do. The Yosemite Falls Backpacking Tour has you staying at two different remote creekside spots for two nights. It’s also a great trip if you’ve never gone backpacking before. The scenic highlight is the mighty, roaring Yosemite Falls!

Outdoors in the US

Despite the United States’ massive population, the untouched landscapes are still so vast that it sits fourth on the list of the countries holding the world’s wilderness—the United States sits below Russia, Canada, and Australia. However, only 23% of the planet’s land falls into the “wilderness” category. These are areas with zero industrial activity!

You can find most of America’s sprawling wild in Alaska! If you want to listen to the whispers of the wild over bustling crowds, Alaska is your go-to. But, the US’s outdoors aren’t just tucked into Alaska’s staggering landscapes and mountainscapes; you can find diverse scenery all over the States.

Geography

The United States’ geography is broad! Find yourself exploring the stunning Pacific Coastline in the northwest, the intimidating Appalachian Mountains in the northeast, desert lands sprawled across the southwest, the midwest region containing vast prairies, or the Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountains, and lengthy coastline lining the west.

Wildlife

Catch a collection of wildlife thriving in their natural habitat in the United States! You may even find a handful of U.S-only animals sprawled across the land, such as American bison, black-tailed jackrabbit, eastern cottontail, black-tailed prairie dog, white-tailed deer, to name a few native mammals. Discover most of these mammals dotting the central states. There are also reptiles here!

Yellowstone National Park is home to 67 species of mammals, making it one of the easiest places to spot wildlife in the United States.

The following U.S. Travel Costs are taken from Numbeo, personal experience from our 10Adventures team, and other websites. One of the biggest USA travel tips we have? Save money before you fly here. This is an expensive country, but your splurging will all be worth it in the end. Plus, it’s easy to budget here, too. For example, you could buy food from a grocery store instead of spending every meal at a restaurant.

In general, the United States is a safe country to travel to. Most travelers often leave without any hindrances! However, according to Travel Safe – Abroad, the increase in mass shootings and tourist attacks has elevated the overall risk of traveling here from low to medium. Pickpocket and taxi transport risks rank as low. And female travelers should be able to roam the United States without any problems.

As with almost all countries, it’s best to follow typical safety protocols: don’t walk along abandoned streets at night and don’t wave your money around. Most tourist attractions are chaperoned by police, making these popular areas safer to travel to.

The best time to visit the US depends on where you want to go!

The climate differs vastly across the country. For example, the prairies (such as Minnesota) are crazy cold in the winter (Canadian cold—if you get what we’re saying). In contrast, the southern states (Texas, Florida, Arizona, and parts of California) boast of warmer weather when winter rolls around. And the East Coast and West Coast are a little chilly. Still, they offer phenomenal adventure and travel opportunities when snow blankets the land (the Rockies in Colorado and Glacier National Park in Montana in the west, and fantastic cities in the East: Chicago, Boston, New York).

However, during the summer, you can find enjoyable weather all across America. Texas and Florida are ranked as the hottest states in the summer, so if you want to avoid the intense heat, skip these areas.

Take a look at some of the best ways to get around the United States!

By car

To make the best use of your time, it’s easiest to travel around the United States via car. Just think about how all of the American road trip movies! When you settle in a city with a good transit system, you may want to ditch your car and take that instead, as you probably don’t want to spend hours stuck in New York City traffic. If you need a car as soon as you land, you can rent from one of the many rental companies set up at the airport, but it may be cheaper to wait until you’re in the city to rent. As far as rental car companies go, Enterprise offers some of the best deals. Alamo is another fantastic option if you’re traveling with a group. And rentalcars.com has one of the biggest selection out there too.

By plane

Traveling by plane in the United States is an option, albeit an expensive one. It’s tempting to save hours and hours by flying, but you can’t precisely book cheap flights on a whim here; you’ll need to plan your itinerary and book everything far in advance. It’s probably best to research which area suits your travel style best and stick around there instead of jetting all over the country. The expenses will add up. If you plan on ignoring this USA travel tip, you can look into budget airlines, such as Virgin America, Jetblue Airways, and Southwest Airlines.

By bus

Another budget-friendly option is to travel by bus. This may be the most time-consuming way to travel, but, hey, all you need are good books and some downloaded movies, and you’re good to go. The Greyhound bus is the best way to travel across the country. And the new busses provide WiFi, outlets, and decent legroom. It’s safest to travel during the daylight as many bus stations are located in sketchy areas! The other downfall with Greyhound is that they don’t guarantee a seat. Be sure to head to the station early and to stand in line! If you are at the station, but you don’t stand in line, you may not get on the bus.

Side note: Budget travelers may want to give hitchhiking a try!

