Situated in Wyoming State south of Yellowstone National Park and north of Jackson, Grand Teton is a national park exhibiting astonishing nature and an abundance of diverse activities. Boasting mountain meadows, the snow-capped peaks of the Teton Range, lush valley floors and idyllic alpine lakes, the park’s breathtaking scenery offers some of the most exquisite photographic locations in the world. Visitors can hike a trail that American Indians might have used in the 1820s, or one built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Snake River is ideal for wonderful paddle, canoe, or rafting meanders. Cruises along the lakes offer a relaxed and luxurious way to take in the views, and include a delicious full breakfast or dinner. Animal lovers will delight in spotting bears, elk, foxes, and a variety of birdlife, and the option to explore the area on horseback.

A visit to the much treasured Yellowstone National Park is likely to leave you spellbound. Situated largely in Wyoming, with parts stretching into Idaho and Montana, the park features dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, waterfalls, lush forests and gushing geysers, including its most famous, ‘Old Faithful’, which shoots eruptions of boiling water over 50 metres into the air. Yellowstone also has one of the world’s largest petrified forests. Along the Grand Loop Road, you can see scenic grandeur and top attractions at your leisure. Wildlife abounds – with bison, moose, elk, bear and wolves, and around 300 species of birds. There are nine visitors’ centres and 12 camping grounds to help you along your journey.

The picturesque valley of Jackson Hole is flanked by the sweeping Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges, jagged peaks that offer powdery skiing in the winter and beautiful hiking in the summer. The term 'hole' was used by early frontiersmen, who had to descend along steep slopes in order to access the valley below giving the sensation of entering a hole. These magnificent low-lying valleys are surrounded by mountains that serve as a winter playground for visitors to Wyoming’s highest-profile ski resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The vibrant base village buzzes with activity, thanks to a number of charming hotels and timeshare complexes, as well as restaurants, stores and a ski school. In the summer the valley transforms into a dazzling wilderness which is blessed with an extraordinary abundance of wildlife and makes an ideal destination for summer hikes, playing golf and adventurous horseback riding.

Montana is a state in the northern/northwestern United States which is characterised by diverse landscapes ranging from the towering Rocky Mountains to the wide open expanses of the Great Plains. This diverse terrain provides an ideal environment for a variety of outdoor activities including: hiking, cycling, horse riding, hunting, and fishing in summer; or skiing and snowboarding in winter. Montana is home a number of renowned national parks. These include among others: the Yellowstone National Park, one of the largest and most famous national parks in the world with more than two million acres of geysers and bubbling hot springs simmering between mountains, rivers and canyons; and the Glacier National Park, a land of mammoth mountains and ice-hewn valleys dotted with spectacular aquamarine lakes, forests, waterfalls and glaciers. What Montana lacks in big name cities, it more than makes up for in spectacular natural appeal.

Set in the northwestern reaches of the island of Hawaii, Kohala features a rugged landscape scattered with lava fields. The Kohala Coast is dotted with some of the island’s finest resorts and is known for its magnificent volcanic landscapes. Scattered amidst the rust-red and the jet-black lava rock fields, are lush oases offering world-class accommodations, award-winning dining and some of Hawaii’s best golf courses. Visitors flock to this sun-drenched part of the world to enjoy the island’s beaches such as the Hapuna Beach State Park - one of Hawaii’s largest white-sand beaches. Sample traditional cuisine at an array of restaurants, relax at a local spa, and visit the Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site - the largest restored heiau (temple) in Hawaii. Other popular activities include: exploring the scenic pasturelands of Waimea, visiting Kahua Ranch for a scenic horse riding excursion and discovering the charms of the nearby Lapakahi State Park, an old fishing village.

In San Juan County in the southeastern corner of Utah, lies the vast, wild and sunbaked desert plane of Monument Valley. This red-sand desert region is known for its towering sandstone buttes and forms part of the lands sacred to the Navajo Nation. In this area, the stars of the Milky Way can be seen exceptionally clearly at night. Visitors can enjoy hiking, jeep tours, horse riding and stargazing on their own or escorted and narrated by Navajo guides. Top activities also include touring the Monument Valley Drive for spectacular views of the landscape, hiking the Wildcat Trail for closer views of the buttes, learning more about the area at the Goulding Film and Cultural History Museum, and watching the sunrise from one of the many viewpoints.

Situated in the northwest corner of Arizona, the Grand Canyon National Park welcomes around 5 million visitors a year. Nature and animal lovers, scientists, geologists and archaeologists continue to be mesmerised by the imposing beauty and splendour of its massive layered-rock canyons, river tributaries, fauna and flora, and historical significance. Your touring options are endless: a drive along the incredibly scenic South Rim; a two-day mule trip down to the bottom of the canyon; hiking trails; helicopter or hot-air balloon tours; or white-water rafting down the Colorado River. The park is home to around 500 species of animals and birds, including the endangered Californian condor, and six types of rattlesnakes.

Tropic is situated in the state of Utah in the Western United States of America. This small, well-appointed town with a population of about 500 permanent residents is best known for being a gateway to the Bryce Canyon National Park and the wonderful outdoor adventures it contains. Formed over millions of years, the Bryce Canyon is a geological marvel, and visitors can choose from a number of ways to explore this rugged terrain, including horseback trails, ATV tracks and scenic hiking routes, which also give access to popular rock climbing and rappelling areas. Definitely plan to camp in the park and enjoy the star-filled night skies, and - while in Tropic - don’t miss the chance to also visit Kodachrome Basin State Park, with its multi-coloured rock formations.

