size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
size =square 
La Quinta Cove, La Quinta, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 3.6 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 360 feet Coachella Valley is home to the Santa Rosa Mountains, where granite, desert flora, and sweeping views surround primo hiking. And La Quinta, 25 miles southeast of Palm Springs, is a great entryway for hikers: Take the Cove to Lake Trail, a 2.5-mile one-way trek. Or, for serious burn, consider the strenuous 7.5-mile Boo Hoff Trail. Afterward, crash at one of these super-stylish hotels.
Delicate Arch Trail, Arches National Park, UT
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 3.1 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 613 feet The geologic fantasyland of Arches has some of the best hikes in the country, webs of trails with mind-blowing views. But don’t miss the easy 3-mile round-tripper to the park’s most iconic landmark, Delicate Arch. From the trailhead at Wolfe’s Ranch, follow the route past Ute petroglyphs onto waves of swelling sandstone where the freestanding arch rears up to defy gravity. Time your trek during the magical twilight hour—you won’t be alone, but you will see a spectacle some 70,000 years in the making ignited in the crimson colors of the sunset.
More Videos From Sunset
Hall of Mosses Trail, Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, WA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 1 mile (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 78 feet See a rich spectrum of greens: the deep emerald of licorice fern, the wan olive of hanging club moss, and the turqoise of Sitka spruce needles. One of the best ways to see this verdant brilliance is the Hall of Mosses Trail by the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center. The rainforest is one of the most jaw-dropping beautiful things you have to see in the park. Bring shoes that can get muddy and don't be discouraged if it's raining—the forest is magical under any conditions.
Grizzly Falls, Kings Canyon National Park, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 0.1 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 19 feet Some of the best hikes are waterfall hikes. Head off Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and hike the short, easy trail up to the impressive Grizzly Falls. The 75-foot waterfall is at its best in spring, when the thunderous force is so strong you can feel the reverberations in your chest. Best part is: you barely have to do anything to get to this amazing view. It's one of the best hikes to do when you're camping at the park with kids.
Tennessee Valley Trail, Marin Headlands, Sausalito, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 3.4 miles (round-trip) Elevation gain: 170 feet Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, the Marin Headlands offer shoreline views, crashing surf, and a surprising wildness. Join the parade of cars winding up twisty Conzelman Road to Hawk Hill, but don’t stop there. The Tennessee Valley Trail winds 2.2 miles (one way) past rolling hills toward a secluded beach awash with green and black basalt pebbles.
Red Rock Trail, Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, Foothill Ranch, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 4.2 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 470 feet
The 2,500 acres of oak woodland canyons and grassland hills in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park are filled with flowers like phacelia, lupines, mariposa lily, canyon pea, and wild rose blooming from about March through May. Bonus: stunning rock formations along Red Rock Trail (4.5-mile round-trip). Bring the family, and expect to see tons of wildlife, like squirrels, reptiles, and sometimes deer. Overlook Trail, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 1.1 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 170 feet
Some of Big Sur's most beautiful landmarks and best hikes are located in the 3,583-acre Julia Pfeiffer park. The overlook of McWay Falls is one of the prettiest spots on the California coast. It's a minimal effort for major payoff. The falls plunge straight down 80 feet onto an inaccessible beach. A short trail starts from the park’s main parking area. For a bigger challenge, Head inland via the Tan Bark Trail into the redwoods, turn around when you’ve had enough, and come down to the shoreline. Bluff Trails at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, Cambria, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 2.4 miles (loop) Elevation Gain: 259 feet Enjoy a leisurely sunset hike at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, where trails explore the natural essence of Cambria: wave-splashed coves, flower-dappled grasslands, and forests where fog drifts amid the pines. Parallel trails run about 40 feet above the ocean at about 1-mile each with wheelchair-accessible boardwalks most of the way.
Land's End Coastal Trail, San Francisco, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 3.4 miles (loop) Elevation Gain: 534 feet Poke along the winding, moderate, 3.4-mile trail, one of the best hikes in San Francisco with unbeatable views of the Pacific, Marin Headlands, and Golden Gate Bridge. The route, in Lands End park, is pretty much flat, which makes it perfect for a trail run or bike ride—and it's free to park at the lot near Lands End Lookout on Point Lobos Avenue. If you want to get down to the water, take Mile Rock Beach Trail at the junction 0.7 miles into your trek.
