Geography Geography 4 min read

Let’s ride!

Enjoying America while exercising: discover 10 great bike trails

Image: Pixabay

The vast American landscapes offer a virtually infinite array of opportunities to explore nature from various perspectives. Hikers, drivers, cyclists, campers, motorhome travelers, and more can enjoy this beautiful country in their own unique ways. Exploring it on a bicycle has numerous benefits : it provides valuable physical exercise, fosters closer contact with the environment compared to motorized vehicles, and allows for a deeper exploration of the surroundings. To say that the country has many bicycle trails would be a huge understatement. There are trails within city and town limits, inside national parks, and in almost any other location you can think of. The following 10 trails are meant to inspire anyone willing to explore and take their bike for a spin.

1
Florence Trail, Vermont

Image: Rod Long

Intermediate mountain bikers will love this berm-and-jump-filled descent, which can be incorporated into a 5-mile ride at Cady Hill . The Florence Trail is known as the best flow trail in Stowe, and one of the finest trails in the state of Vermont.

Advanced riders seeking to add some swoop and flow to their biking adventures will also find this trail enjoyable.

2
Devil's Den, Arkansas

Image: Oliver Graham

A mountain bike trail with history attached to it, Devil's Den State Park is a hallmark in the Arkansas mountain biking scene. At the very trailhead, a sign proudly declares that the lower area of the park, known as Fossil Flats, was the "Birthplace of Arkansas Mountain Biking" in 1989.

Recently designated as a "Monument Trail," the park underwent renovations to update sections of the historic trail while expanding the network with brand-new segments. Featuring impressive rock formations, jumps, and drops, Devil's Den truly is a biker’s paradise.

3
Citrus Tech Trail, Michigan

Image: Aishwarya MV

Despite being the most remote mountain bike destination in the Lower 48, Copper Harbor is home to some of the highest-quality trails in the nation. The newest additions to the network, located on Rock Solid's privately owned East Bluff mountain, include some of the best trails that have been built in the nation . Among them, the Citrus Tech trail stands out, earning praise from every mountain biker who has ridden it.

4
South Boundary Trail, New Mexico

Image: Richard Hedrick

An epic trail that winds through stunning mountain meadows and aspen groves before descending into the desert town of Taos , the South Boundary Trail features 4,500 vertical feet of downhill riding. However, it’s worth noting that bikers will face 2,000 feet of climbing along the way—but the breathtaking ride more than makes up for the effort.

5
Doctor Park, Colorado

Image: Holly Mandarich

One of the most thrilling descents in the country, the Doctor Park singletrack takes riders on an unforgettable journey. Starting at a high elevation, the trail winds through an alpine meadow , descends into an aspen grove, and continues down into pine forests before reaching a dry, lower-elevation climate zone .

Bikers from across the country and around the world can either shuttle to the top or pedal their way up to experience this incredible ride.

6
The Presidio, California

Image: Tim Trad

California is brimming with bike trails, making it difficult to recommend just one. However, this former military base turned national park stands out with its 25 miles of paved or hard-packed trails. Offering sightlines to the bay, coastal cliffs, beaches, forests, Alcatraz, the city skyline, and, of course**,** the iconic Golden Gate Bridge , it’s an unforgettable biking destination.

7
DuPont State Forest Slickrock, North Carolina

Image: Leslie Cross

The DuPont State Forest is a rarity on the East Coast due to its exposed bedrock trail. The biking experience in the North Carolina mountains offers epic descents, small mountains, and trails that flow nicely on soft rocky terrain , giving visitors a great experience, with the Slickrock (Cedar Rock, Big Rock, and Burnt Mountain) trail being one of its highlights.

8
Alpine Trail, Oregon

Image: everett mcintire

There are many trails named "Alpine Trail" but this one, at least, honors its name. Beginning high in the mountains, it goes downhill on soft and beautiful black dirt . A few open meadows and exposed outcroppings provide brief panoramic views of the Cascade Mountains, before dropping back into the timber for more high-speed ripping.

