Hidden Gems of The U.S.

Get outside and enjoy the planet

If you didn’t have a good enough reason to love everything about our planet, I’ve put together my list of must-see U.S. attractions that have been flying under the radar for far too long. Is my list bias? Possibly. And yes, I’m sure I left out many beautiful places. Doesn’t mean I love them any less.

If you’re someone who thrives when enjoying all that our planet has to offer, you don’t have to look very far. These picturesque destinations are right here in our backyard, and you don’t have to shell out a small fortune to enjoy them.

San Juan Islands, Washington

Deception Pass near the San Juan Islands

I spent my college years up in the great state of Washington. Since moving back to the Midwest, I find myself suffering from a severe case of Pacific-Northwest-Envy. It’s an entirely made-up disease that I just now created, but the symptoms are very real. Every time I see a picture resembling Washington, I get a little bit of wanderlust. When I hear the word “Seattle”, my ears perk up a little. In order to cope with my envy I talk about the PNW every chance I get. So… here it is.

The San Juan Islands are definitely near the top of my list of things to do in the Evergreen state. Mount Rainier is absolutely beautiful, but you’re likely to encounter huge crowds and you’ll pay the entrance fee. Plus, it’s so big you can see it from damn-near anywhere. If you time it right, you can visit the lesser-mentioned San Juan Islands and even plan your trip around it.

The San Juan’s were first encountered by Europeans in the late 1700’s. They brought with them an abundance of goods… and fresh dash of smallpox. That devastated the local Salish communities at the time. Spanish explorers gave the islands their name, and they stuck even after the Spanish left the area.

Other than the beautiful islands themselves, here are some other highlights and backgrounds:

Deception Pass
Wonder how it got it’s name? After an expedition, led by George Vancouver, sailed into the islands, they were deceived by the oddly shaped islands. In short, they didn’t know that they were islands at first. They sailed around for awhile, getting turned around a few times before realizing it was a group of islands. Thus, the name “Deception Pass”.
The views here are out of this world. You’ll legitimately forget you’re in the United States.
Sea-life
The local government is taking great strides to preserve the Orca population in the area. If you’re going whale watching, go with a reputable organization that knows how to whale watch safely. Large groups of observers have been known to cause the whales stress, which can have long term health effects. Keep an eye out for the endangered Stellar Sea Lion too!

Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia national park is often overlooked. When people think National Park they usually think Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, or Yosemite. But you shouldn’t sleep on the self proclaimed “Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast”.

Acadia boasts nearly 200 miles of hiking trails, 60 inches of snowfall annually, and possibly the best views of fall foliage in all of the States

Fun fact. Acadia is derived from a Native American term and roughly means, “a piece of beautiful land”. The term is often associated with the French as they adopted it when they settled in the area. When the French-Acadians eventually settled in the Louisiana area, they were known as Acadians. If you’ve tried to hold a conversation with someone from Louisiana, then you might see how the word “Cajun” came from Acadian. The more you know!

Devils Tower, Wyoming

This monument blows my mind. First of all… why the name “Devils Tower”? The more you think about it, the less it makes sense. The tower stretches up towards the heavens. If anything, it’s beauty alone doesn’t deserve such an evil name. So, I went down a little research rabbit-hole. Thank me later.

On ancient maps, this sucker would always be labeled “Bears Lodge”. An objectively boring name. It somehow makes less sense than Devils Tower, and that’s hard to do. It wasn’t until a geologist was sent to study the tower that the name was changed. When the geologist, Henry Newton, returned, he spoke about how he came across some Native Americans. They referred to the tower as “Bad God’s Tower”.

The researchers then put “Bad God’s Tower” through the ol’ translation machine and came up with “Devils Tower”. And that’s not a typo. They forgot to put the apostrophe on it. The tower is now (fairly) well known as Devils Tower. It also served as a landing strip for the aliens in Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind.

Don’t let the weird backstories sidetrack you from the beauty of the tower. It was formed nearly 100,000 years ago by cooling lava flow.

It stands at over 5,000 feet tall, and would be a perfect low-key place to visit if you want to make time for one of Wyoming’s natural wonders.

Taos, New Mexico

Oddly enough, Taos is the place where the idea of Pasture largely took place. It’s such a beautiful and vibrant area. It nurtures your spirit more than any other place I can recall. If you’re a nature lover, there is no shortage of things to do. If you’re looking for a place to start, go with the Taos Pueblo.

Taos Pueblo is the oldest continuously inhabited village in the United States. People have lived in the pueblo for over 1000 years straight.

Nearby Mt. Wheeler makes for a serene day hike. We woke up at about 4:30 and got to the trail-head at 5:30. The sun came up just perfectly as we were making our ascent. It’s the highest peak in New Mexico, too, if you’re interested in that kinda thing. On it’s peak, you’ll be standing 13,064 feet above sea level.

