Here Are 14 Eco-Friendly Destinations In The U.S. For Sustainable Travel

Although it's the state's largest city, ​​Burlington, Vermont is home to fewer than 45,000 people, which means that this city on Lake Champlain is easily walkable, as well as being bicycle friendly. Outdoor enthusiasts will love all the nearby recreational opportunities, which range from skiing and snowboarding to hiking, climbing, and all manner of water-based sports. Burlington's status as a gateway to the beautiful Green Mountains makes it an even more attractive destination. This small city prides itself on its cleanliness and commitment to sustainability, and it encourages visitors to the area to join in its endeavors.

The ​​Appalachian Trail, the first among the crown jewels of long distance hiking in the United States, stretches more than 2,000 miles from Stringer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. In doing so, it passes through every state in the Northeast with the sole exception of Rhode Island. You can experience this iconic footpath by hiking its entire length or just poking around on a nearby section for an hour or two. The trail's arguably most difficult segment is the One Hundred Mile Wilderness in Maine, where there are no services or other ways off the trail for several days. No matter how long you intend to spend on the trail, it's a wonderful destination that you can visit while leaving a small footprint and, of course, no trace. Be sure to check for and obtain any necessary permits from the local trail association or forest service office in the area you plan to visit. An app that you can use offline, like ​​AllTrails Plus, is also a good thing to have along on shorter segments of the trail.

While the major ​​metropolis of Chicago, Illinois, may not leap to mind when you're considering eco-friendly destinations, you'll be pleased to know that this major city is committed to sustainability and the creation of green spaces. The City of Big Shoulders is home to a world-class public transportation system, and the has been LEED certified for requiring energy efficient buildings. In fact, Chicago has the highest percentage of energy efficient buildings than any other major real estate market in the country. Even better, there are 12,000 acres of public green space and park lands in the greater Chicago (i.e., Cook County) area. So, why not plan a trip to this big city by the big lake and know that in doing so, you're supporting its green efforts?

​​Charming and historic Mackinac Island lies in its namesake strait between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan, as well as Lakes Huron and Michigan. The island is reachable only by boat or aircraft, and no motor vehicles are allowed on the island. You must walk, bike, or take advantage of one of the horse-drawn carriage services. It's the perfect way to enjoy a historic - and famously romantic - island getaway while minimizing your environmental impact. We give this eco-friendly destination a big (green) thumbs-up!

The ​​Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness ("BWCA") covers more than 1 million acres of pristine, largely interconnected Northwoods lakes and forest along the U.S.-Canada border in Northern Minnesota. As a designated wilderness area, motorized transportation is not allowed in the BWCA. If you enter, you must go on foot or under other human power (usually canoe) from a designated entry point. A multi-day trip into the Boundary Waters means hearing only the sounds of nature, enjoying light-free and night skies, and living only with the essentials. Permits are required for most overnight or longer trips into the BWCA. Check with a Superior National Forest ranger station or ​​REI for information.

​​One of our favorite eco-friendly destinations in the South is Little Torch Key, Florida, which is a small, isolated island adjacent to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It's small enough that, once there, you can easily get around on foot or by bike. Outdoor recreation opportunities abound, from paddling and swimming to snorkeling and inshore fishing. Step up your game with a stay at Little Palm Island Resort, a property that prides itself on luxe sustainability.

Sitting right on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the doorstep to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, ​​Asheville, North Carolina, is a laid back city that has largely turned to outdoor recreation and eco-tourism to fuel its economy. As such, you'll find all sorts of ways to stoke your passion for adventure, whether it's backpacking or hang gliding or anything in between. You'll also find a vibrant community with a sweet music scene, many breweries, and several locavore or farm-to-table dining options. And in this city that has been, on occasion, described as a "hippie town," sustainability and eco-friendliness are woven into the city's fabric. (Notwithstanding turn-of-the-century industrialist George Vanderbilt's love for the area, of course).