9
Tahoe Rim and Flume Trails, Nevada

Image: Abhi Verma

The Flume Trail wasn’t originally designed for bicycles—it began as the grade for a water flume that delivered lumber from high in the mountains above Lake Tahoe to the towns below. Today, remnants of the flume are still visible, but the old flume bed has been repurposed for use by mountain bikers and hikers.

10
Osberg Ridgeline Epic, Idaho

Image: Karsten Winegeart

The Osberg Ridgeline Epic isn’t for everyone. While it requires a shuttle to reach the trail’s starting point, bikers are still faced with over 3,000 feet of uphill pedaling. However, on the other hand, that 3,000 feet of climbing rewards riders with 5,500 feet of thrilling descent, along with a 15-mile ridge traverse with amazing views .

Geography Geography 4 min read

Get behind the wheel!

Motorhome paradise: 10 great spots in the U.S. to visit on wheels

Image: Frankie

Few countries, if any, are more prepared for a motorhome trip than the U.S. Its countless roads, vast and diverse landscapes, and thousands of RV campgrounds offer different types of journeys for every camper profile. Take a look at the following 10 suggestions, ranging from specific places to entire road trips, and see if any of them entices your curiosity!

1
Yellowstone National Park

Image: Johanna Persson

National parks and motorhomes are a match made in America, and no list of this kind would be complete without mentioning Yellowstone National Park, the oldest park in the country and a very popular RV destination for all the right reasons.

The park offers several RV-friendly campgrounds, and there are plenty of options to choose from in the surrounding towns as well. For drivers looking for an amazing scenic drive, take the Beartooth Highway, which will lead you to Yellowstone’s Northeast entrance. This roadway has been dubbed "The most beautiful in America" and is also known as the "Highway in the Sky."

2
Outer Banks

Image: Sergio Martínez

The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina , offering some of the East Coast’s most impressive and scenic beaches. With numerous RV parks throughout the islands, each with its unique charm, this location is an RV paradise.

Hike the largest dune system on the East Coast at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, kayak the peaceful waters of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, or take a ferry ride to Ocracoke Island’s rustic village. The Outer Banks has activities for everybody and infrastructure to provide all the necessary comfort.

3
Acadia National Park

Image: Marek Konopnicki

Acadia National Park is another gem on the RV roadmap of the U.S. Located primarily on Maine’s Mount Desert Island , the largest island off the coast of Maine, the park is sometimes referred to as the "Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast."

Aside from being home to the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the U.S., the park features several different habitats, offering plenty of plants and animals to see. Acadia has four campgrounds within the park, three of which are RV-friendly.

4
California

Image: Fabian

The entire state of California makes for an incredible RV road trip , offering an endless supply of natural beauty, from towering redwood forests to dusty deserts to breathtaking seascapes and shorelines.

RV travelers can start their journey just northeast of San Diego and follow a clockwise loop, visiting the coast first and exploring the state's inner beauties later.

5
Joshua Tree National Park

Image: Mariana Brás

Joshua Tree National Park features some of America’s most beautiful landscapes, set along the sun-blasted frontier of the Mojave and Colorado deserts . That countryside includes remarkable monzogranite formations and boulders, such as Skull Rock, as well as multiple mountain ranges.

Year-round camping is available in this area, although the summer heat may not be for everyone. There are several campgrounds in the park, ranging from well-developed to primitive options and beyond.

6
Rocky Mountains

Image: Luke Porter

A road trip around the Rocky Mountains in a motorhome is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that any RV camper would love to add to their wishlist. These mountains stretch over 3,000 miles from New Mexico to British Columbia, offering a lifetime's worth of exploration opportunities.

Drivers could spend weeks at Yellowstone and Grand Teton alone, but the entire route is packed with amazing scenery and comfortable RV parks, ranging from primitive sites to lush locations with premium amenities.

7
New England

Image: Rodrigo Curi

New England is an excellent region for an RV road trip. Its balanced blend of forests, rocky seascapes, colonial history, and gorgeous seaside towns offer plenty of opportunities for adventure, sightseeing, relaxation, and more.

A possible route could start in upstate New York, heading east and north into the parks of upper New England, and then heading south along the coast after Acadia for some breathtaking ocean views.

