This article is presented in partnership with Valor Carts, which recently launched its brand new T4 electric low-speed vehicle (pictured above).

The summer road trip is a time-honored tradition, and the Tri-Cities are close to some genuinely underrated outdoor destinations. 

Think hiking, boating, fishing, scenic cruising, or just relaxing amid the beautiful scenery with your family and friends. Whether you're after a quick day trip or a long weekend away, here's a roundup of parks, dunes, lakes, and small towns within a three-hour drive. 

About an hour from the Tri-Cities, Lake Geneva is the easiest weekend escape on this list. The town's signature feature is the Geneva Lake Shore Path, a roughly 21-mile walking trail that wraps the entire lake past historic estates and public beaches. 

Beyond the water, the area offers golf courses, wineries, breweries, and distilleries, plus a charming downtown area packed with shopping and restaurants. If you're staying at a family place on the lake, a low-speed electric cart makes hauling coolers, tubes, and gear down to the dock a lot less of a chore than carrying everything by hand. 

Lake Geneva also runs a steamboat tour of the lake's historic mansions.

Pro tip: park downtown and walk the shore path one direction, then grab a ride or cab back instead of doing the full loop both ways.

Roughly an hour and a half from the Tri-Cities, this 385-acre park near Mount Morris is one of those places that many suburbanites haven’t heard of — which conveniently helps keep the crowds at bay. 

It's known for hiking trails, rustic cabins (available for rent), and a great chance of seeing deer while you’re trekking about. There's a stocked fishing stream in the heart of the park, and the lodge runs a dinner theater with cover bands and seasonal shows.

The on-site restaurant serves breakfast and dinner, with a fireside room that's worth a stop even if you're not staying overnight.

Pro tip: book the dinner theater and a cabin together if you're staying overnight. They're often packaged.

These two parks sit close enough together that many people visit both in the same trip, and they're about an hour and a half from the Tri-Cities. 

Matthiessen has wooded canyons carved by water into intricate shapes, laced with waterfalls, including the aptly named Giant's Bathtub, while Starved Rock offers more than 13 miles of trails through bluffs and canyons above the Illinois River. You’ll find plenty of camping and glamping opportunities nearby as well.

Both parks see their waterfalls at full strength in early spring, then they tend to calm down a bit as summer progresses. The nearby towns of Utica and Oglesby have a handful of restaurants and a local winery if you’re looking for some fun and refreshment.

Pro tip: do Matthiessen first if you're visiting both. It's smaller and less crowded, so it's a nice warmup before tackling Starved Rock's bigger trail network.

A little over two hours out, this is one of the bigger outdoor playgrounds on the list. The southern unit spans more than 30 miles and 22,000 acres of glacial hills, lakes, and forest, with hiking, biking, fishing on four different lakes, and 87 miles of horseback trails for anyone who’s into that.

There are several campgrounds spread across the park, so this is an easy one to turn into a long weekend if you've got the gear. The nearby town of Whitewater is home to a University of Wisconsin campus and a downtown full of restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques, and museums. 

With campgrounds, lakes, and miles of trail to cover, a cart would certainly come in handy for hauling gear and getting around the spread-out area.

Pro tip: reserve a campsite well ahead of summer weekends. This park draws roughly 1.5 million visitors a year and fills up fast.

Roughly an hour and a half to two hours away depending on traffic, the Indiana Dunes offer your only nearby opportunity to visit a national park. The park alone covers 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and 50 miles of trails through dunes, wetlands, and old-growth forest. 

Downtown Chesterton, just outside the park, has a small-town feel with a thriving art scene, plus local restaurants, breweries, wineries, and a distillery. If your group splits between beach time and shopping, this is a good one for it. Pack light for the beach itself, since the parking lots can mean a longer walk to the water than you'd expect.

Pro tip: go on a weekday if you can. Beach parking lots fill early on summer weekends.

About two and a half hours away, visiting the Warren Dunes requires a trek through northwest Indiana, but it delivers a one-of-a-kind experience. The park's main dune rises 260 feet above Lake Michigan, with three miles of shoreline and six miles of hiking trails. Plus it's one of the few spots around here where you can try hang gliding.

There are two campgrounds on site, and Haymarket Brewing is just up the road if you want to stop for a cold one. Both campgrounds fill up fast in summer, and if you're hauling gear from your site to the beach more than once a day, a low-speed cart turns that walk into a quick ride. 

Pro tip: the dune climb back from the beach is steeper than it looks. Budget extra time and water for it, especially if you plan on exploring.

At roughly three hours, this is the farthest stop on the list, but it's also the most visited state park in Wisconsin for a reason. Covering more than 10,000 acres on ancestral Ho-Chunk lands, it draws nearly three million visitors a year and includes ancient effigy mounds alongside the quartzite bluffs for which the park is known.

It's a short drive from the Wisconsin Dells if anyone in your group wants some water park action, and Driftless Glen Distillery and Balanced Rock Winery are both in the area for an afternoon or evening stop. A full weekend is the best approach to this option.

Pro tip: if you’re a craft beer fan, plan a stop at the famous New Glarus Brewing during the ride there or the trip home.

Also about two and a half to three hours from the Tri-Cities, Galena blends outdoor adventure with small-town charm. The historic Main Street is full of local shops, dining, and bars, and the surrounding countryside is full of picturesque rolling hills and lakes — ideal for hiking, biking, boating, and golf. 

It's a nice destination for a group with mixed interests, since there's enough variety to keep everyone happy for a full weekend. And if you’re an animal lover, Hoof It Goat Treks pair you with a friendly goat for a relaxing forest stroll.

Pro tip: book lodging in advance. Galena's small-town inns and B&Bs sell out fast, and AirBnB’s are also available.

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