Jack London Mountain and Quarry Trail, Jack London State Historic Park, Glen Ellen, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 2.9 miles (loop) Elevation Gain: 521 feet A shrine for lovers of both open space and the famous author, Jack London State Historic Park is one of the West's great literary sites. It includes 26 miles of hiking trails as well as the cottage where London did much of his writing. Jack London Mountain and Quarry Trail makes up the 2.9-mile loop with highlights of the park, including London's experimental Beauty Ranch farm, a redwood forest, vineyards, and access points to several other trails on the property.
Dry Creek Trail #52, Sedona, AZ
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 5 miles Elevation Gain: 616 feet
Sedona is a town full of first-class hikes, and locals love this one. The 5-mile trek winds through Coconino National Forest, with stop-and-stare views of terraced sandstone formations, and plenty of quiet moments to sneak up on grazing deer. Just plan to go early in the morning before the ATVs are likely to be out there too. Sol Duc Falls, Olympic National Park, WA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 1.6 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 255 feet One of the best hikes in Olympic leads you to what many consider to be the most beautiful waterfall in the West. See the wild beauty of Sol Duc on the 0.8-mile hike to Sol Duc Falls. You'll cross a canyon by bridge for an up-close view of three sheets of white water crashing down into a crevasse of black rock.
Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 2 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 100 feet A two-mile trail leads to this Yosemite lake and surrounding meadow, particularly pretty in early morning. Even if you opt to take the full hike around the lake—adding up to about 5 miles—it'll still be a pretty easy hike with a flat route and plenty of places to stop and admire the lake and surrounding forested mountains.
West Fork Trail, Mission Creek Preserve, Desert Hot Springs, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 8 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 1,020 feet The Wildlands Conservancy’s Mission Creek Preserve houses one of the prettiest and best hikes, following the year-round stream that’s the source of the area’s renowned drinking water. Bonus? It’s also one of the least traveled. The green desert valley jumps with quail and rabbits, as the 4-mile (one-way) West Fork Trail ascends gently toward Mt. San Gorgonio and the Pacific Crest Trail.
Chino Canyon at Mt. San Jacinto State Park, Palm Springs, CA
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 1.5 miles (loop) Elevation Gain: 311 feet On an L.A. to Palm Springs road trip, take yourself to Mt. San Jacinto State Park. Then, if you can tear yourself from your poolside perch, hop on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and head to the top of Chino Canyon. A 10-minute ride up the mountainside on the rotating tram (gotta love the 360° views) swoops you up to a dizzying 8,516 feet, where it’s typically 30 degrees cooler than the valley floor, and there are 54 miles of forested trails with some of the best hikes to explore. Take a free guided nature walk, or strike out on your own on the 1.5-mile Desert View Trail loop with sweeping valley vistas.
White Domes Trail, Valley of Fire State Park, Overton, NV
Difficulty: Easy Distance: 1.1 miles (loop) Elevation Gain: 173 feet Located 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas is one of Nevada’s oldest state parks (and some of its best hikes), a sci-fi–like land of red sandstone and gray limestone formations that sees more lizards than visitors. Hike the White Domes Trail for a jaunt through canyons of contrasting color. (Pro tip: take lots of water on this fiery hike).
Williams Lake, Taos, NM
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 4.3 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 1,049 feet Get an alpine start to your day on the gradual hike to Williams Lake, at 11,300 feet in the high country above Taos Ski Valley, one of the best ski towns in the West. The trail parallels the Rio Hondo upstream to the lake. From there you can look up at New Mexico’s highest point, Wheeler Peak; if you’re feeling ambitious, follow the faint goat path that scrambles up the scree field on the north side of the tarn to the summit above, with views 60 miles north to Colorado.
East Ridge and Pool Ridge Loop Trail, Armstrong Redwoods State National Reserve, Guerneville, CA
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 7.5 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 1,587 feet Hear that? Absolute silence. At the Armstrong Redwoods State National Reserve, an 805-acre grove of old-growth sequoias just north of town, it’s everywhere. Savor the solitude as you crane your neck trying to find the tops of trees 300 feet tall—and 1,400 years old. East Ridge and Pool Ridge Loop Trail shows you some of the best hits of the preserve, including those epically tall trees, a waterfall, and creeks.
