10 Unmissable Trips for Fresh Air Finders

The best trips start the moment narrow roads sprawl out into open highways, horizons stretch across the open sky, and the air feels a little cleaner with each inhale. Across the country, national parks, wild coastlines, and iconic landscapes beckon for days spent entirely in nature.

From Aiden to Best Western Plus, and more, BWH Hotels properties offer a comfortable home base for any outdoor pursuit. With locations across the country for every budget, you’ll always have somewhere to drop your pack, swap stories, and recharge before heading back out for more.

These are ten unforgettable landscapes that pull us outside, encourage us to slow down, take a breath of fresh air, and enjoy the view.

Wind through the Blue Ridge Parkway for mile after mile of scenic Appalachian vistas, or lace up your boots and trek the Deep Creek Waterfall Loop to peaceful cascades. Starting outside Bryson City, the famously unfinished “Road to Nowhere” curves past Fontana Lake and into a tunnel that spills out into quiet backcountry paths. Early mornings and late evenings in Cataloochee often reward patient visitors with sightings of reintroduced elk grazing in the fields.

Set among an other-worldly landscape in Far West Texas, Big Bend National Park is practically a playground when it comes to outdoor pursuits. Camp beneath a sea of stars at Chisos Basin, row through Santa Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande, cycle on paved and backcountry roads, and explore old homesteads and other traces of ranching history. In nearby towns, experience Marfa’s rich creative culture and Terlingua’s rugged ghost town vibes.

Northern California’s towering coastal redwoods and sequoias rise from the mist like living cathedrals. Their fire-resistant bark and evergreen canopies are a testament to their resilience, with some being over 3,000 years old. Visitors come to walk the areas’ sun-stippled groves, picnic at the Klamath River Overlook where freshwater meets the Pacific, watch for migrating whales and abundant birdlife, and marvel at the famous drive-thru trees.

It’s no wonder that this region, filled with forests, waterfalls, gorges, and other natural wonders, gave rise to the first American art movement characterized by romantic landscapes and sublime wilderness. Today, city dwellers, nature enthusiasts, and weekend getaway-ers make the pilgrimage upstate for a lungful of fresh air. The place is an arsenal of Western art, fertile farmland, architectural heritage, sweeping views, and the simple promise of getting out in the Great Outdoors.

Few places deliver fresh air and a humbling perspective quite like the Grand Canyon. It’s an icon of the American West, shaped over millions of years as the Colorado River slowly carved through rising bedrock to reveal mile after mile of vividly layered stone. Hike past limestone walls, and explore remote corridors like Matkatamiba Canyon, and spelunk hidden hollows such as the Cave of the Domes. Scenic drives, sunrise and sunset viewpoints, and star-filled nights round out a visit.

Western Montana moves to the rhythm of a fly rod and the pull of open country. A place where cold, clear rivers lace through broad valleys, and snow-topped mountains rise against an endless sky. From the alpine meadows of Glacier National Park to the legendary waters near Yellowstone, days unfold in a crisp air that seems to stretch on forever. Typically anchored in the areas around Missoula, Dillon, and Bozeman, anglers rise at dawn to wade into trout territory and take in the Big Sky Country views.

Smooth tides, Spanish moss, salty air, and burgeoning marshes. Time slows down along Georgia’s charming coast. Cast a line from the surf or a skiff, kayak through waterways lined with spartina, or explore islands like Jekyll and St. Simons via bike. Cap the day with fresh seafood pulled straight from local waters.

At the southernmost tip of Florida, strings of bridges suspend over turquoise water, connecting one sunlit island to the next. Days here revolve around aquatic activities. Snorkel near technicolor coral reefs inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, paddle a kayak through mangrove forests, dive the wreckage in Shipwreck Trail, or spot queen conch and spiny lobster in the shallow waters of Bahia Honda State Park.

Wander windswept dunes and rocky headlands with nothing but open ocean at your side. It’s a coastline where every stop invites you to breathe deeper and stay a little longer. Thanks to the state’s Beach Bill, all 363 miles of shoreline are public. Launch a kayak across Tillamook Bay, watch dory boats punch through the surf at Pacific City’s Cape Kiwanda, and cruise along the scenic Highway 101—make sure to stop and say hello to the barking residents at Sea Lion Caves.

Where the Atlantic crashes into pink granite cliffs and spruce forests roll down to the sea, Acadia National Park delivers 47,000 acres of breathtaking scenery. Greet the sunrise atop Cadillac Mountain, cruise the sweeping 27-mile Park Loop Road, and head to Beehive Loop for a challenging, yet rewarding, hike. The nearby Bar Harbor serves as an easy base camp. It’s equal parts lobster shacks, cozy inns, and outfitter shops, and a great place to recharge before heading back out for another lungful of cool Maine air.