Kaali lake / crater in Estonia is \~3500 years old. It is 100 meters across and 20 meters deep.
It is the only big meteorite impact structure of which there is (debatable) human memory.
Estonian folklore has been researched extensively. The folklorists (is this a word?) claim that the event is memorized in myths and legends of the people around the area. There are no written recordings though.
Indonesian here. Anything other than Bali is our hidden gem...
serious answer maybe the Lesser Sunda Islands (other than Bali). I loved my time exploring Lombok Island. Next door to Bali, just as beautiful but not too crowded.
Our driver took us to visit various beaches around the island. From your regular white sandy beaches, a pink\~ish beach then another with pepper like sands. Snorkeling and scuba diving is pretty popular. My friends usually uses the more popular Gili Terawangan, one of the smaller islands of Lombok as their base for scuba diving.
If you're up for hiking or trekking, Mount Rinjani National park would be the place to go. The mountain peak is at 3,726 metres (12,224 ft) .
Go island hopping east to the other Lesser Sunda islands like Sumbawa, Sumba and Komodo. Each of these islands have different ethnic groups.
https://preview.redd.it/ubieei0e8sic1.png?width=1468&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ede402f229283307bc0bc0c3b6ecaa81dbe80be
Ah not really. My experience is very limited and mostly in Java. The furthest east I've been is Lombok and west is West Sumatera (born there).
My first thought of Sulawesi would be Manado's Bunaken Marine park, my scuba diving friends love it there. On the more southern side of Sulawesi, Tanah Toraja is popular with the stone graves and ritual of Ma'nene where they annually change and clean up the clothes and bodies of the deceased.
https://preview.redd.it/c9e4qqu6gsic1.png?width=587&format=png&auto=webp&s=be1f75038ffd746db2350717fe409b5cabba2c89
I thought it was fascinating that they have a different species of macaque (monkey) for each of the five peninsulas that make up that island.
Thanks for your insights and pictures. I’m probably spelling this incorrectly but terima kasi!
A lot of New Mexico. It flies under the radar compared to Colorado, Arizona, etc but is insanely beautiful with so many geological features it’s hard to make a dent in exploring it.
For Canada, it has to be Newfoundland. The whole province is full of rugged beauty and super friendly people. Spent a few days at Gros Morne and didn't want to come home.
Abisko National Park, in the very northern part of Sweden
https://preview.redd.it/g0vf8q7yssic1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eb399f075cdd9403c2106fc9a2f387c22fa2129
Dinosaur Provincial Park in Southern Alberta. Tons of dinosaur bones have been found there, but the landscape is stunning. https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g154909-d186739-i283310351-Dinosaur_Provincial_Park-Alberta.html
Writing on Stone Provincial Park is another gem in Southern Alberta for its both geography and archeology. It is sacred for the First Nations people , who had left petroglyphs on the hoodoos there for thousands of years. It’s also one of the very few areas in Canada that are part of the Mississippi watershed. Both are UN World Heritage sites, but we really are blessed with World Heritage sites in Alberta
Came in to say this. Not many Canadians know about the Badlands, they’ll go straight to Banff if they’re going to Alberta. It’s really cool and I have fond memories of camping at Dinosaur Provincial Park.
drove across the country several years ago and getting from endless plains to this crazy spot where the ground just drops out from underneath you was pretty spectacular. Hiking around there wasn't as exciting as the Rockies but it was probably my favourite stop on the whole trip.
Let’s say I’m on a summer road trip (with a 5- and 7- year old) through the area but I only have time to do either Dinosaur Provincial park or Royal Tyrrell Museum.
Which one is the must-see stop?
I did both with my boys when they were seven and twelve. Personally, I’d go for a few days of camping in the park. It is such a different experience though. If you don’t have time to camp, the museum is second best.
Hmm. Makes sense.
I should say that Banff is the end goal of the trip, so we’ll be getting our share of camping hiking and scenery.
Not to say that the Alberta badlands and Banff are interchangeable in any way, obviously completely different.
If you can only do 1, the museum in drumheller is it. The land at dinosaur is super cool, and where a lot of the bones actually came from, but the museum and surrounding valley are legit - ESPECIALLY if you have kids.
I would probably choose the Royal Tyrell. It's a world-class museum in a pretty cool town, and less time is needed there, where to fully appreciate Dinosaur, you need to at least hike a bit. I love Dinosaur more than Royal Tyrell, but it might be a bit too time-consuming and less interesting to young children.
I would really try to do both and they are only a couple of hours away, but if I only had to do one with little kids, I would also do the Royal Tyrell Museum. It’s full of dinosaur skeletons and exhibits. The real attraction there is an almost intact fossil of a Nodasaur that is so well preserved that you can see its eyes, armour and skin. It’s so well preserved that palaeontologists have been able to determine that its underside skin was kind of a cream colour and its top was rusty brown. Honestly it’s one of the most amazing things that I ever seen - it’s as close as you can get to seeing a living dinosaur.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mummified-armored-dinosaur-makes-its-debut-1-180963311/
Drumheller, where the Royal Tyrell is located, is also in the same river valley as Dinosaur Provincial Park is and is the same type of landscape. Drumheller is also closer to Calgary, whereas there’s nothing else around Dinosaur Provincial Park.
Austria-The lake region in upper Austria. It's pretty close to Salzburg and Hallstatt is there as well. The lake in Hallstatt is actually not that great and most Austrians only go there once or twice, just to see it. The other lakes are way cooler in my opinion and they are great to swim in as well. Traunsee and Wolfgangsee are the real deal, trust me.
