Brendan Leonard

The answer is more nuanced than one might think.

What’s better than climbing one peak? Climbing two. Or three—or five. Head to one of these summit-blessed basecamps and go up until your legs give out.

Most people look at Colorado's Sangre De Cristo Mountains and see a line of peaks. Our scout saw an opportunity: pioneering the range's first end-to-end traverse.

A trek through the Dolomites just might be the most romantic hike in the world. If you're lucky.

Bag eight peaks on the way to New York's high point.

Enjoy panoramic views on an exposed, granite ridgewalk.

Tackle 40 miles of an island ridge above Lake Superior.

Take this park's best tour.

Hike the length of an ancient fossilized reef.

Catch an eye-full of the volcanic Superstition Mountains just 45 minutes from Phoenix.

Bag six of the state's loftiest peaks in a single, stout day on the Long Trail.

Breathe in the views and grandness of the Sierras without the crowds of the John Muir Trail.

Cross the top of Glacier National Park.

Soak up the alpine solitude in the "Swiss Alps of Nevada".

Tick of Washington's alpine gems the fast-and-light way.

Gorge on views that don't quit on a high stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

Choose your own adventure on this rocky mountain routefinding test piece.

Ever wished the view never stopped? It doesn't on these mountain-straddling routes. Here's how to conquer the skyline.

Hike to life-list hot spots without waiting in life-list lines. These under-the-radar trails deliver everything but the crowds.

Navigate a vertical sandstone maze to guaranteed solitude on a high-desert summit.

Scramble a sneak route to Rainier-worthy views-of Rainier and much more.

Top a Yosemite-like dome in a sea of green.

Claim a rare feat on this classic-in-waiting loop.

Stand atop The Mountain State's most famous peak.

Feel like you've notched a first ascent.

Walk a scary-narrow rock fin to an airy summit.

Tackle tricky terrain to gain a solitary alp.

Bag a stout weekend adventure-and vistas from the big lake to the High Uintas.

Climb without crowds to the state's top mountain view.