Follow this loop mixing on- and off-trail travel through vibrant wildflower displays and past snow-fed streams to a huge alpine lake with unbeatable campsite views of Mount Meeker.
Experience thru-hiking fever (and New England hardwoods) on this section of the historic Long Trail across Glastonbury Mountain. BY RYAN WICHELNS
Walk along Paint Creek in Yellow River State Forest on this overnight backpacking trip and you'll know it's true: Iowa is rugged. BY KOREY PETERSON
Get the closest to the Alps without leaving the States—by traversing the Presidentials, including Mt. Washington, in winter. BY RYAN WICHELNS
Scramble across the trailless desert in Joshua Tree's wild northeast corner to inner Basin Pass. BY EMELIE FROJEN
We've got your picks for the best after work, day-long, and overnight trips near Beantown, including the White Mountains, Blue Hills, and more.
Climb the peak with the infamous moniker "Home of the World's Weather" in winter.
See across the Prairie State from 320-million-year-old sandstone outcrops.
This 14-mile shuttle hike winds tranquil wooded slopes to five peaks over 3,400 feet in a remote section of the Catskills. Off-trail experience and navigation skills required.
Escape the crowds on the Catskill High Peaks with this 5.6-mile bushwhack to the range's highest trail-less summit. Compass skills required; hiking poles recommended.
Hoof it up more than 2,000 feet over 2.3 miles on this leg-burner up Bear Mountain for huge, arcing vistas over Sedona's redrock wonderland and the lush Verde Valley.
This steep 7.8-mile hike climbs through deep forest and alpine tundra to the summit of one of New Hampshire's famed Presidentials for views as far as Maine.
This 9.8-mile out-and-back day hike or overnight explores a lesser-known corner of Slide Mountain Wilderness while summiting two rugged peaks taller than 3,800 feet.
Climb past cascading waterfalls, alongside rocky ledges, and over three exposed summits on this 7.8-mile loop, which offers some of the best views in the White Mountains.
A steep climb of 3,700 feet in 3.6 miles gains a firetower lookout with spectacular views of Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and Mount Stuart.
Traverse a dramatic high ridge via 5 miles of the Appalachian Trail, ending at thru-hiker hangout Walasi-Yi Center.
This challenging 2,000-foot climb coils through 7.9 miles of mixed forest then unloads killer views from the tops of two favorite local peaks.
A stiff climb is rewarded with Lord-Of-The-Rings-like views on this 8.6-mile, berry-strewn trek.
This 5-mile round-trip route to Munds Mountain offers postcard-quality views of Sedona's famed red rocks.
A 3,000-foot gain in 3.4 miles delivers landscape-painting vistas of pastoral valleys and idyllic California hamlets on this 6.8-mile round-trip.
Satisfy your wanderlust on this 5.4-mile out-and-back, which offers stop-and-gawk panoramas of the jagged Cascades blanketed by glaciers.
This 8-mile backcountry trek serves up two mountain lakes, intimate views of Mount Rainier, and some off-trail scrambles in the Tatoosh Range.
Hike lonely trails filled with Yosemite-like granite formations in Lost Creek Wilderness on this 15.4-mile out-and-back up the Retirement Range's highest peak.
This 8.3-mile lollipop loop quickly ascends 2,500 feet into the coastal hills; bring your camera to capture striking above-the-fog seascapes.
See the result of millions of years of tectonic movement on this 7.9-mile loop beneath massive volcanic monoliths. Bring a flashlight for optional cave trails.
First, check out the petroglyphs; then climb 2,500 feet to the state high point on this popular 11.6-mile out-and-back in Chattahoochee National Forest.
This 9.6-mile out-and-back has quad-bustingly steep inclines and hairy downhills, but features long, magnificent views from Sugarloaf Mountain.
This rigorous but rewarding 9.8-mile out-and-back on the Pacific Crest Trail climbs more than 2,000 feet to a summit with splendid high-desert views.
Get climbers'-eye views on this adventurous ramble to the peak's base--or summit--on this 3- to 5-day trip.
Visit Georgia's Little Grand Canyon on this 6.7-mile loop to backcountry shelters and geologic wonders in Providence Canyon State Park.
Gain more than 2,500 feet on this steep 7.6-mile hike though an open evergreen forest to a view-blessed peak in Wenatchee National Forest. An exceptional wildflower hike in late spring.
Climb up 2,200 feet to breathtaking views of Washington's most prominent mountain ranges--the Olympics and Cascades--on this 4.8-mile out-and-back.
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.
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.
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.
Tour three 14,000-foot peaks (and one unranked 14er) on this loop in the Mosquito Range.
Escape the cars and crowds and take this 11.8-mile trip up the glacier-carved slopes of Pikes Peak, a legendary summit noted for its gold rush in the late 1850s.
A stout 3,382-foot climb up scree-filled gullies ends with rewarding sights on this solitary Sangre de Cristo summit.
Bag a rugged fourteener on this 20.8-mile lasso loop linking shady evergreens and long sunny scrambles to a beautiful peak high above the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.
Lasso two 14ers in 3 hours during the most moderate (and popular) 5-mile ascent you'll find in Colorado's Front Range.