8
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Image: lucas Favre

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park spans the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina, containing expansive forests and mountainous terrain . This southern wonder features hiking trails, including parts of the greater Appalachian Trail, and a vast array of plant and animal life to explore.

The area is a popular RV destination, and there is no shortage of camps along the way, offering rest and comfort for happy campers.

9
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Image: Vladimir Kudinov

The majestic state of Colorado is filled with breathtaking landscapes , and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is no exception. The Gunnison River sculpted this vertical terrain of rock over thousands of years , creating many picturesque paths for hikers of all skill levels to explore.

During the winter, the sloped hills become a great destination for cross-country skiers. After a long journey in the wilderness, visitors can return to their RV at the South Rim Campground, which welcomes thousands of guests each year.

10
Sedona

Image: Julian Ackroyd

Located where the Colorado Plateau drops down to Arizona’s deserts, Sedona is world-famous for its red rock formations and vibrant communities. RV campers can also visit the Grand Canyon , which is situated not too far to the north .

Sedona is filled with RV parks and campgrounds, and ample public lands in the area offer a multitude of primitive camping opportunities.

General General 6 min read

Fossil treasures

10 jaw-dropping dinosaurs discovered in America

Image: Fausto García-Menéndez

The territory of the United States is a real goldmine for paleontologists. Over the years, some of the most impressive and well-preserved dinosaur fossils in the world have been discovered in our country. From the likable Apatosaurus to the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex, the finds have provided a fascinating glimpse into prehistoric life. Read on to learn about the 10 most famous and influential American dinosaurs.

1
Anchisaurus

Image: Simon Infanger

Anchisaurus is one of the first dinosaurs discovered in American territory, although it was not correctly identified at the beginning. The first fossil of this herbivore was found in East Windsor, Connecticut , in 1818, but it was then believed to be part of a human skeleton. In subsequent years, other specimens of this species were uncovered in the area.

It measured 8 to 20 ft in length and lived 210 million years ago in the Portland Formation, Northeastern United States. In the late Triassic and early Jurassic periods, the Connecticut Valley was a dry, steep depression, and it was possible to pass from here to the east and the center of what is now Africa. This explains why some dinosaurs lived both in America and other continents.

2
Triceratops

Image: photo_steff

One of the most iconic dinosaurs found in America is the Triceratops, a herbivore that lived 70 to 65 million years ago, right at the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, in the Late Cretaceous. Its name derives from Greek and means "face with three horns". One of the largest horned dinosaurs**,** it stood around 7.5 ft tall and weighed about 5 rhinoceroses, the equivalent of 10 tons.

Fossils of this dinosaur have been found in abundance in the Hell Creek Formation in Montana and South Dakota. No fossils of this dinosaur have been found on any other continent. Triceratops has been the state dinosaur of Wyoming since March 1994.

3
Allosaurus

Image: WikiImages

Allosaurus was one of the largest carnivores of the Jurassic period and its remains in the United States have been found mainly in the Morrison Formation, which covers states such as Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. It lived 155 to 145 million years ago in North America, Africa, Australia, and possibly China. Also, did you know that the Allosaurus fragilis is the state fossil of Utah?

This bipedal dinosaur was an agile hunter with powerful jaws and sharp teeth. It was a theropod, not as huge as the largest carnivore, Tyrannosaurus rex, but just as fearsome. Allosaurus was bigger than an elephant and heavier than a rhino. Its name means "different lizard" due to its rare concave vertebrae.

4
Stegosaurus

Image: ariesa66

Another inhabitant of the Morrison Formation was the Stegosaurus, famous for its dorsal plates and spines on its tail, which it used for defense. Stegosaurus used to walk on all fours, grazing on low vegetation. Its head was perfectly adapted to this way of feeding. It was first described in 1877 by Yale paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh, and its name means "roof(ed) lizard".

This Jurassic herbivore has been discovered in several states in the western United States. Scientists have found many fossils, showing that it was a very common creature for 10 million years, despite its tiny brain, small head, and useless teeth. The discovery of the Stegosaurus has helped them better understand the anatomy and behavior of armored dinosaurs.

