Picture this. The RV is packed, the itinerary is set, and the plan is a lazy morning hike followed by an afternoon paddle and a campsite under the stars. Then reality hits. There is no trail nearby. The nearest state park is an hour away. The campground is fully booked, and there is no national park access within a reasonable drive.
A new study has just revealed exactly which American states will deliver that dream trip, and which ones will leave travelers driving in circles looking for a place to actually enjoy the outdoors.
The Study That Exposed America’s Outdoor Access Gap
RV rental marketplace RVezy dug into outdoor accessibility across 48 states, analyzing metrics such as trails, parks, water access, and public land per capita, drawing on five separate data sources: AllTrails, Google Maps, Campsite Tonight, Summit Post, and the National Park Service.
The findings paint a stark picture of a country divided into outdoor haves and outdoor have nots, and the gap is bigger than most travelers realize.
The States Getting It Right
At the top of the list, Wyoming ranked first for hiking trails, horseback riding trails, and national parks access, while also placing second for mountain biking trails and in the top three for waterfalls and ski resorts. For a state with a small population, that level of access is rare.
Close behind, Vermont took the top spot for state parks and ski resorts, ranked third for hiking and mountain biking trails, and landed in the top five for walking trails and water access, despite its modest size.
Montana ranked second for hiking trails, waterfalls, horseback riding trails, and state parks, and third for national parks, while New Hampshire took first place for waterfalls, second for ski resorts, and third for walking trails and state parks. Rounding out the top five, Colorado ranked first for walking trails, fourth for road biking trails, fifth for hiking trails, and placed in the top ten for public land.
| Rank | State | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | Number one for hiking, horseback riding, and national parks access |
| 2 | Vermont | Number one for state parks and ski resorts |
| 3 | Montana | Number two for hiking, waterfalls, and state parks |
| 4 | New Hampshire | Number one for waterfalls, number two for ski resorts |
| 5 | Colorado | Number one for walking trails |
The States Where the Outdoors Is Nearly Out of Reach
At the bottom of the ranking, the picture is far bleaker. Louisiana finished last or near last across nearly all trail types, ranking 48th for waterfalls and biking trails, with no national parks access at all.
Alabama ranked 48th for walking trails, with low rankings across parks and trails reflecting limited infrastructure for outdoor recreation. New Jersey ranked 46th for hiking trails, 47th for state parks, and 45th for campgrounds, a combination that leaves little room for spontaneous exploration.
Meanwhile Illinois ranked 44th for public land and 46th for water access, and Oklahoma fell in the bottom ten across most trail categories, ranking 40th for public land.
| Rank | State | The Problem |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | Louisiana | No national parks access, near bottom for waterfalls and biking |
| 45 | Alabama | Ranked last for walking trails |
| 46 | New Jersey | Bottom five for hiking, state parks, and campgrounds |
| 47 | Illinois | Bottom five for public land and water access |
| 48 | Oklahoma | Bottom ten across nearly every category |
Why This Should Change How Every Traveler Plans a Trip
A RVezy spokesperson framed the findings around one central truth: access to the outdoors isn’t just about scenery, it’s about how easy it is to actually experience it, since some states make trails, parks, and campsites effortless to find while others require far more effort.
The spokesperson went further, pointing out that metrics like trails per capita and public land matter because they reveal how accessible nature actually is to the average person, not just how attractive it looks in photos. Having beautiful landscapes is one thing. Having the infrastructure to explore them safely and easily is another matter entirely.
For anyone planning a road trip built around hiking, paddling, or camping, that distinction could mean the difference between a seamless week outdoors and a frustrating scramble to find a trailhead that actually exists.
The Takeaway Before You Book
The lesson from this study is simple. Do the homework before committing to a route. A state with a famous skyline or a well known city does not automatically deliver on outdoor access, and some of the most popular road trip states in the country are quietly among the hardest places to find a decent trail.
Before locking in a summer or fall itinerary, it is worth checking exactly where a state ranks. The wrong choice could mean an entire trip built around outdoor adventure with nowhere nearby to actually have one.
Sourcing note: This article is based on a study conducted by RVezy, an RV rental marketplace, using data from AllTrails, Google Maps, Campsite Tonight, Summit Post, and the National Park Service, as reported by Mountain Bike Action Magazine.
Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.