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Water is abundant here, compared to the arid high desert below. This 15.2-miler links fish-filled creeks with the forested hills of San Pedro Parks Wilderness.

Miles from anywhere, this 5.3-mile dayhike slides over sandstone mounds, into a shallow canyon, and under orange spires in the Needles District.

Quiet meadows, lonesome tundra slopes, and elk highlight this crowd-free summit tucked in La Garita Wilderness.

See for yourself why early explorers and painters adored these beautiful peaks. This trip highlights two classic routes to the double crowns of the Front Range.

The payoffs at the top are huge, but tricky, technical scrambles and advanced route finding make these photogenic peaks in the Elk Range anything but easy.

These challenging routes run through a land of rugged spires, swift streams, snowy gullies, and golden aspen stands. Experts: Connect the knife-edged ridge between Mount Wilson and El Diente.

This challenging hike ascends steep gullies and traverses serrated ridges for a chance at three peaks in the Sangre de Cristo Range.

It's a scholarly debate on which summit--Mount Columbia or Mount Harvard--is the best. So reserve a long weekend to climb both in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, and decide for yourself.

Sample the perils of North America's tallest peak in this Q&A with mountain guide Mike Haugen. Plus, downloadable GPS coordinates and photos.

Moose, knee-high flowers, two alpine lakes, and infinite views are just a few reasons to hike this 19-mile loop in the Never Summer Wilderness.

Navigate boulder fields, rocky ridgelines, and seasonal snowfields during this long, challenging ascent of the third-highest peak in the Tetons.

This 8.4-mile out-and-back hooks around the steep, bare prow of Squaw Peak, then ascends its north slope to a summit with skybox views.

This interactive map highlights each of the 54 highest peaks in Colorado with links to more detailed routes, maps, and photos. Bonus: Fly over these monster peaks in 3-D with Google Earth.

This 5.3-miler in Greenbelt Park loops through a wooded urban jungle and along gentle streams, just 15 minutes from The National Mall.

The must-see list for this 5.7-mile dayhike to Glacier Gorge is long: raging waterfalls, alpine lakes, and a skyline of humbling mountain views.

Take a walk on the wild southern side of a classic Adirondack mountain with views of Lake Placid and Mt. Marcy on this 4.4-mile out-and-back.

Discover meadows rich in Civil War history and climb two peaks with views of Atlanta on this 10.4-mile loop.

This 8.8-miler takes you deep into Ozark backcountry, where deer and turkey outnumber hikers.

Climb to some of the best views in the Catskills on this 11.7-mile high-peaks trek. Overnight camping permitted.

Head up to a ridge overlooking the Hudson Valley and Catskills, and return through beaver and berry country.

No ropes required, but a camera is recommended, on this shady and scenic 5.6-mile out-and-back stroll into the heart of Eldorado Canyon climbing country.

This 8-mile out-and-back follows old cattle trails to mesa views and isolated campsites just outside Capitol Reef.

This 17.2-mile hike strings together two monster canyons with a hardy bushwhack across red-rock backcountry.

Climb 1,300 feet to a sparkling alpine basin dotted with summer wildflowers on this 6.25-mile out-and-back along the Pacific Crest Trail.

Escape the city grunge on this 5.5-mile loop past river views and 500-red Douglas firs in Oxbow Regional Park.

Climb 2,300 feet in 3 miles to a pine forest and red-rock views on this 6.8-mile out-and-back excursion.

Hike 5.9 miles along the most scenic section of the Illinois and Michigan Canal to the convergence of the Illinois and Kankakee Rivers. Heron, egrets and turtles are common.

Native ruins and red-rock views are the main attractions on this 3-mile climb up a Sedona-area mesa.

This 11.4-mile out-and-back tours deep forests and a high saddle filled with wildflowers. Pack lunch and a good book to take full advantage of Spirit's scenic shoreline.

This challenging 7.2-mile scramble up rocky West Kill Mountain rewards hikers with stellar views of the Catskills and a waterfall lunch site.

This 7.3-mile ramble along a serene stream, by old settler ruins, and thorough big woods illustrates why this pocket park is considered one of the most beautiful in Illinois.

You'll climb a stiff 3,600 feet on this 7.8-mile loop, but gain extraordinary views of the high desert, Wasatch Mountains and Great Salt Lake.

Walk the edge of a country lake into oak woodlands and long stem prairie on this 5-mile out-and-back.

Hike to the western terminius of the Lewis and Clark expedition on this 5-mile loop to the Pacific coast.

Want to get higher than a Hollywood star? Shoot up 5,400 feet and scrape the sky on SoCal's tallest peak on this 13.2-miler in San Gorgonio Wilderness.

This 7.1-miler in redrock country showcases art you'll never see in a big-city gallery--some of the world's best-preserved pictographs and petroglyphs.

Wind across vibrant landscapes cut dramatically by sheer-walled canyons and rising plateaus to a sandstone monolith in Colorado National Monument.

You'll find plenty of choice skyline views on this 4.6-mile dayhike to the top of Piestewa Peak, one of Phoenix's famous Seven Summits.

This 10.4-mile out-and-back surveys a sunbleached mesa en route to a backcountry camp in the Jemez Mountains of Bandelier National Monument.

Explore a once-active seismic hotbed of sheer canyons and towering spires on this 4.5-mile loop. Bird bonus: See California condors up close.

This 6.1-mile hike in the Green Mountains leads to a plane-crash site, crosses a rare alpine zone, and ends up on the state's third-highest peak.

