4 Underrated Adventure Travel Spots

By Sam McKenzie | September 3, 2015

The market for adventure vacations is growing every year. It is no longer desired to just go visit extraordinary locations; now people want to climb them, raft them and experience them in real life ways. Adventure travel is defined as tourism that involves exploration and activities that have some type of risk whether perceived or actual. People are willing to pay top dollar for the thrill of adventure on their vacations; however, these locations are often very crowded during vacation season as well as being very expensive. There are alternatives to high traffic, commercialized areas that are often less developed and offer more authentic and largely undiscovered areas to explore.  Here are four underrated adventure travel spots to explore today!

Taos, New Mexico

Taos, New Mexico is surrounded on three sides by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The mountains, along with the Rio Grande River, provide plenty of adventure opportunities. Some examples are mountain and rock climbing, hiking, fly fishing, hot air ballooning, horseback riding and rafting. Just four miles away are the Taos Pueblos, one of the oldest continually occupied communities in the United States. With the rich Native American heritage and the thriving art community in addition to nature’s adventures, Taos, New Mexico is a great place to visit and get all the thrills of adventure you need.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Nestled right over the Georgia line, Chattanooga, Tennessee is a great little city for adventurers. With family sites such as Rock City, Ruby Falls and the Tennessee Aquarium, you can have the best of both worlds. For adventure, you can sky dive or hang glide at the Lookout Mountain Flight Park. There are also lots of opportunities for rock climbing, mountain biking and white water rafting. Chattanooga has a little bit of everything except the crowds and the high price tag.

Black Canyon, Gunnison National Park, Colorado

If you are looking for some serious climbing adventure, look no further than Black Canyon, Gunnison National Park, Colorado! With only around 175,000 annual visitors, the scene is much less crowded than the Grand Canyon and offers rock climbing, canyoneering and whitewater paddling. The rapids are fierce so you must be experienced to paddle there. The canyon is a 2000 feet deep and a rugged adventure awaits!

Block Island, Rhode Island

Listed as one of the “Last Great Places” on the western Hemisphere by the Nature Conservancy, Block Island, Rhode Island is a great place for adventure. Located about 13 miles off the coast of Rhode Island, Block Island has 30 miles of hiking trails as well as copious amounts of water sports and biking opportunities. With two lighthouses and some magnificent bluffs, Block Island is a sure bet for adventure seekers.

These four underrated adventure travel spots offer just as many thrills as huge tourist attractions, but you are likely to enjoy them more. With fewer crowds, better pricing and well preserved and protected areas to explore, you are sure to enjoy your time at any of these great spots.