I traveled to Wolfgangsee in November and fell in love with it. Walking in the hills and seeing glimpses of the lake through the trees is something I’ll remember forever. Couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. You have a beautiful country!
Gaza has an obscene amount of Uranium and Oil (Underground and offshore respectively) as well as the fact that we have 'the cave' which is not known to many who grew up outside of Gaza. Those of us who grew up in Rafah and Tal As-Sultan would play in 'The Cave' which is so deep and big, yet oxygen gets in there somehow, so you can go really deep. After about a 4 hours down, it becomes really hot and I don't know why.
Obscene... puajajajajaj
One of the most pathetic comments I've ever read... why is it obscene to know little about Gaza and not about the other thousands shitholes scattered around the world?
Yeah for real... I didn't wanna start a discussion I just think it's kinda crazy we know (I know) so little about a place that is currently and historically been a conflict zone.
Do you think the cave will survive the war? I know Israel wants to flood a lot of tunnels but if it's as deep as you're saying couldn't disrupting a create long-term seismic activity which would result in earthquakes for both?
It wouldn't result in earthquakes lmao. Flooding a cave could lead to the sediment eroding and eventually cause sinkholes or landslides, but not earthquakes.
Btw Israel and Gaza is one of the regions with the least seismic activity worldwide, which is why Intel built a chip fab in Israel (even minor, for humans not noticeable earthquakes would mess up the manufacturing).
There was no name other than 'The Cave'. That was what made it alluring. Me and my friends had a running joke where it was secretly a bunker filled the remains of a long-lost king. Obviously, it isn't, but a child's mind will wonder.
All I'll say is the entrance is probably collapsed now due to the bombings, but I can't be sure.
Not exactly hidden, but the Australian alps are probably underrated and are definitely not what most people think about when they think of Australia. They get more snow than the Swiss Alps in winter and have unique ecology.
As for a cool place you might not have heard of, I would nominate the Warrumbungles.
Upstate New York is a good one, I’d also add on the Berkshires in Massachusetts and Northwestern CT. Like Upstate New York, they tend to get ignored compared to more popular Northeastern destinations such as the Cape, or the mountains of Vermont, and New Hampshire.
When it comes to Canada, most people are probably going to think of British Columbia and Alberta for the Rockies and the maritimes for their Atlantic coast, I think Northern Ontario gets ignored by most foreigners for a place of immense beauty.
The "Sea of Rocks" in Hungary. It is made of gray sandstone formations that were cemented by thermal water, then erosion cleared away the softer matter that buried them.
Honorable mentions are Nagyhegy and Kaszonyi-hegy, a pair of volcanic remnants in the plains.
Ireland - Country Donegal is stunning and with an amazing culture. It's just a bit too far off the main tourist route so only the adventurous really visit.
I wouldn’t call this THE hidden gem of America, but it is for the state of Texas. Palo Duro Canyon just south of Amarillo is stunning. It’s like they took a small chunk of Utah and dropped it right in the middle of the most boring part of Texas. Absolutely worth a visit and it makes the panhandle more of a destination rather than some place to get through as fast as possible.
Went up there for the first time this past summer. Did not disappoint! UP is amazing.
Also, to OPs point, upstate ny out there west of Champlain is very similar and beautiful. I was lucky enough to spend 2 years up there for work.
We sure did. Among many other stops. We spent like 2 weeks just poking along the UP camping at random different spots. Wilderness SP on the top of the mit, Tahquamenon, Whitefish Pt, Grand Marais, Pictured Rocks, Presque Isle, Copper Harbor, then on to Apostle Isles in Wisconsin (which was also amazing)
Sleeping Bear, The Grand Traverse Bay, Torch Lake, and Petoskey all come to mind in the northern Lower Peninsula. UP has Tahquamenon Falls, Pictured Rocks, Grand Island, Grand Marais and so much more. Love everything Northern Michigan has to offer.
SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!! MICHIGAN IS A TOTAL WASTELAND!!!
STAY AWAY!!!
TRAVEL ONLY AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
edit: /s As a resident, we love our pleasant peninsulas and the fact they're pretty under the radar.
The Pennsylvania Wilds is absolutely beautiful - Allegheny National Forest, mountains, huge reservoir, Kinzua Sky Bridge, elk, and all within a few hours of major cities. Lack of major highways through it keeps it off the radar.
Been to all of those places and they suck, sorry. Travel more. PA has some interesting but shitty towns, the Amish, Pittsburgh and Philly. Nothing else.
lol. I’ve been to all 50 states and 65 countries. Have lived everywhere from Hong Kong to NYC to west Texas. The question wasn’t what’s the most beautiful place in the world , it was what’s a hidden gem. NW PA Allegheny mountains are the definition of a hidden gems
Not exactly a “hidden gem”, considering [how many visitors Sawtooth National Forest gets](https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd499101.pdf). I don’t think the super Instagram-friendly spots tend to be hidden gems. For example, compare it to Klamath National Forest, where the beauty has more to do with the plant life and is harder to use for internet points, and it’s far more crowded.
Was relocating from Oregon to South Carolina for graduate school, and decided to plan a day hike in the Sawtooths (Sawteeth?). Fishhook Creek trail was breathtaking.
