14 of the Best U.S. Hikes for Your Next Adventure

Colchuck Lake in Washington — Spend a day, a week, or even a month hiking spectacular trails—like the one around Colchuck Lake—in the U.S.

With such a spread of diverse terrain, the U.S. is one of the best countries in the world for hiking—whether you’re looking for a remote forested escape or a scramble up a mountain’s razor-like edge. The Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails may get the lion’s share of attention (deservedly so!), but there are hundreds of other movie-worthy hikes of all distances crisscrossing the nation, from sea to shining sea.

These 14 trails promise epic adventure—plus challenge, serenity, and an intimate connection with the smorgasbord of beauty that defines the great outdoors in the U.S.

Maah Daah Hey Trail

North Dakota

Distance: 144 miles
Difficulty: Varying degrees of difficulty

In the Mandan and Hidatsa language, maah daah hey roughly translates to “grandfather.” That’s the Indigenous understanding of North Dakota’s oft-overlooked Badlands—a wizened, grizzled, stoic landscape. The Maah Daah Hey Trail runs for 144 miles, offering some of the best exposure to what’s left of the country’s majestic grasslands, plus surprisingly jagged peaks, rugged plateaus, and ample river crossings. For thru-hikers, it’s broken up into eight segments with six access points and designated campsites roughly 20 miles apart. Trekking across Little Missouri National Grassland and the North and South units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you’ll be hoofing it in the quiet company of pronghorn, bison, and bighorn sheep (and the occasional mountain biker).

Mount St. Helens

Washington

Distance: 2–20 miles
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Mount St. Helens’s 1980 eruption placed it firmly in American memory; over four decades later, this Washington peak is still the most active volcano in the Lower 48, and steam can occasionally be seen venting from the dome.

Hiking it is entirely safe—and entirely epic. Go with the folks at Mount St. Helens Institute, and in less than 10 miles, they can get you exploring the blast zone, the crater itself, pumice plains, waterfalls, and even Crater Glacier, one of the fastest-growing glaciers in the world. (To summit on your own, you’ll need a permit.) Washington Trails Association lists all the hiking trails currently accessible. The shortest and easiest trek is 2.3 miles long round-trip, with an elevation gain of 100 feet. Excluding actual summits of the mountain, the longest and most difficult hike is the 20.2-mile Goat Creek Loop, which climbs 3,200 feet.

Rattlesnake Arches

Colorado

Distance: 15.5+ miles
Difficulty: Challenging

In 2024, Arches National Park received a cool 1.4 million visitors. Colorado’s McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, home to the second-highest concentration of natural arches in the country, received an estimated 330,000. Getting to this backcountry spot—known as Rattlesnake Arches—requires a strenuous 15.5-mile round-trip trek, plus whatever miles you want to wander in the canyon itself as you marvel at the sandstone wonders from above, below, or both. Rattlesnake Arch itself, to name just one architectural landmark, spans 120 feet high and 40 feet wide.

An off-road vehicle can handle much of the trek if you’d prefer to clock your miles amongst the arches and hoodoos—the tall, spindly columns of rock formed over millions of years, each shaped with the gentle curve of a rattlesnake contemplating an attack. Or hand off the driving to Adrenaline Driven Adventures, the only operator running regular tours to this “secret” spot.

A lake surrounded by mountains and pine trees, which are reflected in the lake's surface, with a male hiker with a red backpack on the trail. — For vistas that rival those of oft-crowded national parks Glacier, Yosemite, and Grand Teton, head to Alice Lake in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains.

Alice-Toxaway Loop

Idaho

Distance: 6–21 miles
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Idaho’s epic Sawtooth Mountains rival even the best views at Glacier, Yosemite, or Grand Teton. Though the Alice-Toxaway Loop is popular—for the Sawtooths—it’s a great introduction to this rugged area, and you can tackle it in a number of ways: Reach Alice Lake in six miles, do the whole loop in roughly 19 miles, tack on an extra 1,000-foot climb to Edith Lake, or simply stick to the shores of Toxaway.

Regardless of your route, the whole way is lined with Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, sparkling alpine lakes, and the jagged peaks that gave the Sawtooths their name. You’ll even spot Idaho’s own El Capitan, a rugged peak rising over the Alice Lake Basin (not to be confused with the more famous El Capitan in Yosemite).

A forest of trees, some green and others yellow, bisected by a bright blue river, at a state park in Wisconsin. — The North County National Scenic Trail spans eight states, from Vermont to North Dakota.

North Country National Scenic Trail

North Dakota to Vermont

Distance: 4,800 miles
Difficulty: Easy to challenging

Running for 4,800 miles—over twice the length of the Appalachian Trail—the North Country National Scenic Trail winds across North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont. It’s currently the longest trail in the country, traversing from the flowing Great Plains to the Upper Midwest’s dense forests to New England’s maze of gentle mountains.

Of course, you can hike as much or as little as you like. The roughly 200-mile stretch through northern Wisconsin is a particular delight, venturing from massive waterfalls (Copper Falls State Park and Pattison State Park) to countless lakes and the pine tunnels of Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Lost Coast Trail

California

Distance: 24.6–33.6 miles
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Roughly 250 miles north of San Francisco, the Pacific Coast gets too rugged for development. Escaping a destiny lined with highways, it now provides some of the country’s best coastal hiking, with a name that promises exactly what’s in store: the Lost Coast.

The most popular stretch, Mattole River to Black Sands Beach, is 24.6 miles—across a recommended three days. Because of the tides, you’re forced to slow down and savor the waterfalls pouring into the ocean, cliffside beaches, forests, fog, sea lions, elephant seals, and otters frolicking not far off your path.

