
In-depth guides to the places worth the trip, and an Adventure Score for every US town: 0 to 100 for how much quality outdoor sport is close by.
Spots, seasons, travel and budget. Highest Adventure Score first.
Every guide and every US place we score, highest Adventure Score first. Switch to “Guides first” to see the in-depth guides on top.
28 places
Tasman, New Zealand · Water
New Zealand's northwest hub: rock climbing, mountain biking, and Tasman wilderness access.
Destination guide →NSW, Australia · Forest
Sydney's dramatic sandstone cliffs: sport climbing on Australian stone, bushwalking, and technical mountain biking.
Destination guide →Tasmania, Australia · Forest
Tasmania's wildest walk — ancient rainforest, glacial lakes, and alpine sky
Destination guide →New Zealand · Alpine
New Zealand's highest peak dominates an alpine wonderland of glaciers, turquoise lakes, and granite scrambling.
Destination guide →Australia · Water
Australia's easternmost point: subtropical beaches, hinterland hikes, and consistent warm-water surf.
Destination guide →Australia · Water
Australian island wildlife sanctuary: rugged coastline, eucalyptus bushland, and adventure sports in pristine ecosystems.
Destination guide →Australia · Water
Western Australia's premium adventure destination: world-class surfing, wine, mountain biking, and forest.
Destination guide →Southland, New Zealand · Forest
Gateway to Fiordland — where epic Great Walks meet mirror fjords
Destination guide →Bay of Plenty, New Zealand · Water
New Zealand's geothermal adventure hub—mountain biking, hiking, and lakeside relaxation.
Destination guide →New South Wales, Australia · Water
Surf iconic breaks, run clifftop coastal paths, and paddle a world-class harbour
Destination guide →Otago, New Zealand · Forest
Wanaka: New Zealand's diverse adventure hub with climbing, mountain biking, trail running, and alpine lakes.
Destination guide →Otago, New Zealand · Water
The adventure capital of New Zealand where alpine lakes, rugged mountain trails, and world-class bike parks collide beneath the jagged Remarkables.
Destination guide →Southland, New Zealand · Water
Glacier-carved fiords, three Great Walks and the road to Milford Sound at the bottom of the South Island.
Destination guide →Queensland, Australia · Water
Tropical Queensland gateway to the Great Barrier Reef: day-trip reefs, Ribbon Reef liveaboards, rainforest mountain biking and World Heritage hiking.
Destination guide →Chuuk, FM · Water
The world's biggest ship graveyard: dozens of Japanese WWII wrecks, aircraft and tanks, many within recreational depth, in a warm Micronesian lagoon.
Destination guide →Tasmania, Australia · Forest
A former tin-mining village in Tasmania's northeast that became one of the world's best-known mountain bike trail networks.
Destination guide →Tasman, New Zealand · Water
Golden beaches, turquoise coves and seals, explored by sea kayak and on New Zealand's most popular coastal Great Walk.
Destination guide →Queensland, Australia · Water
Home of the Superbank: a sand-built point-break run of about 2 km from Snapper Rocks to Kirra, with some of Australia's most crowded and best-shaped waves.
Destination guide →Victoria, Australia · Forest
Australia's trad climbing mecca: thousands of quartzite routes rising from the Wimmera wheat plains beside a tiny arts town
Destination guide →Palau, PW · Water
A UNESCO-listed maze of Rock Islands where Blue Corner sharks, German Channel mantas and WWII wrecks sit a short boat ride from Koror.
Destination guide →Western Australia, Australia · Water
Flatwater kiteboarding at Safety Bay, island snorkelling and quokkas on Rottnest, and Perth Hills single-track, all within an hour of a big, sunny city.
Destination guide →Waikato, New Zealand · Water
A relaxed harbour village on New Zealand's west coast with some of the longest left-hand point breaks in the world, plus a volcano to hike and a harbour to paddle.
Destination guide →Tahiti, PF · Water
The end of the road on Tahiti Iti, home of Teahupoʻo, one of the heaviest waves on Earth, with jungle valleys and warm-water diving a short drive away.
Destination guide →Tasmania, Australia · Forest
Wild alpine walking, sea-cliff kayaking and purpose-built mountain biking on an island with Australia's best-known multi-day hike.
Destination guide →