North America Adventure Tours

Absolutely! In fact, North America is one of the very best adventure travel destinations in the world. It stands out as a top adventure destination because of its impressive diversity of landscapes and wild, well-preserved public lands and national parks. North America is home to many thousands of miles of hiking trails, and hundreds of national parks and wilderness areas.

The most significant qualities North America offers adventurous travelers are millions of acres of protected public lands, extensive trail systems for hiking and biking, diverse climates for year-round adventure, a variety of outdoor activities to choose from, and wildlife viewing in some of the world’s richest habitats.

Learn more about why North America is perfect for adventure travel.

While there are an abundance of excellent destinations for adventure travel in North America, some are worth highlighting as being especially fantastic. According to our travel experts at MT Sobek, the most impressive regions for adventure on this continent include the vast wilderness of Alaska, jagged alpine peaks of the Canadian Rockies, diverse mountains landscapes of America’s Rocky Mountains, unique rock formations of Utah’s Canyon Country, wild mountains and coastlines of the Pacific Northwest, legendary hiking trails of the Appalachian Mountains, impressive depths of Copper Canyon in Mexico, natural wonders of Grand Canyon and Sedona, towering granite monoliths and thundering waterfalls of California’s national parks, and endless rivers of Northern Canada.

Learn more about the best regions for adventure vacations in North America.

Hiking and backpacking are the most popular forms of adventure in North America. Thousands of miles of trails wind through mountains, forests, deserts, canyons, and coastal landscapes. There are many extraordinary places to hike in North America. Other excellent activities in North America include road cycling, mountain biking, climbing and mountaineering, canyoneering, white water rafting, kayaking and canoeing, skiing and snowshoeing and wildlife viewing.

Learn more about the best adventure activities in North America.

One of the greatest strengths of North America is its incredible diversity of landscapes and climates. Because of this impressive variety, you can enjoy adventure in every season. Spring is a perfect time to visit the high desert destinations of the American Southwest like Sedona, Arches and Canyonlands, where temperatures are comfortable, and the mountains are buried in snow. Summer is best in mountain destinations like Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, and the Sierra Nevada—where you can enjoy long days and perfect daytime temperatures. Early fall (September) is a great time for adventure in most destinations, as the deserts and canyons begin to cool off, while the mountains remain accessible. Once fall has fully set in (October and November), the mountain season comes to a close, and high desert destinations like Zion and Grand Canyon enter their prime season, with ideal hiking weather. Winter is best in low desert destinations like Death Valley and Joshua Tree, or—if you prefer skiing and snowshoeing—mountain areas like the American Rockies and the Pacific Northwest provide exciting winter getaways.

Learn more about when is the best time for adventure in North America. You can also explore a month-by-month guide to hiking North America.

What to pack for your adventure depends on where you will be going, what you will be doing and the season of your adventure. When you register for a MT Sobek tour, you will receive an information packet with a detailed packing list. Or learn more about what to pack for your North America adventure vacation.

Some of the most popular and memorable adventures in North America include hiking to Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon, rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho, hiking Denali National Park & Preserve in Alaska, exploring Utah’s spectacular Mighty Five national parks and rafting Alaska’s wild and impressive rivers.

Learn more: 15 Bucket List Adventures in North America

All adventure activities carry risk, which include everything from weather and wildlife to physical injuries and water hazards. North America is safe in terms of transportation, infrastructure and the availability of credible, professional guide services. The safety of the activities themselves—whether you’re hiking deep into the Grand Canyon, whitewater rafting in Idaho or kayaking in the Tetons—depends entirely on your level of experience and knowledge. If in doubt, we recommend joining a guided adventure tour.

The level of physical fitness required depends entirely on the activity you’re interested in. In general, to join any outdoor adventure activity, it’s important that you are physically healthy and have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. Most multi-day adventure vacations require a minimum of 4-6 hours of physical exertion for 5-12 consecutive days in a row. Hiking tours can range from relatively easy, with daily treks of 4-6 miles—to extremely strenuous, with daily hikes of 10-14 miles and 3000-5000′ elevation changes. Rafting tours are often less demanding, but still require paddling and exposure to the elements for 5-13 days in a row. Backpacking, biking, climbing, mountaineering and canyoneering are potentially the most strenuous adventures and can vary from mild to extreme.

The rule of thumb is that the more fit you are for your adventure of choice, the more fun you will have.