As a travel writer, I love exploring lesser-known destinations in the United States.
Grand Junction, Colorado, is home to “Nature’s Trifecta,” which are doppelgängers for national parks.
Cities like Spokane, Washington, and Greenville, South Carolina have stunning waterfalls.
When it comes to travel in the United States, most people tend to open their wallets in the exact same places.
Major cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago all get lots of love from tourists. But places like these tend to be overcrowded and overpriced.
As a travel writer, it’s my job to find emerging destinations. Even so, I find myself gravitating towards lesser-known places organically for my own sanity. These neighborhoods typically have smaller crowds, lower prices, and richer outdoor experiences.
Here are a few spots in the US eclipsed by bigger, shinier neighbors that have just as much to offer with fewer crowds (and, you know, maybe even free parking).
Try Grand Junction, Colorado, instead of Denver.
Colorado National Monument offers views similar to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon. Jacqueline Kehoe
The clock is ticking on Grand Junction — at some point, tourists will realize just how easy it is to get to this city, which is about four hours from Denver.
Grand Junction is home to three backyard attractions, dubbed “Nature’s Trifecta,” which are doppelgängers for national parks.
Colorado National Monument offers views akin to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Mesa is a 500-square-mile lake-filled playground, and Rattlesnake Arches features the second-highest concentration of natural arches in the world after Arches National Park.
On recent hikes to all three places, I only came across about a dozen people in total.
Toss in the city’s art-forward, walkable downtown — about 30 minutes from Colorado National Monument — and delicious spots like Bin 707 Foodbar and Cafe Sol, and this one feels like a no-brainer.
If you’ve been to Seattle, try Spokane instead.
Spokane is home to the largest urban waterfall in the country. Jacqueline Kehoe
The recent $64 million redesign of Spokane’s Riverfront Park freed the city’s obvious natural beauty. The largest urban waterfall in the country runs right through downtown Spokane and is now the fresh centerpiece of a city worth exploring.
From Riverfront Park, where you can float over Spokane Falls via the Numerica SkyRide, you can hop on the Centennial Trail all the way to Idaho.
You can also hit up a surprising number of tasting rooms and cocktail joints, scout out the city’s Art Deco architecture, and never once think about needing that rental car.
Stay in The Historic Davenport Hotel, known as the most modern hotel in the country when it opened in 1914. If nothing else, nab an espresso in the Grand Lobby or a martini under the 5,000-piece stained-glass ceiling.
In Tennessee, visit Townsend instead of Gatlinburg.
The Townsend entrance to the park will get you to Cades Cove the quickest. Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock
Most visitors exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the US, use glittery, kitschy Gatlinburg as their home base.
If you’re not looking for wax figurines and moonshine coasters to fill your park days, cozy up instead in Townsend, Tennessee.
Known as the “peaceful side of the smokies,” Townsend is one of the three main entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Even though it’s the sleepy side, it’ll get you to Cades Cove, one of the most popular destinations in the park, the quickest.
You can then move on to spots like Laurel Falls, the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, or the Foothills Parkway.
Explore Pinedale, Wyoming, instead of Jackson Hole.
The Log Cabin Motel is a charming place to stay in Pinedale. Jacqueline Kehoe
The fact that celebrities spend time in Jackson Hole says a lot about this pricey Wyoming spot just outside Grand Teton National Park.
If you’re anything like me — preferring fewer Moncler jackets and zero $35 hamburgers on your national park trip — make your base Pinedale, about 90 minutes south of Jackson Hole.
You can still make the scenic drive into Grand Teton, but you may find you’d rather journey into the overlooked Wind River Range, which is just as spectacular.
Spots like The Log Cabin Motel and Pine Coffee & Supply will make you feel like you’ve overheard a little Wyoming secret.
Next time you’re in the Midwest, explore Milwaukee instead of Chicago.
A trip to Brew City isn’t complete without a trip to a brewery or tavern. Jacqueline Kehoe
The Great Lakes region doesn’t get enough credit as a travel destination.
There’s no better example of this than Milwaukee, a city that’s somehow fused a statue of the Fonz and pints of lager with old-world European splendor. There’s nowhere quite like it.
For starters, world-class art and architecture fill the city. City Hall is about the closest thing America has to London’s Big Ben, and the Milwaukee Art Museum has “wings” that open and close like a ship setting sail onto Lake Michigan.
And when attending afternoon tea at The Pfister? It’s practically time to don your pearls and practice your curtsy.
If it’s not haute vibes you’re after, just ignore them. After all, this is still Brew City, where 150-year-old taverns slosh pints across wooden tables with god-fearing devotion.
Instead of Atlanta, Georgia, try Greenville, South Carolina.
One of the highlights of Greenville is the waterfall at Falls Park on the Reedy. Jacqueline Kehoe
Greenville’s stunning waterfall at Falls Park on the Reedy practically sends up a mist through downtown, where 100+ shops and restaurants will make you wonder how roughly 72,000 residents get this all to themselves.
Once you’re here, a free trolley runs through downtown, as do wide, tree-lined sidewalks, making that biscuit and BBQ quest almost too easy.
My advice? Simply get yourself on Main Street and start following the public art, the gathering people, or your nose.
