50 Active Vacations for the Fitness-Conscious: Multisport Vacations

Keep active on these multisport vacations:

• Yellowstone/Grand Teton Multisport Vacation
• Glacier National Park Multisport Vacation
• Costa Rica Multisport From Rain Forests to Reefs
• New Zealand Multisport Adventure
• Kootenay Multisport
• Arkansas Valley Multisport
• West Virginia Multisport Adventure
• Road Cycling Multisport San Juan Islands

Yellowstone/Grand Teton Multisport Vacation

Where: Jackson, Wyo.
Duration: 5 days
Distance: 50-plus miles
Cost: $1,241, adult; $1,117, child
Operator: O.A.R.S. (www.oars.com; 800-346-6277)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

The first day of this family-oriented wilderness adventure takes you kayaking on Yellowstone Lake, North America's largest mountain lake. Next, it's rafting or kayaking the Snake River and a moderate paddle to the western shore of Jackson Lake, where you'll camp for two nights in the shadow of the Grand Tetons. Day hikes to Bear Paw Lake or the cascades in the Moran Canyon often involve elk and moose sightings, and this is prime bald eagle territory. Kids over age 7 are welcome, and no previous wilderness experience is required—though you need to be able to paddle for up to two hours. The average group size is 10.

Glacier National Park Multisport Vacation

Where: Whitefish, Mont.
Duration: 6 days
Distance: From 3 to 49 miles a day
Cost: $1,898 to $1,998
Operator: Backroads (www.backroads.com; 800-462-2848)
Difficulty: Easy to challenging

You have so many choices on this trip that you can make it as easy or tough as you want, and kids are invited. After meeting with your guide at the Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish, you're shuttled to the edge of Glacier National Park, where you'll camp in comfort—spacious dome tents, extra-thick padding, and dinners of broiled salmon and roast chicken—at four different locations. The first-day bike route offers a choice of 6 miles or 17, between jagged peaks and alongside turquoise lakes. A shuttle takes you across the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. On subsequent days, you can choose to hike, bike, or go horseback riding; one option is a 49-mile bike trip across the border and through Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park. The week concludes with a three-hour white-water rafting trip on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.

Costa Rica Multisport From Rain Forests to Reefs

Where: San Jose, Costa Rica
Duration: 8 days
Distance: 24 miles to 48 miles
Cost: $3,198, adult; $2,798, child
Operator: Country Walkers (www.countrywalkers.com; 800-464-9255)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

This family adventure surveys Costa Rica's diverse ecological treasures, from Arenal Volcano National Park to Monteverde's misty cloud forest to the west coast's beaches, and puts you up overnight at a series of lodges and inns. You'll embark on a two-hour paddling trip on the Penas Blancas or Arenal River. (Look for monkeys and iguanas, perhaps a turtle, and surely a toucan or two.) A two- to three-hour walk through the rain forest takes you to the Eco Hot Termales Hot Springs; another day's leisurely walk along La Peninsula Trail at the base of the Arsenal Volcano can fill up three to six hours—your choice. Not to be missed is the Sky Trek Zipline tour, on a set of trails, suspension bridges, and zip lines in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. On the sixth day, you journey along the Pacific Coast by outrigger canoe to a secluded beach for snorkeling. Each canoe holds eight paddlers and a guide. The vacation wraps up with a hike in the Manuel Antonio National Park, a rain forest. A variety of trails lead to a white sand beach, so you can choose one that suits your athletic prowess. Whiteface monkeys and sloths might share the trail with you. When you reach the shores, it's time to pull on your mask and fins and check out the world below the surface.

New Zealand Multisport Adventure

Where: Christchurch, New Zealand
Duration: 14 days
Distance: N/A
Cost: $6,150 (2008); $6,495 (2009)
Operator: National Geographic Expeditions (www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com; 888-966-8687)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Native New Zealander Malcolm Campbell, a professional naturalist and birder who has worked for 20 years on conservation and environmental issues in his country's national parks, forests, and coastal marine environments, is your guide for this whirlwind tour. He has led National Geographic expeditions in New Zealand for the past three years and shares his in-depth knowledge of his country's people, political history, flora and fauna, and indigenous Maori culture. This expedition includes easy-to-moderate hikes and options for horseback riding, snorkeling, kayaking, and rafting. It's not all manpower—you also travel by car, helicopter, train, ship, and boat. Stopping points include: Mount Cook National Park for hiking on alpine trails, kayaking in Milford Sound, and hiking the rain forest at Westland National Park below the Fox Glacier (a UNESCO World Heritage site). You take an underground rafting trip in Metro Cave, where glowworms light the way as you paddle through the caverns and out the rapids of the Nile River. You kayak from Torrent Bay through a marine reserve to Pinnacle Island, home to penguins and seals. And you can cap off your journey by swimming with a pod of dolphins in Kaikoura, a town on the east coast of the South Island before returning to Christchurch.