5
Tyrannosaurus rex

Image: Elly Enn

Is Tyrannosaurus rex the most famous dinosaur on the planet? Portrayed by pop culture to the hilt, this formidable predator is known for its gigantic size, razor-sharp teeth, and bipedal posture. However, its popularity has a logical explanation. T. rex is also one of the best-represented dinosaurs in the fossil record, with several complete specimens discovered, particularly in the states of Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Based on bones found in the late 19th century, paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn recreated the first drawing of this gigantic creature. He named it Tyrannosaurus rex, meaning "tyrant lizard king," because it is believed to have been the most dangerous dinosaur and the largest land carnivore of all time. Although it is estimated that up to 1.7 billion T. rex dinosaurs lived on Earth, only about 30 nearly complete skeletons have been found. Think about that!

6
Deinonychus

Image: Steve Wrzeszczynski

This small but ferocious theropod lived during the Cretaceous period about 115-108 million years ago. Deinonychus is known for its sickle-shaped claws on its feet, used for hunting. Its name, unsurprisingly, means "terrible claw". Like all bipeds, it moved only on its hind legs and is believed to have been able to run at 25 miles per hour: more than the average Olympic champion.

Deinonychus fossils were found in Utah, Oklahoma, Montana, and Wyoming, in rocks of the Cloverly Formation and Antlers Formation. The study of this species, beginning in the 1960s, revolutionized the way scientists thought about dinosaurs, providing fascinating new insight into smaller predators.

7
Ankylosaurus

Image: mdherren

Ankylosaurus is one of the best-known armored dinosaurs, which lived at the end of the Cretaceous period. It had bony protrusions on its head and all over its body as protection against the teeth and claws of predators. The armor was made up of small plates of bone welded together, constituting a shell as effective as that of turtles.

This gigantic herbivore roamed the jungles of North America about 68-66 million years ago, almost as well protected as a modern tank. The first specimen of Ankylosaurus was found in 1906 in the Hell Creek Formation, near Gilbert Creek, Montana. Other fossils of this species were discovered in other parts of Montana and Alberta, Canada, in the following years. However, to this day, it has not been possible to obtain a complete skeleton.

8
Hadrosaurus

Image: Jordyn St. John

The first Hadrosaurus fossils were discovered by William Parker Folke, an amateur paleontologist, in 1838 in Haddonfield, New Jersey. The excavation site, known as the Hadrosaurus foulkii Leidy site, is now a National Historic Landmark. Hadrosaurids are known for their duck-billed mouth, with a powerful jaw containing several rows of teeth for chewing all kinds of leaves.

In 2004, scientists found a mummified Hadrosaurus specimen in North Dakota. This fossil is extremely unusual and valuable, as dinosaur soft tissue including skin and muscle is rare. This find allows us to learn more about this species and how they lived 67 million years ago.

9
Diplodocus

Image: michaelwedermann

Diplodocus means "double beam" and is so named because of the double bones in its tail. This was one of the longest animals on earth. It was about 79-85 ft long, 15 ft high, and weighed 15 tons. It could reach the tops of towering trees for food, and its small head allowed it to forage in vegetation where few other dinosaurs could reach.

Although some Diplodocus fossils were discovered earlier near Cañon City, Colorado, the most notable find came a few years later. In 1899, Funded by Scottish-American steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie, members of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History found a well-preserved Diplodocus skeleton in the Morrison Formation of Sheep Creek, Wyoming. With these fossils, the museum created a composite mount that became very popular and even got to tour the world.

10
Apatosaurus

Image: Cup of Couple

Apatosaurus is one of the best-known sauropods that inhabited North America during the Jurassic period. These herbivorous giants, with their long necks and tails, have also been discovered in the Morrison Formation, mainly in Colorado and Utah. It is believed to have lived 150 million years ago, at the end of the Jurassic period.

Apatosaurus could reach 69-75 ft in length, 20 tons in weight, and was one of the largest sauropods. It had a long neck containing 15 huge bones supported by powerful muscles that allowed it to feed on the leaves of the tallest trees. Perhaps this dinosaur sounds familiar. It has been the inspiration for numerous beloved animated characters: Littlefoot from The Land Before Time and Arlo and Poppa Henry from Pixar's The Good Dinosaur are Apatosauruses.

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