Maui Ranked #4 Best Adventure Vacation in the USA

Kite surfing at Hookipa is an a great Maui adventure. Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Ron Dahlquist

By Sonia Isotov

According to US News and World Report’s list of “16 Best Adventure Vacations in the USA, the Hawaiian Islands ranked at the top with Maui ranking #4, Kauai #3, and Hawaii Island #7.

The ranking cites Kauai’s “acres of misty rainforests, plummeting waterfalls and jagged cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean;” Maui’s “plethora of heart-pounding options from sea kayaking to mule riding;” and Hawaii Island’s “black volcanic deserts, tumbling waterfalls, lush rainforests and five volcanoes.”

“The US News and World Report’s Best Adventure Vacations ranking naming Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii Island in the top ten is a great recognition for our state,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, in a written statement. “This honor is a testament to the things that make Hawaii special – our people, place and culture, and the commitment of our visitor industry in providing visitors with a unique experience that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.”

“The natural beauty of our islands shape the many activities our visitors participate in, from soft adventure to the more extreme,” said John Monahan, president and CEO of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, in a written statement. “We’ve been working hard marketing Hawaii’s rich active adventure experiences and are pleased to see three Hawaiian Islands in the top 10. We encourage visitors to keep exploring all six unique islands – Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii Island.”

The Best Adventure Vacation list is a part of the 2011-2012 US News Best Vacations rankings, which are updated annually. The rankings reflect how strongly a destination is recommended by an independent collection of published travel writers and by US News Travel website users. In total, more than 100 top destinations were considered in the current rankings.

The top 16 Best Adventure Vacations in the USA are listed below:

1. Yellowstone
2. Yosemite
3. Kauai
4. Maui
5. Puerto Rico
6. Grand Canyon
7. Hawaii, the Big Island
8. Outer Banks
9. Portland, OR
10. US Virgin Islands
11. Key West
12. San Francisco
13. San Diego
14. Seattle
15. South Padre Island
16. Miami Beach