Crater Lake Trail, Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness, Aspen, CO
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 3.8 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 692 feet Popular for a reason: Maroon Bells, Colorado’s most photographed landscape, and one of the state's best hikes, is even better in living color when the distinctive symmetry of snow-dusted Maroon and North Maroon Peaks are framed by a ribbon of aspens, all reflected on shimmering Maroon Lake. The best hiking trail there is Creater Lake. Of course you won’t be alone, but still, it’s worth the crowds. If it's fall, consider an alternative route that will get you all the views with a slightly less cramped route.
Hidden Valley Loop, South Mountain Park, Phoenix, AZ
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 3.4 miles (loop) Elevation Gain: 918 feet South Mountain Park has 51+ miles of dog-friendly, hiking and biking trails that snake through desert slopes and arroyos. One of the best hikes? Hidden Valley Loop passing through Fat Man’s Pass, an easy-to-moderate trail that loops between two tight-hugging boulders. To pass, stand sideways and suck in your gut (yes, there’s a detour option).
Sam Merrill Trail, Altadena, CA
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 5.4 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 1,4,17 feet This Angeles National Forest moderately strenuous 5-mile round-trip trail, parallels the route of the old Mount Lowe Railroad, offering great views of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Los Angeles Basin. It's a great location for trail running training, but it gets super crowded on weekends. Try to do the hike during the week. If time allows, extend your trek by taking the trail toward the ruins of the engineering wonder that was the railway.
Gateway Loop Trail, McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale, AZ
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 4.2 miles Elevation Gain: 715 feet Hike into the desert in Scottsdale’s 16,000-acre backyard with some of the best hikes in the Southwest. You can access this wide-open desert park and its 60 miles of looping multiuse trails from a number of trailheads—we like the 4-mile loop trail from the Gateway Access Area. The trail is clearly marked, has wildflowers, and allows dogs on a leash.
Lanikai Pillbox Trail, Oahu, HI
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 1.8 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 649 feet The short (two-mile round-trip) but steep Lanikai Pillbox Trail takes you up to World War II-era bunkers and an Imax-worthy view of windward Oahu. You can do the whole thing in about two hours, but the rocky and sometimes slippery terrain can be tough for those who don't hike often, and without any handrails, it can be dangerous for kids. However, for pseudo-seasoned hikers, it doesn't get much better. Find the trail at 265 Kaelepulu Drive; though you'll have to park down the road.
Mist Trail, Yosemite National Park, CA
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 6.4 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 2,191 feet It's a .8-mile hike to a footbridge with a fine view of this lovely waterfall. But to get to the top of the fall, continue of the Mist Trail up a 600-step granite staircase. At the top, you get a marvelous shot of the 317-foot falls. From there, it's another 1.5 miles if you want to reach the top of Nevada Fall, a 594-footer. Turn around or connect to the John Muir Trail to loop back to the valley with different scenery.
Mt. Constitution Loop Trail, Moran State Park, Orcas Island, WA
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 6.6 miles (loop) Elevation Gain: 1,738 feet The jewel of Washington's state park system, with 5,252 acres of forests, lakes, and waterfalls in Orcas, one of the great islands of the West. The view from Mt. Constitution is world-class and well worth the trek upward. Experienced Moran hikers recommend taking the route clockwise, so you can take stairs to the top, which makes it easier.
South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 3.1 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 1,177 feet The park's easiest day hike is the 3.1–mile roundtrip to views at appropriately named Ooh-Aah Point 600 feet below the rim. The route is steep with little shade, so go early. Be prepared to be engulfed by the scale of the canyon as you descend. Once at Cedar Ridge, you'll find flat ground, red rocks, and some trees under which to relax before heading back.
Golden Throne Trail, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 3.5 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 777 feet Capitol Reef is Utah’s second-largest national park, with slot canyons, arches, cliffs, and some of the best hikes on 31 miles of well-marked trails—yet only one-fifth the number of Zion’s visitors. It’s a steep 2 miles up the Golden Throne Trail, but the views will do their mightiest to distract you. For an even more magical adventure, visit in the winter when the hiking is out of this world.
