Dog-Friendly Hikes

This 10.5-mile out and back promises wildflower drenched meadows, stunning vistas, and two pristine alpine lakes perfect for a cold dip or sunrise photo op.

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

Explore the Superstition Mountains on this overnight across Red Tanks Divide. BY QUINN HARPER

Take a breather from hiking the Presidentials and take in New Hampshire's White Mountains from a whole new perspective.

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 beautiful 4.3-mile loop adjacent to the Illinois River adds welcome relief--waterfalls, sculpted sandstone canyons, and impressive overlooks--to the usually pancake-flat landscape.

Explore 4.4 miles through old growth timber to a glacier-carved lake on this family-friendly hike in the Cascade Mountains.

This 6.6-mile loop features a coastal bluff with dazzling wildflower displays and a wild beach with exceptional views of the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

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.

This little-used trail plunges 1,700 feet through wildflower country to a cool reward by West Clear Creek. Watch for cairns on this 6.8-mile hike to avoid involuntary bushwhacks.

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.

Visit a lesser-known treasure of Harriman State Park on this 5.7-mile jaunt, which contours through hilly hardwood forest and along cascading creeks to a few peaceful ponds.

Veer off this popular trail on a scenic detour with elevated views of impressive rock formations and beautiful Oak Creek Canyon. This out-and-back variation runs 6.7 miles.

Trek into history on this 7-mile out-and-back in the San Gabriel foothills. You'll visit the ruins of a luxurious hotel and cog railway that date back to the early 1900s.

Hike 6 miles to an island of green space nestled in L.A.'s suburbs, then climb steeply to panoramic views of the nearby San Gabriel mountains and the Hollywood Hills.

Discover solitude again on this quiet, mostly forested 6.4-mile trek up a wrinkled Appalachian mountain to a delightful babbling brook. Bring tree ID book.

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.

Walk 6.8 miles out and back on a rocky singletrack path into an intimate ravine streaming with cold, blue mountain waters. The hike ends at a quiet Appalachian high point.

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.

Solitude rules on this 9.4-mile out-and-back hike along Little Kachess Lake to rock gardens ablaze with wildflowers,giant green forests, and a quiet lakeside hideout.

This 4.1-mile hike exposes the wilder side of northern Illinois, an untouched 3,000-acre tract filled with wildlife and a gravel cone formed by an ancient stream.

Cruise 5.2 miles along gentle foothills, Ireland-esque pastures, and past an old sawmill to a vista overlooking Boulder Canyon and the Front Range.

This 5-mile loop undulates through glacially tilled terrain under a hardwood canopy of magnificent fall colors in Kettle Moraine State Forest.

Switchback 1,800 vertical feet to a sapphire-blue glacial lake in the shadow of Mt. Index on this moderate 6.4-mile round trip- with a killer picnic at Bridal Veil Falls.

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.

This 7.3-mile loop hike takes you up a steep, rocky trail to an exposed, treeless summit that's the southwesternmost high peak in the White Mountains, and one of the prettiest.

Traverse a dramatic high ridge via 5 miles of the Appalachian Trail, ending at thru-hiker hangout Walasi-Yi Center.

This moderate 7.9-mile loop descends into lush tunnels of rhododendron, then rises to lofty views of endless forest in Fort Mountain State Park.

There are no car horns blowing on this pleasant 5-mile loop--just the therapeutic hum of mountain streams and a peaceful lake in the woods.

This preserve offers plenty of big city escape. Shady forests, gentle waterfalls, and a lofty vista over the Des Plaines River are just a few stops along this 10.1-mile multi-use loop.

This 6.5-mile loop passes through sage, chaparral, and oak groves to a high plateau with panoramic views of the Santa Ana Mountains.

This easy 4.7-mile route loops past Sycamore Canyon Falls and the shady bottom of Big Sycamore Canyon.

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.

This 6.2-mile out-and-back follows the new Ira Spring Memorial Trail, which winds for 3.2 miles above Snoqualmie Valley, ending at picturesque Mason Lake.

This all-season, 7-mile loop in the Boulder River Wilderness gently ascends through fast-growing (and fast-falling) alders, fragrant cedars, and rugged Douglas firs.

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.

