Outdoors "bucket list" (places to be sure to see)

[jniehof]

I think National Geographc did one of these once, with a title something like "100 places to see before you die." What are the places that are so special that any outdoorsperson should attempt to see sometime? No need for exotic...mine aren't

#1 for me would be the Boundary Waters (or Quetico, for the adventurous.) Unbeatable mixture of paddling and portaging if you choose your route right, and near-absolute solitude. Stay away from the "trade routes" towards the border!

#2 is Mesa Verde National Park. Overcrowding and overcommercializing can't destroy the natural beauty and the historical significance. I just wish the backcountry were open in some way.

 

[Bob]

La Casa in Millinocket!

 

[Adk_dib]

North to Alaska!

 

[WhiteMTHike]

1. Roman Colosseum
2. Swiss Alps

 

[Brambor]

My pick

Milford Track (New Zealand)
Fjords of Norway
Cinqua Terra (Italy)

 

[BlackBuffalo]

Lakes Region, England
Wales
Highlands, Scotland
Zermatt, Switzerland

DaveG.

 

[SkierSteve]

There are just too many, so I'll limit this to New England:
1. The less traveled areas of Baxter State Park; Davis Pond, South Branch Pond, The Travelers.
2. The Bold Coast Trail in Cutler, Maine.
3. Acadia National Park in winter.

I could go on and on but these are the top of the heap for me!!

 

[sapblatt]

Pembrokshire Coast Path in Wales
John Muir Trail
All of BSP (redline)
All of the WMG (redline)
Dolomites
Iceland
Alaska
Base of the Grand Canyon
Canyon de Chelly (New Mexico) - been here, but really want to explore it - and ditto for the Guadalupe Mountains in TX...

Got to be a 1000 other places I do not even know about...

 

[DrewKnight]

Oooo, good one.

1. Everest Base Camp, Tibetan side, with my kids

2. Diving on the Great Barrier Reef

3. Heliskiing in BC

4. Mountain biking in Moab, Utah

5. Rafting in the Grand Canyon

 

[roadtripper]

These two books are amazingly comprehensive. I recommend picking up both of them:

(1) 1000 Places to See Before You Die
(2) 1000 Natural Wonders

My suggestions for outstanding places (based on personal travels or places I'd love to visit) would be:
~ Swiss Alps (esp the Matterhorn)
~ Italian Alps (esp the Dolomites)
~ Canadian Rockies
~ Havasu Falls, Arizona
~ Patagonia
~ The various walking tours of New Zealand (Milford, Routeburn, Keyhole, etc.)
~ Fjords of Norway
~ Annupurna area, Nepal
~ southern Utah (the entire area)

Also, check out this link. It was recommended to me via a VFTT forum a few years ago. It's incredibly baised, but it has some absolutely incredible information by an experienced world traveler:

http://deanoman.com/travellists.htm

 

[LittleBear]

Two words:

THE WAVE

 

[roadtripper]

Two words:

THE WAVE

Agreed.....

 

[WinterWarlock]

Good question...

I'd say:

Kathmandu
Carpathian Mountains of Romania
Siberia
Tsangpo Gorge (read The Heart of the World and you'll agree!)
Canadian Rockies

 

[TrishandAlex]

Sapblatt and roadtripper have it --

the Italian Dolomites and

Iceland. Iceland is wonderful and just plain trippy. Feels like you're on the moon in some places.