In the high desert of southwestern Colorado, a civilisation carved its legacy into the cliffs. Mesa Verda is home to more than 4,800 archaeological sites, including 600 awe-inspiring cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloans, who lived here for more than 700 years. Some of the most iconic structures in the American Southwest are found here including the sprawling Cliff Palace, the ceremonial Sun Temple and the mysterious Oak Tree House. But it’s not just ancient ruins that are conserved. You’ll find sweeping vistas, rugged mesas and 30 miles of hiking trails, protected in collaboration with 27 Native American tribes, all under some of the clearest blue skies in the country. 

Getting to Isle Royale isn’t easy – and that’s exactly the point. Remote and rugged, the isolated island in Lake Superior is only accessible by ferry or seaplane. Once you’re there, time slows. Moose roam the forests, loons cry over glassy waters and you’ll feel you’ve stepped into a Tolkien novel. Comprising of the main island, 400 smaller islands and the pristine waters of the largest freshwater lake in the world, it is a sanctuary for backpackers, paddlers, divers, photographers and solitude-seekers alike.

Located in the rugged Badlands of western North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a tribute to the President whose love for this land helped spark America’s conservation legacy. Here, wide-open spaces meet wild beauty – herds of bison graze across golden prairies, prairie dogs pop in and out of sunbaked burrows and bands of wild horses roam free across dramatic ridgelines. For panoramic views that stop you in your tracks, head to River Bend Overlook, where layered buttes and the winding Little Missouri River stretch toward the horizon.  

Once home to Ice Age lakes and megafauna, White Sands is a surreal dreamscape of shimmering dunes in the Tularosa Basin. Unlike regular sand, the dunes here are composed of fine, snow-white gypsum crystals that sparkle under the sun. Sled down powdery dunes, picnic under impossibly blue skies or join a ranger-led walk to uncover ancient stories written in sand. The park is home to one of the most significant fossil discoveries in North America: human footprints dating back over 20,000 years, now commemorated in a fascinating new exhibit at the visitor centre. 

Just three hours from Seattle lies one of the most dramatic landscapes in the U.S; North Cascades National Park is a place of staggering peaks, turquoise glacial lakes and alpine meadows where wildflowers bloom beneath craggy summits. There’s no entrance fee, few crowds and more than 300 glaciers. Hikers can choose from a gentle forest stroll or a challenging multi-day summit adventure – and don’t miss Diablo Lake, an ethereal body of water with vivid teal hues. 

If you’re tempted by New Mexico’s White Sands, Bishop’s Lodge SantaFe is a unique getaway in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range. If you are in Michigan, and remote island adventure is more your ticket, reach Isle Royale while basing yourself at The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Michigan Avenue Chicago. Book these hotels and more through ASMALLWORLD Collection.