TOP HIKES IN USA TO ADD to YOUR BUCKET LIBRARY
This past year we have been writing about hiking in the United States. We thought it would be a good idea to compile all the top hikes in the United States into one place. We love making a list of experiences. It would be great to say that you have walked all these incredible trails. As the world is figuring itself out, people might stay closer to home in the coming years. So why not explore all these amazing outdoor locations in the USA?
Top Places to Hike in the United States
Tongass National Forest, Alaska
Let’s begin our top hikes in Alaska, the last frontier of adventure travel. The Tongass National Forest, located in Juneau, Alaska, has many hiking trails. There are 700 miles worth of hiking trails. A guide is recommended for those who don’t have any backcountry experience. You will find bears, glaciers and caves along nearly every trail in this wild America. You’ll find plenty of hiking opportunities in Alaska if you go on a small ship Alaskan cruise. Popular hikes start from the Mendenhall Glacier visitor centre. Mendenhall Glacier is Alaska’s most famous glacier.
Yosemite National Park, California
Another American treasure is Yosemite National Park, home to many amazing hiking trails. Yosemite National Park covers an enormous 1200-square-mile (3,027 km2). The Yosemite Valley is where most of the amazing hikes in Yosemite can be found. Half Dome Hike is the most popular hike in Yosemite, NP. The 14-mile round trip hike is approximately 10 to 12 hours long and takes you up 5000 feet above Yosemite Valley. The final 400 feet of the hike will require you to use cables. This allows you to climb without any climbing gear.
Mount Whitney – California
Mount Whitney, located in California, is a must-see for any hiker. This 22.5-mile out-and-back trail climbs 6,656 feet to 14,494ft. It can be done in one day, but we recommend multi-day backpacking adventures. The challenging hike will take you through beautiful mountain peaks, valleys and lakes with stunning views. It is an incredible feat to reach the summit.
John Muir Trail, California
The John Muir Trail is one of America’s most famous hikes. The 220-mile hike takes you through some of America’s most well-known national parks, such as Ansel Adams Wilderness area, Sequoia and Yosemite National Park. You may think there are many California hikes on our USA hiking trail list because there are so many amazing trails and national parks! It’s so extensive that it warrants a whole post all its own.
Smith Rock
Oregon offers a variety of trails that will take you through dense forests and rugged coastlines. Oregon is America’s hiking capital, with 361 state parks and 11 National Forests. Oregon is home to the Pacific Crest Trail. You can hike a portion of this trail from Mexico to Canada, but there are many options within the state. Because Smith Rock’s Misery Ridge trail is one of America’s most famous hiking trails, we chose it. It is only 3.5 miles long but steep and beautiful. You’ll find rock formations such as The Monkey Face Rock and sheer granite rock faces high up on Misery Ridge. There are also calm mirror lakes.