In a like USAnarrowing down the most beautiful hiking trails is not easy. Hiking in this country is more than anyone can solve in their lifetime, especially in National Parks. With that in mind, think of this list as a launch pad: Explore these specific routes, or let them trigger other equally meaningful adventures. These are the most beautiful hikes in America.
Arches National Park Hiking
There are over 2,000 natural stone arches in Arches National Park and you will see all of them on a short day hike. But four relatively short hikes? Well, you’ll see at least some favorites. Technically, this simple arch tour is four groceries divided into a day filled with sandstone. You will see some of the most famous arches in the park: exquisite arches, landscape arches, double arches and windows. As you walk through the desert outside Moab, Utah, stand below, take a picture and marvel at these naturally-occurring stone arches. Because each hike has its own trail, you can choose what you want to do and adjust the distance to your energy level.
Experience it for yourself: Hiking Utah’s Powerful 5
Half dome
Photos of the iconic Yosemite Valley are unfair. The valley will surprise you, staring at the towering granite walls. Store list items? One of the most famous rock formations in Bisot National Park, the scaled semi-door. To tackle this challenging 22-27 km (14-17 mi) route every day, you will start on the valley floor, hike through Nevada and Spring Falls, and then climb the cable to the top of the half-door. After you get a height of 1,463m (4,800 feet) on the elevation and lift the final 121m (400 feet) on the cable, you get a view of the entire valley. It’s a huge effort and takes 10 to 16 hours or more, although one day you can do this route as a backpacking trip in one day to break it down. Either way, hiking the semi-dome requires a permit, so planning is crucial.
Experience it for yourself: California National Park Discovery
Horseshoe Lake Trail
Denali National Park is home to the highest peak in North America and offers many amazing hikes. The 3.2 km (2 miles) Horseshoe Lake Trail is a well-maintained beginner cycle that provides meaningful views and soft terrain. The trail leads to the shoreline, wraps around the lake, passes through the forest, and circulates along the Nena River, which takes one to two hours. On the north side of the lake, a thrill trace leads to the Beaver Dam, and if you are lucky you may see one of the small animals working hard. In addition to beavers, beware of moose, bears and birds.
Experience it for yourself: Hiking Alaska: Glaciers and Danali
Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop
Bryce Canyon is one of Utah’s “Strong 5” national parks, known for its huge sandstone immobile. The 4.6 km (3 miles) Queen’s Gardens and the Navajo Loop Trail provide one of the best introductions to the park in just a few hours. Clockwise, you hike along the Queen’s Garden Trail to the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, where you have the opportunity to experience Hoodoos at a close distance. On the Navajo Loop Trail (two bridges or one side of Wall Street), you start your steep trek back to the edge. This heart-warming turn-back set is a challenge, but along the way, you will enjoy many beautiful views, including one of the most photographed Hoodoos in the park, Thor’s Hammer.
Experience it for yourself: Hiking Western National Parks
Pacific Mountain Trail
The 4,265 km (2,650 miles) Pacific Crut Trail (PCT) through California, Oregon and Washington is not a great day to hike. But for experienced hikers who want to devote their skills and perseverance to four to six months of testing, you won’t find a more beautiful hike than PCT. From Mexico to Canada, this huge trail covers deserts, mountain passes and vast forests. Each part has its own beauty, but overall, it is one of them. If you are not on a six-month expedition, you can always hike smaller parts.
Angel landing
In one of the most notorious hikes in the United States, the angel landing in Zion National Park, Utah (Utah National Park) offers amazing views along the thin ridgeline. In other words, this 8.7km (5.4m) hike is not timid, but worth it. From the Grotto shuttle stop in Zion National Park, you can bending over the relentless rewind beside a sandstone cliff to spy the lookout, where you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Zion Canyon. This is also where the extra fun part starts, as you drive along the narrow ridgeline of the Angel landing. Chain handrails and footholds in the rock help with the ascent, but it remains a challenging 360-degree view. Due to the popularity of hiking, you need to get a license to hike Angels land, but if you don’t get one, you can still hike without a single person to scout.
Experience it for yourself: Hiking Utah’s Powerful 5
Teton Crest Trail
For alpine landscapes and colorful wildflowers, this trip to the Grand Teton National Park is the winner. On a three to five-day challenging 63km (39m) hike, you will climb over 27.4 million (9,000 feet) to travel between Bridge-Teton National Forest and Greater Teton National Park. Grand Teton National Park isn’t always infamous, but it’s a gem filled with mountains, alpine lakes, and in the summer, some of the best wildflowers in the West. You need a wilderness permit to backpack, but it’s worth it for the loneliness you camp under the stars.
