Explore the Great Outdoors Up Close and Personal
Red Rock Canyons, Coastal Sand Dunes, Forested Mountains, Dinosaur Tracks, Roaring Rapids. Pick your adventure and head outdoors
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Fall is perfect for the adventuresome who want to visit the less-explored, off-the-beaten-path areas of our country. Temperatures have dropped (maybe), kids are back in school, and trails are less crowded.
Throw your climbing gear, your backpack, your kayak in or onto your car, truck, or RV, or load up your ATV and head north, south, east, or west.
Sand Dune Speed
The Oregon Sand Dunes stretch for 40 miles along the Pacific Coast, from North Bend to Florence, and rise to 500 feet above the Pacific Ocean. ATV riding is allowed in some areas, and hiking is always permitted. For a change, try “snowboarding” in the dunes.
Further East, the Great Sand Dunes National Park sprawls across south-central Colorado. Dunes are higher, but no motorized vehicles are allowed. Near Colorado Springs, the Garden of the Gods draws novice and experienced climbers to its red rock walls. There’s easy access from the Denver metro area.
Canyon Adventures
The high deserts and canyonlands of Arizona and Utah are meccas for hikers and rock climbers, but many of those same areas around Lake Powell (that straddles the Arizona/Utah border), Zion, and the Grand Canyon offer trails and tours for ATV and UTV fans.
It’s important to check whether permits are needed for hiking, backcountry camping, and/or ATV riding. Mind the weather for heat and sudden storms. Slot canyons can rapidly fill with water. And always make sure someone knows where you’re planning to be. Cell service is spotty or non-existent in many of these areas – even along the Oregon Coast.
Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado can also be treasure troves of fossils, with many dinosaur museums and digs to explore. Pack up your inner archaeologist, get some pointers at various visitors’ centers, and begin your hunt.
Major Mountain Fun
Heading towards the East Coast, the Appalachian Mountains run from Canada south into Alabama. From Pennsylvania to Georgia, a sub-section of the range is known as the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The highest point of the Blue Ridge Mountains is Mount Mitchell, northeast of Asheville and accessible off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway, known for its scenic vistas, hiking trails, waterfalls, and quaint towns, runs 469 miles south from Mile 0 in Afton, VA, to its end in Cherokee, NC. Be sure to check ahead if planning to drive the Parkway. Sections may still remain closed after landslides and damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024.
The Great Smoky Mountains are a sub-section of the Blue Ridge, and straddle eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina from Cherokee west to Gatlinburg.
The Smokies and the northern Blue Ridge are known for hiking and camping opportunities and sights such as Grandfather Mountain and Linville Falls.
Whitewater, leaf Peeping, and Off-Roading
Travel south from Cherokee into the Nantahala National Forest and enter a white-water paradise. Hikers can walk behind the 75-foot plunge of the Dry Falls. Kayakers and rafters find challenging rapids — some with marked courses. Many outfitters line US Hwy 64 as it travels through the Callusaja River Gorge. Nearby towns include Franklin and Highlands.
In the fall, brilliant colors add to the beauty surrounding explorers.
Fall leaf peeping is also a bonus heading north off the Parkway into West Virginia and Virginia. Spelunkers will find an abundance of caves to explore on the Virginia side. ATVers will find networks of trails that span the area along the border of the two states. Several RV parks and camps specialize in offering hospitality to riders.
One of the most famous off-road trail systems in the country is West Virginia’s Hatfield-McCoy Trail system, boasting more than 1000 miles of trails. Within the system are multiple individual trails such as Bearwallow, Buffalo Mountain, Indian Ridge, Rockhouse, and more. Permits are required and available at trailheads and local outfitters. Bearwallow is considered family-friendly and good for beginners. Trails also exist in the New River Gorge area. West Virginia is the only state completely within the Appalachian Mountains, so mountain activities abound.
On the Virginia side, the Spearhead, Peters Mill Run, and Taskers Gap trail systems combine to offer several hundred miles of off-road trails. Again, permit requirements should be checked ahead of time.
Among RV parks welcoming adventurers are:
Arizona
Flagstaff RV Park, in Flagstaff
Rancho Sedona RV Park, Sedona.
Connecticut
Nature’s Campsites, Voluntown
North Carolina
Buck Creek RV Park, Marion
Flaming Arrow Campground, Whittier
Fort Wilderness Campground and RV Park, Cherokee
Stonebridge RV Resort, Maggie Valley
Valley River RV Resort, Marble
New York
Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds, Saugerties
Tennessee
Bigfoot Adventure RV Park, Tracy City
Sun Outdoors Pigeon Forge, Sevierville
Utah
Fossil Valley RV Park, Vernal
Shady Acres RV Park, Green River
Virginia
Endless Caverns, New Market
North Fork Resort, Front Royal
West Virginia
Rifrafters RV Park, Fayetteville
Brushcreek Falls RV Resort (complete with new Alpine Slide), Princeton
Wyoming
Eagle RV Park and Campground, Thermopolis
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Bob & Becky Bazemore
Bob and BeckyBazemore are former journalists and 16-year consultants with Good Sam. Their travels and work have taken them through Alaska, western Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and much of the Eastern Seaboard — RVing the U.S. along the way. After 12 years full-time RVing, they now hang their hats in Port St. Lucie, Florida, when not on the road.
