Best Domestic Hiking Trails in the United States for Adults

Havasu Canyon, part of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, has a more advanced hike with incredible views Due to the hot, arid climate and rugged switchbacks, this is more of a moderately challenging hike. However, you will be rewarded by lush landscape at the bottom, with waterfalls that cascade over red-orange sandstone cliffs. This hike requires 2-3 days on the trail on foot, as it is 20 miles (round-trip). To make it easier, you can fly in via helicopter or transport your gear via mule. You are likely to come across some mules transporting not just gear, but US mail to the Havasupai tribe residing in the area. If you don’t feel like hiking the entire journey on your own, or want to avoid having to lug your gear around and have someone else do the cooking, you can go with Austin-Lehman Adventures, an outfit that has an established camp and will orchestrate day hikes to complete the trek.

There are several trails winding around Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest. One that is not to be missed by intermediate or moderate hikers is the Skylight Pond Trail, which runs approximately 5 miles round-trip. This trail starts off as an easy trail, but once you enter the Breadloaf Wilderness, the hike gets a bit steeper with switchbacks until you get to Skylight Pond, where you’ll find Skylight Lodge. Lake Trail is situated on the south side of the forest, which is a lengthy, twisting switchback hike that leads to the Big Ranch Wilderness and links to the tranquil, scenic Griffith Lake region, which runs just over 3 miles one way.

Hiking season in Montana’s Glacier National Park is somewhat short by comparison, with nearly infinite hiking opportunities due to over 730 miles of hiking trails. You need to be in good shape to tackle the Highline Trail towards the Grinnell Glacier Overlook, but it’s well worth the elegance of the experience. It’s about a 15-mile round trip hiking trail, starting from the Logan Pass Visitors Center, with endless views of the soaring mountains. You’ll run into Grinnell Glacier Overlook Trail about 8 miles into the hike, which leads into a steep and challenging trek, but the breathtaking views of the glacier and sweeping vistas overlooking Upper Grinnell Lake make the hike worth the effort, with some great photo opportunities.

Tuolumne Meadows, California, adjacent to Yosemite National Park, is where serious hikers go to avoid the heat and crowds. The Yosemite High Sierra Camping Loop features rustic accommodations where family-style breakfast and dinner are served. Approximately every 7-10 miles, the camps allow for more challenging hikes in the deep backwoods without the need to carry tents or cooking gear. The 35-mile Yosemite to Vogelsang Peak Loop area of the legendary John Muir Trail, is a particularly difficult hike, with a 3,000-foot climb, however, it presents some of the very best scenery in the Sierra Nevada region. This area offers crystal-clear alpine lakes, the Tuolumne River, unequalled mountain views from Lyell Canyon, and a vast array of wildflowers.

Situated on the eastern side of Champlain Mountain, the Precipice Trail is one of the most challenging trails in Maine’s Acadia National Park. It is nearly a 1,000-foot vertical climb, so you must be in exceptional condition in order to embark on this journey. This hiking experience is most renowned for offering sightings of the rare peregrine falcons in the coves. The hiking trail is commonly closed during nesting season, however, spotting telescopes are sometimes available if you ask the park ranger.

One of the largest regions of wilderness in the 48 continental United States (over 1.5 million acres), and extended along the Continental Divide, is the Bob Marshall Wilderness (aka, the “Bob”), in western Montana’s Flathead National Forest. This region has a nearly completely preserved eco-systems worldwide. The area has one of the highest grizzly bear populations in the country. It also offers wildlife fanatics glimpses of endangered wolves, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, wolverines, mountain lions, bald eagles and ospreys. There is an unequalled multi-day hike to the Chinese Wall, an 18-mile, 1,000-foot high chunk of limestone similar to the Great Wall of China, extending into the Montana sky.

Resources:
Arizona’s Havasu Canyon ( www.nps.gov/grca )
Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest ( www.fs.usda.gov/greenmountain )