Shoulder Season Hikes

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.

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

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

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.

Stand in three states, then summit a wooded peak while passing the highest hill in Connecticut on this 4-mile dayhike in the Taconic Mountains.

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

Deep within Manhattan's famed 843-acre greenspace, this 4.1-mile escape offers a quick break from the daily grind.

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.

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 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.

Catch killer views of Big Bear Lake and hike a short leg of the Pacific Crest Trail on this 7.8-mile out-and-back to an 8,200-foot peak.

You won't find gold on this 3.5-mile loop, but the hilly hemlock forests, the singing swans, and the sunbathing turtles at Bull Sluice Lake are priceless.

This 11.8-miler traces the Appalachian Trail along an idyllic ridgeline to New Jersey's highpoint, 60 miles from Manhattan.

Trail run or hike on this 3.8-mile woodland loop past granite outcrops and small cascades to the floodplain of the Ocmulgee River.

Explore a handful of landscapes—prairie, wetlands, lakes—along a winding river on this 9.8-mile out-and- back leg of the Des Plaines River Trail.

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.

Go from rocky canyons to desert slickrock to an off-trail overlook with five-star views on this 5.6 mile-trek starting in Lost Dutchman State Park.

Climb an ancient ridge for views of a dramatic unglaciated Wisconsin landscape.

Link meadows to hilltops across Westborough’s open spaces.

Explore wooded bluffs and a dramatic limestone canyon on the way to a waterfall on this 4.8-mile riverside hike in Kankakee River State Park.

This 3-mile out-and-back in the Superstition Mountains climbs gently through ocotillo and saguaro cacti to Hieroglyphic Canyon's mysterious petroglyphs.

Connect wooded dunes, bottomland forest, and a pristine beach on this 3.7-mile loop along Lake Michigan in Warren Dunes State Park.

Scout for waterbirds in the marshes and peer through dense tallgrass on this easygoing 5.25-mile hike through Goose Lake Prairie.

This 10.2-miler heads into a wildlife refuge with 250 species of birds to the New Dungeness Light Station, a historic lighthouse with spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains.

This 4.3-mile loop follows the Des Plaines River as it winds through stunning forestland chock-full of stately hardwoods and colorful flowers.

Bring binocs on this 3.9-mile loop in the Richard Bong State Recreation Area; open grassland invites long views of Vern Wolf Lake, its shoreline, and flying falcons.

This 16.3-mile shuttle hike splashes through the Jacks River region (read: 40-plus creek crossings) in the Cohutta Wilderness Area.

This sandy, 3.2-mile stroll in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore climbs dunes, skirts an ancient marsh, and ends within a stone-skipping distance of Lake Michigan's coastline.

Catch views of the Continental Divide (and mule deer, elk, and black bear) on this 12.3-mile loop in Golden Gate Canyon State Park.

A favorite urban escape from Atlanta, Sope Creek offers a wooded playground for hikers, trail-runners, and photo-buffs.

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.

A high-altitude intro to the Santa Catalina Mountains, this trail literally sparkles as it circles Marshall Peak for an easy, 3.3-mile loop through the Pusch Wilderness Area.

Take a ridgeline walk to views of the Boston skyline.

See a different side of North Jersey from the Grand Tour Trail.

Splash through a pink slot canyon in the Salome Wilderness Area on this fun canyoneering route.

Stunning views of Weavers Needle and a fun, route-finding slickrock descent make this 4.6-mile Superstition Wilderness loop a Phoenix-area favorite.

Only 20 miles north of Atlanta, Sawnee Mountain Preserve offers a maze of wooded trails that wander past abandoned gold mines to overlooks of Blue Ridge peaks.

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.

Anacapa Island's oceanfront overlooks, throngs of wildlife, and a picture-perfect lighthouse highlight this classic 2.5-mile loop in Channel Islands National Park.

Get a glimpse of glacial wetlands in northwest Illinois.

Hike past massive boulders, red barrel cacti, and restless tumbleweeds to a shady oasis on this 3-mile out-and-back in Joshua Tree National Park.

Take a break from baiting hooks and hit the trail for this 4.8-mile loop around Shabbona Lake. You're guaranteed to catch lake views, dense woodland silence, and wetland vistas.

This 8.1-mile hike skirts wind-scoured lakes and scrambles up the edge of a waterfall before arriving at Sky Pond, where crumbling spires stretch 2,000 feet into the air.

A lush, green garden of waterfalls and giant pools awaits on the dells of Matthiessen State Park; this route tacks on a bluff-top viewpoint for 5.8-miles of prime Illinois day-hiking.

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.

This easy-going, 1.9-mile section of the McKenzie River National Recreation Trail links Belknap Springs to NF-2650 past cascading creeks, moss-draped evergreens, and views of the roiling McKenzie River.

Sample sylvan forests, a beachside boardwalk, and rocky island shores on this 5.6-mile dayhike in New York City's largest park, Pelham Bay.

Traipse along the Great Swamp's boardwalk to sprawling, wildflower-speckled everglades and three world-class birding spots on this easy, two-mile loop near Morristown.

Leave civilization behind on this 7.4-mile loop that connects mountaintop greenery, sweeping monoliths and low-lying swamps in southern Harriman State Park.

Bring your binoculars and circle Barr Lake on this easy 9.3-mile loop in prime birding territory. You may spot one of the Front Range's only pair of nesting bald eagles.

Link a network of hiking trails in Deer Grove Forest Preserve for a 9.3-mile meadow- and ravine-touring escape from the Windy City.

Explore deep woods, ancient dune ridges, and wetland thickets on sandy trail that loops 9.7 miles through the center of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Begin exploring the South Platte River's Greenway Trail on this 7-mile out and back intro to the paved, 30-mile-plus vein through the heart of the Mile High City.

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.

This 18-mile paved pathway is the Windy City's ultimate quick fix.

Cross deep, vine-laced forests to bluff-top views over rivers and prairie.

Descend to the Ditch's primitive core on a three-day loop.