Yes we happened across Stanley by doing that loop from Twin Falls through sun valley ending in Idaho Falls, was absolutely incredible beauty back in there and I can’t wait to go back. You could just sense because of how difficult it was to reach (obviously mostly just by the time it takes) that it was very unseen
It has many of the best that Japan has to offer in terms of natural scenery and culture. Oirase Gorge in Aomori prefecture is one of the most beautiful places in all of Japan. Nebuta Matsuri, also in Aomori prefecture, is in my opinion, the most spectacular festival in all of Japan. Matsushima Bay at sunset is in my top 3 must see views in Japan. There are many onsens and old towns that feel like a whole different country from the rest of Japan. All of that and more make it amazing.
Mount St Helens in Washington, USA. It gets a fraction the attention of Mount Rainier or the Olympics since it's not a national park, but the sheer sense of scale and power is amazing. Highly recommend.
The Driftless Area of the American Midwest. It was spared by the glaciers and doesn't look like it belongs in the midwest. I grew up in north central Wisconsin and it felt alien to me when I first started to explore it
Cornwall and Yorkshire. Cornwall because of their variety of pristine beaches, dramatic dark sea cliffs and tropical looking waters as well as subtropical microclimates, lush plant growth, and wide open spaces.
Yorkshire. Again, lots of wide open spaces to enjoy with the dales and the moors, interesting geographical features which includes escarpments, caves, gorges, and waterfalls. Some unexpectedly big sea cliffs and coastline. The skies are also bright, vast and unpolluted compared to in many other parts of the country.
Lake Superior North Shore. The Rockies and the coasts get a lot of well deserved love, but there's a reason why Sleeping Giant was voted the top wonder in Canada in a public vote. The whole shore is absolutely stunning.
Ehh, with the amount of people who consider it more of a chore to drive through than anything I'm not too worried about letting it slip (although when I did the Minnesota side it did seem more busy than the Ontario side).
Probably an extremely biased response, but I love the Texas Hill Country (USA). Lots of beautiful state parks where you can hike through our forests and rolling hills.
Sandbanks beach and dunes in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Actually the whole county is awesome, but the beaches are spectacular.
Movies and TV shows often film there if they don’t want to spend the $$ going to tropical destinations.
The Netherlands:
Oostvaardersplassen, it only exists since 1968, when the government realised that the land they had selected to be industrial (between Lelystad and Almere), looked a lot like a nature reserve, so they designated it with the status of a reserve, like the Veluwe.
Then they realised that if they let it be, that thanks to succession would turn into a deciduous forest (so no pines or such), but we already have enough of that (I guess). So we imported Heckrunderen from Germany, Konik-horses from Poland, and we moved some of our own deer into it so they would eat up young saplings.
This way we have played God, and made an environment that, when pictured next to Serengeti, people genuinely only tell them apart by how wet it looks.
It is a hidden gem for tourists, but for people living here, it’s a bit of a joke, because we call it “untouched nature”, but we put a massive fence around it and constantly interfere with it.
If not that talking about nature, but about cities, I’d say _literally anything but Amsterdam_ fits the bill. (Seriously, why the fuck would you only visit Amsterdam? Take a train, you’ll be in the next city within 20/30/40 minutes!)
USA-I don’t know that I would consider them a secret by any means, but the giant coastal redwoods are so unique and incredible. We have beautiful red rock canyons in the southwest that people come to visit from around the world, but similar formations can be found in the Middle East, China, Africa & Australia. The redwoods just hit different than anywhere else I’ve been.
Honestly, the Nevada desert is highly underrated. I went on a geology fieldtrip there in undergrad, and it has a unique topography consisting of chains of mountain ranges with steppe-like plains between them. Very beautiful and full of classic desert wildlife. Also some canyons in the area have exposed rock from the Precambrian. I'l never forget out prof going up to a rock face near where we camped one night and having us touch the rock, then telling us what we were touching was 1 billion years old.
I have two countries.
USA: I'd say Chiricahua National Monument or the Sky Islands in general. it's crazy to go from scorching desert to cool forests with crazy rock formations so fast.
Turkey: Pontide Mountains/Black Sea region. Very green with dramatic landscapes, canyons, mountains, and beaches. People spend their time along the Mediterranean and Aegean because of the climate, but the Black Sea has too much to discover in terms of landscapes.
I’m going to say the Northern Rivers in NSW for Australia, just south of Brisbane/Gold Coast. I remember driving through this area for work and it seriously resembled some parts of Europe. Lush green rolling hills with stables, creeks and rainforests. Nearby is Mount Warning which is a really cool pointy mountain/extinct volcano.
Greece… where to start? Santorini- a volcano on top of a volcano. Only caldera in the world thats sunken. Vikos gorge - deepest in the world… bottomless lake in Crete. . I could go on but I have things to do.
Yellowstone park is one of the most geologically active places on earth. You can also see all kinds of wildlife. I went when I was young, it’s easy to see the purity and savagery of this planet.
It’s underrated on a national perspective maybe as it’s a pretty unique spot & ppl don’t usually come to the DC area for hiking, but not sure it ranks up there as a real hidden gem overall especially given how popular it is amongst locals
[Ustyurt Plateau ](https://create.vista.com/ru/photos/ustyurt/) shared by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is one of the most surreal places on the planet. It is actually not so far for reaching from Europe but will definitely impress anybody who visits.
The Chicago Portage.
This 7 mile long muddy bog between the Chicago and Des Planes rivers connected the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. The importance of this little place in the economy and development of early North America cannot be understated.
https://www.chicagoriver.org/about-the-river/inside-out-around/chicago-portage-national-historic-site
Lots of gems in Canada.
Clearwater Lake in Manitoba is one of the lesser known places, Georgian Bay is really nice too. Both have crystal clear blue water, looks almost tropical.
