Los Angeles: Chaparral Crest Loop
Test your map skills on this moderate 4.7-mile hike into the woodland maze along the Ventura River in El Nido Preserve.
Got the itch to go hiking? Whether it’s prepping for the trip of a lifetime or finding local hikes, these picks from the editors of Backpacker will help you get out more. Find day hikes, multi-day trips, and more.
Got the itch to go hiking? Whether it’s prepping for the trip of a lifetime or finding local hikes, these picks from the editors of Backpacker will help you get out more. Find day hikes, multi-day trips, and more.
Test your map skills on this moderate 4.7-mile hike into the woodland maze along the Ventura River in El Nido Preserve.
This 8.4-mile out-and-back gains 2,500 feet to unbeatable desert-to-ocean views over the San Jacinto Mountains.
String together two loops on this 8.3-miler along the streams and young woodlands near Caesar Creek Lake--a 2,830-acre reservoir.
Loop 8.3 miles through coastal sage and eucalyptus to views of mountain-ringed beaches and the Pacific Ocean.
Earmark a long weekend for this 31-miler linking tree-shaded lowlands, old mining homesteads, waterfalls, and a beautiful alpine lake.
Parallel the Blue Ridge Parkway on this 12.5-mile one-way hike with picturesque overlooks and streams cascading through towering hardwoods.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Zigzag the wooded contours of Winding Stair Mountain and explore lesser-traveled landscapes on this 7.9-mile section of the Ouachita Trail.
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.
This 8.5-mile ridgeline hike offers astounding views, two summit options, and a late-summer treat of wild huckleberries and wildflowers.
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.
This half-mad dayhike requires a stiff climb through overgrown brush, then rewards hikers with miles of wildflowers backdropped by alpine peaks.
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.
String several wooded paths and waterfalls together on this 3.5-mile dayhike located only minutes from downtown.
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.
This 4.5-miler runs along steep cliffs to two photogenic overlooks above an impressive waterfall on the Potomac River.
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 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.
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.
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.
Put your quads and endurance to the test on this 6.6-mile hike that features steep scrambles, boulder-strewn canyons, and dramatic views from Bear Peak.
Hike through mixed forest to a sparkling alpine lake and crest a rocky ridgetop with panoramic views on this 6.1-mile trek in the North Cascades.
You'll climb 2,000 feet in 2 miles on this strenuous hike to Turtlehead Peak where rewarding summit views stretch for miles across the Las Vegas Valley.
Sparkling gypsum deposits, weathered mining ruins, and a twisted slot canyon highlight this scenic 6-mile hike—less than an hour from Las Vegas.
Take a springtime ramble through the red rocks of Mojave National Preserve.
Savor backcountry solitude on a ridgetop snowshoe hike in Chugach State Park.
Delve into a secluded river canyon in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness.
Crane your neck at an ultra-secluded, towering Idaho canyon.
Scramble up a forgotten peak in the Lost Creek Wilderness.
Sample the mesas and meadows of the Gila Wilderness.
Explore a century-old mining camp in the Coronado National Forest.
Trace a rushing river in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Climb an ancient ridge for views of a dramatic unglaciated Wisconsin landscape.
Hike a blooming stretch of Indiana's hills.
Wander through the rocky wildlands of the Smoky Hills.
Escape the crowds at the Nature Conservancy’s largest Connecticut preserve.
Link meadows to hilltops across Westborough’s open spaces.
Drink in the Appalachian scenery along a cascading mountain river in the Monongahela National Forest.
Discover one of Pennsylvania’s wild secrets in the Elk State Forest.
Reach waterfall nirvana in the Jefferson National Forest.
Sample the highlights of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area.
Wander among the big trees and rocky ridges of the Old South's Sumter National Forest.
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.
Ride the Sandia Crest on this 5.8-mile loop that connects a scenic ridgetop, fragrant evergreens, and postcard views above Albuquerque.
This 4.1-mile dayhike tours countless cascades and tags a wooded hill with swell views of Lake Superior.
Camp two nights on this 15.7-mile loop through a remote and rugged corner of Ramseys Draft Wilderness in west-central Virginia.
Explore an ancient fossilwood forest on this Badlands route.
This 16-miler packs big vertical change and diverse landscapes (from grassy campsites to mountain summits) into a two-night trip.
Stroll down a short private drive to find Rhode Island's high point. Once elusive due to watchful landowners, you can now hike it worry-free.
Drive the quiet streets of Wilmington to reach Delaware's high point, a sign on a suburban sidewalk: only dedicated peak baggers need apply.
This 5.2-mile loop climbs through chestnut oak and fern undergrowth to far-reaching views on top of Crowders Mountain. Bring your binoculars—warblers, hawks, and owls are a common sight along the trail.
Seasonal wildflowers, a remote mountain lake, and plenty of solitude highlight this 8.6-mile hike that winds through forest and meadows in the Cascade Mountains.
Make a weekend out of this 18-mile trip that boasts a string of waterfalls, summit views, and lakeside camping in the Columbia Gorge.
This 3-mile out-and-back in the Superstition Mountains climbs gently through ocotillo and saguaro cacti to Hieroglyphic Canyon's mysterious petroglyphs.
Explore Kauai's lush jungle, cool off in waterfalls, and pick wild mangoes on the Kalalau Trail.
Explore Hawaii's own Grand Canyon on this 2-mile out-and-back that travels into the depths of Waimea Canyon and passes postcard views at nearly every turn.
Balance this 13.5-mile hinterland hike up the southern spine of the Sandia Mountains with a civilized finish--microbrews at the High Finance Restaurant.
Walk in the historic footsteps of Union and Confederate troops on a 3.4-mile hike through one of the Civil War's bloodiest battlefields.
This 3-mile loop outside Atlanta traces a steep ravine as it winds through an oak and poplar forest.
This 3.4-mile hike to Minotaur Lake boasts huckleberry-filled meadows and seasonal wildflowers, not to mention five-star views of two alpine lakes.
Hike past rushing creeks, numerous overlooks, and verdant hills on the Superior Hiking Trail, then bike back on the Munger Trail on this 14.4-mile loop near Duluth.
Connect wooded dunes, bottomland forest, and a pristine beach on this 3.7-mile loop along Lake Michigan in Warren Dunes State Park.
Bag four peaks all over 8,000 feet along this 13.8-mile out-and-back with two short off-trail summit scrambles.
Utah's Range Creek hides the most intact Native American artifacts in the United States. Get there now--while you can still play archaeologist.
This 3-day trek follows a choice route through Colorado's high and wild Collegiate Peaks.