A massive oak, a sprawling wetland, an atomic lake-this classic weekend trip packs it all into a 19.2-mile out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail. Bonus: Save the Earth by taking the train to the trailhead.
Hike one of SoCal's highest peaks on this 10.4-miler that serves up magnificent views and plenty of high-country beauty in Mt. San Jacinto State Park.
This 6.4-mile loop circles the best scenery in Texas Hill Country: amazing pink rock formations, picturesque ponds, and a giant granite dome.
Hike or run in an undeveloped pocket of restored prairie and wooded glades on this 4.1-miler through Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve.
This moderate 13.7-mile one-way hike hugs America's first designated National River as it winds past limestone bluffs and grassy Ozark hollows.
Go 4.8 miles past the scuff marks and rocky scraps of an ancient glacier that left its long-lasting signature in western Wisconsin.
Get far away from it all on this 4-mile loop through wooded ravines and giant rock outcroppings abutting the Great Miami River.
Explore a wild kingdom of birds, elk, and black bears on this 5.4-mile, moderately challenging dayhike in the William O. Douglas Wilderness.
Hike a lonely ridge to a lovely meadow campsite on this fairly modest 9.2-mile hike with postcard panoramas of Mount Adams.
This 7.4-miler boasts unmatched views of Mount Rainier, not to mention wildflower meadows and campsites by a mountain lake.
This 4.2-mile out-and-back leads to a beautiful cascade that, despite its misleading name, tumbles 50 feet from mossy cliffs.
Hike along gorgeous ridges and rumbling creeks to an old cabin on this 8.5-mile loop in the Pioneer Mountains.
This 7.7-mile lollipop loop through the Mountain Bridge Wilderness leads to Raven Cliff Falls, arguably South Carolina's most famous waterfall.
Play tag with the pounding surf by day and camp in misty coves by night on this 26-miler along the wildflower-swathed hillsides of the Lost Coast.
Bag three peaks and bird's-eye views of Boulder on this tour of the Flatirons. Bring a few extra energy bars: This out-and-back gains 5,000 feet in 11 miles.
Hike a chaparral-covered slope in Cleveland National Forest to a view of Mexico. Then cool off at the falls, a series of cascades and swimming holes alongside smooth granite boulders.
This 14.2-mile hike shows off LA's flipside: rugged mountains, oak-filled valleys, and miles of quiet trail.
Hike 4.5 miles along Griffith Park's ridge for commanding views of the Hollywood sign and downtown.
The standard approach for GT climbers, this 6-mile, 5,000-foot trek to the Lower Saddle yields divine views.
Walk among beech and pine on this easy 3.6-mile hike to views of the 2,350-acre reservoir. Bring your swimsuit.
Look for bears, wild turkeys, Native American artifacts, and herbs on this shady loop off the tourist trail.
Hike over contoured hills into the quite wilderness filled with deer, wild turkey, and roughed grouse on this 9.4-mile loop. In spring, scavenge for morel mushrooms.
This 5.2-mile trail kicks off with a short albeit aggressive climb, then rambles through meadows that explode with wildflowers in the summer. Craggy mountain vistas abound.
Hike over three mountain passes into glacier-carved basins with crystalline lakes and bird's-eye views on this 17.6-mile loop. Don't forget your camera.
Swing off the Beltway for a 9.2-mile loop through the boggy lowlands, grassy meadows, and open ridges of this once-bustling historic valley.
On this 13.2-mile out-and-back, you'll get a StairMaster-type workout as you explore the ridges, ravines and overlooks of Fahnestock State Park.
This 5.4-mile paddle runs two rivers past stretches of undeveloped land, ending just short of a steep rapid. Bonus: Explore side trails from the riverbank.
This gentle 4.8-mile climb strings through the thick woods of Pawtuckaway State Park to a fire tower lookout with four-star mountaintop views.
HIKERTOWN to TEHACHAPI/WILLOW SPRINGS ROAD: This one isn't for tender-footed hikers. Best saved for springtime, it's a hot run for 37 miles across the Mojave Desert peppered with iconic Joshua trees.
LAGUNA MEADOW to CA 78: Starting on the Laguna Rim, this 25.7-mile leg passes over granite knobs with long views into the undulating desert.
WALKER PASS to KENNEDY MEADOWS: Go 48.5 miles on the Kern Plateau, a slanted wilderness that connects foxtail pine country to the crumbling granite obelisks of the Sierra foothills.
TUOLUMNE MEADOWS to SONORA PASS: This 65.8-mile section travels the remote regions of Yosemite. Our advice: Pack a good camera (the scenery is five stars), extra sunscreen (it's the High Sierra), and water shoes (swift rivers).
