Summer mountain getaways are worth a ‘peak’
For many, nothing says summer like a beach vacation.
But others prefer to spend the season at elevation — especially with record high temperatures in the forecast.
If you balk at that notion, consider this itinerary: awakening to humidity-free mountain vistas, hiking and biking through a wildlife-rich wilderness and tucking into a locally sourced lunch.
Here are four U.S. destinations renowned for their hiking, biking, dining and bounty of mountain charm.
Park City, Utah
Once the snow melts, America’s largest ski resort shape-shifts, revealing a playground of a different sort. With 400 miles of trails, hikers can amble through mellow verdant valleys or choose from dozens of thigh-burning treks. The quality of its biking systems — panoramic loops and technically challenging downhill trails — have earned Park City the designation of Gold-Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association.
Navigating new terrain can be overwhelming. White Pine Touring will design biking and hiking excursions as well as bouldering outings that can include an overnight stay at a solar-powered yurt. Park City Yoga Adventures combines the practice with hiking and a stand-up paddleboard experience inside a 10,000-yearold geothermal cave filled with 96-degree mineral water.
Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Come summer, Jackson Hole’s famously steep terrain still delivers an adrenaline jolt. This verticality is heaven for daredevil bikers — think downhill trails with jump features and rough forest paths for cross-country. Road bikers can cruise the 65-mile paved system connecting the town of Jackson to Teton Village and Grand Teton National Park. Hikers have 3,000plus acres at their disposal (which are in-town accessible) from relaxed wildflower-blanketed fields to switchback-filled terrain, some with alpine glacial lakes. You can also explore Grand Teton National Park, which shares a boundary with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
There’s more: Wake surfing and swimming on Lake Jackson, Class 4 white-water rafting down the Snake River (there are overnight raft trips, too) and fly-fishing. New this year is a guided rockclimbing experience (fixed to a rope so no risk of falling) inspired by bouldering in Italy’s Dolomites.
Asheville, N.C.
River Arts District. Craft breweries. Small-batch food purveyors. There is so much happening in this spirited town that taking advantage of its surroundings, the Blue Ridge Mountains, can seem an afterthought. But that would be a shame. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway leads to trailheads for every level of hiker. Wander through grassy meadows and over rocky outcrop to waterfalls, ascend through a forest of balsam firs to the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi or tackle a section of the Appalachian Trail.
The River Arts District is the clearest expression of Asheville’s creative soul. Its signature is exposed brick warehouses-turned art studios a la the Asheville Cotton Mill, a hub for working artists, fashion designers, a fledgling cider brewer and a ground-level Guitar Bar specializing in swing and jazz standards.
Woodstock, N.Y.
Woodstock is the bohemian beating heart of Hudson Valley. Have breakfast at the Mud Club, a treehouse-like bagel shop with inventive schmear, and stroll down Tinker Street to check out the Golden Notebook bookshop, vintage stemware at Shop Little House and Three Turtle Doves for well-edited vintage fashion.
In midafternoon, ice cream at Nancy’s of Woodstock Artisinal Creamery is an ideal pick-me-up.
There are wonderful hikes here, too, such as the 2.4-mile trek up Overlook Mountain to the colorful Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, a Tibetan monastery.