Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How to Season a Cast-Iron Skillet

      How to Season a Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with one of these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. The South's Best 2022
  3. The South's Best Outdoor Adventures 2021

The South's Best Outdoor Adventures 2021

Caroline Rogers, Travel and Culture Editor at Southern Living
By Caroline Rogers March 09, 2021
Skip gallery slides
FB
El Capitan Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Credit: Tim Fitzharris/Getty Images

Ready for an outdoor adventure? The South has plenty, and they're just waiting for you to dive in, suit up, climb aboard, and have a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the great outdoors. Our favorite open-air adventures will take you up the highest peaks in Texas, into bioluminescent lagoons off the coast of Florida, past wetlands wildlife in the Everglades, and through freshly fallen snow in North Carolina. How will you get there? On foot, airboat, kayak, snowshoe, and horseback, for starters. Did we mention scuba-diving among the shipwrecks off the Florida Panhandle? We're just getting started.

Read on and learn more about the South's greatest outdoor adventures, then grab your sunblock, book your glampsite, and start making your plans today. You're invited to make some new memories across the South's most thrilling landscapes.

(Some programs may be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Check with locations and tour companies for updated information and safety guidelines.)

Start Slideshow

1 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Airboating in the Everglades

Airboat in the Florida Everglades
Credit: George Doyle / Getty Images

Florida

Take a chartered ride into the 1.5-million-acre wetlands preserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to spot wildlife like leatherback turtles, Florida panthers, American alligators, and manatees.

evergladesairboattours.com, 561-901-0661, 15490 Loxahatchee Road, Parkland, Florida 33076

1 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Bioluminescent Kayaking on the Space Coast

Bioluminescent Kayaking on Florida’s Space Coast
Credit: BK Adventure

Florida

Board a clear kayak along Florida's Indian River Lagoon at dusk to see the waters sparkling with dinoflagellates on one of the BK Adventure Bioluminescence tours.

bkadventure.com, 407-519-8711, 485 N. Washington Avenue, Titusville, Florida 32796

2 of 11

3 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Camping on the Appalachian Trail

Appalachian Trail North Carolina
Credit: Michael Shi / Getty Images

Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland

When camping near the Appalachian Trail, pitch a tent at a designated site or book a cabin rental so you can enjoy some of the comforts of home.

appalachiantrail.org

3 of 11

Advertisement

4 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Hiking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

El Capitan Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Credit: Tim Fitzharris/Getty Images

Texas

To marvel at the stars, visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which is the world's most extensive Permian fossil reef and home to the four tallest peaks in the state. You're just one challenging trek away from watching the sunrise from the highest point in Texas.

nps.gov/gumo, 915-828-3251, 400 Pine Canyon,
Salt Flat, Texas 79847

4 of 11

5 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

The South's Best Outdoor Adventures

5 of 11

6 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Horseback Riding on the Beach in Tampa Bay

Trail Horseback Riding Group
Credit: Cypress Breeze Farm

Florida

Add an afternoon ride on the sand to your vacation. Cypress Breeze Farm offers horseback riding on the beach as well as guided trail excursions.

cypressbreezefarm.com, 727-460-0891, North Skyway, I-275, St Petersburg, Florida 33715

6 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Paddling the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blueways

Paddling the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blueways
Credit: Courtesy of the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area

Mississippi

Choose your own adventure on a paddling trip along the Mississippi Gulf Coast blueways, mapped water trails made up of miles of beaches, rivers, and bayous with paths for all experience levels.

msgulfcoastheritage.ms.gov/blueways, 228-523-4150, 1141 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, Mississippi, 39530

7 of 11

8 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Snowshoeing in Beech Mountain

Snowshoeing on Beech Mountain
Credit: Sam Dean

North Carolina

Snowshoes can be checked out free of charge for use on the 30 miles of trails in Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Parks and recreation department staff also offer guided excursions along the routes.

beechmtn.com/snowshoeing, 828-387-3003, 403-A Beech Mountain Parkway, Beech Mountain, North Carolina 28604

8 of 11

9 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Swimming at Little River Canyon

Little River Canyon Nature Preserve Fall Color
Credit: John Dersham

Alabama

Find waterfalls and overlooks as well as plenty of places to take a dip in North Alabama's Little River Canyon National Preserve. Be sure to follow all park rules, and check the weather and water-flow levels before swimming.

nps.gov/liri, 256-845-9605 x201, 4322 Little River Trail NE, Fort Payne, Alabama 35967

9 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

White Water Rafting on the Chattooga River

Whitewater Rafting on the Chattooga River
Credit: Nantahala Outdoor Center

Georgia

Suit up in your helmet and personal flotation device for a rapids-rafting trip along the Chattooga River, which runs from North Carolina to Georgia.

noc.com/plan-your-trip/whitewater-rafting, 828-785-4847

10 of 11

11 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Wreck Diving in Panama City Beach

Wreck Diving in Panama City Beach Structure
Credit: Walter Sweeney

Florida

Dive among the shipwrecks along the Panama City Beach coastline during these fun-filled inshore and offshore trips. They reveal what has been abandoned beneath the waves, including The Black Bart, Tarpon, Grey Ghost, and USS Strength.

panamacitydiving.com/dive-sites, 850-588-8077, 106 Thomas Dr., Panama City Beach, Florida 32408

11 of 11

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Caroline Rogers

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 11 Airboating in the Everglades
    2 of 11 Bioluminescent Kayaking on the Space Coast
    3 of 11 Camping on the Appalachian Trail
    4 of 11 Hiking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park
    5 of 11 The South's Best Outdoor Adventures
    6 of 11 Horseback Riding on the Beach in Tampa Bay
    7 of 11 Paddling the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blueways
    8 of 11 Snowshoeing in Beech Mountain
    9 of 11 Swimming at Little River Canyon
    10 of 11 White Water Rafting on the Chattooga River
    11 of 11 Wreck Diving in Panama City Beach

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    The South's Best Outdoor Adventures 2021
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.