Passage 17 (Alamo Canyon) of the Arizona Trail, Superior, AZ
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 11.7 miles (point-to-point) Elevation Gain: 842 feet An epic backpacking trip is one way to see the Arizona Trail. But a chill hiking weekend in the throwback town of Superior will do just fine, where you'll find frontier ruggedness mixed with a Mayberry-in-the-desert vibe. The Arizona Trail, the Southwest's answer to the Appalachian Trail, stretches from the state’s Mexican border to Utah. While it would take months to hike its entire length, less ambitious hikers rejoice: The trail is conveniently broken into 43 sections. Head south from Superior on the Alamo Canyon (Passage 17) section, and rest peacefully in town where comfy lodgings and good dining await.
Soldier Pass Trail, Sedona, AZ
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 4.1 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 620 feet The 4.1-mile round-trip Soldier Pass Trail—which leads past the terraced Seven Sacred Pools—is one of the best hikes in Sedona, an area with many lauded routes. The gorgeous views start right out of the parking lot, which has only 14 spaces keeping the trail generally uncrowded. Pups are allowed too, so long as they are leashed.
Picaho Peak Trail, Dale Ball Trails, Santa Fe, NM
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 3.3 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 1,227 feet Located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, in Santa Fe, the Dale Ball Trails consist of more than 30 miles of single-track hiking and biking paths that connect to other Santa Fe trails. Tackle the steep but popular 4-mile hike to the summit of Picacho Peak for views of downtown and the desert. It's a nice one to get acclimated when you first arrive with its shady start and epic mountaintop vistas.
Back Bay Loop Trail, Newport Beach, CA
Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 10.1 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 393 feet The 10.1-mile loop circles Upper Newport Bay. There are multiple entry points, but we recommend starting at the Vista Point Lookout for the best views. Walk along the bluffs; when you reach Big Canyon, detour off the main path and cross the footbridge. You’ll hit a shaded nature trail alongside a stream that’s known as a hot spot for bird-watching. Bring your binocs. Though the length itself adds a challenge, the trail is flat and plenty shaded, so if you take your time, it's a pretty smooth ride. While you're in the area don't miss the secret beach of Robert E. Badham Marine Conservation Area.
Three Sisters Wilderness, Devils Lake, OR
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 17 miles (thru-hike) Elevation Gain: 4,385 feet It would take you five months to walk the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. But for a long weekend that’s high on thrills per mile, try the 17-mile stretch through Oregon’s Three Sisters Wilderness. Hiking from Frog Camp/Obsidian Trailhead on State 242 to the South Sister Trailhead at Devils Lake offers a sampler of the fir forests, waterfalls, jagged peaks, and serene alpine lakes for which the PCT is famous, plus the wondrous Obsidian Limited Entry Area, covered with the sharp-edged black rock. It just may inspire you to hike the other 2,633 miles. Just make sure you have good hiking boots.
Turtlehead Peak Trail, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Las Vegas, NV
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 4.7 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 1,991 feet
Take a break from the neon and drive just 17 miles west of the Strip on W. Charleston Blvd. (State 159) to explore petrified sand dunes, view petroglyphs, and look for red-tailed hawks. To some, desert landscapes seem barren, but this place proves otherwise. Turtlehead Peak Trail leads you to the top of its namesake mountain where you'll get sweeping views of the park and Vegas. Expect to do some scrambling toward the top. The Narrows (Top-Down), Zion National Park, UT
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 15.5 miles (point-to-point) Elevation Gain: 1,017 feet Zion Narrows is one of the national park’s most spectacular hikes. The full trip is one of the great adventures anywhere―you take a shuttle to Chamberlain Ranch and follow the Virgin River into sinuously carved slot canyons. But it’s an undertaking, requiring park service permits, proper gear (including water-proof boots and walking sticks), and attention to weather conditions, notably summer thunderstorms and flash floods. More casual hikers can get a taste of the narrows by continuing upstream past the end of the Riverside Walk toward Big Spring; the park service offers frequent guided hikes here as well.