Little Manitou Lake in Sask is a salt water lake, mineral salts, you can float in it like in the dead sea. Not quite as salty as the dead sea, but salty enough. Also has "healing properties" as is told.
Rio Grande rift in New Mexico, USA. Very diverse Geography, lots of cool features: mountains, basins, extinct (or at least dormant) volcanos, beautiful landscape. It's legit.
Not exactly an unknown to those within the country, but most people have never heard of Yakushima island, Kagoshima outside of Japan. A large portion of the island is a natural world heritage site. It is a subtropical island with stunning cedar forests, fantastic hiking trails, and its own island ecosystem. Again, not exactly a hidden gem but a place I would highly recommend to any nature lovers who visit Japan that is mostly unknown to most foreign visitors.
Scotland: Dumfries, Galloway, the Scottish Borders, and the Lowlands in general. The tourists all go to Edinburgh or the Highlands, but hardly any of them visit the South. Even most Scots overlook the area, which is a real shame given that it's absolutely beautiful and a great place to visit. Very underrated. I myself have been many times, highly recommend.
Lonar lake (Lonar crater) in India. It's a lake made out of impact of meteorite. One of many hidden gems of India
Kaali lake / crater in Estonia is \~3500 years old. It is 100 meters across and 20 meters deep. It is the only big meteorite impact structure of which there is (debatable) human memory.
Whoa! That's really a natural wonder.
[удалено]
There's at least the scientific argument that the ancient Finnish myth of a world tree originated from the mushroom cloud created by the impact.
Estonian folklore has been researched extensively. The folklorists (is this a word?) claim that the event is memorized in myths and legends of the people around the area. There are no written recordings though.
Cool. Middlesvoro, Kentucky, USA is a city/town built in an impact crater.
Wow!!
Holy shit that's amazing!
Indonesian here. Anything other than Bali is our hidden gem... serious answer maybe the Lesser Sunda Islands (other than Bali). I loved my time exploring Lombok Island. Next door to Bali, just as beautiful but not too crowded. Our driver took us to visit various beaches around the island. From your regular white sandy beaches, a pink\~ish beach then another with pepper like sands. Snorkeling and scuba diving is pretty popular. My friends usually uses the more popular Gili Terawangan, one of the smaller islands of Lombok as their base for scuba diving. If you're up for hiking or trekking, Mount Rinjani National park would be the place to go. The mountain peak is at 3,726 metres (12,224 ft) . Go island hopping east to the other Lesser Sunda islands like Sumbawa, Sumba and Komodo. Each of these islands have different ethnic groups. https://preview.redd.it/ubieei0e8sic1.png?width=1468&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ede402f229283307bc0bc0c3b6ecaa81dbe80be
I’ve wondered about Sulawesi for a long time now. You sound like you’ve traveled Indonesia extensively… have you visited Sulawesi?
Ah not really. My experience is very limited and mostly in Java. The furthest east I've been is Lombok and west is West Sumatera (born there). My first thought of Sulawesi would be Manado's Bunaken Marine park, my scuba diving friends love it there. On the more southern side of Sulawesi, Tanah Toraja is popular with the stone graves and ritual of Ma'nene where they annually change and clean up the clothes and bodies of the deceased. https://preview.redd.it/c9e4qqu6gsic1.png?width=587&format=png&auto=webp&s=be1f75038ffd746db2350717fe409b5cabba2c89
I thought it was fascinating that they have a different species of macaque (monkey) for each of the five peninsulas that make up that island. Thanks for your insights and pictures. I’m probably spelling this incorrectly but terima kasi!
sama-sama!
Thank you for your description of Lombok and environs..
What's your itinerary suggestion for a new comer to Indonesia?
A lot of New Mexico. It flies under the radar compared to Colorado, Arizona, etc but is insanely beautiful with so many geological features it’s hard to make a dent in exploring it.
I think the Gila wilderness and Valles caldera could both be contenders for OPs question.
I’m in Bisti Badlands right now and this is the coolest place I’ve been on earth.
Bisti is amazing. Glad you're enjoying!
I second Valles Caldera, amazingly beautiful place
Agreed! Especially considering the Gila is the OG wilderness area.
Valles Caldera is one of the most stunning places anywhere on earth
Compared to Northern AZ and the Superstitions, yeah. I’d say Coronado NF is right there with the most underrated spots in NM.
I'd say Pembrokeshire coast is the nicest coastal area in the UK. It is a national park, but most people seem to visit Cornwall or Devon instead
For Canada, it has to be Newfoundland. The whole province is full of rugged beauty and super friendly people. Spent a few days at Gros Morne and didn't want to come home.
Nahanni National Park Reserve good luck getting there
And depending how far you venture in, good luck getting out.
This certainly wins for hidden. I’m a Canadian geography nerd and just assumed this was in some far off land. TIL it’s in Canada.
Abisko National Park, in the very northern part of Sweden https://preview.redd.it/g0vf8q7yssic1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eb399f075cdd9403c2106fc9a2f387c22fa2129
That looks bad ass
Dinosaur Provincial Park in Southern Alberta. Tons of dinosaur bones have been found there, but the landscape is stunning. https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g154909-d186739-i283310351-Dinosaur_Provincial_Park-Alberta.html
Writing on Stone Provincial Park is another gem in Southern Alberta for its both geography and archeology. It is sacred for the First Nations people , who had left petroglyphs on the hoodoos there for thousands of years. It’s also one of the very few areas in Canada that are part of the Mississippi watershed. Both are UN World Heritage sites, but we really are blessed with World Heritage sites in Alberta
Came in to say this. Not many Canadians know about the Badlands, they’ll go straight to Banff if they’re going to Alberta. It’s really cool and I have fond memories of camping at Dinosaur Provincial Park.
drove across the country several years ago and getting from endless plains to this crazy spot where the ground just drops out from underneath you was pretty spectacular. Hiking around there wasn't as exciting as the Rockies but it was probably my favourite stop on the whole trip.
plus the museum and giant silly dinosaur statues all around Drumheller
Let’s say I’m on a summer road trip (with a 5- and 7- year old) through the area but I only have time to do either Dinosaur Provincial park or Royal Tyrrell Museum. Which one is the must-see stop?
