Adventure vacations are a true thrill
Even though I’m a fan of adventure vacations, I never saw myself as the rock-climbing type. (Full disclosure: I am afraid of heights.) But on a recent trip to Midcoast Maine, I knew I would regret missing out on a totally killer view if I didn’t at least try to climb the rocky cliffs outside Camden. After my very patient instructor hooked me into a harness, I put my foot in the first outcropping, braced myself and went for it.
About halfway up my beginner climb, my breathing started to slow, and I began to see finding my next foothold as a sort of game. But the best part was the feeling when I reached the little ledge where I could stand and look at the shimmering lake below, knowing I had accomplished something that I thought was off the table for me. King of the world, baby! That feeling is at the heart of adventure vacations, even when you’re not doing anything as extreme as rock climbing, and there’s nothing else like it.
What is an adventure vacation, exactly?
The U.S.-based Adventure Travel Trade Association, of which I am a member, defines adventure travel as any tourist activity that includes physical activity, cultural exchange and connection with outdoor activities and nature. But what it really boils down to is that exhilarating feeling of taking on a challenge and experiencing travel from a point of view you’ve never seen before—whether it’s looking back at land from the seat of a kayak, peering down through a snorkel or scuba mask over a coral garden or flying above a rainforest on a zip line—that makes you feel truly alive.
Some of my most memorable and awe-inspiring experiences happened during adventure vacations, such as the time a baby bear swam up beside my kayak as it crossed the lake to catch up with its mother. The best part is, you don’t have to be an adrenaline junkie or in the best shape of your life to have an adventure. There’s something for everyone.
How we chose the best adventure vacations
We selected the adventures on this list based on my experiences as an adventure travel writer. Indeed, my favorite trip is somewhere on this list! But because you shouldn’t just take my word for it (and I, unfortunately, haven’t been everywhere just yet), I consulted recommendations and rankings put together by other travel groups, guides and fellow adventurers, vetting the best places to travel with the help of online user reviews and ratings, to ensure that you find the best experiences. There’s something here for just about every type of person ready to shake up their vacations a bit.
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Best for families
Go rafting on California’s American River
One of the country’s most popular white-water-rafting spots is having a great year, thanks to record snowfall feeding its rushing rapids in Northern California. My family loved our half-day rafting trip on the South Fork with guide company OARS through exciting but beginner-friendly Class II and III rapids with names like Satan’s Cesspool, Barking Dog and Hospital Bar. While these names are dramatic, the experience here is more exciting than scary.
The best place to catch beginner and family-friendly tours is around the small Sierra Nevada gold-mining towns of Lotus and Coloma, an hour’s drive east of Sacramento, or an hour and a half from Lake Tahoe. Kids as young as 8 can make these trips, and there are hotels and campgrounds located right on the river if older kids want to sneak in some tubing as well. There are also Class IV rapids nearby, but those are best saved for experienced rafters who know how to handle being thrown off the raft and into rocky areas with very strong currents.