Follow this popular route up a long, gentle ridge to gain intimate views of the Tenmile Range and the Continental Divide.
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.
Discover meadows rich in Civil War history and climb two peaks with views of Atlanta on this 10.4-mile loop.
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.
Test your physical stamina on this 13.4-miler over rugged terrain with wild elevation challenges. The reward: vistas, hoodoos, and petroglyphs.
Take the Metro to this 4.8-mile loop, then soak up sunny ocean views from the foothills of Will Rogers State Park.
You'll climb nearly 1,300 feet and bag two neighboring peaks by the end of this 7.1-mile lasso loop in Phoenix Mountains Preserve.
Pack light: This strenuous dayhike gains 3,000 feet in less than 3 miles, and offers in-your-face mountain views in Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
This challenging 10.4-miler climbs past lowland scrubs, a wildfire zone, and several campsites to a tall pine forest in Los Padres National Forest.
Bag four peaks all over 8,000 feet along this 13.8-mile out-and-back with two short off-trail summit scrambles.
Travel across lush forest, grassy meadows, and exposed alpine slopes to the rocky crown of Grays Peak on this 67-mile section of the Continental Divide Trail.
Compared to its jagged neighbors, this 13,000-foot summit is one of the easier peaks (no technical scrambling required) to tick off in the Indian Peaks Wilderness.
This 9-mile out-and-back charges up Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts.
This 16.3-mile shuttle hike splashes through the Jacks River region (read: 40-plus creek crossings) in the Cohutta Wilderness Area.
Ascend two rigorous saddles on this 6.3-mile out-and-back up to the unsung Mount Markham and panoramas of the San Gabriels and L.A. basin.
Test your limits on this New York backcountry challenge.
Bag one of the highest peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Immerse yourself (literally) in the crystal clear waters of the Coconino National Forest on this multi-day amphibious trek that features classic—and unavoidable—canyon swims.
Test yourself with a thigh-busting 12.7-mile hike to Coosa Bald and back.
Explore the ruins of historic taverns and watch clouds roll over two 8,000-foot San Gabriel peaks on this 14-mile out-and-back in the Cucumonga Wilderness.
Stunning views of Weavers Needle and a fun, route-finding slickrock descent make this 4.6-mile Superstition Wilderness loop a Phoenix-area favorite.
Looking to tag a life-list summit without queuing up? Pass on Half Dome, and opt for the 12-mile climb to Yosemite's unsung granite peak.
Ascend razor-thin ridgelines and scramble up sheer rock faces on this 10.7-mile loop to Strawberry Peak, one of the most challenging summits in the San Gabriel frontcountry.
A must-do for dayhikers, this 8.1-miler traverses windswept alpine tundra with dramatic overlooks and 360-degree views of Rocky Mountain National Park.
This 5.5-mile loop in Chattahoochee National Forest follows a leg of the Appalachian Trail and provides long views across the Blue Ridge peaks.
A classic Appalachian ridge hike, this 11-mile shuttle tackles numerous knobs and summits under heavy canopy with occasional Blue Ridge views.
Snow-fed cascades, vibrant wildflower meadows, and dizzying Cascade vistas highlight this 7.9-mile out-and-back in Mount Rainier National Park.
Clocking in at 36.5 miles, this trail is a fine choice for hikers to see high desert landscapes, mind-blowing rock formations, and absolutely no one.
Rounded granite knobs and sweeping valleys in the Lost Creek Wilderness set the stage for this spectacular 27.6-mile loop that rewards with rugged panoramas and killer riverside campsites.
Follow alpine streams through verdant valleys on this overnight trek from Crested Butte to the base of West Maroon Pass and Hasley Basin in Colorado's fourth largest wilderness area.
The Eagles Nest Wilderness doesn’t attract regular Colorado crowds—unless you count the mountain goats. Explore rugged peaks, and pristine alpine lakes on this 13.3-mile route in an under-appreciated Rocky Mountain getaway.
Dip into 7 water-carved canyons on this 7.3-mile lollipop loop through the quieter side Starved Rock State Park. Soaring cascades (and a steep, stair-step climb) will take your breath away.
Wind, twist, bob and weave. This 2.7-mile loop on the west side of Starved Rock State Park hits some of the state’s most dramatic sandstone canyons, rocky cliffs, and wooded bluffs—all alongside the mighty Illinois River.
This 21.5-mile clockwise loop in Grand Canyon National Park strings together faint trails and an Eden of waterfalls and swimming holes.
Hike a landscape carved by glaciers more than 10,000 years ago on this 32.3-mile section hike that follows the Ice Age Trail through Kettle Moraine State Park.
Stand atop 11,237-foot Grand Mesa, the world’s highest mesa.
Trace a granite-toothed section of the Continental Divide to the rugged Mount Neva on this 9.4-miler through Indian Peaks Wilderness.
On this four-day trip through the Clark Range, push deep into Yosemite's backcountry to discover a wonderland of slickrock waterfalls, pristine alpine lakes and jagged peaks.
Tour glacial valleys and navigate to off-trail lakes and waterfalls on this six-day circuit in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Cross deep, vine-laced forests to bluff-top views over rivers and prairie.