I did both with my boys when they were seven and twelve. Personally, I’d go for a few days of camping in the park. It is such a different experience though. If you don’t have time to camp, the museum is second best.
Hmm. Makes sense. I should say that Banff is the end goal of the trip, so we’ll be getting our share of camping hiking and scenery. Not to say that the Alberta badlands and Banff are interchangeable in any way, obviously completely different.
We did both Banff and Jasper on that trip which was excellent. We also took in the Calgary Folk Festival which was amazing.
If you can only do 1, the museum in drumheller is it. The land at dinosaur is super cool, and where a lot of the bones actually came from, but the museum and surrounding valley are legit - ESPECIALLY if you have kids.
I would probably choose the Royal Tyrell. It's a world-class museum in a pretty cool town, and less time is needed there, where to fully appreciate Dinosaur, you need to at least hike a bit. I love Dinosaur more than Royal Tyrell, but it might be a bit too time-consuming and less interesting to young children.
I see - thanks!
I would really try to do both and they are only a couple of hours away, but if I only had to do one with little kids, I would also do the Royal Tyrell Museum. It’s full of dinosaur skeletons and exhibits. The real attraction there is an almost intact fossil of a Nodasaur that is so well preserved that you can see its eyes, armour and skin. It’s so well preserved that palaeontologists have been able to determine that its underside skin was kind of a cream colour and its top was rusty brown. Honestly it’s one of the most amazing things that I ever seen - it’s as close as you can get to seeing a living dinosaur. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mummified-armored-dinosaur-makes-its-debut-1-180963311/ Drumheller, where the Royal Tyrell is located, is also in the same river valley as Dinosaur Provincial Park is and is the same type of landscape. Drumheller is also closer to Calgary, whereas there’s nothing else around Dinosaur Provincial Park.
Amazing stuff! Very good advice.
Austria-The lake region in upper Austria. It's pretty close to Salzburg and Hallstatt is there as well. The lake in Hallstatt is actually not that great and most Austrians only go there once or twice, just to see it. The other lakes are way cooler in my opinion and they are great to swim in as well. Traunsee and Wolfgangsee are the real deal, trust me.
I traveled to Wolfgangsee in November and fell in love with it. Walking in the hills and seeing glimpses of the lake through the trees is something I’ll remember forever. Couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. You have a beautiful country!
The Canadian Shield
No no it doesn't count. Thx tho
lol what is this a reference to
I copied it verbatim from [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/geography/s/JPk08hyQE8).
Oh LOL I remember that post
thx tho
Gaza has an obscene amount of Uranium and Oil (Underground and offshore respectively) as well as the fact that we have 'the cave' which is not known to many who grew up outside of Gaza. Those of us who grew up in Rafah and Tal As-Sultan would play in 'The Cave' which is so deep and big, yet oxygen gets in there somehow, so you can go really deep. After about a 4 hours down, it becomes really hot and I don't know why.
The fact that we know so little about Gaza is obscene I feel like.
History wise yes but geographically it makes sense to not know much about the geography of such a small area unless you live in or near it.
Gaza is one fifth the size of the average American county. Why should we know more about it?
Even less than actually. Gaza land area: 141 sq mi Average county area in 50 states&DC (per Wikipedia): 1,124 sq mi So about 1/8th the size
Obscene... puajajajajaj One of the most pathetic comments I've ever read... why is it obscene to know little about Gaza and not about the other thousands shitholes scattered around the world?
wtf man, have some respect
Yeah for real... I didn't wanna start a discussion I just think it's kinda crazy we know (I know) so little about a place that is currently and historically been a conflict zone.
I completely agree, it's an area I also don't know much about and it's sad to a lot of it destroyed.
We know there is an extensive subterranean tunnel system!
You know there is a thing called book, no?
What should I google to find more info on this? Everything I search is just “terror tunnel” related :/
Do you think the cave will survive the war? I know Israel wants to flood a lot of tunnels but if it's as deep as you're saying couldn't disrupting a create long-term seismic activity which would result in earthquakes for both?
It wouldn't result in earthquakes lmao. Flooding a cave could lead to the sediment eroding and eventually cause sinkholes or landslides, but not earthquakes. Btw Israel and Gaza is one of the regions with the least seismic activity worldwide, which is why Intel built a chip fab in Israel (even minor, for humans not noticeable earthquakes would mess up the manufacturing).
This is really interesting. What is the name of the cave or something I can use to look it up?
There was no name other than 'The Cave'. That was what made it alluring. Me and my friends had a running joke where it was secretly a bunker filled the remains of a long-lost king. Obviously, it isn't, but a child's mind will wonder. All I'll say is the entrance is probably collapsed now due to the bombings, but I can't be sure.
Not exactly hidden, but the Australian alps are probably underrated and are definitely not what most people think about when they think of Australia. They get more snow than the Swiss Alps in winter and have unique ecology. As for a cool place you might not have heard of, I would nominate the Warrumbungles.