Cathedral Lake Trail, Aspen, CO
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 7 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 2,073 feet
A challenging 7-miler lined with wild sage, blue columbines, and firs in the White River National Forest. There’s a 2,000-foot elevation gain up to 11,866 feet, but the alpine views are a sweet reward on one of the best hikes around Aspen. Go in the summer, when you'll see a sea of wildflowers along the way. Then again, fall will greet you with a golden grove of aspens. Angels Landing Trail, Zion National Park, UT
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 4.1 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 1,6,17 feet This is one of those best hiking trails you’ll brag about back home, assuming you’re up for doing it. You hike 2.5 miles up Zion cliffs so steep you have to negotiate them with the help of chains bolted into the rock; the final portion of the Angel Landing trail rides a narrow rock fin with dizzily sharp drop-offs on either side. The reward: phenomenal views and aforementioned bragging rights.
Half Dome Trail, Yosemite National Park, CA
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 14.8 Elevation gain: 5,164 feet This Yosemite hike on a lot of people's life list of adventures. Allow at least 10 hours for the demanding hike/climb up 8,800-foot Half Dome. And know that the last 900 feet of trail is a steep climb up the dome, with you clinging to cables for the final 400-foot ascent.
Sliding Sands Trail, Haleakala National Park, Maui, HI
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 11 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 2,795 feet Ranger-led morning hikes often travel through volcanic landscapes up to the summit of the 10,000-foot volcano in Haleakala National Park, one of the best hikes in Hawaii. On a self-guided tour through the Hosmer Grove forest, you could spot an ‘i‘wi, a rare Hawaiian bird. Or spend a whole day hiking the Sliding Sands Trail through the eerily lovely crater itself, immersed in a wilderness of volcanic cinder, strange plants, and tumbling clouds.
Mt. Tamalpais, Mill Valley, CA
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 9.7 miles (point-to-point) Elevation Gain: 2,545 feet
Tamalpais is Northern California's best-loved mountain. More than 1.5 million visitors a year hike, bike, ride horses, and stand awestruck in its redwood canyons. But, remarkably, the Marin County hillside still retains a good deal of mystery. There are wild canyons, hidden routes, and discoveries in its roughly 25,000 acres, from the ridgetop to the grassy slopes and beachside coves. Here is one trek to try: Dipsea Trail, the mountain's most famous route with redwoods, fairytale forests, sweeping views of the sea, and lots of climbing. Most people start at Mill Valley, and then take the shuttle back from Stinson Beach. Be sure to head out early enough to avoid the mid-afternoon fog. Grinnell Glacier Trail, Glacier National Park, MT
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 11.3 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain:2,162 feet
Board the boats across Swiftcurrent and Josephine lakes and hike 8 miles into the spectacular high-altitude alpine country to Grinnell Glacier, the park’s most accessible glacier. Check ahead; portions of the trail may be closed even in June due to snow. Otherwise, expect amazing viewpoints, along with wildlife sightings like goats and eagles. White Pine Lake Trail, Cottonwood Canyons, Snowbird, UT
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 10.5 miles (round-trip) Elevation Gain: 2,762 feet Summer typically means overcrowded campgrounds and overpriced hotels, but not in Utah’s Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, where four off-season ski areas offer jagged granite scenery and knee-deep wildflowers and hikes that deliver a lot of wow for very little work. White Pine Lake Trail in Little Cottonwood Canyon is a good one for intermediate hikers who want to try going the distance, but aren't ready for technical trails. The 10.8-mile route gets you to gorgeous alpine lakes in the Wasatch Mountains.
Lake Aloha Trail, Desolation Wilderness, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 12.5 miles (loop) Elevation Gain: 1,873 feet Almost 64,000 acres filled with 100-plus alpine lakes, lots of trout, granite peaks, and miles of trails for day hiking and backpacking. Lake Aloha is the one of the best hikes for daytripper, mostly flat with two steep segments and a whopping five alpine lakes to see along the way. Feel free to take a dip when you get to Lake Aloha—there isn't a better way to cool off in summer than jumping in a Western lake. And, if you're planning to spend the night in the area, check into one of these stunning Lake Tahoe hotels.
