Three Incredible Long Trails That Are Far Off the Beaten Path
Find solitude on thru-hikes with A-list scenery and B-list crowds.
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Hayduke Trail
Utah and Arizona
Length 800 miles
Route Arches National Park to Zion National Park
Best for Experienced thru-hikers looking for a challenge
Payoff Snaking through the contorted canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau, the Hayduke connects a half dozen national parks on a tour of some of the Lower 48’s harshest yet most sublime terrain. “Even Triple Crowners guarantee that it will change your life,” says Mike Coronella, the route’s creator and cheerleader-in-chief.
Season Start in early spring or the beginning of fall.
Permit Required in all national parks; plan your trip around availability.
Ouachita National Recreation Trail
Arkansas and Oklahoma
Length 223 miles
Route Talimena State Park, Oklahoma, to Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Arkansas
Best for Hikers who can only afford a month off
Payoff With its creek-laced forests, well-spaced trail shelters, and regular maintenance, you’d expect the Ouachita (wa-she-ta) to have lots of foot traffic. But it’s quiet even in the fall, when the South’s largest national forest gets a Crayola makeover as orange sugar maples, purple ash, and red black gums transform whole hillsides.
Season Fall and spring
Permit None, but Forest Service rangers request you sign in at all registration boxes along the way.
Oregon Desert Trail
Oregon
Length 750 miles
Route Oregon Badlands Wilderness to Lake Owyhee State Park
Best for Geothermal junkies who are expert navigators
Payoff Traverse Oregon’s sage-strewn high desert, dip into rocky canyons, and cross 9,000-foot peaks on this recently established route. Along the way you’ll pass a dozen hot springs (though water sources in general are scarce). Bonus: good chance of pronghorn sightings.
Season Spring and fall
Permit None