Top 5 Most Gorgeous Hiking Trails to Visit in America
If you love to hike and you live in America, you are probably wondering about the best trails to try. Well, the truth is that there are too many great ones to list, but we managed to narrow it down to five that are simply amazing. While each state definitely has some great trails to hike, these 5 are extremely popular, beautiful and worth checking out!
Grand Canyon North Rim, Arizona
The north rim of the Grand Canyon actually has several trails there, so you can choose which one you want to take! Great for day hikes for the most part, you can take on Bright Angel Point Trail, Transept Trail, Uncle Jim Trail, and many others.
If you take Bright Angel Point Trail, you will find that it is short, but it takes you to some of the best views of the Grand Canyon. Hiking here at sunset is highly recommended, as it only adds to the beauty. Take your camera for some breathtaking shots!
The North Kaibab Trail will take you down to the Colorado River, if you trek down 14 miles. There are many places to stop along the way and admire the beauty. You will come to Coconino Overlook which gives you some amazing views of the Grand Canyon and it is a popular spot for hikers.
Roaring Springs is your next point on the trail and while the temperature is warmer here, you will be met with the only drinking water source inside of the canyon. You will also see the pipeline that takes water to other sources across from the Silver Bridge!
Paint Mines Trail, Colorado
Geological formations are what make Paint Mines Trail so unique. After the rock eroded over a period of time, it left the formations, as well as caves and other areas with the colors of purple, orange, white and yellow.
Your hike will start right off of the parking lot and you will see some of the first formations which are nearly all white, but some are yellow and orange. You cannot climb them but you can see them up close. From there, you will go down into the canyon.
Once you get to the end of the canyon, you will find that the formations and caves have brighter colors of oranges and purples. You will otherwise hike through some grasslands and see wind turbines. Some historical markers show that the trail was used by several Native American tribes after the 1500s.
Overall, this hike is under 4 miles and is full of bright colors and lots of history!
Angels Landing, Utah
If you plan to trek Angels Landing, you will need some chains to climb, and you may want to consider bringing the best camping hatchet, in case you need to chop into something to aid in getting a fire started.
While at Angels Landing, you will take you across the river of Zion Canyon, where you will go across and reach Refrigerator Canyon, where the temperature is cooler, ironically, and you can take in all of the beautiful foliage around you.
From there, you will curve through a few switchbacks that are named Walter’s Wiggles, where you will ascend in elevation. The last half of a mile will be steep and difficult, so you will need the chains to help you along.
This area is stunning to view, from both inside and outside of the canyons. You will go through many levels of difficulty, which makes this hike one to consider.
Mt. Healy Overlook, Alaska
Hiking in Alaska is so much more exhilarating than hiking in the rest of the United States. Everything is more dramatic, as you are set in a generally snowy area. Mt. Healy Overlook is known as one of the longer trails in the Denali National Park at 5,4 miles.
You will experience the views over the Nenana Valley as well as other ridges and mountains. Your elevation will ascend quickly as you will hike up 1,700 feet in under 3 miles. You will see lots of trees and some raspberry bushes, wildflowers and then go into a thicker forest area.
The trail goes along the Nenana River, and you will go through many switchbacks that can seem daunting. You will soon reach the ridge line the leads to the top of Mt. Healy after a mile, and that is where you get a full view of the entire landscape around you, at over 4,000 feet in elevation. The tundra is a view to behold.
Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina
There are several trails in the Smoky Mountains, but we will talk about a couple to get your interest. Gregory Bald Trail is known to be a great hike all through the year, where you will see wild azaleas of all colors, and people come here from around the world to see this! On your hike, you will see Cades Cove, which offers lovely views of the Smoky Mountains, as well as Fontana Lake, where you can go for a dip!
Rocky Top Trail is a 5 mile hike that takes you to Spence Field. The grassy area has meadows you can admire, as well as other wildflowers and plant life. The mountain laurel is amazing and something to see. Once you get to Spence Field, you will be nearly entering the Appalachian Trail. Hikers say the views from Rocky Top are the best in the entire Smoky Mountains, where you can see not only Fontana Lake and Cades Cover, but Maryville and Townsend!
Abrams Falls Trail leads you to Abrams Falls where you will see a 20 feet high waterfall that comes off of a cliff and is known as the most voluminous in the whole park, and the most scenic! This is what makes it a more popular hiking trail in the Smokies.
Conclusion
These are our 5 more gorgeous hiking trails, and we hope you agree with them! We also hope that you have found a new place to hike that will test your limits and give you some beautiful views to remember always.
Author Bio
Rebecca lives in USA, but loves hiking all over the world. Her favourite is Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. It usually takes 16 days, but she likes to slow down, enjoy mountains, company of other adventurers and take more pictures, so it took her 28 days last time. Another of her passion is the ocean, so all short and long hikes along the ocean shore bring a lot of joy. She also writes for HikingMastery.com.
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