The Dakotas often get overlooked as a tourist destination, and that’s exactly why they’re so wonderful. The dramatic rock formations of Badlands National Park might draw you in, but it’s what’s down below that’s truly captivating. The park has one of the world’s richest fossil beds — think ancient horses and rhinos — and is the modern-day home of bison and bighorn sheep. You can get a feel for the park by driving the Badlands Loop Road, before circling back to take on one of the park’s many hikes.

If you like beer and bikes, make your way to Asheville, a super-hip Southern mountain town that proudly houses the second highest number of breweries per capita (beat only by Portland, Maine). The city is found off the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile scenic stretch popular with bikers. Do some biking; drink some beers (in that order).

You’ll find this unique sandstone formation, that looks like a red-rock wave, in Coyote Buttes North within northern Arizona’s Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. It’s the sort of place you have to see at least once in your lifetime, and you’ll need to plan ahead to make it happen — half the daily permits are issued online four months in advance, while the other half are available through an in-person lottery.

Check out: 17 Ridonkulously Beautiful Places In Arizona You’ve Gotta See To Believe

Crater Lake, which was formed when a peak collapsed following a volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago, is the deepest lake in the US. The enormous body of water remains in a dormant volcano and reaches depths of 1,943 feet. Fed solely by rain and snow, it’s so pristine some scientists have even called it “the cleanest and clearest large body of water in the world.”

Entering the Everglades is like entering another world — a world where bobcats forage in mangroves, endangered leatherback turtles nest on sandy beaches, and manatees and alligators glide through the waters. Animals aside, you can leave your car (and hiking boots) behind for a multi-day canoe or kayak adventure that takes you deep into cypress groves and mangrove forests on an established canoe and kayak trail.

Places like Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness make you realize just how big the US is — and how much there is to explore. The 1 million-acre wilderness area includes plenty of multi-day canoe routes, as well as tons of terrain not found on the trail map.

If otherworldly and desolate is your cup of tea, take Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway and get as close as you can to Area 51, a highly classified Air Force facility that was speculated to be a base for top-secret spacecraft activity and government cover ups for many years (the US government finally confirmed its existence in 2013). You won’t be able to actually visit the heavily guarded Area 51, but you can visit the region’s Native American petroglyphs (which some say are ~otherworldly~) and drop by the Alien Research Center for their take on events and a great alien-themed gift shop.

There are only a handful of active volcanoes on mainland US, and one of the most stunning is Mount Rainier. The glaciated 14,410-foot peak is surrounded by thick forests, meadows of wildflowers, and high-alpine lakes — but it’s also expected to erupt. It’s the sort of place you might want to see sooner rather than later.