The results are in! After analyzing over 10 million "votes" from users over the past year, Trails.com is proud to announce its annual Top Trails list (learn more about Top Trails), based on trail popularity and usage. This list represents the most popular trails and outdoor destinations in North America. Use this list to get ideas for your upcoming outdoor excursion. Select a state and/or an activity below to find even more top trails.
In Hudson Highlands State Park, this trail makes a rugged ascent from river-level to roll along a knobby ridge, gathering vistas and reaching a lookout. Special Attractions: Hudson river, Shawangunk,...
In my opinion this is the most beautiful spot in Rocky Mountain National Park. Spectacular scenery, beautiful wildflowers, cascading waterfalls, and beautiful alpine lakes are what you will find on yo...
From the guidebook "Hiking Colorado's Front Range"
Walk the Appalachian Trail for spectacular views of Hawk Mountain, the Lehigh Valley, and Blue Rocks. Many Appalachian Trail thru-hikers claim the views at the Pinnacle are the best views on the Penns...
The summit of Springer Mountain, a broad dome with thin oak woods and a rock outcrop, has excellent northwest views of the Cohutta Mountains. Two bronze plaques mark this as the terminus of the AT. ...
From the guidebook "Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Southern Appalachians"
This 2,155-mile national scenic trail from Maine to Georgia cuts across southeastern Pennsylvania between New Jersey and the Mason-Dixon Line at Maryland. The Appalachian Trail (AT) traverses ridges a...
A secluded collection of pools in a beautiful wilderness location. Essentially undeveloped, wilderness location. Conundrum is one of Colorado’s most exquisite settings, and if you pick your time caref...
Contrasting dynamics and a wild-river canyon take center stage on this hike. You’ll encounter raging rapids, soothing pools, a loud waterfall at a dam, and a tranquil lake. Start near the confluence o...
From the guidebook "100 Hikes in the San Francisco Bay Area"
If you like mountaintop views and camping along streams, this loop is for you. Head north on the Appalachian Trail (AT) and turn west toward Austin Mountain, with many views of your destination. Camp ...
From the guidebook "Day & Overnight Hikes in Shenandoah National Park"
Make this loop in the renowned Dolly Sods Wilderness. This slice of the Monongahela has nearly everything: rocky vistas, open glades resembling the western United States, thick spruce, northern hardwo...
From the guidebook "Day & Overnight Hikes in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest"
This 2,155-mile national scenic trail, journeying from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine, traverses the northwest corner of Connecticut and western Massachusetts, touring forest, fie...
Arguably one of the most successful and beautifully paved bike paths in northern California, this 32-mile gem of a trail stretches from downtown Sacramento eastward to Folsom Dam (64 miles round-trip)...
From the guidebook "Mountain Bike! Northern California"
Bear Mountain is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the state. A grand stone pyramid crowns its summit, offering unrestricted views which include broad valleys, shimmering lakes, and rugge...
Half Dome is the symbol of Yosemite, its summit the goal of just about everybody who has ever donned a pair of hiking boots. It is a grueling workout, especially if you do it in one day, but if you sp...
From the guidebook "Hiking Yosemite National Park"
The 9.8-mile stretch of Appalachian Trail leading from Crampton Gap to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, is one of the most popular and rewarding AT day hikes in this region, with good reason. It feature...
From the guidebook "Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States"
The Blue Ridge of northern Virginia have none of the 4,000-foot-plus heights so plentiful on the AT farther south. Still, the northern Virginia leg is one exhausting climb after another. On open mount...
An 875-mile linear route across the state, part of a national scenic trail from New York to North Dakota. The trail enters Michigan near Morenci in the southeastern corner of the state. From there it ...
An inspiring overnight backpack or shorter day hike across the Black Mountains, with summits all well above 6.000 feet. Views are astounding along this sparsely vegetated ridge, plummeting 4000 feet i...
Sunfish Pond is one of the most popular hiking destinations in New Jersey, with good reason. The rocky shores of this crystal clear glacial lake are postcard perfect. Get an early start for this hik...
From the guidebook "Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States"
It seems impossible: Finding quiet solitude on a backcountry trail leading through ancient cathedral forests and past magnificent waterfalls less than a hour from Seattle. Yet the Taylor River Trail o...
From the guidebook "Best Hikes with Dogs in Western Washington"
A cluster of natural hot springs in an isolated canyon in the high desert. Deep Creek has become a favorite spot for those who like to go without clothing. Requires a gradual 6-mile hike or a steeper ...
From the guidebook "Touring California and Nevada Hot Springs"
A demanding all-day or overnight loop rolls through steep wooded terrain, topping Bear and West Mountains, offering views of the lower Hudson River area. Special Attractions: vistas, Perkins Tower, l...