Bring binoculars on this 7.3-mile paddling tour of Long Island Sound, and take time to check out the shorebirds and a historic island lighthouse.

Visit stream-fed meadows and regenerating woodlands on this 5.3-mile loop to a 1922 plane wreck in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

In less than 7.5 miles, you’ll visit quiet woods and a secret Underground Railroad spot, and cross the midpoint of the Appalachian Trail.

Hop off the train and onto a quiet, well-marked trail. Hike as far as 12.2 miles; see deer and turkey, and, if you choose, camp in a classic AT shelter.

On this 16.2-mile weekend, you'll cross through a giant, glacier-carved basin with shimmering lakes and camp at first-class High Sierra campsites.

Count five waterfalls--including one of Georgia's most scenic--on this 10.8-miler in Chattahoochee National Forest. Go midweek for more solitude.

Hike a 6.9-mile loop past raging waterfalls to the lonely ridges of North Carolina's Upper Piedmont for sky-high views in South Mountains State Park.

Massive sand dunes, scenic side trips, and a historic fort highlight this mellow 5.3-mile loop on Florida's northernmost barrier island.

City life getting dull? Just minutes from downtown, this 3.8-mile rollercoaster loop follows the steep ravines and trickling streams of Mt. Airy Forest.

This 4.8-mile loop links caves, sandstone towers, waterfalls, and a scenic overlook in the old-growth forests in Blanton Forest State Nature Preserve.

Best in the cooler months, this easy 6.4-mile hike links creeks, rolling hills, and woodlands in Sam Houston National Forest.

Hike along the headwaters of the Mississippi River, where old-growth pines, loons, and a long lake add punch to this mellow 7.8-miler in Itasca State Park.

Traverse massive limestone bluffs and deep, secluded hollows on this 14.3-mile weekend in the Ozark Highlands along the Buffalo National River.

This easy 5-mile adventure takes you above rugged, staircase-like bluffs, then down into the hushed hollows of Cuivre River State Park.

Climb through alpine meadows bursting with flowers to a puzzling Native American relic on this 6.6-mile out-and-back. Bonus: Stellar views of five volcanoes.

This 3.6-mile dayhike is a fast way to get your wildlife fix: birds strut the riverside, deer hide in the cedars, and beavers build elaborate dams.

This 5.8-mile hike passes the Mount St. Helens blast area, then enters old growth as it ascends Goat Mountain's ridges to several stunning overlooks.

This year-round route runs 6.9 miles along the astonishingly clear Rapid River through evergreen forests to campsites in the Hells Canyon region.

This rugged 7.7-mile dayhike in the park's wild, remote northeast corner climbs more than 3,000 feet to five-star views unfolding in all directions.

Scramble through a beautiful (and overlooked) 5.4-mile slot canyon filled with pools and waterfalls. Expect wet feet and maybe some swimming.

Don't forget the camera: This scenic 7.1-mile loop in Pike National Forest serves up short climbs, fast descents, and fine views of Pikes Peak.

This 11-mile out-and-back weaves among pines, crosses over a waterfall, then passes through a rock tunnel above two alpine lakes.

Test your physical stamina on this 13.4-miler over rugged terrain with wild elevation challenges. The reward: vistas, hoodoos, and petroglyphs.

This 15-mile riverside hike is located in the southern tip of New Mexico's highest range, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Tag New York's high point on this 14.2-miler into a mix of forest and broken rock, with jaw-dropping vantages of the High Peaks and Green Mountains.

Tucked into a corner of the Taconic Mountains, this hardy 6.1-mile route hits the state's highest peak. Or is it second-highest? What the heck-climb both.

Big climb. Big crowds. Bigger reward. This classic 9.8-mile route climbs the tallest peak in Maine, a hiking high point in every sense.

Paddle to an old military fort and visit several quaint Down East islands on this 6.8-mile trip around the rocky fingers of Maine's coast.

Go ahead: Bag work early and swing off the Beltway for a quick 4-mile hike or trail run through the rolling piedmont of Prince William Forest Park.

This 9.1-miler follows a windswept ridge in the Danskin Mountains and ends with views of Boise, the Arrowrock Reservoir, and surrounding peaks.

Explore reclaimed wetlands, two islands, and a hawk preserve on a 5.3-mile figure-8 loop in a pastoral getaway just outside the city of Salem.

Visit four waterfalls amid huge Douglas firs and boulders carpeted in shaggy moss on this 3.4-mile lollipop loop in the Columbia River Gorge.

This newer 5-mile dayhike in the Issaquah Alps offers a bracing workout and great views, all within 30 minutes of downtown.

Hike through mossy woods to a waterfall and over the high point of Cougar Mountain Regional Park-all on a 5-mile dayhike.

Here are just four of the many reasons to walk this 7.6-mile route in northern Georgia: wildflowers, mountain streams, waterfalls, and lots of wildlife.

See gators, sea turtles, and life-list birds on this 3.7-miler in Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, one of the Gulf Coast's last undeveloped tracts.

This 7.3-mile out-and-back has all the highlights you expect from a Smokies outing: trailside streams, old-growth timber stands, and a raging waterfall.

Scattered along this 11.3-mile dayhike (or overnighter) is a bumper crop of mountain views, considered some of the best in southern Virginia.

Connect dune-lined shores, secluded inlets, and marshlands Hamlin Lake on this 4.9-mile paddle in Ludington State Park.