Back in the Sunshine State, if it's pristine wilderness that you seek, Big Cypress National Preserve is the place to be. Adjacent to Everglades National Park, this wilderness preserve maintains a large swath of the Everglades ecosystem that's in a relatively undeveloped, pristine conditions. A boardwalk is the easiest way to explore the preserve, but there are also a few low-maintenance roads that you can follow into the wilderness. There are campgrounds in the preserve, and we recommend you spend at least one night, because Big Cypress is a designated Dark Sky Reserve, which means it's probably the best place in all of south Florida for stargazing.

The city of ​​Denver, Colorado, is considered progressive in many ways, and sustainability is one of them. Outdoor recreation is another. With its location at the place where the Great Plains meet the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, the possibilities for outdoor adventures are boundless - any time of the year. And while many folks head into the nearby mountains to recreate, it should not be lost on folks that on the other side of the city, they'll find the massive and wonderful Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. It's a former military installation that has been reclaimed is now an important habitat for everything from waterfowl and raptors to prairie dogs and a resident bison herd.

​​It's incredible that a place as amazing as Joshua Tree National Park could be so close to a metropolitan are the size of Los Angeles - and if you approach from the east, you would never know that LA's outskirts are only an hour away. This oasis in the southern California desert is an amazing refuge for the majestic trees for which its named and one the biggest remaining stands of them. It's also a place where you can experience some incredible hiking and climbing in a well-preserved desert environment. Within the park, you'll also find many fascinating remnants of human history to explore, including mines and ghost towns.

You cannot separate the landscape from its people at a place like ​​Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. Not only is this unique monument - which is co-managed by a coalition of local Native American tribes in cooperation and agencies within the U.S. Department of the Interior - a place of incredible natural beauty, full of sculpted canyons, arches, natural bridges, and rock formations in a delicate desert environment, it's also a living collection of cultural heritage sites. Literally, hundreds (if not thousands) of Ancestral Puebloan cultural sites dot the monument's land. Many are unmarked and unmapped to prevent degradation (or worse, looting), but others serve as a sweet reward for an otherwise stunning hike in this gorgeous part of southern Utah. If you go, definitely plan ahead, because the monument is too big for most folks to cover in a single trip.

​​Bend is a bona fide eco-friendly destination. The city of Bend, Oregon, has created a sustainability fund that reinvests tax dollars into the protection and sustainability of the region's outdoor resources - which are ample. Bend is located along the Deschutes River, a renowned stream for anglers and home to Bend Whitewater Park, a city-managed kayaking mecca. With 300 days of sunshine and the Cascade Range right on the edge of town, Bend is also a hiking, backpacking, and camping paradise. You can definitely plan a trip to Bend and feel good about your choice. In fact, we're sure you'll love it.

​​For a city of its size and population density, it may come as a bit of a surprise just how eco-friendly San Francisco, California, really is. In addition to spearheading a zero-waste initiative, the city's world-class public transportation system is almost entirely electric. It also happens to be one of the most bicycle-friendly large cities in the U.S. and was the first city in the country to ban single-use, plastic grocery bags. In terms of outdoor recreation and green spaces, opportunities abound both within - Presidio of San Francisco, Golden Gate Park - and just outside of the city. Here, you can surf in the morning, walk among giant redwoods in the afternoon, and be back in the city for dinner.

With its location near both Big Sky Resort and Yellowstone National Park, ​​it would be fair to say that Bozeman, Montana, already has a leg up over most cities when it comes to outdoor recreation opportunities. And frankly, given the national forests and dramatic mountains that surround the town, as well as local ski park Bridger Bowl, it would be an understatement. To pile on even more, Bozeman is regularly ranked among the most beautiful cities in the U.S. Moreover, with assistance from the local university, Montana State (go Bobcats!), the city established a sustainability office and put into place a climate plan. So, the question becomes, "Why wouldn't you visit Bozeman?"