Tomorrow is National Trails Day! It is a day to celebrate America’s amazing hiking trails. Did you know that the United States has 200,000 miles of trails registered in the National Trails System? Organizations from around the country host National Trails Day events to share their love of trails.
Trails give us a place in the world for recreation, exploration, adventure, and inspiration. They give us a chance to breathe in fresh air, escape from the stresses of daily life, work up a sweat and get our hearts pumping.
Hiking a trail makes me feel more alive in this world. It is my favorite form of physical and mental exercise!
For this year’s National Trail Days, I want to share my love of trails by highlighting some of my favorite trails from across the U.S.
1. Denali National Park, Alaska
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
We actually went to Alaska for our honeymoon in 2010. Most people thought it was kinda weird that we would go to Alaska for a honeymoon, but it was an amazing trip that fit both of us so well. We had our luxury experience during the first part of the trip, as we cruised from Vancouver up to Alaska. Then we took an inland train ride to Denali National Park, where we got to explore on foot.
Denali National Park is incredible. There is so much vast scenery and wildlife to see. I felt like the landscape was never-ending! I don’t remember which specific trails we hiked, but I don’t think you could go wrong here!
I had a close encounter with a moose and saw this adorable little creature.
The days are really long in the summer in Alaska. You get about 20 hours of daylight so there is so much time to get outside and explore. I would recommend Denali National Park trails to anyone who loves amazing scenery and wildlife galore!
2. Delicate Arch Trail at Arches National Park, Utah
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Wow. Talk about some unique scenery! The Delicate Arch Trail at Arches National Park is a 3 mile roundtrip trail that’s not so easy, but definitely doable. There is one portion of the trail, the slickrock portion, where it gets pretty tough. Once you reach this part of the trail you feel like you’re almost there. But not quite. You finally turn a corner and there it is…the delicate arch! It’s amazing to see!
3. Ryan Mountain Trail at Joshua Tree National Park, California
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Joshua Tree National Park is known for its amazing bouldering (which we did a lot of while we were there), but the park itself is gorgeous to visit and explore. It’s an interesting landscape, with desert ground, huge rock formations, and these cute little trees called Joshua Trees of course.
We hiked a lot while we were there, with the main trail being Ryan Mountain. You can hike Joshua Tree National Park for days and see tons of unique landscape.
4. South Falls Trail at Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
This trail features a 177 foot waterfall that you can actually walk behind! It’s a muddy and wet trail but the unique views of the waterfall make it seem magical! It’s a quick hike, with a footbridge and an incline path towards the end. If you are in Oregon, make sure to visit Silver Falls State Park.
5. Misery Trail at Smith Rock State Park, Oregon
Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
The views on this trail are just too incredible to miss. The hike up Misery Trail is pretty tough. I wasn’t prepared for the steep incline, and had to stop for several breathers. The trail takes you to to the top and then around the other side of the rocks as you pass by the famous Monkey Face rock. The leisure finish along the Crooked River is a great way to catch your breath and see some geese floating along the river.
We also stopped along the trail to watch this bird fly back to the nest to feed her young.
6. Mount Pisgah at Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
I hiked up Mount Pisgah to the 5,721 foot summit for a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains! This is an incredible hike if you are near the Carolinas. We actually camped somewhere along the trail and made a long weekend of this hike, but you could do it in one long day.
7. Big Trees Trail at Sequoia National Park, California
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Being able to see these sequoia trees up close makes you feel really small. Actually, I felt like a little leprechaun in a massive forest. It is almost like a fairy tale to see those huge trees towering over you. The Big Trees Trail hike is a simple 1-mile loop hike where you can see some of the biggest trees in Sequoia National Park.
8. Robinson’s Preserve in Bradenton, Florida
Level of Difficulty: Easy
This is a little hidden gem on the West coast of Florida in my hometown. You can weave in and out of different trails throughout the salt marshes. You’ll see tons of fish, birds, and marine life hanging around the boardwalks and mangrove forests. There is also a 53 foot tall tower to climb in the preserve, where you can get some great Tampa Bay views.
It’s a great park for both land and water. You can rent kayaks and paddle boards and enjoy your day on the water too!
9. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
This trail hike goes way back to my high school years when I went on a trip with my church youth group. I could not resist putting it on this list because I still remember how beautiful Grand Teton National Park was! I’d like to go back, now that I can appreciate it a little more than I did then.
I had to really search for a picture and found the only one I had in my high school scrabook (I hope my friends don’t mind their high school picture showing back up):
Here’s a picture of some of the scenery I saw in the park, but never managed to take a picture of (what are high school minds thinking anyways?)
10. Bridalveil Falls at Yosemite National Park, California
Level of Difficulty: Easy
This is a great short hiking trail if you are traveling with dogs because dogs are allowed to hike with you to the falls. The trail is mostly paved. It’s a short hike up to the gorgeous waterfall.
Even if you can’t hike all the trails at Yosemite, the lookout views alone make it definitely worth the trip.
National Trails Day is one that I hope to celebrate for years to come. As I look back on some of my favorite trails, I feel thankful for the people who have put so much time and effort into making these trails accessible to us. Thank you!
Be sure to check back in with me next week as I highlight how I celebrated this year’s National Trails Day! Happy hiking!
Have you hiked any of these trails?
What’s you favorite trail?
I have never hiked these trails nor been to these places. I think it’s so neat that you have been all over the U.S. and hiked in so many places. Now I definitely have some hiking trail wanderlust!
Stairway to heaven and diamond head in Oahu Hawaii are a must do! So beautiful!!
I definitely hope to get to Hawaii some day!