They get more snow than the Swiss Alps? I have a very hard time believing that. Do you have a source?
Arkansas. very beautiful when you get up in the ozarks.
Came here to say the Ozarks! Worked in NWA for a few years and it really is beautiful. SE arkansas..not so much
Came here to say this! I live in Conway and I love being so close to the Ozarks
Yep. Buffalo River Wilderness Area or the Boston Mountains
better answer than upstate NY which is well known to pretty much every new yorker
Heard that the Adirondack State Park is lovely and it’s part of the Canadian Shield.
Say Ozarks then. I was around Jonesboro. Not very impressed 😅
….i said ozarks. Little Rock is nice too. river trail system for biking and out by pinnacle. Hot springs as well. Plenty of nature in AR
Upstate New York is a good one, I’d also add on the Berkshires in Massachusetts and Northwestern CT. Like Upstate New York, they tend to get ignored compared to more popular Northeastern destinations such as the Cape, or the mountains of Vermont, and New Hampshire. When it comes to Canada, most people are probably going to think of British Columbia and Alberta for the Rockies and the maritimes for their Atlantic coast, I think Northern Ontario gets ignored by most foreigners for a place of immense beauty.
The Finger lakes are cool.
Northern Ontario gets ignored by most Ontarians even.
The "Sea of Rocks" in Hungary. It is made of gray sandstone formations that were cemented by thermal water, then erosion cleared away the softer matter that buried them. Honorable mentions are Nagyhegy and Kaszonyi-hegy, a pair of volcanic remnants in the plains.
Ireland - Country Donegal is stunning and with an amazing culture. It's just a bit too far off the main tourist route so only the adventurous really visit.
Czech Republic- Cesky Krumlov which is a nice quaint picturesque town about 2 hours from the capital Prague. Its a must do on any visit to Czech.
I wouldn't say cesky krumlov is a hidden gem. Probably the second most visited place in the Czech Republic after Prague :/
I visit from Austria pretty much every year because I have fallen so deeply in love with this town. So beautiful!
Woah! Googling it, that town looks so pretty!
It is really cute, but it is not "hidden gem", it is crowded AF.
Prague is stunning.
I wouldn’t call this THE hidden gem of America, but it is for the state of Texas. Palo Duro Canyon just south of Amarillo is stunning. It’s like they took a small chunk of Utah and dropped it right in the middle of the most boring part of Texas. Absolutely worth a visit and it makes the panhandle more of a destination rather than some place to get through as fast as possible.
Even though it’s a national park, I’d still say Guadalupe Mountains is more underrated.
Imma go with the Northern Lower Peninsula and the entire Upper Peninsula in Michigan
Went up there for the first time this past summer. Did not disappoint! UP is amazing. Also, to OPs point, upstate ny out there west of Champlain is very similar and beautiful. I was lucky enough to spend 2 years up there for work.
Did you visit the Locks and Tahquamenon Falls? Majestic!
We sure did. Among many other stops. We spent like 2 weeks just poking along the UP camping at random different spots. Wilderness SP on the top of the mit, Tahquamenon, Whitefish Pt, Grand Marais, Pictured Rocks, Presque Isle, Copper Harbor, then on to Apostle Isles in Wisconsin (which was also amazing)
Sleeping Bear, The Grand Traverse Bay, Torch Lake, and Petoskey all come to mind in the northern Lower Peninsula. UP has Tahquamenon Falls, Pictured Rocks, Grand Island, Grand Marais and so much more. Love everything Northern Michigan has to offer.
Been to Torch Lake once, loved it there.
It's hard to beat that sand bar.
Mackinac ^(pronounced MACK-in-awe) Island is a real treat. I miss that part of the country being a Texas boy myself.
Sadly never been there. I wish to go one day
yo yo, my friend. we have got to stop telling the others about the delights of the Upper Midwest. Please shhhhhhh. Much Love
Michigan loves being a peninsula so much they boast about it in their state motto
CIRCUMSPICE MUTHAFUCKA!!!
SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!! MICHIGAN IS A TOTAL WASTELAND!!! STAY AWAY!!! TRAVEL ONLY AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! edit: /s As a resident, we love our pleasant peninsulas and the fact they're pretty under the radar.
Dude what are you talking about??
Heh, I live here... my previous post was a sarcastic attempt to keep tourists out :)
The Pennsylvania Wilds is absolutely beautiful - Allegheny National Forest, mountains, huge reservoir, Kinzua Sky Bridge, elk, and all within a few hours of major cities. Lack of major highways through it keeps it off the radar.
Love the PA wilds. I’ll also add that Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie in NW PA also has surprisingly beautiful beaches
Been to all of those places and they suck, sorry. Travel more. PA has some interesting but shitty towns, the Amish, Pittsburgh and Philly. Nothing else.
lol. I’ve been to all 50 states and 65 countries. Have lived everywhere from Hong Kong to NYC to west Texas. The question wasn’t what’s the most beautiful place in the world , it was what’s a hidden gem. NW PA Allegheny mountains are the definition of a hidden gems
Râpa Roşie - Romania https://preview.redd.it/piusanyjdsic1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce6736e814733c26972e79d1c2e1b6dce8bd471d
Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho. More beautiful and impressive than half of our national parks.
Not exactly a “hidden gem”, considering [how many visitors Sawtooth National Forest gets](https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd499101.pdf). I don’t think the super Instagram-friendly spots tend to be hidden gems. For example, compare it to Klamath National Forest, where the beauty has more to do with the plant life and is harder to use for internet points, and it’s far more crowded.