KENNEDY MEADOWS to TUOLUMNE MEADOWS: The highlight reel of this 209-mile section includes three national parks, several high passes with heavenly views, two stunning wilderness areas, and not a single road. Option: Detour up Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the Lower 48.
This 8.9-mile section hike gets top billing for its 100-mile Sierra views of shimmering alpine lakes, towering peaks, and hillsides bursting with wildflowers.
Hundreds of lakes and numerous campsites dot a 6,000-foot plateau on this 28.7-mile leg.
This 22.5-mile trip sticks to high ridges that serve up outstanding views of the Cascade's infamous volcanoes.
A good pick for new backpackers and fit families, the 25.6-mile leg from White Pass north to Chinook Pass is spectacular without too much challenge.
Want mountain views? Gaze at horizon-hoggers like Rainier and Glacier Peak. Flora and fauna? Spot mountain goats amid the plentiful columbines. Lakeside camping? With 700 lakes, there's no end to superb tent sites on this 58.7-mile trek.
This 49.8-mile traverse passes through all six California life zones, from scrubby deserts of chaparral and shaggy Mojave yucca to the frosty spine of the San Jacinto Range.
Which is good, because you'll need to hike it twice.
Spend up to a week on this 28-mile stretch, which yields more consistent views than the densely forested remainder of the PCT in Oregon. "Take time to bag the Sisters," advises Jack Haskel, our PCT map contributor. "There are great off-trail routes from basecamps on the trail."
Looking for a spectacular dayhike near Portland? Most thru-hikers follow this alternate path, which passes a dozen large cascades, including walk-behind-it Tunnel Falls. "For a ways," says Jack Haskel, our PCT map contributor, "the trail is blasted out of 200-foot cliffs with only some cables to hold onto."
Traverse the dry, but surprisingly life-filled, San Felipe Hills on this 18.9-mile trip in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Hike past bizarre volcanic formations to a campsite offering remote sunrise views of the northern Sierras on this 14.8-mile trek.
I-8 to LAGUNA MEADOWS: Explore the shady ravines of the Laguna Mountains on this 19.2-mile to a cozy meadow campsite under Jeffrey pines.
CRAB FLATS ROAD to CA 138: Hot springs. Killer views. Lonely campsites. That's just a short hitlist of what unfurls on this 30.4-mile section across the San Bernardino Mountains.
Trek through all six of the life zones in California on this 54.3-mile section, from the scrubby desert floor to the frosty spine of the San Jacinto Range.
CA 78 to WARNER SPRINGS: Best done during the cooler days of spring and fall, this 25.8-mile stretch runs through the shrubby San Felipe Hills of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
CAJON JUNCTION to CA 2: Walk the scar of the San Andreas Fault then climb the pinyon ridges of the Mojave Desert on this 23.6-mile trek. Don't miss Wrightwood, CA, considered the friendliest hiker town just off the PCT.
THREE POINTS to AGUA DULCE: Finish off the San Gabriel's by dipping into steep ravines and over ridges covered in spruce on this 41.3-mile stretch that ends beneath the uplifted sandstone cliffs in Vasquez Rocks County Park.
ELIZABETH CANYON to HIKERTOWN: Much of this 26.3-mile stretch navigates the slopes of Sawmill Mountain before ending in the desert flats of Hikertown, USA. High point: Views on Leibre Mountain stretch from the Pacific to the Mojave.
Start the long climb to the Sierras on this 43.2-mile leg through pinyon forests and cholla clumps in the Scodie Mountains.
EBBETTS PASS to CA 88: Pass through an ancient volcanic kiln of rugged knobs and lava streams now-framed with willows, peaceful meadows, and early-summer snow fields in the Mokelumne Wilderness. This is a moderately-challenging 23.6-mile leg.
US 50 to I-80: Visit two scenic wilderness areas, swim in countless lakes, and traverse above Lake Tahoe’s rim on this 56-mile section.
QUINCY-LAPORTE ROAD to OROVILLE-QUINCY HIGHWAY: This 29.8-mile leg skirts crumbled lava flows and the churning Middle Fork Feather River, where delightful riverside pools offer ample sunbathing and swimming.
SIERRA CITY to QUINCY-LAPORTE ROAD: Hike past dozens of alpine lakes and a few notable peaks on this 31.7-mile section. Don't pass by the Sierra Buttes without climbing to the old lookout, the views from the top are some of California's best.
