Top 100 Day Hikes in America

1.Angels Landing

Zion National Park, Utah

The definitive American thrill hike: chain-assisted scramble along a knife-edge sandstone fin 1,500 feet above Zion Canyon, ending at a heart-stopping panoramic perch.

2.Half Dome Trail

Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite's ultimate test piece: 16 brutal miles to climb the iconic granite dome's final 400 feet on fixed cables, with the valley unfurling beneath you.

3.The Narrows Bottom-Up

Zion National Park, Utah

Wade and swim up the Virgin River through a thousand-foot-deep slot canyon, the finest gorge hike anywhere that needs no technical gear.

4.Bright Angel Trail

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Grand Canyon's signature corridor trail, switchbacking past Indian Garden into the inner gorge, an icon of American hiking accessible to determined day-hikers.

5.Delicate Arch Trail

Arches National Park, Utah

A short, exposed slickrock climb to Utah's most photographed landmark, the freestanding sandstone arch framing the La Sal Mountains at sunset.

6.Grinnell Glacier Trail

Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier's premier day hike past turquoise lakes to a meltwater basin beneath a shrinking glacier, ringed by towering peaks and frequent grizzlies and goats.

7.Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls

Yosemite National Park, California

America's classic waterfall staircase, climbing granite steps drenched in spray beside two thundering Yosemite cascades, often crowned with rainbows.

8.Highline Trail

Glacier National Park, Montana

A jaw-dropping traverse along the Continental Divide off Logan Pass, hugging a cliff-edge ledge with endless views over Glacier's glacier-carved valleys.

9.Skyline Trail

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Paradise's flagship loop through wildflower meadows straight at Rainier's glaciers, marmots, and the Tatoosh Range, the iconic introduction to the volcano.

10.Havasu Falls Trail

Havasupai Reservation, Arizona

The famed blue-green travertine waterfalls of the Havasupai, a permit-only desert dream deep in a side canyon of the Grand Canyon.

11.Longs Peak Keyhole Route

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Colorado's most storied fourteener day hike, a long, exposed scramble through the Keyhole, Ledges, and Narrows to a 14,259-foot summit.

12.Mount Whitney Trail

Inyo National Forest, California

The push to the highest summit in the Lower 48, 22 grueling miles and 99 switchbacks to 14,505 feet, a permit-coveted bucket-list classic.

13.Kalalau Trail to Hanakapiai Beach

Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii

The famed Na Pali Coast trail traverses emerald sea cliffs to a hidden beach, delivering Hawaii's most dramatic and recognizable coastal hiking.

14.Harding Icefield Trail

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

A relentless climb from rainforest to alpine overlooking a horizon-filling icefield, Alaska's best day hike and a stunning window onto the Ice Age.

15.South Kaibab Trail

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Grand Canyon's most scenic descent, following an open ridgeline past Ooh Aah Point and Skeleton Point with panoramas the corridor trails can't match.

16.Franconia Ridge Loop

White Mountains, New Hampshire

The Northeast's crown jewel: a soaring above-treeline traverse over Lafayette and Lincoln with waterfalls below, the East's answer to alpine ridge walking.

17.Old Rag Mountain Loop

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Virginia's most famous hike, a granite rock scramble through boulder chutes to a 360-degree Blue Ridge summit that defines Mid-Atlantic adventure.

18.Paintbrush Canyon to Cascade Canyon Loop

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

The Tetons' grand loop over Paintbrush Divide past Lake Solitude, threading alpine lakes and meadows beneath the range's jagged signature spires.

19.Mist Falls and Cadillac Mountain Loop

Acadia National Park, Maine

Climb the granite domes to Cadillac Mountain, the first place to see sunrise in America, with sweeping views over Frenchman Bay and the Atlantic.

20.Mount Katahdin via Hunt Trail

Baxter State Park, Maine

The Appalachian Trail's northern terminus, an arduous boulder climb across the Knife Edge approach to Maine's highest, wildest summit.

21.Sky Pond

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

A Rockies showstopper past Alberta Falls and Loch Vale, scrambling beside Timberline Falls to an alpine tarn beneath the Sharkstooth and Cathedral spires.

22.Cascade Pass Trail

North Cascades National Park, Washington

The North Cascades' iconic pass, switchbacks giving way to a meadow saddle ringed by glaciated peaks, with optional climbs toward Sahale Glacier.

23.McAfee Knob

Catawba, Virginia

The most photographed spot on the entire Appalachian Trail, a cantilevered rock ledge jutting over the Catawba Valley like a diving board into the sky.

24.Mount LeConte via Alum Cave Trail

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

The Smokies' signature climb past Arch Rock and Alum Cave Bluffs to one of the East's highest peaks, a beloved Tennessee day-hike classic.

25.The Subway

Zion National Park, Utah

A permit-only route up the Left Fork to a surreal tube-shaped slot carved into glowing red rock, one of Zion's most coveted backcountry treks.

26.South Sister Climb

Three Sisters Wilderness, Oregon

Oregon's tallest non-technical summit, a strenuous volcano climb past Moraine Lake to a crater rim with a summit lake and Cascade panoramas.

