America is home to an amazing number of destinations if you’re looking for an adventure, from glaciers to deserts and forests to mountains.
But which states offer the most for adrenaline seekers?
A new study by has ranked each state on the number of available activities in ten categories, from rock climbing to surfing, skiing to skydiving, to reveal the 2021 Adventure Index.
The top 10 adventure destinations in 2021
| Rank | State | Rock Climbing Routes | Hiking Trails | Mountain Biking Trails | Kayaking Spots | Ski Resorts | Zip Lines | Surfing Spots | Caving Grottos | Skydiving Drop Zones | Hang Gliding Location | Overall Score |
| 1 | California | 34,080 | 10,386 | 984 | 247 | 35 | 15 | 103 | 11 | 22 | 30 | 90.42 |
| 2 | Colorado | 29,006 | 4,121 | 1,323 | 162 | 32 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 55.92 |
| 3 | New York | 4,738 | 3,050 | 283 | 215 | 50 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 48.42 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 2,884 | 2,218 | 294 | 223 | 25 | 17 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 44.37 |
| 5 | Virginia | 5,048 | 1,624 | 286 | 248 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 42.35 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 3,019 | 2,041 | 534 | 192 | 6 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 40.91 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 4,290 | 766 | 382 | 234 | 36 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 40.75 |
| 8 | Michigan | 956 | 1,124 | 298 | 244 | 44 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 40.57 |
| 9 | Florida | 26 | 1,609 | 282 | 208 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 9 | 39.90 |
| 10 | Texas | 3,218 | 1,656 | 274 | 248 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 39.65 |
California
Coming out on top by some distance was the Golden State, California, which boasts over 45,000 adventure activities across ten different categories, having more options for the likes of rock climbing, surfing, hiking, skydiving, and hang gliding and than any other state.
The sheer variety of the Californian landscape makes it perfect for all manner of adventuring, whether it’s surfing off the Pacific Coast, hiking in the Sierra Mountains or mountain biking through the Redwoods.
Colorado
Colorado is known around the world for its skiing, with 32 ski resorts located in the state, including some of the world’s very best, such as Vail, Aspen Snowmass and Telluride.
But if skiing isn’t your thing, there’s still plenty to enjoy in the outdoors in Colorado, which has more mountain biking tracks than any other state in our research. The state is also home to the Rocky Mountains, which are a paradise for hikers and climbers.
New York
New York State was actually home to more ski resorts than world-renowned destinations than any other state and also scored highly on the number of kayaking destinations, whether that be in beautiful upstate NY, or even in the rivers surrounding Manhattan, with the iconic skyline as the backdrop.
