Mountains are majestic, and the views from them are even better. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, there are few mountains you can drive to the top of or which have short, easy hikes to their summits. That makes the views even more rewarding, though.
Not one of the mountains on this list is an easy hike, but you’ll find the views totally worth the effort. These are all destinations you can reach on a day hike as well.
High Divide Trail, Washington
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This is an 18-mile loop with a lot of elevation gain. It passes by several lakes along the way, and it’s common to see bears and elk out here. At High Divide, there are stunning views of Mount Olympus and other alpine peaks of Olympic National Park.
Lassen Peak, California
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The southernmost active Cascade volcano, Lassen last erupted in 1917. A strenuous trail leads to the top of this highest point in Lassen Volcanic National Park, where you’ll also behold a view of beautiful Mount Shasta in the distance.
Bishop Pass, California
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The trail from South Lake to Bishop Pass is a key way to access the interior of Kings Canyon National Park, but the 7-mile hike to the pass is a highly worthy outing on its own. There are constant views of Sierra Nevada peaks, and you pass a series of mountain lakes, each one getting more alpine in character as you go. At the pass, you have excellent views of lake-studded Dusy Basin and the peaks of the High Sierra.
Mount Whitney, California
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At 14,494’, Whitney is the highest peak in the Lower 48 and in Sequoia National Park. The 12-mile trail to the summit gains 6000’, but the views from the top of the High Sierra and the desert mountains across the Owens Valley are unforgettable.
Telescope Peak, California
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It’s 7 miles and 3000’ gained to the top of this highpoint of Death Valley National Park. Views are excellent the entire way, and near the summit, you pass through a grove of ancient bristlecone pines, the world’s oldest and longest-living organisms. The summit reveals the vast salt pan of Death Valley more than 11,000 vertical feet below, and to the west you can see Mt. Whitney.
Wheeler Peak, Nevada
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Wheeler Peak has the distinction of being the highest point in Great Basin National Park and the highest peak entirely within the state of Nevada. It’s a challenging hike up it, but there are wide-open views just about the entire way to compensate. From the summit, you get excellent views of nearby peaks and of the basin and range country of Nevada and western Utah.
Borah Peak, Idaho
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Borah is the highpoint of Idaho. Despite being extremely steep, the trail up it is popular for the scenery, the fact that it gets you to a state highpoint, and for Chicken-Out Ridge, a narrow section that requires some scrambling skills.
Swiftcurrent Lookout, Montana
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The highest trail-accessible point in Glacier National Park, Swiftcurrent Mountain has a fire lookout tower atop it that’s staffed in the summer. On top of the peak, you have unimpeded views of peaks in all directions, and the views include several glaciers.
Mount Wright, Montana
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Brutally steep in places, the trail up Wright, near Choteau and in the Rocky Mountain Front, is only 3.5 miles but gains about 3250’ in elevation. From below, Wright doesn’t look that impressive, but the views are uncommonly spectacular, as you behold a sea of mountains in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and all the way to southern Glacier National Park.
Paintbrush Divide, Wyoming
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The best day hike in Grand Teton National Park, the Paintbrush-Cascade Canyons loop is up to 23 miles unless you use a boat shuttle, which can take it down to 19. It also gains a lot of elevation. The loop crests at Paintbrush Divide where rugged peaks soar in all directions. Note that getting up and over the Divide itself can require using an ice axe well into July.
Longs Peak, Colorado
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Longs Peak is the highpoint of Glacier National Park. The route to its top is 8 miles each way and gains nearly 5000’ in elevation, and it has some very exposed sections as well as some scrambling in places. A pre-dawn start is also a must since thunderstorms can develop by late morning almost any day in the summer.
Angels Landing, Utah
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Highly popular, this Zion National Park trail ascends seemingly endless switchbacks, including a tight, winding section called Walter’s Wiggles. The maintained section of the trail ends at Scout Lookout, where there are nice views, but the real excitement awaits: scrambling the narrow ridge to the summit, where there are excellent views up and down Zion Canyon. The Park Service has installed chains and posts for use as a handrail, as a fall in many sections would be fatal.
Guadalupe Peak, Texas
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You’ll huff and puff your way up this peak, the highest in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and the state of Texas, but you’ll be glad you did. Views are great all around, but the iconic one is that of El Capitan below you and the Chihuahuan Desert sprawling into the distance beyond it.
Old Rag Mountain, Virginia
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Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park is among the relative handful of peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountains that has an open summit. The most popular and most exciting way up is via the Ridge Trail, which does require scrambling in a few places. Since the peak is set just east of the main Blue Ridge, it offers excellent views of the crest itself.
Baxter Peak, Maine
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Baxter Peak is the highest point on Mount Katahdin, which is the highest peak in Baxter State Park and the state of Maine. It’s also the northern terminus of the famous Appalachian Trail. The easiest and most popular way up is via the AT. The Abol Trail is more direct and much steeper. But the most exciting way is to use the acclaimed Knife Edge route, which involves negotiating a long, narrow, and exposed ridge.
The 30 Most Beautiful Places in the World That Everyone Must See
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There’s no way you could ever come up with a definitive list of the world’s most beautiful places. However, if you ask around, some places come up a lot more frequently than others do.
The following are some of the places that people mention over and over again, not in any particular order.
30 Breathtaking Places You Must See Before You Die
The Two Best Scenic Wonders in Each of the Mountain States
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The Mountain States– Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico– have some of the wildest and most rugged landscapes in the United States. Because they’re so big, it can take a lot of time to visit them, so it helps to be able to plan for some specific destinations.
Following are our choices for the top two must-see outdoor locations in each of these seven states.
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