Best Places to Stay in the US

There are tons and tons of options when it comes to finding a place to stay in the U.S. Budget-travelers will hit the jackpot with the collection of hostel, camping, couch surfing, and motel options. Check out couchsurfing.com, classic motels like Super 8 and Motel 6 dot the country, and HI-AYH is a great place to search for hostels.

For more mid-range prices and quirkier options, check out AirBnB or hotel chains like Marriot. Amp up the luxury with stays at swanky Four Seasons hotels or glamorous heritage hotels tucked into America’s array of national parks.

Useful Travel Tools

To help ease your adventure planning process to the United States, we’ve gathered a list of our favorite, useful travel tools and websites.

To Book Accommodation

We use the following websites to book hotels, hostels, and campsites when traveling to the United States.

Hotels: booking.com, vrbo.com, expedia.com, and hotels.com
Hostels: HI-AYH

Other great tools are couchsurfing.com and AirBnB. For reserving campsites in national parks, look to the National Park Service for all your booking needs.

To Book Flights

When booking flights across the United States, we suggest taking a look at the prices on Skyscanner.com or cheapoair.com.

To Rent a Car

For a widespread list of best rental car offers, sift through rentalcars.com! Start here and see what deals you can find before researching other sources.

To Get Gear

If you’re planning on a rugged adventure in any of America’s national parks, you’ll want to load up on some gear tailored for the Great Outdoors. For winter expeditions, hit up Arc’teryx, Helly Hansen, and Patagonia. You’ll find long-lasting hiking and trail running gear at Salomon and Running Room. Meanwhile, REI, Backcountry.com and MSR will cater to any backpacking, hiking, or camping needs.

Other Useful Travel Services

One great way to travel across the United States is by RV! You can find a list of rentals on RVshare.com. And an awesome tool for saving money on airport parking is Airport Parking Reservations.

Visa Requirements When Traveling to the US

Citizens from specific countries can travel to America for 90 days without a visa. These countries are on the Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom.

If your country isn’t on this list, you’ll need a nonimmigrant visa to visit the USA. You can take a look at the requirements at USA Gov.

Canadians also do not require a visa to enter the United States for tourism purposes, but some circumstances, such as having a criminal record, may cause issues at the border. No matter where you’re from, be sure to check all visa requirements when traveling to the US before packing your suitcase and hopping on a flight.

Interesting Facts About the US

While we hear a lot about the United States in the news, these interesting facts about the U.S. often fly under the radar!

• The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France in 1886. And then America gifted France with a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty three years later!
• Before Alaska belonged to the USA, it belonged to Russia. Maybe Canada will claim it next?
• Mitchell, a small town in South Dakota, is home to the World’s Only Corn Palace.
• The North Pole is actually a town name in Alaska! This festive town celebrates Christmas year-round, and we’re here for it.
• Their national animal is the American bison.
• The United States tends to dominate at the Olympic Games, making their athletes the most decorated in the world.
• Escape to the hush of the forest! America ranks fourth on the list of countries with massive square miles of forested land.

Frequently Asked Questions About the USA

Some questions may have popped up while you read this USA adventure travel guide. Here are some frequently asked questions about the USA:

Are there 50 or 52 states in the United States?

The United States has 50 states. Some people think there are 50 states plus Alaska and Hawaii, but these two states are included in the total count of 50.

Why are there only 48 stars on the American flag?

The American flag actually has 50 stars. In 1959, Alaska and Hawaii became official states of the USA. When July 4th rolled around in 1960, America unveiled 50 stars on its flag. Each star represents the 50 states in the USA.

What is the number 1 vacation spot in the US?

The most popular vacation spot in the USA is the Grand Canyon, thanks to the phenomenal scenery and exceptional, exhilarating outdoor activities, such as rafting down the Colorado River.

How long would it take you to visit all 50 states?

This answer depends on how long you want to spend in all 50 states? But for fact’s sake, it would likely take around 160 hours. If you plan on visiting the contiguous states (48) while averaging 55 mph driving speed, it’ll take around 124 hours. It adds time flying to Hawaii and Alaska. Naturally, if you want to enjoy each state, you’d probably want to take your time to map out a road trip that has you hitting up the best attractions and landmarks across the country.

What is the prettiest city in the USA?

While all lists of the prettiest cities in the USA range, a couple of metropolises consistently make the top 10: Honolulu, Hawaii; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; Seattle, Washington.

What is the friendliest city in the US?

According to Conde Nest Traveler and their 33rd annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey, these cities list as the top five friendliest in the US: Greenville, South Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Key West, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Alexandria, Virginia.

What is the most visited state?

The most visited state in America is the one and only California! With a glistening coastline, phenomenal national parks, and fun, famous cities, a visit to California is desired worldwide.