Having spent the last couple of years indoors in our homes and unable to travel, many of us are craving the excitement and wanderlust that comes with travelling to a new destination. If you’re not one to lie on a beach doing nothing all day, there are many different ways for the more adventurous traveller to try something new. Whether you prefer to take to the water for a spot of surfing or kayaking, or you’d rather be up in the sky, trying a spot of skydiving, there is a whole range of activities to do on holiday for those looking for an adrenaline fix while on their travels.
New research by Superdry has revealed the countries around the world which are best for adventure travel, as well as the states across the US which provide adrenaline-seeking travellers with the most things to do.
The research analysed each of the US states, and 99 countries against a number of different factors including hiking, camping, surfing, rock climbing, kayaking and the number of national parks in each destination. An ‘Outdoor Adventure’ score was then formulated to reveal the best destinations for those looking for an activity-filled break.
The top 25 US states for adventure travel
In the US, Maryland ranks as the best state for an outdoor adventure, scoring 40.6 out of a possible 50 points. The state scored particularly highly for its national parks with one park every 689 square miles, with only Massachusetts having more. Overall Massachusetts places second with 39.6 points out of 50 as, with the exception of skydiving, the state also scores highly across all other outdoor adventure factors.
The tropical paradise of Hawaii, which is renowned for its adventurous and outdoorsy lifestyle ranks fourth, with California completing the top five states with a score of 37.7 out of 50.
| Rank | State | Outdoor Adventure Score (/50) |
| 1 | Maryland | 40.6 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 39.6 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 39.4 |
| 4 | Hawaii | 38.1 |
| 5 | California | 37.7 |
| 6 | Virginia | 37.0 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 36.4 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 35.7 |
| 9 | Washington | 35.1 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 34.1 |
| 11 | Colorado | 34.0 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 33.6 |
| 13 | Delaware | 33.3 |
| 14 | Connecticut | 33.3 |
| 15 | Utah | 32.6 |
| 16 | Florida | 32.3 |
| 17 | Arizona | 31.4 |
| 18 | Georgia | 30.9 |
| 19 | Tennessee | 30.1 |
| 20 | New York | 30.1 |
| 21 | Ohio | 28.7 |
| 22 | Maine | 28.7 |
| 23 | Vermont | 27.7 |
| 24 | South Carolina | 27.6 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 26.9 |
The surfing, skydiving and hiking hotspots of the US
While some travellers may be up for taking part in all types of activities while on their adventures, some may have a preferred activity or sport of choice, which leads them to explore certain countries over others.
Best state for hiking – Connecticut with one hike every 3 square miles
Best state for camping – Colorado with 5,289 camping hashtags on Instagram
Best state for visiting national parks – Massachusetts with one national park every every 660 square miles
Best state for rock climbing – Utah with one rock climbing route every one square mile
Best state for surfing – Hawaii with one surfing activity every 182 square miles
Best state for kayaking – Delaware with one kayaking activity every 26 square miles
Best state for skydiving – Florida with 52 total skydiving activities in the state
The world’s adventure travel hotspots
European country Croatia topped the list as the world’s capital for adventure travel. Scoring 81.4 out of 100 overall, Croatia boasts beautiful coastlines and a number of national parks, as well as several opportunities to get involved in kayaking, rock climbing and hiking.
Israel, Hong Kong, the UK and Singapore followed to make up the top five adventure travel capitals, each with overall scores over 77 out of 100. Scoring highly for skydiving opportunities, as well as having several camping sites dotted around the country, the UK provides travellers with a multitude of adventurous activities to get stuck into.
Europe dominates the top 20 most adventurous destinations, with 15 of the top 20 being located in the continent. Outside of Europe, several Asian countries made the top 20 rankings too, including Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand. The US ranks in 33rd position, with a score of 59.9 out of 100.
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