Trips

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

Trace an old Native American trail, climb hills, and explore rich stands of cedar and oak on this scenic loop just 15 miles from downtown.

Save this 13.6-miler for a weekday in the spring when crowds are thin and haze-free views stretch for miles (patches of flowers and wildlife, too).

Escape the daily grind: This scenic loop links fields and forests, trails and some roads for a relaxing 6.5-mile tour around the Des Moines River. Caution: This loop crosses a bridge on I-80; plan trip during low traffic hours.

This figure-eight loop connects 9.6 miles of pristine forest and wooded marshes in Wakulla Springs State Park.

Wander under oak and hickory trees, up steep hills, and along a wild Ozark creek on this 5.9-mile lassoloop in Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area.

Zigzag the wooded contours of Winding Stair Mountain and explore lesser-traveled landscapes on this 7.9-mile section of the Ouachita Trail.

Ride the bus to explore this 5.3-mile loop in Fort Harrison State Park featuring sun-dappled forests, seasonal flowers and, if you're quiet, wildlife.

This 8.5-mile ridgeline hike offers astounding views, two summit options, and a late-summer treat of wild huckleberries and wildflowers.

This 6.2-mile out-and-back charges up a mountain creek and into a canyon tucked below the snow-crested Boulder Mountains.

This 13.6-miler traces a treeless ridgeline speckled with seasonal wildflowers and endless mountainous views, then ends at a lakeside lunch spot.

Locals coined this 8-miler the "toughest hike" in the Columbia Gorge. It gains roughly 3,500 feet from Eagle Creek to a highpoint with picturesque views.

String several wooded paths and waterfalls together on this 3.5-mile dayhike located only minutes from downtown.

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 half-mad dayhike requires a stiff climb through overgrown brush, then rewards hikers with miles of wildflowers backdropped by alpine peaks.

See birds flock together in the lovely brooks and rich wetlands along this 4-mile out-and-back in the Goshen Land Trust.

In 5.5 miles, you'll walk cliff edges, skirt two lakes, trace two creeks, and pass photo-worthy overlooks of the Wichita Mountains.

Cross rushing creek, natural rock bridges, and a rugged gorge on this challenging 11.4-mile daytrip in McConnell's Mill State Park.

Connect the tops of two Berkshire peaks and catch views into three states on this 4.4-mile out-and-back in Mount Everett State Reservation.

This 4.5-miler runs along steep cliffs to two photogenic overlooks above an impressive waterfall on the Potomac River.

This 9.2-mile dayhike drops into the muzzle of the world's largest dormant volcano.

Pass through a tunnel of greens—pine trees, lush marshes, and carpets of moss—on this 4.9-mile hike to a quiet sun-soaked lake.

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.

This weekend trip strings together cool ravines, desert canyons, and sunset views over the Pacific Ocean.

This ambitious 5.6-miler climbs more than 3,000 feet through mountain meadows, past a quiet lake, to a summit with far-away views over the Gallatin Range.

Pinched slot canyons, neck-craning cliffs and cottonwood groves highlight this strenuous 9.9-mile shuttle hike in Utah's redrock country.

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.

Tour a rock garden of giant proportions on this 4.8-mile loop, passing towering redrock monoliths, golden hillsides, and views of Pikes Peak.

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.

This volcano has lured explorers for decades. Good reason too: The 8.8-miler mixes trails, routefinding, and hand-over-hand scrambling.

Payoffs are big on this remote 7.8-miler in the Smoky Mountains: No crowds, beautiful mountain views, and steamy hot springs.

Hikers are rare but solitude isn't on this 9-mile ridgeline hike to a secluded lakeside campsite in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Mature oaks, overgrown homesites, a mountain hut, and a scenic viewpoint highlight this 3.6-mile dayhike on the Appalachian Trail.

Camp near a picturesque lake then daytrip past huckleberry fields to a pointy summit with massive views above the North Cascades.

Be prepared for perfection, this 12-miler has it all: wildflowers, old growth trees, roaring creeks and gorges, and a quiet lake rimmed by ridges.

Perfect for a weeklong jaunt, this 38-mile section climbs mountains, winds through deep gaps and passes a short side hike to Standing Indian Mountain, where Indian lore says a bolt of lighting struck a lone Cherokee sentinel and turned him to stone.

Trace the high brow of the Appalachians on this 12.3-mile segment past several campsites and overlooks--including Annapolis Rocks, a popular crag for climbers.

This 14.6-mile leg promises long views on Blue Mountain and ends at Unicoi Gap where hikers can find an original 1934 metal AT trail marker.

Start by walking through Mountain Crossings at Walasi-Yi--the only indoor section of the AT that runs through a stone building built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934--and then climb up into Raven Cliffs Wilderness.

The hotspot on this 9.8-mile section is Blood Mountain, a 4,450-foot peak where historic battles between the Creek and Cherokee Indians stained the ground red.

Civil War battlefields, the original Washington Monument, and a rolling ridgeline await dayhikers and overnighters on this lovely historical section of the AT.

Three shelters, rolling hills and beautiful vistas reward hikers as they connect Springer Mountain to Woody Gap where a recently renovated shelter sits under a leafy canopy.

This 10.4-miler passes Jefferson Rock, climbs Weverton Cliff for jaw-dropping views, then continues on temperate terrain to Gathland State Park.

