Moderate Hikes

The short and steep trip to Lake Agnes delivers with craggy peaks, scree fields (home to pika), and fish-filled alpine waters.

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.

Lush, rolling hills play host to an awe inspiring canyon in northern Pennsylvania, with a quaint town just miles away.

Amble past amber maples on Kittatinny Ridge as golden eagles and hawks soar overhead on this overnight loop. BY KATRINA ROSSOS

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

Sequoia National Park, California

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

Backpack into the heart of Sequoia National Park to the beautiful snow-melted Pear Lake in Tokopah Valley.

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.

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.

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.

Savor sunny views of Catalina Island and the Pacific Ocean, then descend to a cool creek under the pleasant shade of sycamore trees on this 8.9-mile canyon loop.

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.

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.

A good spring hike, this 5.2-mile out-and-back strolls through the shade of old-growth forest to the peaceful banks of Lena Lake. The trail is snow-free most of the year.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Enjoy a gurgling creek, the staccato of canyon wrens, and ridgetop vistas on this 4.2-mile jaunt just minutes from downtown Pasadena.

An oak-shaded creek with cat tails and mountain lion tracks.

Camp under sharp peaks and sharper stars on this 4-day, 20-mile tour along the eastern edge of Yosemite National Park. Summits, swimming holes, and trout abound.

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

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.

Experience the many moods of the chaparral and wildflowers in bloom en route to an unnamed summit on this 6.8-mile hike in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park.

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.

Explore the ranch estate of late cowboy humorist Will Rogers on this 5.4-mile trek among the Pacific Palisades ridgelines of Topanga State Park.

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.

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 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.

Hike 4.6 miles up the quieter, less-traveled west side on one of the mountain's oldest trails, alternating between forested scrambles, old streambeds, and exposed rock ledges.

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.

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.

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.

This moderate 6.5-mile loop climbs through an open oak forest, reaches nearly 3,000 feet, and pays off with expansive views of distant ridgelines.

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.

A scattering of rocky outcrops, with their big sky views, offers a surprisingly wild haven within the city limits on this 6.7-mile, figure-8 loop in Topanga State Park.

This 7.3-mile loop leads to photo-worthy views of the colorful Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, then enters a highland meadow to a tranquil pond.

This 6.6-mile dayhike in Orange Country features scenic ridgelines and lush wooded canyons.

Cross a rolling ridgeline with great views of Orange County before descending down into the beautiful sycamore-, manzanita-, maple-, and wild zucchini-filled Telegraph Canyon.

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

Wander through old ranching claims now covered with sage scrub and oak woodlands to ridgeline views of Catalina Island and the Santa Ana Mountains on this 10.8-mile loop.

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.

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.

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.

Discover the remote cliff dwellings of a long-lost Native American tribe on this 8-mile out-and back in Tonto National Forest.

This 5.8-mile loop takes you through a 400-year-old forest to summit the highest Bay State peak east of the Berkshires.

Navigate rocky canyon bottoms amid colorful cactus-studded hills on a 6.8-mile off-trail excursion in the Superstition Wilderness.

Wander through lush forests and high-alpine meadows to a pair of secluded mountain lakes nestled at the foot of the Mummy Range.

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.

Walk 8.2 miles through blooming rhododendron patches and towering hemlock stands to a double-spouted waterfall in Chattahoochee National Forest.

Lasso two 14ers in 3 hours during the most moderate (and popular) 5-mile ascent you'll find in Colorado's Front Range.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Trek across vibrant wildflower meadows to two alpine lakes tucked into a rocky chasm below Mt. Massive on this 5.8 miler outside Leadville.

This popular 8.9-mile lasso loop crosses mesa and cacti country near Weavers Needle, whose shadow allegedly leads treasure seekers to a lost gold stash.

Take a weekend for this 21.8-miler, which features a stout 3,000-foot climb up into the foothills and mountains of the San Rafael Wilderness.

Hop off the bus for a 12.6-miler through red-maple swamps and old-growth forest filled with deer, grouse, and turkeys.

This mostly forested loop climbs 1,250 feet to three misty waterfalls and dynamite views of the Olympic Mountains.

Wooded lakeshores. Civil War hotspots. A giant granite mountain. This 7.4-mile hike tops out with peerless views of rolling green Piedmont from the summit of an open dome east of Atlanta.

This 8.6-mile out-and-back is packed with attractions: roaring waterfalls, an alpine lake, and mountain views so awesome you'll go trigger-happy with the camera.

The views over SoCal and the Pacific keep getting better and better during this 2,000-foot climb to the Main Divide of the Santa Ana Mountains.

Head to the dark hills of Black Rock Mountain State Park for a 6.3-mile loop along soothing mountain streams to lookouts with classic Appalachian views.