27.Delta Lake Trail

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

An unofficial but wildly popular scramble to a glacier-fed lake glowing electric blue directly beneath the Grand Teton, the range's defining photo.

28.The Wave

Coyote Buttes North, Arizona

The most coveted permit hike in America, a route over slickrock to swirling, candy-striped sandstone waves, limited to a handful of hikers daily.

29.Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce's quintessential descent through Wall Street's slot and a forest of glowing orange hoodoos, the best short loop in the amphitheater.

30.Observation Point via East Mesa Trail

Zion National Park, Utah

A high overlook gazing down on Angels Landing and the full sweep of Zion Canyon, arguably the park's finest panoramic viewpoint.

31.Maroon Bells Crater Lake Trail

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, Colorado

A hike to Crater Lake beneath the Maroon Bells, the most photographed peaks in Colorado, twin maroon fourteeners mirrored in alpine water.

32.Cactus to Clouds

Palm Springs to San Jacinto Peak, California

One of America's most extreme day hikes, gaining over 10,000 feet from desert floor to San Jacinto's summit, a legendary leg-burner.

33.Yosemite Falls Trail

Yosemite National Park, California

A steep switchback climb beside North America's tallest waterfall to its brink, where Yosemite Valley sprawls 2,400 feet below.

34.Hidden Lake Overlook

Glacier National Park, Montana

An easy boardwalk-and-trail jaunt from Logan Pass to a stunning overlook of Hidden Lake and Bearhat Mountain, often with goats and grizzlies.

35.Devils Garden Loop

Arches National Park, Utah

Arches' most adventurous trail, linking eight arches including the spectacular 290-foot Landscape Arch across slickrock fins and desert washes.

36.Avalanche Lake Trail

Glacier National Park, Montana

A family-friendly classic through ancient cedar forest to a lake fed by waterfalls plunging off the Sperry Glacier headwall, Glacier beauty made easy.

37.Precipice Trail

Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia's iron-rung cliff climb, ascending sheer granite on ladders and bars high above the Atlantic, the East Coast's most exhilarating via ferrata-style hike.

38.Emerald Lake Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

A beloved short hike past Nymph and Dream Lakes to Emerald Lake beneath Hallett Peak, the most iconic alpine-lake string in the Rockies.

39.Garfield Peak Trail

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

The best rim hike above Crater Lake, climbing to a wildflower-lined summit overlooking the impossibly blue caldera and Wizard Island.

40.Sahale Arm and Glacier

North Cascades National Park, Washington

An extension above Cascade Pass climbing a flowering arm to a glacier toe, delivering some of the most concentrated alpine grandeur in the Lower 48.

41.Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Trail

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix's signature urban summit, a steep handrail-and-boulder scramble up the camel's hump for sweeping city and Sonoran Desert views.

42.Hanging Lake Trail

Glenwood Canyon, Colorado

A permit-only climb to a travertine-rimmed turquoise lake fed by waterfalls and clinging to a cliff, one of Colorado's most fragile, photographed wonders.

43.Pipiwai Trail

Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii

A magical climb through a towering bamboo forest past Makahiku Falls to the 400-foot Waimoku Falls, the Road to Hana's best hike.

44.Mount Si Trail

North Bend, Washington

Seattle's iconic training hike, a relentless climb to a rocky perch with views over the Snoqualmie Valley and the haystack scramble at the top.

45.Sliding Sands to Halemauu Loop

Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii

A descent into Haleakala's otherworldly volcanic crater past cinder cones in red, orange, and gold, like hiking across the surface of Mars.

46.Diamond Head Summit Trail

Oahu, Hawaii

The hike up Honolulu's iconic volcanic crater through tunnels and stairs to a bunker overlook above Waikiki and the Pacific, Oahu's classic ascent.

47.Mount Timpanogos Summit Trail

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah

A long wildflower-and-waterfall climb to a glacier basin and one of Utah's most beloved summits, towering over the Wasatch Front.

48.Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

A short climb to the overlook above Grand Prismatic Spring, revealing the rainbow rings of America's largest, most psychedelic hot spring.

49.Mount Tallac Trail

Lake Tahoe Basin, California

The classic Lake Tahoe summit, a stout climb past alpine lakes to a 9,738-foot peak with the entire sapphire lake spread below.

50.Iceberg Lake Trail

Glacier National Park, Montana

A Many Glacier favorite to a cirque lake studded with floating icebergs into summer, ringed by a 3,000-foot headwall, classic Glacier drama.

51.Enchanted Rock Summit Trail

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Texas

Texas Hill Country's iconic pink granite dome, a steep slickrock walk-up to panoramic views and the state's most recognizable hiking landmark.

52.Flattop Mountain Trail

Chugach State Park, Alaska

Anchorage's most-climbed peak, a short, steep scramble to a summit overlooking the city, Cook Inlet, and on clear days Denali itself.

53.Charlies Bunion

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

An Appalachian Trail walk along the Smokies crest to a rocky outcrop with a thrilling drop-off and endless rolling blue-ridge views.

54.Devils Bridge Trail

Sedona, Arizona

Sedona's most famous hike to the largest natural sandstone arch in the area, a photogenic span of red rock against the desert sky.

