North American Destinations to add to your Summer 2024 travel ideas list
Summer 2024 is upon us and if you don’t already have travel plans, you may be thinking about where you would like to go. Here are a few North American destinations that would be perfect to add to your summer 2024 travel ideas list.
If you want more ideas, you can visit my Spring 2024 Travel Ideas post!
Table of Contents
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Situated roughly 1.5 hours to the west of Calgary, Banff National Park lies within the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Home to endless trails, breathtaking glacial lakes, rock climbing, mountain biking, fly fishing, and more, Banff National Park is a popular summer destination for good reason.
One of my favorite places in Banff National Park is Lake Louise. During the summers, Lake Louise boasts its iconic glacial turquoise color. The color of Lake Louise in the summertime is truly as magnificent in person as it is in the photos online. I didn’t believe it until I saw for myself.
Around Lake Louise there are many hiking trails. You can choose an easier walk at the lake level, or you can hike up into the mountains. I hiked the little beehive trail and was able to enjoy the mountain views as well as views of Lake Louise throughout the hike.
Additionally, you can rent kayaks, canoes, and stand up paddle boards and enjoy the lake and mountains from the water. There is also rock climbing at the back of the lake from the vantage point in the below photo.
As shown in the first photo, Moraine Lake is another glacial lake located within Banff National Park. Its summertime color is deeper blue green color as compared to Lake Louise.
I was able to enjoy Moraine Lake super early in the morning thanks to not yet having adjusted to west coast time. Of note, since January 2023, you must arrange a shuttle to Moraine Lake as traffic had become so heavy that it was a bit problematic and unsafe.
Even as Banff National Park continues to grow in popularity, I still recommend adding it your summer 2024 travel ideas list. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
Squamish is a small town with approximately 24,000 residents located in British Columbia. A short, one hour drive from Vancouver, Squamish can be added to your summer 2024 travel ideas list as a day trip or an overnight trip from the city, or as a destination in itself.
Squamish is surrounded by magical, lush green forests, incredible trails, and world class rock climbing and mountain biking. I have joked since my visit that I was convinced fairies were going to start flying out of the vibrant mossy green woods. Well, either flying fairies or a strutting mountain lion, but I saw neither.
If you travel to Squamish by plane and are not able to bring your outdoor adventure gear, you have options to rent gear and/or hire a guide in town.
If you mountain bike, or you just want to try out the mountain biking trails, Squamish has several businesses offering rental bikes and gear.
Similarly, if you want to sample its world class rock climbing, there are guide services available as well. I climbed routes and also bouldered one day.
Otherwise, if it’s simply enjoying the beautiful trails and serene surroundings, you will find there are more trails than there is time available to discover them. I enjoyed going for a run on the four lakes trail in Alice Lake Provincial Park on a drizzly day. From Alice Lake, I drove another 40 minutes north to enjoy a coffee, snack, and walk around Whistler.
When I went to Squamish over the summer, I enjoyed hiking, running, rock climbing, and sampling the local restaurants. The number of delicious restaurants is disproportionate to the town’s size. If you love good food, you will not be disappointed.
There are other activities for the adventure seekers such as kiteboarding, wind surfing, and river rafting.
When you are ready to rest and relax after your adventures, you can grab your beverage of choice and enjoy the beautiful views of the Howe Sound and the granite laden mountains.
If you have never been Squamish, I highly recommend adding it to your summer 2024 travel ideas list.
Yosemite National Park, California, U.S.A.
Yosemite National Park belongs on everyone’s bucket list in my opinion, so why not add it to your summer 2024 travel ideas list? Yosemite was another location that I just had to see in person to truly appreciate it, just like Lake Louise’s summertime glacial turquoise water.
If Yosemite makes your summer 2024 travel ideas list, you may want to arrange your trip sooner than later, however, as you must have a reservation to enter the park in 2024. As of the time of this writing, reservations remain available throughout July and most of August. So, be sure to secure your reservation into the park soon.
Many people associate Yosemite’s rock climbing now with Alex Honnold and his unimaginable feat of climbing El Capitan without any protective equipment. Even standing at the base of El Cap and watching the climbers who do have equipment is somewhat mind boggling to me. El Cap is incredibly exposed. And rather tall.
Beyond El Cap, of course, there is endless rock climbing. There are also hiking trails galore. The National Park Service indicates there are 750 miles (1207 kilometers) of trails within the Yosemite wilderness. The range in difficulty is significant as there are many very strenuous trails within Yosemite National Park. However, there are more easily accessible trails as well.
If accessibility is a consideration, the drive into and around the Yosemite Valley is beautiful in and of itself. AllTrails provides their recommendations for the best wheelchair accessible trails, This information can also be helpful for parents with small children and adults with mobility restrictions. You can find more information on accessibility in Yosemite National Park here.
Beyond hiking, rock climbing, and taking in the indescribably beautiful surroundings, you can also opt to raft or swim in the Merced river, or simply relax along its shore. There are also guided tours, horseback riding, wildlife watching, and biking along the paved roads.
Lastly, you can leave Yosemite Valley and travel up to Tuolumne Meadows which are high elevation meadows sitting at 8600 feet (2621 meters). On the way, stop for a picnic, and swim if you’re brave enough, at Tenaya Lake. When I visited in early July, the lupines were in full bloom and served as a spectacular addition to my Lake Tenaya photos.
Conclusion
I hope these travel locations inspire you to create your summer 2024 travel ideas list and even secure your summer 2024 vacation plans. While these locations will be especially appealing to nature lovers, the beauty is so breathtaking I would encourage everyone to visit them.
If you prefer to not spend all of your time in one of the state or national parks listed above, you can spend part of your time in a nearby city and part of your time exploring the parks.
Exploring Calgary, Banff, and Canmore can be added to your Banff National Park itinerary. Vancouver can be added to your Squamish itinerary. And, San Francisco can be added to your Yosemite National Park visit.
I was fortunate to incorporate spending a little time in Calgary, Banff, Vancouver, and San Francisco while exploring the aforementioned state and national parks.
Admittedly, I was a bit obsessed with the Golden Gate Bridge before AND after going to Yosemite.
Where will you travel this summer?
What locations are on your summer 2024 travel list? I would love to know!
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