Insider: RV Owners Share The Best Isolated Destinations They've Discovered While Traveling Across The U.S.

When Will and Kristin Wason reach an isolated spot in their livable school bus, they become kids in a candy shop. The drone comes out, the grill gets lit, and their daughter and dog roam free. 

But isolated takes on a new meaning as lockdown restrictions lift and people consider traveling again. The US has seen an uptick in domestic travel, and people have reported that they're more likely to take a road trip than get on a plane this summer in an effort to avoid large crowds.

Kristin and Will have traveled across the US and Canada and explored some of the continent's best destinations. Along the way, they've discovered some isolated gems. Adam and Destiny Clayton also have a similar love for empty, expansive destinations. The couple has lived in their 180-square-foot RV for almost a year and a half. They moved into the RV with their dog Brew at the beginning of 2019 after living in a renovated school bus for a few months.

If you're visiting sunny Florida, both couples suggested making a stop at the Ocala National Forest to enjoy the state's springs. The forest, located just north of Orlando, is expansive and filled with hundreds of springs, rivers, and lakes visitors can swim in. Popular springs, like Juniper Springs or Ginnie Springs, might attract hundreds of visitors every day, but there are also some lesser-known spots that people don't even know exist, Kristin said.

Moab, Utah, is full of hidden places to park and camp. The 5,300-acre park sits in Moab, Utah, and overlooks the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. Destiny said that often state parks and lesser-known parks are home to unexpected views. "You assumed the national parks are the best of the best, but we just casually went to this state park and it ended up being our favorite spot we visited," Destiny said. 

Speculator, a small village in upstate New York, was also highly recommended. The tiny town is home to just a couple hundred people, and the couple described it as a quiet, secluded place to visit. "It was a really cool little town where we spent two weeks in the summertime," Kristin said. "It'd be a cool place to go right now when you're not trying to be around a bunch of people."

Wander with the wild horses on Assateague Island in Maryland. The island is home to a diverse range of ecosystems, from sandy beaches to salt marshes and maritime forests. The Assateague Island National Seashore is also home to wild animals. When Will and Kristin visited the island, they had to share their campsite. Not with people, but with wild horses.  

Badlands National Park in South Dakota topped Adam and Destiny's list of isolated destinations. "The stars were just phenomenal," Destiny said. The 244,000-acre national park is home to a lodge, two campgrounds, and back-country camping. Visitors can camp anywhere in the park as long as it's half a mile from a road or trail. "That was by far the most isolated we've been," Adam said. "It was unreal."

Will and Kristin hardly saw another living thing when staying at Toadstool Geological Park in Nebraska. When visiting Toadstool Geological Park, expect nature, and lots of it. "There's not much there besides nature," Kristin said. The park is located in the Oglala National Grassland in northwest Nebraska. The terrain is otherworldly and named after toadstools, a type of mushroom. 

Check out all the locations in the full article from Insider here.