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. And while many are familiar with treks like the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail, there are hundreds of other movie-worthy hikes of all distances criss-crossing the nation, from sea to shining sea.
Aiming to mirror this signature smorgasbord of landscapes, these 12 trails promise epic adventure—and challenge, serenity, and an intimate connection with the beauty that defines America’s great outdoors.
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 through Little Missouri National Grassland and the North and South Units of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you’ll be hoofing it in the quiet company of pronghorn, bison, and bighorn sheep.
Tuck into a picnic with an incredible view at Mount St. Helens in Washington.
Photo by Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock
Mount St. Helens
Washington
- Distance: 2–20 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
Mount St. Helens’ 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 and 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.
The arches in Rattlesnake Canyon in Colorado are stunning, and you’ll be vying with far fewer people for a good shot.
Photo by Gerald A. DeBoer/Shutterstock
Rattlesnake Arches
Colorado
- Distance: 15.5+ miles
- Difficulty: Challenging
In 2023, Arches National Park received a cool 2.4 million visitors. Colorado’s McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, home to the second-highest concentration of natural arches in the country, received an estimated 300,000. 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 (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.
For vistas that rival those of oft-crowded national parks Glacier, Yosemite, and Grand Teton, head to Alice Lake in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains.
Photo by CSNafzger/Shutterstock
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 21 miles, tack on an extra 1,000-foot climb to Edith Lake, or simply stick to the shores of Toxaway.
Regardless of your trek, the whole way comes 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.)
The North County National Scenic Trail spans eight states, from Vermont to North Dakota.
Photo by Big Joe/Shutterstock
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 Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota. 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.
The soft ground on the aptly named Black Sands Beach makes an ideal place to stretch out after a long hike.
Photo by Geartooth Productions/Shutterstock
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, the cliffside beaches, the forests and the fog, and the sea lions, elephant seals, and otters frolicking not far off your path.
Note: You’ll need a permit for this one; they become available on October 1 for the following year.
Traverse the solidified-lava Kīlauea Iki Crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.
Photo by Marisa Estivill/Shutterstock
Kīlauea Iki Trail
Hawaii
- 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 of Hawaii’s 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 it to six miles, adding on views from Uēaloha (Byron Ledge) and, should you like, from inside the Nāhuku Lava Tube.
Tip: Start early to avoid the crowds—and to catch the desolate crater in the eerie morning mist.
Clocking in at nearly 60 miles, the Solitude Loop Trail in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains is a challenging hike.
Photo by Jess Kraft/Shutterstock
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 and lakes, mining ruins, and above-tree line views with bears, moose, and elk.
Bring good shoes and a good map for this one—it’s a 59.3-mile, not-always-well-marked loop that gains over 10,000 feet in elevation.
You can stay overnight in a wooden shelter hut when hiking the 18-mile Presidential Traverse Trail.
Photo by Ryan Garrett/Shutterstock
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 trek 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.
Tackle a challenging hike and enjoy some incredible stargazing on the Grand Canyon’s rim-to-rim trek.
Photo by Kelly vanDellen/Shutterstock
Rim-to-Rim, Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona
- Distance: 23.9 miles
- Difficulty: Challenging
Almost no one hikes the Grand Canyon rim to rim, but doing so turns this crowded national park into a serene (if sweaty) adventure. The trek begins on the North Rim’s North Kaibab Trail, descending 14.3 miles and 6,000 feet to the watery bottom of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, International DarkSky park, and one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of The World.”
Watch thousands of stars rise from Bright Angel campground, and in the morning, leave the banks of the Colorado River for the Bright Angel Trail, climbing across two billion years of Earth history—that’s 4,500 feet and 9.6 miles—emerging, gratefully, on the South Rim.
The views of Nāpali Coast on the Kalalau Trail are out of this world.
Photo by David Lee/Flickr
Kalalau Trail
Hawaii
- 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 90 days in advance.
Given the alarming rate at which Exit Glacier is receding, this is one hike you’ll want to do sooner rather than later.
Photo by Jaime Espinosa/Shutterstock
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. Today, the glacier has receded over half a mile since 2010, and that same loop gets you a distant photograph. But 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.
This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on October 9, 2024 with current information.
>>Next: An Expert Hiker’s Guide to the 3 Most Legendary Trails in the U.S.