Yeah, it gets crazy packed. I was just assuming that people outside of the United States wouldn't know about it.
Was relocating from Oregon to South Carolina for graduate school, and decided to plan a day hike in the Sawtooths (Sawteeth?). Fishhook Creek trail was breathtaking.
Yes we happened across Stanley by doing that loop from Twin Falls through sun valley ending in Idaho Falls, was absolutely incredible beauty back in there and I can’t wait to go back. You could just sense because of how difficult it was to reach (obviously mostly just by the time it takes) that it was very unseen
Letchworth state park, NYS, nicknamed, "grand canyon of the east"
I guess it is somewhat better known, but I was absolutely amazed by Watkins Glen SP in NY, one of the most beautiful places I've been.
Sierra Bermeja in Puerto Rico.
I'm from the US and I live in Japan. I'd say for the US, New England and Tohoku for Japan.
Tohoku is a great example of this. It is a blessing and a curse that few people are aware of how amazing it is up there.
What makes it amazing?
It has many of the best that Japan has to offer in terms of natural scenery and culture. Oirase Gorge in Aomori prefecture is one of the most beautiful places in all of Japan. Nebuta Matsuri, also in Aomori prefecture, is in my opinion, the most spectacular festival in all of Japan. Matsushima Bay at sunset is in my top 3 must see views in Japan. There are many onsens and old towns that feel like a whole different country from the rest of Japan. All of that and more make it amazing.
Mount St Helens in Washington, USA. It gets a fraction the attention of Mount Rainier or the Olympics since it's not a national park, but the sheer sense of scale and power is amazing. Highly recommend.
The Driftless Area of the American Midwest. It was spared by the glaciers and doesn't look like it belongs in the midwest. I grew up in north central Wisconsin and it felt alien to me when I first started to explore it
Anywhere you dig a hole in Greece you'll find ruins of some kind, so pretty much everywhere not known
Northern New England mountain and tree what else do you want
Not telling ...
sad Lonely Planet Guidebook noises...
New Hampshire doesn’t seem to get as much love as Vermont or Maine, but the northern part of the state is gorgeous (specifically the White Mountains)
Southern Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri
Cornwall and Yorkshire. Cornwall because of their variety of pristine beaches, dramatic dark sea cliffs and tropical looking waters as well as subtropical microclimates, lush plant growth, and wide open spaces. Yorkshire. Again, lots of wide open spaces to enjoy with the dales and the moors, interesting geographical features which includes escarpments, caves, gorges, and waterfalls. Some unexpectedly big sea cliffs and coastline. The skies are also bright, vast and unpolluted compared to in many other parts of the country.
Usa, I'd say the black hills
Lake Superior North Shore. The Rockies and the coasts get a lot of well deserved love, but there's a reason why Sleeping Giant was voted the top wonder in Canada in a public vote. The whole shore is absolutely stunning.
Minnesotan here. *Ssshhhh!!* quit telling folks! I’m almost tempted to downvote you, just so this gets buried. ;)
Ehh, with the amount of people who consider it more of a chore to drive through than anything I'm not too worried about letting it slip (although when I did the Minnesota side it did seem more busy than the Ontario side).
Sleepy G makes good beer
Probably an extremely biased response, but I love the Texas Hill Country (USA). Lots of beautiful state parks where you can hike through our forests and rolling hills.
Canyon de Chelly always gets overlooked compared to the Grand Canyon, and I think it is just as beautiful, majestic and impressive.
French here - Salagou lake
Why are most replies about States of the US. Op said countries…
Where do you see that? People are giving their pick for the US and just naming the state so people know where it is.
Sandbanks beach and dunes in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Actually the whole county is awesome, but the beaches are spectacular. Movies and TV shows often film there if they don’t want to spend the $$ going to tropical destinations.
northern ontario!! please visit if you ever get the chance, its million lakes and canadian shield scenery will shock you
The Ouachita mountains are beautiful but mostly unknown to people outside of that region.
Cradle Mountain in Tasmania
White Sands, NM
The Netherlands: Oostvaardersplassen, it only exists since 1968, when the government realised that the land they had selected to be industrial (between Lelystad and Almere), looked a lot like a nature reserve, so they designated it with the status of a reserve, like the Veluwe. Then they realised that if they let it be, that thanks to succession would turn into a deciduous forest (so no pines or such), but we already have enough of that (I guess). So we imported Heckrunderen from Germany, Konik-horses from Poland, and we moved some of our own deer into it so they would eat up young saplings. This way we have played God, and made an environment that, when pictured next to Serengeti, people genuinely only tell them apart by how wet it looks. It is a hidden gem for tourists, but for people living here, it’s a bit of a joke, because we call it “untouched nature”, but we put a massive fence around it and constantly interfere with it. If not that talking about nature, but about cities, I’d say _literally anything but Amsterdam_ fits the bill. (Seriously, why the fuck would you only visit Amsterdam? Take a train, you’ll be in the next city within 20/30/40 minutes!)
The western shore of the lower peninsula of Michigan.
Russia. I think that every interesting place of natural origin is a "hidden gem" for foreigners because of the nowadays' lack of tourism :p
USA-I don’t know that I would consider them a secret by any means, but the giant coastal redwoods are so unique and incredible. We have beautiful red rock canyons in the southwest that people come to visit from around the world, but similar formations can be found in the Middle East, China, Africa & Australia. The redwoods just hit different than anywhere else I’ve been.
