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Lesser-known public lands and waters offer off-the-beaten-path recreation

For adventurous travelers and residents alike, America’s lesser-known public lands and waters are off-the-beaten-path places for invigorating outdoor recreation. National wildlife refuges, national forests, national marine sanctuaries and national conservation lands typically are uncrowded, reflective spaces. From the Caribbean to Alaska and from Maine to the Pacific, they are ideal places for paddling, diving, fishing, hunting, birdwatching, wildlife photography or just strolling in the great outdoors. Below are some wonderful options:

Plan a Visit to a National Wildlife Refuge
managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Three brown pelicans have plump brown bodies, long curved white necks, and long straight yellow bills along the Oregon Coast. — Brown pelicans at Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon.

managed by the U.S. Forest Service/USDA

A stream bisects a field of light pink flowers bordered by forest under a cloudy but sunlight sky — Otter Creek Wilderness within , West Virginia.

managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

A paddle boarder on an aqua blue body of water with forested land in the distance — , Michigan.

managed by the Bureau of Land Management

A river flowing through a canyon cutting through a snowy flat plain with snow-covered mountains in the distance — , a national conservation land in New Mexico.

Go to to explore public lands further and make select reservations

Story Tags

Birdwatching

Ecotourism

Fishing

Hiking

Hunting

Landscape photography

Photography

Recreation

Scuba diving

Tourism

Wildlife refuges

Wildlife viewing

Recreational Activities

Cultural heritage