A Test of Your Outdoorsy IQ

Put down your backpack and quiz yourself on these places

July 31, 2008

Stretching 2,175 miles through 14 states from Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail feeds into the national park named for the valley in which this historic town is nestled.
1. Center Point, Ala.
2. South Burlington, Vt.
3. Winchester, Va.
This town provides well-preserved habitats for birds, with Vaux's Swift, the Red-naped Sapsucker, and MacGillivray's Warbler among the almost 300 species in the area.
1. Carlsbad, Calif.
2. South Burlington, Vt.
3. Kalispell, Mont.
Intermediate and advanced kayakers can paddle from here to the Oliver Inlet and Seymour Canal, where they're likely to see wildlife, including humpback whales, orcas, seals, and murrelets.
1. Juneau, Alaska
2. Hilo, Hawaii
3. Canyon Lake, Texas
An easy drive from here is the Kilauea Caldera biking trail, which offers cyclists an off-the-beaten-path way to learn about the world's most active volcano.
1. Cedar City, Utah
2. Kalispell, Mont.
3. Hilo, Hawaii
Nearby Chiva Falls offers bikers challenging trails in the rolling, rugged Rincon Mountain range, home to more than 900 plant species, including Saguaro cactus, prickly pear, and mesquite.
1. Tanque Verde, Ariz.
2. Cedar City, Utah
3. Carlsbad, Calif.
Near this town, water enthusiasts can enjoy tubing along the Guadalupe River, or boating or parasailing.
1. Winchester, Va.
2. Canyon Lake, Texas
3. Tanque Verde, Ariz.
Nearby Oak Mountain State Park has 15 miles of mostly single-track trails, where mountain bikers and hikers can climb ridges and descend into valleys near Double Oak, Beaver, and Lunker lakes.
1. Kalispell, Mont.
2. South Burlington, Vt.
3. Center Point, Ala.
Cyclists can take in lake scenery near here while pedaling on a nearby waterfront bikeway, a 7 ½-mile rails-to-trails path.
1. Kalispell, Mont.
2. South Burlington, Vt.
3. Juneau, Alaska
Tamarack, a nearby sandbar reef, features a beach break, producing what the locals call "lippy" waves for surfing.
1. Carlsbad, Calif.
2. Hilo, Hawaii
3. Center Point, Ala.
Moderately steep and forested, the Dixie National Forest east of here is a backpacker's delight.
1. Winchester, Va.
2. Center Point, Ala.
3. Cedar City, Utah