The Best Hiking Trails in the USA
The USA is blessed to have a huge wide-open territory with amazing National Parks that offer great big plains, sky-high, snow-covered mountains, and of course distinct wildlife. With so much diversity that every state has to offer, it’s hard to pick only a handful of the best hiking trails in the USA.
This was far from a unanimous choice as everyone has their favorite trail and it’s impossible to find two hikers that have the same top list of hikes.
1) Half Dome Trail
This spectacular 14- to 16-mile round-trip hike to Yosemite’s Half Dome is still one of the most famous and most popular hikes [https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/half-dome-trail?u=m] in the USA. It rises 4,800 feet above the Yosemite Valley and is the park’s only day-hike that requires a permit.
Dozens of hikers require help or are rescued each year on the trail as it’s not for the ill-prepared. For the more experienced hikers, the Half Dome trail is a dream that offers several distinct features, one of them being the spectacular Half Dome ascent via cables. The famous cable route is open from May to October and it shouldn’t be missed.
2) Kalalau Trail in Hawaii
The famous Kalalau Trail [https://www.hawaii-guide.com/kauai/hiking-trails/kalalau-trail] on the island of Kauai is an 11-mile hike through paradise that offers amazing vistas, unique birds, and lush vegetation. The estimated trail duration is 9 hours each way, so it’s a two-day adventure for most people that includes camping.
Because it’s so strenuous, the majority of people never reach the end of the trail and opt for a less demanding trip and a popular day hike from Kee Beach to Hanakapiai Beach.
This is a beautiful but very demanding trail with plenty of photo-worthy stops that can be done in one day if you start really early and have plenty of endurance.
3) The Grinnell Glacier Hike
Located on the border of the United States and Canada, the Glacier National Park is a hikers’ dream with more than 700 lakes, waterfalls, and two mountain ranges. There’s a great selection of guided hikes where you can join groups or hike with a park ranger.
The most demanding hike is the Grinnell Glacier [https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/montana/grinnell-glacier-trail?u=m] which is more than 10 miles round-trip that boasts spectacular views and wild animals. The best time to hike is between June and September.
Although the trail is only 10.6 miles long, it is strenuous and can take between 5 to 7 hours to complete. In spite of the fact that the trail can be busy at times, there’s a good chance that you’ll see mountain goats and even a black bear on the trail itself. For that reason, stay alert and bring some bear spray just in case.
4) The High Trail on the PCT
The legendary [https://www.mammothtrails.org/trail/65/high-trail/] Pacific Crest Trail goes through California, Oregon, and Washington and is 2,650 miles long. If you don’t have the time or stamina to do the whole trail, the High Trail, a 7-mile hike that is a great alternative and can be done in one day.
It starts at an elevation of 8,340 feet and ascends to 9,725 feet and offers amazing and unique vistas. The High Trail starts at the Agnew Meadows Trailhead near Mammoth Lakes and ends at the Thousand Island Lake, a most spectacular blue lake.
5) The Wonderland Trail
The Wonderland Trail is an incredible 93-mile hike that encircles [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderland_Trail] Mount Rainier in Washington. Most hikers will start their 12-14 day journey from a village called Longmire The trail will have plenty of ups and downs, both physically and mentally, as it goes through valleys and lowland forests all the way up to alpine areas.
The trail itself was built in 1915 and reaches the highest point at 6,750 feet called the Panhandle Gap. Be prepared to cross many rivers via primitive log bridges that are often washed away forcing the authorities to close the trail. Make sure you’re well informed before heading out.
6) The Billy Goat Trail
Located in Montgomery County, Maryland, the Billy Goat is one of the busiest trails in the D.C. area. It’s a 4.7-mile hike that is divided into three sections. The Section A of the trail is the most popular one because it offers so much adventure; you’ll be scrambling over or around boulders and rocks so bring your best hiking shoes with you.
Section A [https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/billy-goat-trail.htm] should be avoided if you plan to hike with a dog or with children. The best views on the Billy Goat are of the river Potomac as it squeezes through the Mather Gorge.
7) Mount Ida Trail
The Mount Ida trail [http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails.com/mount-ida.htm] is part of the Rocky Mountain National Park [https://untamedanimals.com/can-you-recognize-these-u-s-national-parks-quiz/] in Colorado and is a 10-mile journey to reach the summit of Mount Ida. Don’t be fooled by the photos, this is a strenuous hike that offers amazing vistas as you’re spending time more in the open and it has a great benefit. It’s much less known and therefore much fewer people frequent it.
Although this is a steady uphill hike up to Mount Ida, the final stretch to the summit is through a field of boulders which can be sketchy and treacherous at times.
8) Angels Landing Hiking Trail
One of the world’s most famous [https://utah.com/zion-national-park/angels-landing] trails offers a lot of bang for the buck on its 5-mile roundtrip hike. The draw that lures in thousands of people each year is the journey itself and not the destination (albeit the summit is nice as well).
This bucket list-worthy hike is located in Utah’s Zion National Park and the landmark, Angels Landing, is a 1,488-foot tall rock formation that was previously known as the Temple of Aeolus.
There are of course hundreds and even thousands of trails that are worth mentioning [https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/oct/02/us-national-trails-wilderness-walking-scenic-favourites-hiking] ; from a couple of miles short ones to mammoth couple of thousands-long historic trails like the Lewis and Clark Trail, Appalachian Trail, the already mentioned Pacific Crest Trail, or the Continental Divide Trail.
When going out for a hike, it’s best to be prepared so make sure you read our guides on the best hiking boots and the best hiking gloves.