// Midwest · 8–12 days
Great Lakes Wilderness
Sea caves, sand dunes, painted cliffs, and the wolf-and-moose island of Lake Superior.
/ the route
Stop 01Isle RoyaleMichigan · 4 days · best mid-june–augustWolf-and-moose wilderness island in Lake Superior — only reachable by boat or float plane.
Greenstone Ridge TrailRock HarborScoville Point
Stop 02Pictured RocksMichigan · 2 days · best june–octoberMineral-streaked sandstone cliffs and emerald coves on Lake Superior's southern shore.
Chapel RockMiners CastleMosquito Falls
Stop 03Apostle IslandsWisconsin · 2 days · best june–september & winter (ice caves)Twenty-one Lake Superior islands with sea caves and historic lighthouses.
Sea caves at Devils IslandStockton IslandRaspberry Lighthouse
Stop 04VoyageursMinnesota · 3 days · best june–september & winter (auroras)Interconnected lakes paddled by 18th-century fur traders — and one of the lower-48's best aurora spots.
Kabetogama LakeEllsworth Rock GardensNorthern lights
Stop 05Boundary Waters Canoe AreaMinnesota · 4 days · best june–septemberA million acres of lakes-and-portage canoe country on the Canadian border.
Lake SaganagaGranite RiverMagnetic Rock
Stop 06Sleeping Bear DunesMichigan · 2 days · best june–septemberMassive perched dunes plunge 450 feet to Lake Michigan along Michigan's northwest coast.
Dune ClimbPierce Stocking Scenic DriveEmpire Bluff Trail
Stop 07Indiana DunesIndiana · 1 day · best summer & fallFifteen miles of Lake Michigan beach back into singing dunes and oak savannas.
Mt. BaldyThree Dune ChallengeWest Beach
Make it yours
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/ more itineraries
- Alaska Wild Five10–14 days · 5 parks
Brown bears, tidewater glaciers, and the tallest peak in North America.
- Amalfi & Southern Italy8–12 days · 3 parks
Cliff-clinging Amalfi villages and the Dolomite spires of the north.
- Andes & Amazon12–16 days · 3 parks
Machu Picchu sunrise, Huayhuash glacier ridges, and Tambopata jungle nights.
- Appalachian Arches & Gorges6–9 days · 3 parks
Skyline Drive, New River Gorge whitewater, and Red River sandstone arches.