More commonly known as Mount Charleston, the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area is a great place to beat the desert heat of Las Vegas. The park is part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and it’s only a 45 minute drive from the Strip.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a great desert getaway just a short drive from Las Vegas. If you’re looking to take a breather from all the bright lights on the Strip, this is a nice option for a full or half day.
The small town of Beverly Shores, Indiana, is surrounded on three sides by Indiana Dunes National Park and borders Lake Michigan to the north.
Tierradentro is an archaeological park in Colombia with a fascinating collection of underground tombs, the largest in the Americas. The tombs are at least 1,000 years old. Many contain painted geometric designs or rock carvings. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site but is endangered due to landslides and human interference.
The 3 Dune Challenge is a difficult 1.5 mile trail at Indiana Dunes State Park. It makes up parts of Trail #8 and Trail #4, and is a loop that starts and finishes at the Nature Center. The challenge goes to the tops of the three tallest dunes in the park for a total of 552 feet of vertical climbing.
There are over 16 miles of trails at Indiana Dunes State Park. All of the trails pass through the Dunes Nature Preserve, which was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974.
The small town of Calarcá, just outside of Armenia, hosts the Quindío Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico del Quindío). It’s one of the best botanical gardens in all of Colombia and a must-see when visiting the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
While traveling in Southwest Colombia, you hardly expect to find a desert. Mixed in among the lush green mountainous landscape is a 330 square kilometer region packed with interesting formations, canyons, and incredible scenery. The Tatacoa Desert (Desierto de la Tatacoa) is an unusual place that in fact is not even a true desert. It’s a dry tropical forest.
In the city of Mocoa, on the fringe of the Amazon Rain Forest, there’s nothing to see or do. The main plaza is quite boring and lacks any wow factor.
Hot Springs Historic District is a popular area of Big Bend National Park in Texas. It’s possible to soak in a natural hot spring along the Rio Grande.