Kootenay Multisport

Where: Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
Duration: 6 days
Distance: NA
Cost: $1,995
Operator: O.A.R.S. (www.oars.com; 800-346-6277)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

The beauty of the Canadian wilderness is the backdrop as you try your hand at a different adventure sport each day. You hike the trails outside of Nelson, near Kootenay Lake. Some are quite steep, but there are options for all fitness levels. Next you raft or kayak the Salmo River's Class III-IV whitewater, through towering canyons and over cascading waterfalls. The upper section of the trip provides a scenic relaxing float, while the lower 12-mile stretch treats you to a roller coaster ride of waves and crashing holes. Then, in a kayak outfitted with a spray skirt, you're instructed on paddling techniques and safety procedures in preparation for a day of kayaking on a lake toward the slopes of the Purcell Mountains. Your final day offers a choice of mountain biking the Galena Trail, rock climbing, sea kayaking the northern part of the lake, or hitting the trails. You overnight at two different lodges. Minimum age is 8.

Arkansas Valley Multisport

Where: Northrop, Colo.
Duration: 4 days
Distance: NA
Cost: $769, adult; $663, child
Operator: Bill Dvorak's Kayak and Rafting Expeditions (www.dvorakexpeditions.com; 800-824-3795)
Difficulty: Easy to challenging

The outfitter will customize this trip to suit your family's whims. Most people opt to take an overnight raft trip the first day, through Class II-III rapids, and camp on the riverbanks. After another day on the river, you can overnight in a B&B near Northrop, then saddle up for a full day's horseback ride in the high country of the Pike/San Isabel National Forest. The ride is mostly at a slow clip, unless requests are made for a brisker pace, so nonriders and kids will be comfortable. You can camp overnight if prearranged. Otherwise, it's back to town late afternoon, with the option of a soak at the local hot springs. Mountain biking on the final day can be mostly downhill for beginners. More advanced bikers can ride up to the Alpine Tunnel area, which reaches 13,000 feet. Keep chugging that water. Hydration is key at those altitudes.

West Virginia Multisport Adventure

Where: Oak Hill, W.Va.
Duration: 5 days
Distance: Not applicable
Cost: $374, adult; $341, child 12 to 17 (not including lodging)
Operator: ACE Adventure Center (www.aceraft.com; 888-223-7238)
Difficulty: Moderate

The 1,400-acre ACE Adventure Center, located in southern West Virginia, features the works: white-water rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking. Sign up for a five-day package, rent a lakeside chalet or cabin with a hot tub on the deck, or pitch a tent at one of the campsites, and go to it. The New River Gorge is one of the top mountain and rock climbing sites on the East Coast, with its high-quality sandstone cracks, faces, and arêtes, as well as the wide variety (over 1,600 routes listed to date) of climbs. A full-day, guided, beginner-friendly climb and rappel gets you right out on the rock with the proper equipment. Then spend a day on a mountain bike, heading downhill most of the way, and another taking a raft trip the length of the Lower New River, over 24 rapids. It's a full-day trip, with riverside lunch. There's time set aside for jumping off rocks into the water, too. And perhaps a scenic horseback ride to complete your week? There is a plethora of activity levels here, so if you're not a beginner, you won't have trouble finding challenges.

Road Cycling Multisport San Juan Islands

Where: Seattle
Duration: 6 days
Distance: 74 to 123 miles
Cost: $1,690 (camping); $2,290 (inns)
Operator: Escape Adventures (www.escapeadventures.com; 800-596-2953)
Difficulty: Moderate with challenging elements

You'll shuttle to La Conner, a picturesque fishing village, to begin your ride through the flower farms of Skagit Valley. The roads range from gently rolling to downright hilly, but the support vehicle is always nearby should you get pumped out. The next day, after a ferry ride to Orcas Island, you spend two days exploring its winding roads and open valleys. Next, you head to San Juan Island to sea kayak in Roche Harbor, underneath towering cliffs. You ride through Lime Kiln State Park, which is devoted to whale watching and considered one of the best spots in the world to observe Orcas from land. The final ride ascends to the top of Mount Constitution, where you have a bird's-eye view of the entire San Juan Islands chain, the Pacific Ocean, Puget Sound, Olympic National Park, and Cascade mountain range. As you cycle, kayak, and swim, you're apt to spot great blue herons, seals, dolphins, and sea otters as well as whales.