WHY IT RATES: Ecotourism is a growing trend in the travel industry, and with this list by RAVE Reviews, travelers have a great opportunity to tailor their vacations to these eco-friendly destinations. -Alex Temblador, TravelPulse Associate Writer
RAVE Reviews, the innovative site that publishes entertaining rankings based on advanced data-driven analysis, has published a ranking series of "America's Best Ecotourism Destinations."
Whether it is strolling along a beach in California or spotting alligators in the Everglades, traveling is an exciting experience. Caught up in all of this excitement though, few people stop and think about the impact they are having on the environment and the local communities they are visiting.
In response to the carelessness of many tourists and money-sucking tourist magnets, a movement known as "ecotourism" is becoming increasingly popular. The staff at RAVE Reviews is a fan of both sustainable living and traveling. It just made sense to find the best Ecotourism destinations that people can sustainably visit and enjoy.
Ecotourism is essentially sustainable travel that focuses on supporting untapped natural beauty instead of massive tourist machines. No more buying overpriced souvenirs in Times Square and throwing the plastic wrapping on the ground. Ecotourism would have you animal spotting along Virginia's Birding and Wildlife Trail, or maybe even immersing yourself in a Native American living history experience at Colorado's Indigenous Roots LLC.
This ranking plans out the perfect ecotourism road trip across the country. For convenience, RAVE also included recommendations for activities and lodging near each destination.
"After reading through this ranking you'll have everything you need for an unforgettable, ecologically friendly road trip. There are always excuses not to travel. Ecotourism is an excuse to travel. You'll be supporting a positive movement," said Hillary Miller, Managing Editor for RAVE Reviews.
In determining which destinations to feature, RAVE compared reviews from sources across the internet and took into account multiple factors such as the number of eco-tourist attractions in the region, availability of eco-lodging near the destination, degree of community support for ecological initiatives, and if the destination made sense in the routing of the trip.
The full list of featured destinations includes:
Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Georgia
Asheville, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
DownEast Acadia, Maine
Half Moon Bay, California
Hawley Earthfest, Pennsylvania
Indigenous Roots LLC, Colorado
Kasha-Katuwe National Monument, New Mexico
Lake Erie, Ohio
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, New York
Portland, Oregon
The Everglades, Florida
The Ozarks, Missouri
Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, Virginia
Washington D.C., District of Columbia
World Birding Center, Texas
Yellowstone National Park, California
Yosemite National Park, California
Zion National Park, California
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
