Island Trail is tough but offers a chance to crawl through ancient dwellings. See them from afar on easier Rim Trail. – Green Guide Editor
A 45 minute hike on the trail to the right of the parking lot blazed with round white markers yields a sweeping view. – Green Guide Editor
Drive along Spearfish Canyon to see evergreens as well as aspen and birch whose colors blaze in fall. – Green Guide Editor
Touring Skyline Drive, do not skip a stop at Luray Caverns to see shimmering stalactites reflected in Mirror Lake. – Green Guide Editor
Take the magnificent Kancamagus Highway to pass through breathtaking notches such as Pinkham, Crawford and Franconia. – Green Guide Editor
Head to Clingmans Dome for sunset views. On a clear day you’ll see the Carolinas, GA, and TN. – Green Guide Editor
Walk the mutianyu section to appreciate views over a forest that’s lush in summer and drenched in color in fall. – Green Guide Editor
Stop at medieval Cartmel Priory and Elizabethan Levens Hall, whose Topiary Gardens preserve the 1690 layout. – Green Guide Editor
Notice many Wagner references: a false cave and winter garden evoke the legend of Tannhäuser, the great hall Lohengrin. – Green Guide Editor
The Japanese maples by the five-story pagoda are postcard perfect in fall, when their delicate leaves turn flaming red. – Green Guide Editor
