12 Greatest Hikes in North America

Put on your hiking boots, take a water bottle, and get ready for your next exciting active experience by going to one of the top hiking routes in the United States.

These are the 18 best hikes in the United States, where you can go canyoneering, visit waterfalls, and take in magnificent views.

1. Burroughs Mountain Hike – Mount Rainier National Park

One of the most famous mountains in the world can be found in Washington state’s Mount Rainier National Park. Straight into the clouds, Mount Rainier soars 14,410 feet above sea level.

There are other trails to hike in the park besides the mountain’s summit. Over 260 miles of well-maintained trails crisscross the park, taking visitors through serene old-growth forests, river valleys, and subalpine meadows.

For breathtaking views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding alpine scenery, check out the Burroughs Mountain hike.

2. Appalachian Trail – Shenandoah National Park

Only 75 miles separate Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park from the bustle of Washington, D.C. There are deer, songbirds, and a clear, starry night sky on the park’s 200,000 acres of protected land.

In addition, the park has more than 500 miles of hiking trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail, a portion of which can be hiked in a single day. Each trail features unique features like waterfalls, vistas, and dense forests.

3. Halema’uma’u Trail – Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

Visitors to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the intense heat of a volcano up close.

Visitors to the park have access to a number of trails, such as the Earthquake Trail and Waldron Ledge, an easy 1-mile hike that offers stunning ocean views, and the Halema’uma’u Trail, a 1-mile hike that descends 425 feet at the southern edge of Klauea Caldera and leads through a rain forest.

4. Kalalau Trail – Ha’ena State Park

On the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the Kalalau Trail travels roughly 11 miles along the north shore of the island from Kee Beach to the Kalalau Valley. Beware, the trail is very dangerous and challenging.

The journey offers breathtaking views of the island’s surrounding azure oceans while passing through hills and streams.

5. Charlies Bunion Hike – Great Smoky Mountains National Park

World-famous for its variety of plant and animal life as well as its expansive mountains for hiking and exploring, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina.

The park even offers the “Hike the Smokies” challenge, which offers exclusive mileage pins to hikers who have covered more than 100 miles of the park. Miles of paved and unpaved trails offer views of waterfalls and old-growth forests in the park.

The Appalachian Trail hike to Charlies Bunion offers stunning views of the mountains and forest.

6. Billy Goat Trail – Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

A 4-mile, easy hike called the Billy Goat Trail can be found in Maryland not far from Washington, D.C. Hikers can experience the Great Falls’ craggy cliffs and the raging Potomac River here. The hike is very well-liked, so get there early to avoid the crowds.

7. Nugget Falls Trail – Tongass National Forest

A hub for hiking around the Mendenhall Glacier and the Tongass National Forest is the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Juneau, Alaska.

Visitors frequently see bald eagles, sockeye salmon, and black bear cubs in this nature lover’s paradise. Hikers have the option of venturing through dense forests and meadows, exploring caves, or even traveling along a wooden “boardwalk” trail through muskegs, or swampy bogs.

Hikers won’t ever see the same sights twice thanks to the more than 700 miles of trails. A relatively short, 2-mile hike, the Nugget Falls trail offers stunning views of the waterfall and glacier.

8. Canyon to Rim Loop – Smith Rock State Park

The terrain at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon ranges from easy to moderately difficult and offers hikes of 2 to 7 miles.

The park advises visitors to arrive early in the day to see the geese and ducks on the river’s banks and stay later in the day to see a stunning blue heron perched on a rock in the river. You might even see a cougar or two if you look closely.

9. Cadillac North Ridge Trail – Acadia National Park

The first national park in the eastern United States is Acadia National Park. The bays and tiny islands off the coast of Maine can be seen from a variety of hikes in Acadia, ranging in difficulty from easy to strenuous; the Cadillac North Ridge Trail is a great option for breathtaking summit views.

Although the park is always open, there are a few brief closures during the long winters. Check here for the operating hours.

10. Petroglyph Wall Trail – Red Rock Canyon

There are shorter hikes available at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada, with the longest trail measuring in at 6 miles, but don’t be deceived by the short distance.

Many of the hikes in Red Rock Canyon are rated as difficult, and even a 5-mile hike can take up to 4 to 5 hours to complete. Hikers and tourists can try to spot the desert wildlife along the various routes, such as lizards, toads, and hawks flying overhead.

The Petroglyph Wall Trail, despite its brief length, is a must-do if you want to see the 800-year-old historical rock art.

11. South Rim Trail – Grand Canyon National Park

The most recognizable and well-known national park in the nation may be Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park.

There are a ton of hiking options in the park, from easy vista point hikes at the rim of the canyon (like the South Rim Trail) to difficult hikes from rim to rim.

The Colorado River rages through the canyon’s base, creating sights that must be seen there as well as breathtaking views for miles above the rim.

12. Chautauqua Trail – Chautauqua Park

Boulder, Colorado’s Chautauqua Park has existed since 1898, when Boulder residents approved a bond issue to buy 80 acres of land. The park offers miles of hiking, and those who are fit enough to reach the summit are rewarded with breathtaking vistas of Boulder.

Before moving on to more difficult trails, you can start with the Chautauqua Trail, which offers views of Boulder and the Flat Irons.