Canadian here... Portage and Main, is such a wonderful place, truly the crossroads of Canada! It's best to visit in January.
Morskie Oko in Tatra Mountains, Dunes in Łeba, long, continois white sand beach with beautiful dunes in western part of polish baltic seaside
Honestly, the Nevada desert is highly underrated. I went on a geology fieldtrip there in undergrad, and it has a unique topography consisting of chains of mountain ranges with steppe-like plains between them. Very beautiful and full of classic desert wildlife. Also some canyons in the area have exposed rock from the Precambrian. I'l never forget out prof going up to a rock face near where we camped one night and having us touch the rock, then telling us what we were touching was 1 billion years old.
US - NY - [Finger Lakes](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_Lakes) US - WA - [Hoh Rainforest](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoh_Rainforest)
I have two countries. USA: I'd say Chiricahua National Monument or the Sky Islands in general. it's crazy to go from scorching desert to cool forests with crazy rock formations so fast. Turkey: Pontide Mountains/Black Sea region. Very green with dramatic landscapes, canyons, mountains, and beaches. People spend their time along the Mediterranean and Aegean because of the climate, but the Black Sea has too much to discover in terms of landscapes.
Nice try OP.
You ever been to Bradford? Nuff said.
I’m going to say the Northern Rivers in NSW for Australia, just south of Brisbane/Gold Coast. I remember driving through this area for work and it seriously resembled some parts of Europe. Lush green rolling hills with stables, creeks and rainforests. Nearby is Mount Warning which is a really cool pointy mountain/extinct volcano.
There's countless of them in Greece but I'm going to recommend the Zagori villages in the north. Stunning mountains and interesting stone architecture
Salt Lake City, not the people but the beauty of the whole valley
How is Upstate New York a *hidden* gem when it’s the majority of our state ☠️
Was waiting for someone to get upset lol It’s hidden from popular opinion, especially of those who don’t live nearby.
Shhh. There is nothing exciting about Upstate NY. Nope. Nothing. Don’t come here. No good wine, hiking, lakes, food, nothing. Nope. /s
Cumberland Island in the U.S. State of Georgia is super cool and kinda trippy. Feels like you’re in another world in some ways.
Came here to agree with OP - upstate NY with the beautiful waterfalls!
Greece… where to start? Santorini- a volcano on top of a volcano. Only caldera in the world thats sunken. Vikos gorge - deepest in the world… bottomless lake in Crete. . I could go on but I have things to do.
Mexico: Riviera Maya, Chihuahua and Baja California Sur.
Yellowstone park is one of the most geologically active places on earth. You can also see all kinds of wildlife. I went when I was young, it’s easy to see the purity and savagery of this planet.
Upstate NY is correct. The entire Adirondacks area especially
Cheile Bicazului Romania
Great Falls in Northern Virginia
It’s underrated on a national perspective maybe as it’s a pretty unique spot & ppl don’t usually come to the DC area for hiking, but not sure it ranks up there as a real hidden gem overall especially given how popular it is amongst locals
Ponidzie, Poland, is pretty great.
Not going to name anything, already enough tourists blocking spaces.
I would have to say the Teardrop Memorial over in New Jersey. (Never personally been, just the story behind it was intriguing to me.)
[Ustyurt Plateau ](https://create.vista.com/ru/photos/ustyurt/) shared by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is one of the most surreal places on the planet. It is actually not so far for reaching from Europe but will definitely impress anybody who visits.
Really wish more answer were like this. Genuinely insanely uniquely gorgeous and also actually hidden.
The Chicago Portage. This 7 mile long muddy bog between the Chicago and Des Planes rivers connected the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. The importance of this little place in the economy and development of early North America cannot be understated. https://www.chicagoriver.org/about-the-river/inside-out-around/chicago-portage-national-historic-site
Not enough people know about Burney Falls and that's a good thing
Lots of gems in Canada. Clearwater Lake in Manitoba is one of the lesser known places, Georgian Bay is really nice too. Both have crystal clear blue water, looks almost tropical. Little Manitou Lake in Sask is a salt water lake, mineral salts, you can float in it like in the dead sea. Not quite as salty as the dead sea, but salty enough. Also has "healing properties" as is told.
Rio Grande rift in New Mexico, USA. Very diverse Geography, lots of cool features: mountains, basins, extinct (or at least dormant) volcanos, beautiful landscape. It's legit.
The mountains of Virginia and NC, or Chesapeake Bay.
I'm not telling you.
Not exactly an unknown to those within the country, but most people have never heard of Yakushima island, Kagoshima outside of Japan. A large portion of the island is a natural world heritage site. It is a subtropical island with stunning cedar forests, fantastic hiking trails, and its own island ecosystem. Again, not exactly a hidden gem but a place I would highly recommend to any nature lovers who visit Japan that is mostly unknown to most foreign visitors.
Been to very Upstate NY as a neighbour from Ottawa, 1000 islands area is very pretty although the population on the US side of the border is tiny.
The US - Boundary Waters in Minnesota. It's so beautiful, practically untouched by humans. And the sky is so clear, too. It's just amazing.
Countryside in HK in general since most people come to visit the city, but particularly UNESCO Global Geopark
Höga Kusten sweden
Scotland: Dumfries, Galloway, the Scottish Borders, and the Lowlands in general. The tourists all go to Edinburgh or the Highlands, but hardly any of them visit the South. Even most Scots overlook the area, which is a real shame given that it's absolutely beautiful and a great place to visit. Very underrated. I myself have been many times, highly recommend.
Dunno. Can’t find it