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Hikes and treks in the USA

We cover 25 routes in the USA: 12 day hikes and 13 multi-day treks. The gentlest is McAfee Knob (moderate); the toughest is Wonderland Trail (very hard, 6,700 m of climbing). The highest point is 4,421 m on Mount Whitney.

Compare the routes

Route	Type	Distance	Days	Highest point	Difficulty	Best time
McAfee Knob	Day hike	13 km	1	960 m	Moderate	All year
The Narrows (Zion)	Day hike	15 km	1	varies	Moderate	Late spring to autumn
Angels Landing	Day hike	9 km	1	1,765 m	Demanding	March to November
Harding Icefield Trail	Day hike	13 km	1	1,160 m	Demanding	July to September
Guadalupe Peak	Day hike	14 km	1	2,667 m	Demanding	October to April
Old Rag	Day hike	15 km	1	1,001 m	Demanding	All year
Mount LeConte (Alum Cave)	Day hike	18 km	1	2,010 m	Demanding	April to November
Highline Trail (Glacier)	Day hike	19 km	1	2,200 m	Demanding	July to September
Mount Marcy	Day hike	24 km	1	1,629 m	Demanding	June to October
Half Dome	Day hike	26 km	1	2,694 m	Hard	Late May to early October (cables up)
Katahdin (Knife Edge)	Day hike	15 km	1	1,606 m	Very hard	June to October
Longs Peak (Keyhole Route)	Day hike	24 km	1	4,346 m	Very hard	July to September
Havasu Falls	Multi-day	32 km	3–4	varies	Demanding	February to November
Lost Coast Trail	Multi-day	40 km	3	varies	Demanding	May to October
Chilkoot Trail	Multi-day	53 km	3–5	1,067 m	Demanding	Mid-June to early September
Kalalau Trail	Multi-day	35 km	2–3	varies	Hard	May to September
Grand Canyon Rim to Rim	Multi-day	39 km	2–3	2,512 m	Hard	May to October (North Rim open)
Four Pass Loop	Multi-day	42 km	3	3,810 m	Hard	July to September
Teton Crest Trail	Multi-day	64 km	4–5	3,180 m	Hard	Mid-July to September
Timberline Trail	Multi-day	66 km	3–4	2,300 m	Hard	August to September
The Enchantments	Multi-day	30 km	1–3	2,345 m	Very hard	July to October
Mount Whitney	Multi-day	35 km	1–2	4,421 m	Very hard	July to September
Presidential Traverse	Multi-day	35 km	1–2	1,917 m	Very hard	June to September
Wonderland Trail	Multi-day	150 km	10–14	2,070 m	Very hard	Mid-July to September
John Muir Trail	Multi-day	340 km	18–25	4,421 m	Very hard	July to September

The routes in detail

McAfee Knob, USA (Virginia)

Day hike USA (Virginia) · near Roanoke McAfee Knob The most photographed spot on the Appalachian Trail, a rock ledge jutting out over the Catawba Valley. ≈ 13 km 960 m high

The Narrows (Zion), USA (Utah)

Day hike USA (Utah) · near Las Vegas The Narrows (Zion) A walk up the Virgin River through a slot canyon hundreds of metres deep, wading much of the way. ≈ 15 km

Angels Landing, USA (Utah)

Day hike USA (Utah) · near Las Vegas Angels Landing A short, famous hike in Zion National Park that ends along a narrow sandstone fin with chains and big drops. ≈ 9 km 1,765 m high

Harding Icefield Trail, USA (Alaska)

Day hike USA (Alaska) · near Anchorage Harding Icefield Trail A steep climb beside Exit Glacier to a viewpoint over a vast icefield in Kenai Fjords National Park. ≈ 13 km 1,160 m high

Guadalupe Peak, USA (Texas)

Day hike USA (Texas) · near El Paso Guadalupe Peak The 'Top of Texas', a steady climb in Guadalupe Mountains National Park with desert views across two states. ≈ 14 km 2,667 m high

Old Rag, USA (Virginia)

Day hike USA (Virginia) · near Washington, D.C. Old Rag A granite rock scramble in Shenandoah National Park, a favourite day out from Washington, D.C. ≈ 15 km 1,001 m high

Mount LeConte (Alum Cave), USA (Tennessee)

Day hike USA (Tennessee) · near Knoxville Mount LeConte (Alum Cave) A classic Great Smoky Mountains hike past Arch Rock and Alum Cave Bluffs to a summit lodge reached only on foot. ≈ 18 km 2,010 m high

