USA TODAY International Edition
Antarctica to arches, go to extremes while camping
Tip:
ANTARCTICA – I bundle up next to my sister in my heavy-duty sleeping bag around 11 p.m. The sun has just set and the snowy peaks are bathed in a pale pink hue, making everything look even more like a fairytale wonderland.
Gentle waves wash over pebbles on shore. A fast-flying petrel squawks as it passes by. And a curious seal pops its head out of the water, eyeballing us.
It’s mid-November, summertime in Antarctica, and the weather is a mild 37 degrees Fahrenheit. This time of year there are nearly 24 hours of daylight. So I’m not counting on getting a lot of sleep. But the show is spectacular.
So, how did I make my way to one of the world’s most remote campsites? Pretty easily: our expedition vessel, the Ocean Endeavor, dropped us off for the night. Through Quark Expeditions’ camping program, intrepid passengers can experience a night of snoozing under the brilliant Antarctic sky.
Our snow-covered spot by the shore is almost completely devoid of manmade noise even though there are dozens of campers nearby.
“I think most sign up for the bragging rights,” says Jimmy MacDonald, a guide with Quark Expeditions. “To be able to say that I’ve spent the night in Antarctica is pretty cool.”
Here, it’s not uncommon to wake up to penguins staring you down or to the noise of whales feeding. “I remember waking up Christmas day, and there were penguins scattered in between almost every bivy sack,” says MacDonald. “We’ve had Weddell seals within 15 meters (about 50 feet) of people sleeping.” Inside my bivy sack, it’s toasty. Nothing wakes me until around midnight, when I hear what’s known as “Antarctic thunder.” With a kaboom not unlike fireworks, there is snow rushing down the mountain behind us. Thankfully there is a ridge separating us.
Here are other equally epic spots.
Camp by the glow of a volcano Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
There’s nothing like spending the night inside a national park, especially when that park is home to an active volcano, Kı lauea. Andyou can stay about a half mile away at Na makanipaio Campground.
Volcano House, the only lodging within the park, offers three ways to camp: a camper cabin that sleeps four, a tent with a mattress or a campsite lot where you can bring you own tent.
“The lava lake within Halema’uma’u Crater is currently the largest lava lake on earth,” says Jessica Ferracane, public affairs specialist at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. “It’s about 10 acres in size. So the reflective glow it casts into the night sky is quite dramatic.”
Tip: “The park is open 24 hours a day,” says Ferracane. “If you come before sunrise or after 9 p.m., you can practically get the volcano to yourself.”
Snooze on the side of a cliff Estes Park, Colo.
Sign up to spend the night sleeping under the stars on a portaledge, a nylon cot no bigger than the size of two sleeping bags. You hike up to base camp, then up to Deville III, a perch with views of Rocky Mountain National Park. Once there, you rappel down to the portaledge where you have dinner and fall asleep. After breakfast, you rappel down.
Tip: Bring extra layers.
View northern lights from a hut Kilpisjärvi, Finland
Kilpisjärvi, a remote Finnish village, is known for its beautiful Arctic tundra. This makes it the perfect spot to gaze up at the northern lights. The new Aurora Wilderness Camp has two mobile, twoperson, glass-roofed huts placed in a prime location. Amenities include a gas stove, bed, table, heater, dry toilet, snowshoes and kick sleds.
Add a snowmobile excursion to the border where Norway, Finland and Sweden meet.
Sleep beneath an arch Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah
Coyote Gulch is home to two arches, a natural bridge and several waterfalls. The Jacob Hamblin Arch is the show stopper. At 150 feet wide and 100 feet tall, it’s a monument inside the canyon.
“You can either rappel directly down to it ... or you can take one of three other methods to hike in,” says Kristin Addis, creator of bemytravelmuse.com. “Since it’s not as well-known as so many other more popular trails in Utah, you can get a nice little area to yourself directly under the arch.”
Tip: Most hikers turn a visit to the Jacob Hamblin Arch into a multi-day backpacking trip. Apply for an overnight permit through the National Park Service.