Hiking trails provide access to some of America’s most beautiful scenery, but not everyone’s up for an epic journey into the heart of the wilderness. Luckily, there are plenty of scenic hiking trails that people of every skill level can enjoy. Following are some of the best of them, and all of them are actual trails, not just strolls from the car to a viewpoint.
Golden Canyon– Death Valley National Park, California
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The trail up golden canyon wanders up a dry wash at a mostly gentle grade, passing steep cliffs and colorful badlands. And if you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ll like knowing that this is where the scene in the 1977 original when the Jawas abducted R2D2 was filmed.
Mouse’s Tank Trail– Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
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This mostly flat and sandy trail passes through vivid red rock formations, and you’ll go by some panels of ancient petroglyphs. Finally, the trail ends at a usually dry pouroff that has a basin that sometimes holds water.
Hidden Lake Overlook– Glacier National Park, Montana
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At Logan Pass on the Continental Divide, the Hidden Lake Overlook trail winds through alpine tundra, sometimes using boardwalks to protect this fragile plant life. Views are exceptional, and when you reach the overlook, you have the option of continuing down to the shores of Hidden Lake, though that makes the return more strenuous.
Upper Geyser Basin– Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
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Old Faithful, probably the world’s most famous geyser, is the biggest draw here, and you should stay long enough to see it erupt. Before or after that, follow the network of trails and boardwalks to see many other geysers and colorful hot springs.
Turtle Rock– Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming
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Vedauwoo, between Laramie and Cheyenne, is a wonderland of granite peaks, spires, and outcrops. Turtle Rock is one of the largest and highest of the peaks, and an easy trail circumnavigates it for nearly three miles, passing through forests and meadows where you’re likely to see wildlife.
Tundra Communities Trail– Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
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Trail Ridge Road is justly popular for the several miles that it winds above treeline through alpine tundra. There are many pullouts for safely admiring the scenery and taking pictures, but the Park Service cautions against walking on the tundra because it’s easily damaged and takes decades to recover. The Tundra Communities Trail allows you to get out and walk among the tundra, learning about this amazing ecosystem as well.
Lower Calf Creek Falls– Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
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One of the very best trails in Utah, this one is also pretty easy, gaining little elevation over its 2.5-mile journey to a scenic desert waterfall. Along the way, you’ll be able to admire beautiful sandstone formations and see ancient rock art in a high alcove.
Cape Final– Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
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Most of the overlooks in this park get pretty crowded, and it’s often difficult to find a parking spot. If you’d like to experience incredible views of the Grand Canyon without the crowds, do the hike to Cape Final on the North Rim.
The Catwalk– Gila National Forest, New Mexico
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What makes this mostly easy hike so exciting is that for about half a mile, the trail is a bridge suspended directly above a rushing creek below. When the bridge part ends, you can still continue up the canyon for nearly a mile before it becomes impassable.
Castle Trail– Badlands National Park, South Dakota
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At 6 miles, this is the longest trail in this national park, and it’s level for just about the entire way. With a shuttle vehicle, you can do a one-way hike of the entire trail since it has two endpoints along the main park road.
Dark Hollow Falls– Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
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This is the most popular waterfall trail in Shenandoah and can be really busy. It’s moderately steep in some spots, which you’ll feel on the way back, but it’s only 0.75 miles to the waterfall. The steepest section is from the overlook to the base, and you can skip it if you’re happy with the view from the overlook.
Linville Falls– Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
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From the parking lot, a wide, flat trail follows the Linville River to where it suddenly narrows and makes a dramatic plunge through chutes and over cliffs. Other easy trails lead through forest to some more distant overlooks providing a different perspective of the falls.
Anhinga Trail– Everglades National Park, Florida
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Part trail and part boardwalk, the Anhinga Trail is one of the best wildlife-viewing trails in the country. It’s teeming with bird species such as herons, egrets, anhingas, cormorants, and more. You’re also likely to see reptiles such as turtles and, most exciting for many visitors, alligators.
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