Experience it for yourself: Journey: The iconic wildlife of Yellowstone and Grand Teton
Edge-to-Edge Trail
There is no doubt that the trail along the 39km (24-mile) edge of Grand Canyon National Park brings bragging rights. On this route, you are trapped in one of the seven natural wonders of the world and hike the other side. It’s one thing to see this magnificent canyon from the edge, but you have a completely different perspective from the coast of the Colorado River at the bottom. Don’t be fooled by the relatively low mileage; in the almost constant sunshine, at an altitude of 1,570m (5,150 feet), it’s a serious trek. You can hike north and vice versa. If you end up on the southern edge of the bright Angel Trail, you can celebrate meals and beer from one of several restaurants in Grand Canyon Village. If your final destination is the northern edge of the North Kaibab trail, you will encounter a quiet pine forest with smaller crowds.
Experience it: Southwest Road Trip: Zion, Grand Canyon and Santa Monica Sunset
Cliff Loop
Acadia National Park is often called “the crown gem of the North Atlantic coast” and there is good reason. Located on the coast of Maine, Acadia offers scenic coastlines, rocky headlands and forested mountains. It’s an exciting route, with a challenging 5.1km (3.2m) cliff ring leading you to the top of Champlain Mountain where you can enjoy panoramic views of French Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding islands. While the views are spectacular, the real attraction of this trail is your adventure of expanding the edge of the cliff using iron steps and ladders. This is not a path for anyone who is afraid of height, but it is worth the challenge if you are willing to be brave.
Upper geyser basin and old faithful
A trip to Yellowstone National Park is incomplete without visiting the Old Faithful visit. Once you see the famous geyser, you will escape some crowds and follow the boardwalk and bike paths through the upper geyser basin. The region is indeed one – it has the highest concentration of geysers on Earth with over 150 thermal characteristics. You follow this easy and medium route through many features including the old Faithful, honeycomb geyser, sawmill geyser, morning glory pool and daisy geyser. Enjoy the rainbow pool as you walk through this desolate landscape. These hot springs maintain microorganisms, thus creating spectacular colors.
Experience it for yourself: National Park Family Journey: Yellowstone and Grand Teton
Trails of Congress
Instead of walking among giants every day, you follow the 4.3 km (2.7 mile) Congressional Trail in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Marvel at the 1,000-year-old giant sequoia as you walk along this gentle, well-maintained road. You can even walk through some huge fallen trees. Along with General Sherman (the largest creature on Earth), you will also see many other mature red oias, including houses and the Senate group. Under the entire Ma, note how many trees dug up trunks large enough to stand completely inside. These holes come from previous forest fires, and over the years, huge trees have endured it.
Experience it: Hiking Sequoia, King’s Canyon and Yosemite
Marys Rock
For Prime Autumn Leafing, the 6km (3.7 miles) Maris Rock Summit in Shenandoah National Park offers some of the best. Stroll along the long Appalachian Trail (another strong contender on this list) along Marys Rock where you can enjoy views of Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Mountains. Thanks to the mixed hardwood forest, this trail comes with yellow, orange and red, which discolors all the leaves.
Bonanza Mine
This challenging 14.5 km (9 miles) trail offers everything: wild scenery, rugged mountain views and cultural history. Situated in Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Alaska’s Preserve, Bonanza Mine Trail shows some of the best in the state, including interesting works from the history of the 20th century mining. Although the Bonanza Mine is now closed, the relics of these buildings and the Bonanza tram station are cool, especially when placed next to the beautiful surrounding mountains.
Experience it for yourself: Hiking Alaska: Valdez and Wrangell St Elias
Overlooking the hidden lake
A Hidden Lake Overview is one of the best hikes to see the most trustworthy scenery in Glacier National Park. You follow the boardwalk through alpine meadows and bloom wildflowers around the summer to late summer. When hiking, look up at the towering peaks of Clements Mountain, Mt Oberlin, Bearhat Mountain and Mt Reynolds. When you reach Hidden Lake overlook, you can spread the lake in the lake below and turn back from there. But if you feel adventurous, hike to the lake for an extra 1.9 km (1.2 mile) per strip and cool the dip in the water. The only downside of this fantastic route? In summer, parking will be overcrowded, so arrive early.
