Top 15 Hikes
Hit the trail on these iconic and under-the-radar hikes through unforgettable desert, mountain, and coastal terrain.
Williams Lake, Taos, NM
Get an alpine start to your day on the gradual 2-mile hike to Williams Lake, at 11,300 feet in the high country above Taos Ski Valley. The trail parallels the Rio Hondo upstream to the lake. From there you can look up at New Mexico's highest point, Wheeler Peak; if you're feeling ambitious, follow the faint goat path that scrambles up the scree field on the north side of the tarn to the summit above, with views 60 miles north to Colorado.
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, CA
It's on a lot of people's life list of adventures--the demanding hike/climb up 8,800-foot Half Dome. Allow at least 10 hours, and know that the last 900 feet of trail is a steep climb up the dome, with you clinging to cables for the final 400-foot ascent.
More on Yosemite hiking
Haleakala National Park, Maui, HI
Ranger-led morning hikes often travel through volcanic landscapes up to the summit of the 10,000-foot volcano in Haleakala National Park; on a self-guided tour through the Hosmer Grove forest, you could spot an 'i'wi, a rare Hawaiian bird. Or spend a whole day hiking the Sliding Sands Trail through the eerily lovely crater itself, immersed in a wilderness of volcanic cinder, strange plants, and tumbling clouds.
More on Haleakala
Angels Landing, Zion National Park, UT
This is the hike you'll brag about back home, assuming you're up for doing it. You hike 2.5 miles up cliffs so steep you have to negotiate them with the help of chains bolted into the rock; the final portion of the trail rides a narrow rock fin with dizzily sharp drop-offs on either side. The reward: phenomenal views and aforementioned bragging rights.
Pacific Crest Trail, Devils Lake, OR
It would take you five months to walk the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. But for a long weekend that's high on thrills per mile, try the 17-mile stretch through Oregon's Three Sisters Wilderness. Hiking from Frog Camp/Obsidian Trailhead on State 242 to the South Sister Trailhead at Devils Lake offers a sampler of the fir forests, waterfalls, jagged peaks, and serene alpine lakes for which the PCT is famous, plus the wondrous Obsidian Limited Entry Area, covered with the sharp-edged black rock. It just may inspire you to hike the other 2,633 miles.
Adams Gulch area trails, Ketchum, ID
The Adams Gulch area offers good out-and-back hiking and mountain biking in the Sawtooth National Forest, with golden fall color and views of rocky 8,275-foot Griffin Butte. There are trails for a range of motivational levels, from the poky 1.5-mile Shadyside Trail to the grueling 14-mile Adams Gulch loop.
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur, CA
Two major Big Sur landmarks are located in this 3,583-acre park. Partington Cove is about 2 miles north of the park's entrance. Head inland via the Tan Bark Trail into the redwoods, turn around when you've had enough, and come down to the shoreline. The overlook of McWay Falls is one of the prettiest spots on the California coast. The falls plunge straight down 80 feet onto an inaccessible beach. A short trail starts from the park's main parking area.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Las Vegas, NV
Take a break from the neon and drive just 17 miles west of the Strip on W. Charleston Blvd. (State 159) to explore petrified sand dunes, view petroglyphs, and look for red-tailed hawks.
Dry Creek Trail #52, Sedona, AZ
In a town full of first-class hikes, locals love this one. The 5-mile trek winds through Coconino National Forest, with stop-and-stare views of terraced sandstone formations, and plenty of quiet moments to sneak up on grazing deer.
Cathedral Lake Trail, Aspen, CO
A challenging 5.6-miler lined with wild sage, blue columbines, and firs in the White River National Forest. There's a 2,000-foot elevation gain up to 11,866 feet, but the alpine views are a sweet reward.
Anza-Borrego State Park, San Diego, CA
Catch one heck of a spring show at Anza-Borrego, California's largest state park. First-timers can't miss the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail, a 3-mile round-trip flowering with brittlebush, desert lavender, and ocotillo. For a hike twice as long, there's the 6-mile round-trip into Hellhole Canyon for blooming barrel cactus, lupine, and phacelia, plus Maidenhair Falls. Four-wheeling flower fans, scope out the sand verbena and dune evening primrose on the 20-mile Coyote Canyon Jeep Trail.
Moran State Park, Orcas Island, WA
The jewel of Washington's state park system, with 5,252 acres of forests, lakes, and waterfalls. The view from Mt. Constitution is world-class and well worth the trek upward.
More on Washington hiking
Grinnell Glacier Trail, Glacier National Park, MT
Board the boats across Swiftcurrent and Josephine lakes and hike 8 miles into spectacular high-altitude alpine country to Grinnell Glacier, the park's most accessible glacier.
More on Glacier National Park
Lanikai Pillbox Trail, Oahu, HI
The short (two-mile round-trip) but steep Lanikai Pillbox Trail takes you up to World War II-era bunkers and an Imax-worthy view of windward Oahu.
South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
The park's easiest day hike is the 1.8-mile roundtrip to views at appropriately named Ooh-Aah Point 600 feet below the rim. Very strenuous trailhead south of Yaki Point on Yaki Point Road.
Never been to the Grand Canyon? Here's our intro to one of America's treasures.
Are any of these hikes on your bucket list? Here's our adventure-travel life list.