Highline Trail (Glacier), USA (Montana)

Day hike USA (Montana) · near Kalispell Highline Trail (Glacier) A spectacular trail along the Continental Divide from Logan Pass, with mountain goats, bighorn sheep and huge views. ≈ 19 km 2,200 m high

Mount Marcy, USA (New York)

Day hike USA (New York) · near New York City Mount Marcy The highest peak in New York State, in the Adirondacks, reached on a long day through forest to an open summit. ≈ 24 km 1,629 m high

Half Dome, USA (California)

Day hike USA (California) · near San Francisco Half Dome Yosemite's most famous day hike, past Vernal and Nevada Falls to the top of the granite dome, with the final 120 m climbed on steel cables. ≈ 26 km 2,694 m high

Katahdin (Knife Edge), USA (Maine)

Day hike USA (Maine) · near Bangor Katahdin (Knife Edge) Maine's highest mountain and the northern end of the Appalachian Trail, with the airy Knife Edge ridge. ≈ 15 km 1,606 m high

Longs Peak (Keyhole Route), USA (Colorado)

Day hike USA (Colorado) · near Denver Longs Peak (Keyhole Route) The highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, climbed by a long, exposed scramble through the Keyhole. ≈ 24 km 4,346 m high

Havasu Falls, USA (Arizona)

3–4 days USA (Arizona) · near Phoenix Havasu Falls A hike into a side canyon of the Grand Canyon to turquoise waterfalls on the Havasupai reservation. ≈ 32 km

Lost Coast Trail, USA (California)

3 days USA (California) · near San Francisco Lost Coast Trail A wild beach walk along California's most remote coastline, where the highway had to turn inland. ≈ 40 km

Chilkoot Trail, USA (Alaska) · Canada

3–5 days USA (Alaska) · Canada · near Juneau Chilkoot Trail The route of the Klondike Gold Rush from Alaska over the Chilkoot Pass into Canada, lined with relics from 1898. ≈ 53 km 1,067 m high

Kalalau Trail, USA (Hawaii)

2–3 days USA (Hawaii) · near Honolulu Kalalau Trail A rugged coastal trail along Kauaʻi's Nā Pali Coast to a remote beach below towering green cliffs. ≈ 35 km

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, USA (Arizona)

2–3 days USA (Arizona) · near Phoenix Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Down the North Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River and up the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim: a walk through two billion years of rock. ≈ 39 km 2,512 m high

Four Pass Loop, USA (Colorado)

3 days USA (Colorado) · near Denver Four Pass Loop A loop around the Maroon Bells over four passes above 3,600 m, often called one of the most beautiful backpacking trips in the US. ≈ 42 km 3,810 m high

Teton Crest Trail, USA (Wyoming)

4–5 days USA (Wyoming) · near Jackson Teton Crest Trail A high traverse along the back of the Teton Range with the Grand Teton in view for days. ≈ 64 km 3,180 m high

Timberline Trail, USA (Oregon)

3–4 days USA (Oregon) · near Portland Timberline Trail A loop around Mount Hood through alpine meadows and across glacial rivers. ≈ 66 km 2,300 m high

The Enchantments, USA (Washington)

1–3 days USA (Washington) · near Seattle The Enchantments A basin of granite, larches and turquoise lakes in the Cascades. Many hikers do the full through-hike in one very long day. ≈ 30 km 2,345 m high

Mount Whitney, USA (California)

1–2 days USA (California) · near Los Angeles Mount Whitney The highest summit in the contiguous United States, climbed on a long, well-built trail from Whitney Portal. ≈ 35 km 4,421 m high

Presidential Traverse, USA (New Hampshire)

1–2 days USA (New Hampshire) · near Boston Presidential Traverse A ridge walk over the Presidential Range in the White Mountains, crossing Mount Washington, home of some of the world's worst weather. ≈ 35 km 1,917 m high

Wonderland Trail, USA (Washington)

10–14 days USA (Washington) · near Seattle Wonderland Trail A loop all the way around Mount Rainier through old-growth forest, wildflower meadows and glacier valleys. ≈ 150 km 2,070 m high

John Muir Trail, USA (California)

18–25 days USA (California) · near San Francisco John Muir Trail A classic long trail through the High Sierra from Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mount Whitney, crossing a string of passes above 3,300 m. ≈ 340 km 4,421 m high

Before you go

Check if you're fit enough with the two-minute readiness quiz.
Travel insurance for trekking: altitude limits and what rescue really costs.
Packing list and the gear budget calculator.
US hiking permit lotteries explained.

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