Be sure to check out the local hot springs, spas, and art work (it’s one of the best places for artwork in all of the U.S.)

Flint Hills, Kansas

Ok, okay, okayyyyy. I KNOW what you’re thinking. “There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that I’m ever visiting Kansas”. But you gotta hear me out on this one. Kansas has a stigma of being flatter than a pancake. I know that. However, Kansas is my home and it would be a darned shame if I didn’t stick up for it just a little bit. If you’re driving through Kansas to get to somewhere else (why else would you be in Kansas, right?) Then you’re going to miss the beauty it has to offer.

A few miles outside of Emporia, Kansas is the hidden gem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Hundreds of years ago 170,000,000 acres of prairie existed in North America. Now? Well, only 680,000 acres remain. Most of which is in Kansas. The Tallgrass Prairie is the largest freestanding patch of prairie left in all of North America. This is truly where the prairies of America are making their last stand.

If you want to visit, be sure to enjoy some of the hiking trails near Strong City, KS. You’ll feel like you have been taken back in time hundreds of years. You’ll even be able to walk among the bison.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

The Great Sand Dunes National Park is a victim of it’s location. When people visit Colorado they tend to stick with the other touristy locations. It wouldn’t be wise, though, to overlook the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Nestled between the beautiful Sangre De Cristo mountain range and the Rio Grande National Forest, the park offers once-in-a-lifetime views.

You can enjoy many hikes near the area, and even partake in some sand-dune-boarding.

It’s unlike any other place you can visit in all of the U.S. You can be in a desert landscape one minute, and on the top of a mountain the next. It’s absolutely incredible.

One thing I will note about the hikes near the park: Make sure you have a high clearance vehicle. The trail-heads can be difficult to reach without one.

Last thing… if you’re going to hike up to Lake Zapata, do your boy a solid and look out for a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses. Lost mine up there last year :(

Black Hills, South Dakota & Badlands

I get so mad when I hear people say, “there’s nothing to do in the flyover states”. I just count to 10 in my head, take a few deep breaths, and then respond with, “Have you even heard of the Badlands, bro?”.

There isn’t a more bad-ass name in all of geography than Badlands. I dare you to find a better one. Saber-tooth tigers used to roam these hills. It’s the epitome of cool.

The park is the result of erosion on a massive scale. Wind and water have left behind massive colorful spires. It’s now home to many mammals including the bighorn sheep. It’s a picture perfect landmark, and you won’t have to deal with the huge crowds once you get there.

Willamette National Forest, Oregon

Much like some other natural wonders, this one tends to get lost in the shuffle. There is just so much to do in the PNW. Especially in Oregon. You can spend some time at Crater Lake, Corvallis, or downtown Portland, and not even think about the Willamette National Forest. Ever since I visited a few years ago I’ve been schemin’ to get back there.

If you’re coming from Portland, there is a highway called the “Over the River and Through the Woods Scenic Byway”. Take it.

Be sure to plan a few hikes along the way. Once you get to Sisters, Oregon you’ll be surrounded by mountainous views. The best of which is the three sisters range to the south. There are so many hikes to enjoy along that route, it’s crazy. Plan ahead and choose one that best fits your skill level.

Also worth mentioning is the nearby town of Bend, OR. That’s where the Deschutes brewery is, if you need a nice refreshing brewski after a long day on the trails.

Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Elephant Head Rock - Buffalo National River

The last one on my list is the Buffalo National River. Part of the reason I chose this one is because I wanted to shamelessly plug my dog, Bru. He’s the goodest boy, and he rides in the kayak like a pro. I also chose the Buffalo because it fits perfectly into this category of hidden gems.

If you’re from the plains, you might have a false sense that there’s nothing to do unless you go to Colorado. Wrong. The Buffalo River is a quick 4 hour drive from Kansas City. Just a few hours from Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, or Tennessee.

It’s America’s first national river, and it’s one of the only un-dammed rivers in all of the lower 48. This beaut runs for over 135 miles continuously before feeding into the White River. Once on the river you’ll experience running rapids. You’ll be surrounded by towering bluffs with ancient caverns. You’ll find your inner peace.

Once you get a few miles from the White River be sure to look out for Elephant Head Rock. Although, it’s pretty hard to miss.

If you’ve ever seen the movie Deliverance, you might have a rational fear of the Ozarks. But that stuff’s not true. Okay, MOST of that stuff’s not true.

Travelers are known to have seen bears (speaking from experience), so be sure to bring the bear canisters. At night, camp along the river and look up into the breathtaking expanse of stars that can only be experienced in a place like this. Off the grid.

When I say off the grid, I’m not kidding. The guide we hired (not disclosing the name because… the grid) to drop us in the river had 10 children. He told me that none of them had SSNs. OFF. THE. MOTHAF***ING. GRID.