You Can Be Indiana Jones on a Budget

Rafting the Yampa River, Colorado

Roaring for 72 miles through northwestern Colorado, the Yampa River is the last major free-flowing tributary in the entire Colorado River system. This Class III river, ideal for families, is in its prime in early June, when the snowmelt fills the channel. Large, playful waves run from start to finish through Yampa, Whirlpool, and Split Mountain Canyons in the heart of Dinosaur National Monument. (Butch Cassidy found these slickrock walls and layers of cavernous rock to be the perfect hideaway.) Two-thousand-foot-deep sandstone gorges create a colorful canyon maze that effectively blocks out the world. You'll find golden eagles, bighorn sheep, and one of the largest concentrations of the threatened peregrine falcons in the States. Adrift Adventures (800/824-0150, adrift.com/) features a five-day run on the Yampa. Cost is $769 adults and $679 children.

Surfing Oregon

Much of Oregon's northern coast is undeveloped and protected as state parks or public beaches. It's an ideal place to camp and wake up in the morning to look for shells on miles-long crescents of sand. If you register for Adventure Surf Unlimited's (781/648-2880, adventuresurf.com/) weeklong camps on the Oregon coast, you roll out of your sleeping bag at sunrise and look out over the bluff at the waters of the Pacific. Minutes later, you're donning a wetsuit and hitting the surf. Far away from the crowded conditions of California beaches, Oregon is a far gentler place to try this sport.

In the ocean, guides ride directly alongside novices, even giving them a little push, if necessary, to catch the wave. Although Adventure Surf Unlimited primarily attracts beginners, seasoned riders come to fine-tune skills such as walking the board or setting up for bigger waves. Throughout the session, guides shout instructions like, "This is a good wave, you can catch it," or "Paddle right." Out of the water, instructors discuss tidal conditions, tell you how to read waves, and critique how you did that day. Take it in stride, dude. The seven-day course, including all instruction, food, and camping equipment, costs $799.

Mountain biking in Moab, Utah 

Moab and the Canyonlands are to mountain biking what Hawaii is to surfing. It's home to the legendary Slickrock Trail, a 12-mile pedal through a stunning labyrinth of deep narrow canyons that twist and turn sharply, without reason, like the scribbling of a three-year-old. Adventurebus (888/737-5263, adventurebus.com/) will take you and your favorite mountain bike on a weeklong biking-and-hiking tour of Utah on the Slickrock Express.

Starting from Southern California, you drive through Las Vegas, arriving at the red and amber canyon walls of Zion National Park at dawn. Rise and shine on a hike in the Narrows, where you walk in the Virgin River through a 1,000-foot-deep chasm that's a mere 20 feet wide. The next day is spent hiking or biking in Bryce Canyon National Park. Then it's on to Canyonlands for four days of camping under the stars and biking through rolling juniper and burnt-red butte country. You'll try all the renowned routes-Slickrock, Gemini Bridges, and the Porcupine Rim Trail-spending hours slithering through chutes of sandstone. Cost of the trip is $800, including food.

Sailing the Keys, Florida 

There was a time, not long ago, when yachting was an outing only for the affluent. Thankfully, that's no longer true. The Moorings (800/535-7289, moorings.com/), a yacht charter company for the past 33 years, is offering a great deal out of Tortola, the British Virgin Islands. From July 29 through October 24, 2002, you can bareboat charter the Moorings 332, a 33-foot yacht, for a cost of $1,500 for six nights. Since the boat has two spacious staterooms, the yacht is well suited for two couples. The final tally for four people would be $53 per person per day, not including provisions.

Rock climbing, Joshua Tree National Park

Three hours east of Los Angeles, huge boulder outcroppings bake in the Mojave Desert sun. Joshua trees, yucca, creosote, and other desert shrubs cover the sandy ground, leaving only these mountains of rock uncovered. Welcome to Joshua Tree National Park, home to the Joshua Tree Rock Climbing School (800/890-4745, joshuatreerockclimbing.com/). More than 100 million years ago, these jumbled piles of bedrock cooled, hardened, and then eroded into fantastic shapes. Today, there are over 4,000 rock climbs to choose from, appropriate for any level of expertise.