It's not the officially the AT but this 8.8-mile hike climbs past Amicalola Falls to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail.

Exposed ledges, a glacial cleft, summit climbs, and a talus-strewn ravine highlight this 12.5-miler in the Berkshires and Taconic Mountains.

A moderate ascent of Calebs Peak and a steep descent off St. Johns Ledges ends with a gentle cruise along the Housatonic River banks on this 10.7-mile hike.

This scenic 11.2-miler crisscrosses the New York-Connecticut border three times and rewards hikers with numerous views of the Housatonic Valley.

Build your quads on this remote section of the Appalachian Trail, which features seven balds over 5,000 feet, and amazing views of the Smokies from Jump off Point.

Watch for black bears along this 7.1-mile leg that features woodlands and a worthy side trip to the glacial leftovers of Cheshire Cobbles.

Go from wooded ravines to marshy bogs to a blueberry-speckled trail on this mellow 10.5-mile segment.

Over the course of this 9.6-miler, you’ll crest three Berkshire peaks, cruise the banks of Finerty Pond, and visit the largest state forest in Massachusetts.

This 6.2-miler offers a quick overnight getaway. Connect scenic outcrops with views to nearby mountains and camp at Silver Bald Shelter.

Tour hemlock- and pine-covered landscapes in the Berkshires to a glacial lake nestled between wooded hills on this 8.4-miler.

This 11-miler follows a network of bog bridges, passes a glacial pond, and showcases postcard views from The Ledges.

This 30.3-miler in the Great Smokies leads to picturesque panoramas including Charles Bunion, a popular 5,736-foot bald.

Earmark a long weekend for this 20.9-miler that connects Massachusetts to Vermont. Highlights include: sweet lookout views and a walk on The Long Trail--the country's first long--distance trail.

Multiple peaks, steep climbs, and open meadows highlight this 40.6-mile trip in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Meander through lush hardwood forests with moderate elevation change and check out Cable Gap Shelter--a cozy, three-sided log shelter.

Connect farm fields, hardwood forests and the rocky crown of Mount Greylock--Massachusetts' highest summit--on this 10.9-mile dayhike.

Start at the Nantahala Outdoor Center and hit the trail for a beautiful, yet rugged 12.7-mile walk under hardwoods and through Nantahala Gorge. Not up for a long day hike? Stop at Sassafras Gap Shelter and swap stories with thru-hikers.

Rocky and rugged, this 15.9-mile trek travels through two states, crests the tallest peak in Connecticut, and links four summits in Massachusetts.

Some of the best views of Connecticut can be seen from Rand's View—a quiet meadow dotting this 9-mile leg that showcases unrivaled views of wooded Berkshire Hills.

Ready your camera. This 7.3-miler serves up five-star views of countless peaks: Bear Mountain, Mount Everett, Kaaterskill High Peak and the Catskills, to name a few.

Don't let the mileage fool you. This 4.9-miler packs in two summits, crosses a rushing brook, and provides idyllic views of the Housatonic Valley.

Tackle a rigorous 1,000-foot climb, traverse fields, and cross an impressive gorge on this 15.8-mile section.

This 18.7-mile weekend trip starts with a 2,700-foot climb up Snowbird Mountain then descends and climbs again to Max Patch, an old homestead and logging camp.

Cruise 8.1 miles into wooded creek valleys and up Rich Mountain where an old fire tower is accessible by a short spur trail.

Switchback 1,000 feet to poster-worthy views of Lovers Leap Rock, an aptly-named perch made famous by a suicidal Cherokee maiden.

Enjoy panoramic Smokies views on blueberry- and rhododendron-lined trails on the way to French Broad River, where relaxing hot springs await.

This weeklong hike tours photogenic balds, rhododendron-choked valleys, and grassy hillsides with wild ponies in Grayson Highlands State Park.

Cruise past 230-year-old homestead foundations and old roads used by troops during the Revolutionary War on this 8.5-mile dayhike.

Top-of-the-world vistas, fields of wildflowers and sun-dappled hardwood forests are nothing compared to David Greer, an insane murderer who once lived on Bald Mountain from 1802 to 1834.

Drop to the lowest elevation point on the AT, cross the Hudson on what was once the world's longest suspension bridge, then claim views of a glacier-scoured valley on this 9.2-mile section hike.

The payoff on this 6.4-mile hike is the big views on Bear Mountain, stretching from the Hudson Highlands to New York City's skyline.

Postcard-worthy views are plentiful during this 11.2-mile stretch. Bring your camera and snap panoramas overlooking Canopus Lake, the Hudson River Valley, and the Fishkill Plains.

Navigate the infamous lemon squeezer, a pinched corridor tucked between mammoth-sized boulders, on this 11-mile route peppered young hardwoods and old iron mines in Harriman State Park.

This 11-miler traverses four mountains and passes the faded remains of settlements and iron mines. Along the way, you'll skirt the base of Fitzgerald Falls.

Connect New Jersey and New York on this rugged 8.6-mile route that traverses the glacier-cut spine of Bellvale Mountain.

This sweet 5.3-miler charges up Wawayanda Mountain, crosses a 19th century iron bridge, and cruises past Luther’s Rock, a boulder left by retreating glaciers.

Ten miles is all it takes to tour this medley of landscapes ranging from giant swamps in Vernon Valley to the glacier-scraped summit of Pochuck Mountain.