Kīlauea Iki Trail

Hawai‘i

Distance: 3.2–6 miles
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Not many hikes take you across a solidified lava lake, but the Kīlauea Iki Trail, in the Big Island’s Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, does. The most direct route comes in at 3.2 miles, where a quick descent through a lush rainforest pops you out onto a cairn-lined trail across the blackened Kīlauea crater. You can also start from the Devastation Trail and extend the walk to six miles, adding on views from Uēaloha (Byron Ledge) and, should you like, from inside the Nāhuku Lava Tube.

An evergreen forest backed by mountain peaks. — Clocking in at nearly 60 miles, the Solitude Loop Trail in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains is a challenging hike.

Solitude Loop Trail

Wyoming

Distance: 59.3 miles
Difficulty: Challenging

Another mountain cathedral that doesn’t get the glory it deserves: Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. While everyone else flocks to the Yellowstone corridor, you can avoid the crowds by circumnavigating the Bighorns’ Cloud Peak Wilderness via the Solitude Loop Trail, or trail #38, sharing your glacier-carved valleys, lakes, mining ruins, and above-tree-line views with bears, moose, and elk.

Presidential Traverse Trail

New Hampshire

Distance: 18 miles
Difficulty: Challenging

You’ll bag seven peaks (all named after U.S. presidents) in just 18 miles on New Hampshire’s Presidential Traverse Trail. And while 6,288-foot Mount Washington, the highest, may sound like the junior leagues, this up-and-down trek involves 9,000 feet in elevation gain at near-constant maximum exposure—a near 20-mile rock scramble. If you’re looking for an epic hike in the Northeast, this is it. Many choose to tackle this brutal journey in two to three days, utilizing the Appalachian Mountain Club’s shuttle and huts along the way for snacks, water, self-serve coffee, and moments to soak it all in.

Kalalau Trail

Hawai‘i

Distance: 11 miles
Difficulty: Challenging

As dangerous as it is beautiful, Kauai’s Kalalau Trail winds for 11 miles along the famous Nāpali Coast, from Ke‘e Beach to the Kalalau Valley. Though expert hikers can make the round trip in a day, many take up to three, granting extra time to float in swimming holes, scope out waterfalls, and take in the hanging valleys and lush forests pouring into the sea. Don’t assume this 360-degree serenity means ease, though: The path is narrow, and waters can rise unexpectedly.

In addition to skills, you’ll need an overnight permit to hike beyond mile two (Hanakāpīʻai Valley), even if you don’t plan to camp. They’re available up to 30 days in advance.

Harding Icefield Trail

Alaska

Distance: 8.2 miles
Difficulty: Challenging

About 20 years ago, you could walk right up to Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. Simply strolling the one-mile glacier overlook trail, you could lean against, pick up, and touch the blue ice. But since 2010, the glacier has receded over half a mile, and that same loop gets you a distant photograph. Hop off the loop and onto the Harding Icefield Trail, a strenuous 8.2-mile round trip, and you can chase the glacier in its hasty retreat. You’ll course through forests and heather-filled meadows to views of the entire icefield, and you’ll even spot nunataks, or peaks projecting above the ice—future mountains for future generations.

The Enchantments

Washington

Distance: 18–20 miles
Difficulty: Challenging

No mystical name is superlative enough to describe Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the Enchantments, a land of high-elevation teal lakes, dramatic spires, and, come fall, golden larches. However, it requires either a day-long march or a highly coveted overnight permit won via lottery—it opens in February for the following hiking season, May–October.

The core loop spans 18 miles with 4,500 feet of elevation gain, winding from Colchuck Lake’s turquoise waters to the Upper Enchantment Basin’s moonscape of polished granite and scattered tarns. Aasgard Pass—a well-named 2,000-foot scramble over loose rock—serves as the gateway between worlds.

Buckskin Gulch

Utah

Distance: 4–21 miles
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Carved by millennia of flash floods, Buckskin Gulch claims the title of longest slot canyon in the world—a serpentine, 16-mile passage so narrow you can, at times, touch both walls with outstretched arms. Starting from Wire Pass Trailhead, Buckskin Gulch’s sculpted corridor starts around mile 2, where sunlight filters down in shafts, illuminating the undulating walls like frozen waves.

The most popular route covers 13 miles one-way to the Paria River, though ambitious hikers can extend the journey to 21 miles by continuing downstream through Paria Canyon. Flash flood danger is real here—check weather conditions obsessively and never enter during monsoon season (from July to September). But for those who time it right, Buckskin Gulch offers one of the Southwest’s most spiritual experiences.

Cadillac Mountain

Maine

Distance: 2.2–7 miles
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

At 1,530 feet, Cadillac Mountain might not sound imposing, but it holds a prize: From October through March, it’s the first place in the United States to see the sunrise.

The showpiece of Acadia National Park, multiple routes lead hikers to views of dawn breaking over the Atlantic. The North Ridge Trail (2.2 miles) provides the gentlest ascent through mixed forest and across granite slabs. The South Ridge Trail (7 miles round-trip) offers a more challenging trek with superior views of Bar Harbor and the Porcupine Islands. Both trails converge at the summit, where you’ll join a devoted crowd of early risers clutching coffee cups, watching the sun paint Frenchman Bay in shades of gold and rose—not a bad way to start the day.

This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on October 15, 2025 with current information.

Jacqueline Kehoe

Jacqueline Kehoe is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, and photographer. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Sierra, Backpacker, Thrillist, Midwest Living, and elsewhere.

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