It’s time to start planning a summer vacation and you may be wondering what options are available to you, or looking for some new, inspiring ideas. Of the different holidays you can go on, the two major categories are urban getaways and wilderness vacations. Choosing which one to go on is a difficult decision that will drastically affect the style and outcome of your vacation.

Depending on what you’re into, the decision may not be so easy. Urban vacations typically revolve around seeing cultural sites, museums, and kitschy tourist attractions. Meanwhile, wilderness vacations involve spending time in nature and can be very broad in their composition.

If you’re looking for something different or a break from the city, consider these reasons why a wilderness foray is better than a visit to an urban center.

Change Up the Pace

The main thing about vacation is that it’s an opportunity to get away from the patterns and habits that are controlling your life and that may be making your daily routine stressful, overwhelming, or simply too mundane and boring. Everyone needs to experience new things sometimes. Doing so is great for our mental health and that kind of enjoyment relieves stress as well. We all need to mix it up once in a while to avoid burnout, even if only for a short while.

One of the best ways to change up the pattern is to go outside and run around like a kid again. Going from one urban environment to another means more of the same traffic, shops, and a nearly identical landscape. Roads, signs, buildings, lights, and people. Lots of people.

Unique Sports Opportunities Are Available

Going on an outdoor expedition or camping trip opens up a lot of opportunities to experience and practice a lot of different sports that just aren’t available in the city and in indoor environments. Regardless of what you’re into or your fitness level, there’s something for everyone outdoors. You’ll need to be prepared and your hobby may require some equipment, which you can find on this website maybe. The variety of activities is vast, so plan carefully to find the ones that are right for you.

Fishing

Fishing is a classic outdoor pasttime for people all over the world. Almost every culture has a form of fishing within it. Consequently, there are countless ways and methods to go about it. Not to mention the wide variety of aquatic species available to catch.

There are specific kinds of fishing available depending on the biome you’ve chosen. Beaches and the coastline offer beach fishing, pier fishing from beyond the waves, and sea fishing from boats. The last option offers the chance to catch some of the great fish of the ocean, such as marlins and tuna. This is a real challenge and an unforgettable experience.

Other types of conventional fishing include lake fishing from the shore or from a small boat, kayak fishing, and river fishing. Bass, trout, and many freshwater fish varieties are available at nearly any state-run lake.

See also:

Off-Roading

Nothing is quite as exciting and fun as a romp in a jeep or a 4×4 climbing rocks or gliding through mud shores. Going off-road is a lot of fun and something that many outdoor enthusiasts enjoy all over the world. Of course, you’ll need a vehicle that is specially designed for the purpose.

Archery, Axe Throwing, and Shooting

Being outdoors and away from city limits means you can do activities that just aren’t legal in the city. Of all of these activities, shooting sports are the ones that are most frequently sought after. If you want to get serious and shoot the big stuff, you’ll still need to seek out a proper range. The “big stuff” includes guns, high-powered compound bows, and crossbows. But there’s always a cheap outdoor shooting range available in places that cater to outdoor activities.

However, if you’re just looking to enjoy your freedoms and play around with shooting sports, picking a wide-open area or firing against a natural backdrop is enough to keep everyone safe. This kind of sport shooting includes hobby bows with practice tips, throwing axes, throwing knives, ninja stars, airsoft, and paintball guns.

These activities offer endless hours of fun and excitement. You’ll still need to check out the local laws to make sure what you want to do is legal. If you keep it small with harmless weapons, you shouldn’t have much trouble. However, while an AR-15 may be legal in your area, shurikens may not. So double-check to make sure you don’t have an unpleasant run with the game warden.

Physical Sports

There are countless other sports that you can do while outside that just aren’t available in urban environments. These include:

Swimming – this can be in slow-moving rivers, lakes, or in the ocean.
Running – going for a run out in the countryside offers a new level of enjoyment, and the fresh air is to die for.
Mountain biking – wide swathes of land allow for amazing cycling and MTB trails covering countless miles to be ridden on.
Hiking – if there is a forest, hill, or mountain nearby, there will surely be some amazing trails to hike. They often coincide with the mountain biking trails.
Cross country biking – road biking in the city is quite perilous. Biking in the wilderness, on the other hand, offers long stretches of road without traffic, and some great inclines are often available with amazing views.
Skiing – depending on the region and season, skiing or (snowboarding) is another fantastic sport that can be enjoyed. Just remember to take it easy and stay on the bunny slopes if you’re a beginner.
Surfing and bodyboarding – do this if you’re on the beach for a few days to immerse yourself in the energy of the beach and get an energizing dose of vitamin sea!

There is a wide range of other sports and activities available to anyone, and usually, it’s pretty affordable even if you have to rent the equipment. Some of the other options include scuba diving, windsurfing, kite surfing, kiteboarding, mountain climbing, adventure running, cross-country jogging, bird watching, astronomy, kite flying, and anything else that requires lots of space. All of these are things that are practically unavailable in urban settings, and mostly impossible to do in the city.

Easy On The Budget

The last thing that we’ll mention here is that outdoor adventure vacations are a lot cheaper than city breaks. Sometimes you may end up investing a lot of money on equipment for your holiday, but it will usually be in the form of equipment that you’ll keep for decades to come. This includes camping tents, sleeping bags, fishing equipment, etc…

Otherwise, fees for land access are considerably cheaper than tickets to tourist attractions, and often even entirely free. Camping fees are far lower than a stay at a hotel in most instances. Additionally, restaurants and facilities all tend to be cheaper in smaller communities than in the city. This means that all of your vacation expenses will be reduced significantly. If you camp and cook out, you’ll spend less than if you were at home for the same time.

Conclusion

There are tons of reasons to go on an outdoor holiday vacation. Some of the most important ones have been discussed here. Drastically changing your environment, access to new activities, and affordability are all great reasons to choose a wilderness holiday this time around. Or maybe you just want to find a great backdrop for your newest Instagram post. Whatever the reason, a vacation in the wild has a bit of something that almost everyone needs to stay happy and healthy.

See also:

Guide, Tips, Travel Store

Why Is a Vacation in the Wild Better Than an Urban Getaway