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Summer is in full swing, and there's still plenty of time to hit the road and head out for a great vacation or two. Because, really, when is there a better time to travel the country than summer? From small-town country getaways to full-on outdoor excursions, here are some of the best summer destinations across the country.
Millions of Americans will spend their summer hitting up the majestic National Parks spread throughout the American West, where they will be sweltering away in the summer sun and desert heat. If you’d like to try something more off the beaten path and, quite literally, cooler, then you can head north to Pictured Rocks National Lakehore on the shores of Lake Superior, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
As Yogi Berra once said, “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” That’s kind of how we feel about National Parks. Everybody and their brother has heard of Yosemite, which is why when you head out there for a weekend, you’re likely to find…everybody and their brother, straining to take a selfie. Same with Rocky Mountain National Park, and Yellowstone.
Want to take a dip in America's deepest lake? How about sleeping on an active volcano? Well at Crater Lake National Park, you can do both. Located in the Cascade Mountains of Southern Oregon, Crater Lake was formed by the collapsed volcano, Mount Mazama. It's one of the bluest, clearest and cleanest and definitely most beautiful lakes in the country, fed entirely by rain and snow.
Want to get off the beaten path? Minnesota may not immediately strike you as one of the most exciting of outdoor destinations, but head up north near the Canadian border to one of the least known national parks in the country- Voyageurs National Park. Too bad it's so little-known, as it's pretty big: 218,000 acres. You will be treated to some truly rugged terrain and more lakes and waterways than you can count. In fact, every single one of the National Park's campsites require a boat to reach.
Next stop in on our tour of America's Best Camping Spots: Colorado. The name of this state itself essentially says "outdoors". While there's an seemingly endless supply of beautiful vistas, towering peaks and gorgeous hiking spots in the state, for something a bit different from the rest of the Rockies, and maybe a little bit less crowded than Rocky Mountain National Park, head further west to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
With a country as large and geographically diverse as the United States, you're bound to find more than few awesome campsites, a few awesome places to spend the night out the great wide open under the stars. And the first place we're going to highlight is Jumbo Rocks Campground, located in Southern California's Joshua Tree National Park.