BELDEN to HUMBOLDT SUMMIT: This 22.4-mile heart-pounding section climbs 5,000 feet and crosses several lovely mountain streams.
HUMBOLDT SUMMIT to CA 36: Hit the PCT midpoint and some refreshing creekside pools in the Sierra’s last canyon on this 17.9-mile section.
CA 36 to DRAKESBAD RESORT: Pick up some steam on this 17.4-mile segment through the puffing geysers and thermal lakes of Lassen Volcanic National Park.
DRAKESBAD RESORT to OLD STATION POST OFFICE: Head into the remote corner of Lassen Volcanic National Park on this 22.4-mile section past high mountain lakes ringed with conifers and a backdrop of cinder cone volcanoes.
OLD STATION POST OFFICE to BURNEY FALLS: This 43.8-mile leg, possibly the longest waterless stretch on the PCT, follows the sweltering contours of Hat Creek Rim before ending at a 129-foot cascade. In early spring, wildflowers are top-notch on the rim.
GRIZZLY PEAK to CASTLE CRAGS: Drop into shady canyons packed with cedars, firs, and flowing creeks before grinding up Girard Ridge for long-range vistas of snowy Shasta and the wrinkled Castle Crags on this 37.2-mile section.
BURNEY FALLS to GRIZZLY PEAK: Scope a raging 129-foot waterfall to start this tough-and-dry 37.5-mile leg through rolling fir-forest basins to an isolated peak that rewards with views of Mount Shasta.
I-5 to GUMBOOT TRAILHEAD: Trek past the lofty spires of Castle Crags to the weathered ridges and lakes near the Trinity Divide on this 21.5-mile stretch. Postcard views of Mount Shasta dominate the horizon.
GUMBOOT TRAILHEAD to CA 3: High in the Trinity Alps, this 32.9-mile ridge section views the headwaters of the Trinity River and countless alpine lakes.
CA 3 to CARTER MEADOWS SUMMIT: Pass rocky lake basins and deep, glacially scoured canyons on this 18.5-mile leg across the slim ridges of the Scott Mountains.
CARTER MEADOWS SUMMIT to ETNA SUMMIT: Stick to the high crest and get bird’s-eye views over the headwaters of the Salmon, Scott, and Trinity Rivers during this 18.1-mile section through the less-explored lakes and peaks of the Russian Wilderness.
Packed with craggy peaks and rugged cirques, this section of the PCT serves up endless solitude.
Traverse the Siskiyou Crest on this 35.8-mile leg through the northernmost mountains of California.
CA 2 to THREE POINTS: This 25-mile leg has a mad list of peaks. Start by climbing 2,000 feet up Mt. Baden-Powell with views unfolding to the Sierra Nevada. Then zigzag the swelling ridges of the San Gabriel Crest.
CA 138 to I-15: On this 10.5-mile stretch, climb through sandy washes and gullies around Cleghorn Ridge to overlooks of Cajon Canyon and the San Gabriel Mountains.
TEHACHAPI/WILLOW SPRINGS ROAD to LANDERS MEADOW: Climb through the Piute Mountains on this 42.5-mile stretch past dry mining claims and an expanse of sagebrush and yucca.
OR 66 to OR 140: Trek through grassy slopes around Old Baldy into the lava fields of Brown Mountain on this 34.2-miler.
OREGON BORDER to OR 66: Pass under thick white firs on this 40.8-mile leg in the Siskiyou Mountains. Bonus: Watch the sunrise over Shasta from the Grouse Gap shelter.
OR 140 to OR 62: More than 200 lakes provide primo camping and swimming holes on this 45.3-mile stretch. At the beginning, scale 9,495-ft. Mt. McLoughlin for superb views.
OR 62 to OR 138: Crest the breathtaking caldera of Crater Lake on this 22.4-mile trip that ends in the flats of the Pumice Desert.
OR 138 to OR 58: Travel past the jagged spire of Mt. Thielsen on this 58-mile leg in the mountain hemlock slopes of Diamond Peak Wilderness.
OR 58 to ELK LAKE: Find secluded lakeside campsites beneath towering cliffs on this 40-mile stretch in the Three Sisters Wilderness.
FR 4220 @ BREITENBUSH LAKE to TIMOTHY LAKE: Knobby buttes dominate this 31.4-mile trip through a landscape of glistening lakes offering big views of Mount Jefferson.
ELK LAKE to OR 252: Skirt the glacier-draped Three Sisters on this 26.6-mile trip full of excellent ridgetop campsites, aspen-lined lakes, and fields of black volcanic glass. Tip: Wear durable boots.