Ideally located on one of the most scenic highways in the world, the tiny town of Boulders boasts spectacular views of the rugged, yellow mountain plateau that surrounds this quiet rural community. Perfectly placed as a rest stop to explore the pristine landscape of the unpopulated Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument comprised of arches, waterfalls, sandstone goblins, vibrant slot canyons. Other popular attractions include the Anasazi State Park Museum. The town seamlessly leads to the famous Burr Trail and Hellsbackbone Road.

Straddling the Utah-Arizona border is Canyon Point, an isolated oasis that is stretched across the heart of the Grand Circle in southern Utah, USA. Hidden in the sculpted Four Corners Region, Unsurprisingly, the area is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream as it features deep canyons, towering plateaus and sweeping vistas of the magnificent desert landscapes. Popular activities include fantastic hiking trails, scaling rock formations, hot-air ballooning over the exquisite scenery, horseback riding, superb stargazing. The shimmering beauty of Lake Powell invites watersports such as swimming, fishing, kayaking, and water-skiing. Canyon Point is also within easy distance to the surrounding national parks that include the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park.

An oasis of bustling activity in a vast expanse of desert, Moab in southern Utah is a prime adventurer’s hub. Use the town as a base camp to freshen up after day trips to Arches or Canyonlands National Parks – you’ll find plenty of accommodation and late-night shopping. Over the US summer, the area fills up with 4x4 enthusiasts eager to join the annual Moab Jeep Safari, mountain bikers lured by the extensive trails in the area, and other fans of rugged living. Thrill-seekers can go rock climbing, white-water rafting in Westwater Canyon, kayaking, hiking and backpacking. (Visitors are encouraged to use existing trails to preserve the desert lands.) For a more laid-back experience, pop into Hole ’n the Rock, or take in the surprise offerings at the Moab Museum of Film and Western Heritage.

Situated on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, on the northern banks of Kachemak Bay, the small city of Homer is known as the arts capital of southcentral Alaska. This city is home to the Homer Spit, a long strip of sand which extends out into the bay. Homer is a thriving artists community featuring several art galleries, excellent restaurants, fascinating museums and theatres. It serves as a port of entry for visitors to explore the magnificent surrounds. Homer boasts sweeping panoramic views across the glittering Kachemak Bay, which is crowned by Kachemak Bay State Park’s snow-capped Kenai mountains and the dramatic Grewingk Glacier. This spectacularly scenic area offers a wide selection of exciting wilderness adventures and activities such as trekking, bear viewing, paddling, and world-class fishing.

Sandwiched between Mount Marathon and the glistening waters of Resurrection bay, this scenic city is surrounded by lush rain forests and is easily accessible from Anchorage. This vast surrounding wilderness makes Seward an ideal base for kayaking, hiking, fishing, whale-watching and glacier-viewing excursions. It also serves as the gateway to the impressive Kenai Fjords National Park which offers exceptionally scenic landscapes and a remarkable variety of unusual marine wildlife. Many visitors take a day cruise along the coast south of Seward to watch glaciers calve into the sea and to spot seals, sea lions and whales. More adventurous travellers can rent a kayak and spend their afternoons paddling among sea otters and their nights gazing at glaciers. This small, sparsely populated, 21.5-square-mile city, is the perfect place to call home for a few days while you explore all of the breathtaking natural wonders that this stunning wilderness area has to offer.

With ample annual snowfall, close to a hundred cycle trails and thousands of skiable acres, Mt Alyeska is a prime location for adrenaline junkies with a need for speed. Forming part of the Chugach mountain range, Mt Alyeska is accessed via the town of Girdwood, a resort town lying just south of Anchorage, Alaska. Visitors can look forward to experiencing the spectacular views of Turnagain Arm, a spectacularly scenic waterway running into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. There are also seven glaciers in the area which can be accessed by taking the tram at Alyeska Resort to the top of the mountain, where in the wintertime, you can ski or snowboard back down again. Other popular activities in the Alkyeska region include mountain biking, for which training courses and gear are provided, as well as rock climbing and paragliding. Don’t miss the once-in-a-lifetime exhilarating experience of riding a dog sled on a glacier.

As the largest city in the state of Alaska, Anchorage offers a compelling combination of metropolitan luxuries and unrivalled natural beauty. Covering a vast area of 1900 square miles, much of this remarkable port city remains uninhabited and mountainous. The greater Anchorage area is home to a population of over 300,000 inhabitants as well as an astonishing range of wildlife such as moose, brown and black bears, dall sheep, and many migratory bird species. With the glistening waters of the exquisite Cook Inlet and the towering peaks of the Chugach Mountains right on the city's doorstep, outdoor enthusiasts can indulge in a range of activities including hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and even sea kayaking among some majestic tidewater glaciers in nearby Blackstone Bay.

Located in the Dixie region of Washington County in the US state of Utah, Springdale serves as the gateway to the world-renowned Zion National Park. It is a popular tourist destination providing an excellent stopover and base from which to explore the exceptionally scenic surrounding area. This park town is perched at an elevation of 1200 metres and is towered over by the awe-inspiring cliffs of Zion. It offers an array of art galleries, buzzing cafes and bustling streets lined with excellent restaurants. Visitors can look forward to exploring the spectacularly scenic Zion National Park featuring a host of natural wonders with its soaring red cliffs and unique rock formations. Other popular activities include: cycling, camping and hiking through this remarkably beautiful landscape.

Grand Canyon Village is a portal to one of the most enchanting geological sites on the planet. The town sits on the precipice of the Grand Canyon's South Rim and is the gateway to hypnotic views of landscapes deeply carved by the Colorado River over the past 5 to 6 million years. Marvel at Mother Nature's handiwork when you descend into the canyon or explore the rim’s well marked hiking trails, either on foot or horseback. Less strenuous options include taking the free shuttle bus to the area’s best viewpoints, or experiencing the jaw-dropping vistas from the sky via a helicopter or plane tour.