Climb two peaks, then return through an abandoned village on this historic 6.2-mile loop in Bear Mountain State Park.

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.

Camp near an idyllic mountain stream on this 11-mile out-and-back into a deep, remote gorge scoured by small waterfalls in Georgia's Cohutta Wilderness.

Escape cookie-cutter suburbia on this 4.5-mile hike or bike through a mix of soaring ridges, lush canyons, and remnants from the ranchero era.

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.

This remote, partly unmarked 10.4-mile route leads to a beautifully carved canyon with high desert views in Sycamore Canyon Wilderness.

See a remote part of the Goat Rocks Wilderness on this 16.8-mile loop, which passes a fine array of giant fir, Alaskan yellow cedar, and a smattering of larches.

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 6.4-mile dayhike is a tour de force: You'll be rewarded with magnificent views, an isolated arch, and unusual plant life in Coconino 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.

Hike, ski, or bike a hidden pocket of sylvan wilderness just an hour from Manhattan.

Solitude. Fresh air. Big views. It all unfolds on this vigorous 5-miler along a lively mountain stream to the highest point in Hudson Highlands State Park.

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.

This 5-mile loop winds through an undisturbed swath of parkland to babbling creeks and fine views across the San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel Mountains.

This 12.1-mile loop skirts five reservoirs, cuts through forests of oak, hemlock, and birch, and gains 2,600 feet of elevation in 2,060-acre Middlesex Fells Reservation.

Get climbers'-eye views on this adventurous ramble to the peak's base--or summit--on this 3- to 5-day trip.

Enjoy soaring views from open ridges on this easy-access overnight.

Loop 5.7 miles into shaded hollows and up the highest dunes on Lake Michigan's southern shore in Indiana Dunes State Park.

Waterfalls, lush forests, and magnificent creekside views make this 5-mile out-and-back through Cliff Falls Wilderness a superb dayhike in northern Georgia.

This 14.4-mile loop starts in a lush canyon framed by a secluded waterfall, then ascends to a mellow ridgeline in the Santa Ana foothills.

This lovely 5.4-mile loop shaded by oaks, pines, and birches leads to the rushing headwaters of Flat Creek in Chattahoochee National Forest.

Venture into cowboy country on a faded cattle trail that visits desolate buttes, colorful meadows, and quiet vistas in 6 rolling miles (each way).

On this 6-mile loop in Blue Hills Reservation, you'll see dense hardwoods, meadows, ponds, glacial leftovers, rocky hills, and sweeping views of Boston.

Hike into the core of Indian Peaks Wilderness on this 13.6-mile overnight, which leads past waterfalls to a sunbleached valley and a sweet lakeside campsite.

Visit Georgia's Little Grand Canyon on this 6.7-mile loop to backcountry shelters and geologic wonders in Providence Canyon State Park.

Nestled in a quiet corner of the Cohutta Wilderness, this 10.2-mile out-and-back features giant hardwood stands, waterfalls, and a remote mountain campsite.

Escape gridlock on this quick and easy 5.6-mile getaway along a peaceful reservoir with eucalyptus groves and views over Orange County.

Hike through a variety of Arizona vegetation to a Native American ruin and a classic red-rock rim on this 8.4-mile out-and-back trip in black bear country.

Squeezed into the extremely rugged landscape of Dick Smith Wilderness, this 5-mile out-and-back features great streamside camping and plenty of solitude.

This 9-miler travels a shady canyon with a handful of creek crossings to lovely picnic getaways in Angeles National Forest.

Hike saguaro-covered hillsides to a small desert spring on this 5.2-mile loop encircled by mesas and red sandstone cliffs.

Rolling forestland and endless grassy meadows provide abundant habitat for mule deer, wild turkeys, and other wildlife on this 6.8-miler to an old ranch in the shadow of Longs Peak.

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.

From river valley to alpine meadows, this 10.8-mile hike features a brilliant flower display in midsummer and stunning Olympic Range views year-round.

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.

Escape the Windy City on this easy 5.9-mile hike through a beautiful hardwood forest into ravines carved by glaciers more than 10,000 years ago.

Escape the city's bustle by leaving the mainland. This 10.4-mile loop explores the crowd-free hills and beautiful gardens of Santa Catalina Island.