55.Cathedral Lakes Trail

Yosemite National Park, California

A Tuolumne Meadows gem climbing the John Muir Trail to a granite-rimmed lake beneath the spire of Cathedral Peak, high-country Yosemite at its finest.

56.Clouds Rest Trail

Yosemite National Park, California

A high ridge to a summit even loftier than Half Dome, with a narrow fin finale and arguably the grandest panorama in all of Yosemite.

57.Sentinel Dome and Taft Point

Yosemite National Park, California

A pairing of two airy granite overlooks high above Yosemite Valley, with Taft's railing-free fissures and Sentinel's 360-degree summit panorama.

58.Chasm Lake Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

A stunning climb to a lake nestled directly beneath the sheer 2,000-foot Diamond face of Longs Peak, an alpine amphitheater of pure drama.

59.Quandary Peak Trail

White River National Forest, Colorado

Colorado's most accessible fourteener, a straightforward but lung-busting ridge climb to a 14,265-foot summit popular with mountain goats and first-timers.

60.Mount Washington via Tuckerman Ravine

White Mountains, New Hampshire

The Northeast's hardest classic, climbing through a glacial cirque to the summit home of the world's worst weather, a true mountaineering rite of passage.

61.Mount Marcy via Van Hoevenberg Trail

Adirondack High Peaks, New York

New York's highest summit and the crown of the Adirondack 46ers, a long forested climb to alpine tundra with views over forty High Peaks.

62.Sky Lakes and Tunnel Falls (Eagle Creek)

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

The Gorge's legendary waterfall trail, ledges blasted into basalt cliffs leading behind the 175-foot curtain of Tunnel Falls.

63.Sleeping Bear Dunes Climb

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan

A quad-burning haul up towering sand dunes to bluffs plunging into the impossibly blue waters of Lake Michigan, the Midwest's signature dune hike.

64.Notch Trail

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

A short adventure up a log ladder through a canyon to a notch overlooking the White River Valley, the best taste of the surreal Badlands.

65.Emory Peak Trail

Big Bend National Park, Texas

The climb to the highest point in the Chisos Mountains, ending with a rock scramble to a summit floating above the vast Chihuahuan Desert.

66.Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls

Havasupai Reservation, Arizona

A chain-and-ladder descent down a travertine cliff past the tallest Havasupai waterfall to a chain of blue-green pools, an adrenaline-laced desert wonder.

67.Skyline Trail to Saint Marys Glacier

Arapaho National Forest, Colorado

A short, scenic climb to a permanent snowfield and alpine lake near the Continental Divide, a beloved year-round Front Range outing.

68.Lassen Peak Trail

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

A switchbacking ascent of an active plug-dome volcano to a 10,457-foot crater summit, with views over the southern Cascades and Mount Shasta.

69.Sahalie and Koosah Falls / Lava Lands

Willamette National Forest, Oregon

A loop along the McKenzie River past two roaring waterfalls and pools of impossible blue, one of Oregon's most beloved easy hikes.

70.Linville Gorge Hawksbill Mountain

Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina

A short, steep climb to a craggy summit over the Linville Gorge, the rugged 'Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians.'

71.Chimney Tops Trail

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

A steep climb to twin rocky pinnacles, one of the Smokies' most distinctive and exhilarating summits with sweeping ridgeline views.

72.Letchworth Gorge Trail

Letchworth State Park, New York

A rim trail past three major waterfalls in the 'Grand Canyon of the East,' where the Genesee River carves a dramatic 600-foot gorge.

73.Watkins Glen Gorge Trail

Finger Lakes, New York

A stone path winding past nineteen waterfalls through a narrow mossy gorge, ducking behind cascades, the most enchanting short hike in the East.

74.Bald Knob Cloudland Trail

Cloudland Canyon State Park, Georgia

A waterfall-and-canyon hike into a deep gorge with sandstone cliffs and two cascades, Georgia's premier state-park hiking destination.

75.Mount Tamalpais East Peak

Marin County, California

The Bay Area's iconic peak, with trails to a 2,571-foot summit offering 360-degree views of San Francisco, the ocean, and the Sierra on clear days.

76.Highline Trail to Grinnell Overlook

Glacier National Park, Montana

A spur off the Highline climbing to an overlook gazing straight down on Grinnell Glacier and its turquoise lakes, a bird's-eye Glacier highlight.

77.Mount Hood Timberline to Zigzag Canyon

Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon

A stretch of the Timberline Trail traversing wildflower meadows and a dramatic canyon directly beneath Oregon's glaciated, postcard volcano.

78.Dog Mountain Trail

Columbia River Gorge, Washington

A steep spring climb to wildflower-blanketed slopes high above the Columbia River, famous for its blazing yellow balsamroot meadows.

79.Mount Si to Mailbox Peak

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington

A notoriously brutal climb to a summit with a quirky mailbox and commanding Cascade views, a legendary Seattle-area fitness benchmark.

80.Cucamonga Peak Trail

San Gabriel Mountains, California

A demanding climb to a prominent Southern California summit with sweeping views from the desert to the sea, a SoCal mountaineering favorite.