Undoubtedly, the hike into Holy Jim Canyon is one of the most scenic and interesting in the Santa Ana Mountains. The hike passes under a multitude of trees, and crosses Holy Jim Creek many times befor...
From the guidebook "Best Easy Day Hikes: Orange County"
Mt. Mitchell—the highest peak east of the Mississippi—is a crowning part of the Blue Ridge Parkway experience. The only motorized access to the mountain is from the Parkway, at Milepost 355.3, and the...
From the guidebook "Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway"
Highpoint rank by height: 21st. We will use the trail that starts near Heart Lake and the Adirondak Loj. No, this is not a spelling error – it was named by Henry Van Hoevenberg, who opened the Loj – e...
From the guidebook "Highpoint Adventures: The Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints"
Havasu is one of those places where a spectacular natural setting combines with the fascination of Native peoples to create a uniquely memorable backcountry excursion. Living for the past several cent...
This 2,155 mile National scenic trail from Maine to Georgia cuts across the southeast corner of New York State, rolling along ridges and dipping to roads. The New York leg takes an average of seven t...
Spanning five counties, this premier long-distance trail rolls across Laurel Ridge. It ranks as one of the best in the state—and the nation—for its natural offering, its accessibility, and its ameniti...
This easy trip can even be done as a dayhike, and you won’t believe how much alpine beauty is packed into such a short jaunt. 20 Lakes Basin is set among majestic peaks and is full of pretty lakes. Ye...
This loop starts at the highest trailhead in the park, taking the Appalachian Trail past myriad views of the park and beyond. It then drops into Tennessee, where you leave the high country spruce-fir ...
From the guidebook "Day & Overnight Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park"
Traveling hemlock-deciduous and fir-birch forests, this popular trail tags the highest point in the Catskills and passes Burroughs Plaque and Curtis Monument. Special Attractions: vistas, rare high-e...
This is the longest loop trail in the state of Arkansas. The Eagle Rock Loop Trail is very popular with out-of-state hikers as well as native Arkansans. The loop is a combination of parts of the Littl...
This is a moderate hike with a great reward. The walking is easy, and the trails are used surprisingly little. The nearly level Bluff Trail takes you to the Big Devils Stairs canyon rim for a great vi...
From the guidebook "Day & Overnight Hikes in Shenandoah National Park"
Take a hike to Blood Mountain, the highest peak on the Georgia AT, now usually a quite peaceful place except when invaded by swarms of weekend hikers. Sometime before 1600, however, the aptly name Bl...
From the guidebook "Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Southern Appalachians"
I’m always looking for trips with huge dividends per hiking mile. This one nears the top of my list. Magnificent alpine basins defined by sculpted peaks cradle shining blue lakes and are linked by hig...
This hike from Bake Oven Knob to Lehigh Gap is one of the more scenic in the state, although the scenery varies considerably - from hawks floating on mountain updrafts to the stark and stunted landsca...
From the guidebook "Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States"
The 75-mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail between Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass is a very popular backpack trip, and it deserves to be. The route is supremely scenic with countless viewpoints,...
Located in north-central Colorado in the Front Range, about 70 miles northwest of Denver, and 10 miles southwest of Estes Park. The most famous Colorado climb, this alpine peak requires a long, strenu...
It's hard to keep track of all the falls at Whiteoak Canyon. There are six sequentially numbered falls, starting from the Blue Ridge and ending down at the base of the canyon. Whether or not you corre...
From the guidebook "Day & Overnight Hikes in Shenandoah National Park"
Camelback Mountain, towering above Phoenix and Scottsdale, is a well-known and prominent landmark. The 2,704-foot peak, the highest point in the Phoenix Mountains, is a two-summited mountain that look...
Hiking the Presidential Range from end to end is one of the United States’ classic treks. Of course, numerous trails can be used to accomplish this trip, although the main route between Madison Hut an...
From the guidebook "Discover the White Mountains of New Hampshire"
At 5,000 plus acres, Ringwood State Park is one of the larger tracts of public land in northeastern New Jersey. The fact that it can be described as “mountain-bike friendly” makes it even more attrac...
From the guidebook "Mountain Biking in New Jersey"
The less-traveled western section of Bear Mount - Harriman State Park offers an ideal introduction to the history, flora, and fauna of the Hudson Highlands. The land here comes alive with signs of th...
From the guidebook "Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States"
Wonderful, woodsy circuit hikes in Uwharrie National Forest, some of substantial length. The Uwharrie and Dutchmans Creek trails form a figure eight that when linked with forest roads can create hikes...
This hike passes through three states and the town of Harpers Ferry, providing river hiking, ridge crest hiking, and great views. The Appalachian Trail extends from Georgia to Maine. This section of ...
The 33.2-mile Georgia section of this long trail goes through a variety of habitat types, from high mountain ridges to the banks of the National Wild and Scenic Chattooga River. The Bartram Trail ente...
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