Remote USA Destinations: Travel Again After Quarantine

Along with many of my fellow adventurers, we’ve had to give up on foreign travel this year. While canceling trips is hard to swallow, there are still plenty of domestic destinations here for us to explore. Recently I published some amazing spots in Kentucky to focus on staycations, but there are so many more regions to explore that I don’t think we’ve personally given enough consideration to sometimes. After traveling out west for really the first time last year, I realized that the US’s landscape is more diverse than I could’ve possibly imagined. There are plenty of remote USA destinations only a road trip away from an awesome vacation.

Gently easing back into traveling with these remote destinations provide an easy way to feed our adventurous spirits. {We can also support the towns and parks that take care of these amazing natural wonders by visiting local restaurants and shops!} These locations are in order from the East to the West geographically to make it easy for us to find a spot to go as soon as we’re able. To responsibly visit some of these locations, please check the park websites linked below for updates. Remember there are 5 free days to visit national parks a year!

Acadia National Park – Maine

Video from J Connelly Jr YouTube Channel

Cost for 7 Day Passes: Individuals -$15 and Private Vehicles (up to 15 passengers) – $30: Purchased Online

This is a spot I’ve dreamed of hiking for forever! Views like these would make a road trip worth the drive if your travel plans are canceled! As a dog mom to our giant German Shepherd Thunder, finding dog-friendly hiking areas is not as common as you think. One of the most surprising, and best, features of this park is that Acadia National Park allows your furry friends on more than 100 miles of hiking trails! For more information on what to do in Acadia National Park, please visit the park’s website here.

Photo from NationalParks.org (Acadia National Park)

Dolly Sods – West Virginia

Cost: Free

I really don’t think the beauty of West Virginia has been tapped into, and much less Dolly Sods. While many know it for rock climbing, the views in the Allegheny Mountains are stunning. This hike was one I was definitely not expecting to love but I did! I personally can’t wait to go back just for some incredible sunset shots, at golden hour.  When it comes to social distancing – this is probably about as remote as you’ll get in the hills of West Virginia, and I highly recommend it if you’re in the area. Click for a link to trails and trail maps for hiking to Blackbird Knob. {Pictured below!}

Photo from our hike in Dolly Sods!

Red River Gorge – Kentucky

Cost: Free

Probably one of our favorite areas in Kentucky- Red River Gorge in Daniel Boone National Forest is truly a hidden gem. When people thinking about hiking, I think they miss including Kentucky on their bucket lists just as much as West Virginia, and both are equally beautiful! One thing that Kentucky has in abundance is limestone and caves – which when combined with this mountainous region- creates some pretty spectacular views! For a few great waterfalls in Kentucky, see here!

The photo below was from Ev and I’s anniversary weekend where we stayed at a log cabin and hiked all weekend. Probably the most peaceful we’ve been in a long time! Since the Gorge is still a hidden gem, AKA not an Instagram hotspot- you can hike for hours and still feel like you’re in a remote destination! When you’re in the area, be sure to grab a pizza at Miguel’s! (You can thank me later!)

Castle Rock Trail at Red River Gorge – Kentucky

Mount Rushmore – South Dakota

Cost: Free to Enter the attraction but parking is paid.

This one might seem a bit odd to be adding to this list after your travel plans are canceled due to the coronavirus. It’s Mount Rushmore. There are a million movies out there featuring this famous spot, so you’d think it would be packed right? Nope! Mount Rushmore is usually pretty quiet, making it a perfect pit-stop for a longer road trip. After you cancel your travel plans are canceled, road trips will probably be our best bets! Not to mention that one of the best kept secrets about the park is seeing it at night, from May to October! The faces are lit up in the nightly lighting ceremony from June 1st to August 8th at 9 PM. To see more from the National Parks on hours and trails, click here.

Photo from ABC News

White Sands National Monument – New Mexico

Cost: $15 per person and $25 per vehicle

While currently closed, this little bit of random desert would be the perfect spot to add to a cross country trip when quarantine is over. While I don’t see that camping is currently allowed, heading into the park closer to sunset would be my best bet for some pretty picturesque views! Visit the National Park Services website for the White Sands National Monument here.

Photo from the National Park Foundation

Arizona/Utah Road Trip

Cost: Varies by park but typically $15 per person and $25 by car, while much of hiking in Sedona is free!

From Sedona, to Zion National Park and on to Monument Valley – This is an awesome loop that keeps you away from big crowds! Not only was this one of our favorite trips, but on our Arizona road trip, we found an awesome hidden cave in Sedona, Arizona! Check out my guide to one of the coolest hidden caves you’ll ever see! As far as what we would do if we went back: hiking the various trails through Zion is definitely on our bucket list. There are a few trails in particular that are rated as difficult called The Narrows that I really want to do!

Glacier National Park -Montana

Cost: $20 for 7 Days for a Single Person + $35 for a 7 Day Car Pass (Multiple People)

Visit the National Park Services website for Glacier National Park here. Not only is this a beautiful area of the country – but you can backpack in, camp, and enjoy a few days of solitude with some pretty amazing views! There will be road closures at some point in the Spring due to construction, so the most popular hike (Many Glacier), won’t be the best place to start. For more information on where to start your hiking journey, see here.

Photo from National Park Service Website – Glacier National Park, Montana

Redwood National Forest- California

Free Entry!

This is one of those places I’ve always dreamed of going to. With over 130,000 acres – there is plenty of space to camp, hike, and is even handicap accessible on some trails! To get an idea of some of the best hikes through the park, see here. For a great article about Redwood Forest, click here for the National Geographic’s take!

Photo from The National Park Foundation for Redwood National Forest- California

Monument Rocks – Kansas

Monument Rocks is the bucket list location you’ve never heard of. In the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing to see except the sky and the colors bouncing off the rocks. One of my favorite things to do is to make pit stops because they’re like unexpected little gems. This is one I wish we had taken the time to see when we drove to Colorado. The next time we road trip it west, I’m definitely going to time it better, with sunrise and sunset being the best times. Unfortunately, when we were driving through it was dark so there was no need to make the detour. It just a short drive off of KS-83 and definitely worth timing it right to catch a sunset! Little pitstops like this make it so easy to expand your trip into a journey and not just a 10-hour drive.

From iconic locations like Big Sur to the colorful artists’ village of Carmel, this tops my road trip bucket list! For more information on the stops along the way, please see this article by National Geographic! From different articles I’ve read, to get the full experience takes a couple of days at least. 10 hours of just driving time, and then adding in pit stops to soak it in! We are looking forward to doing this trip at some point soon. {Epic 90’s flashback + soothing chill music playlist would be totally necessary!}

Photo from Trip Advisor

Thanks for sharing!