Backpacking trails in United States
What are the best hikes in the United States? There are simply so many incredible hikes in the USA that it’s almost impossible to answer. Many of the best hikes in the United States can be found in the mountain chains that cover the American West. Here you’ll find hikes that take you through untouched wilderness, up high above the forests and to beautiful mountain lakes. The American Southwest offers a different hiking experience in wonderful arid regions that are best explored on foot.
The US is so vast that you can’t even dream of seeing everything in one visit. The country contains a huge variety of hiking terrain, from protected National Parks to cool mountain towns like Aspen or Vail.
To help you plan your hiking holiday, we have found the best hikes in most of the Western US states. We find the best hikes in National Parks, National Forests and Wilderness Areas across California, Oregon, Washington State, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Nevada. We share the best hikes for world-famous National Parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, Olympic and Glacier. We also help you plan your trip to other great places, like Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, Salt Lake City, Vail and Aspen.
Find Backpacking Tours and other tours in the US
Looking to join a group on an adventure tour? No need to plan everything yourself, just check out these adventure tours in the US, or else these backpacking tours all over the world.
Backpacking regions in United States
Best Backpacking trails in United States
North Circle
The North Circle Loop in Glacier National Park is a strenuous and rewarding backpacking trip that takes you through some of the best terrain in Glacier. This 4-6 day backpacking loop is one of the best backpacking trails in the entire US, and requires you to enter a lottery to get one of the few reservations on this epic backpacking route in Montana.
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Pitamakan Dawson Loop
The Pitamakan-Dawson Loop is a strenuous and rewarding backpacking trip on the east side of Glacier National Park. Setting out from the Two Medicine Campground, the trail takes you through many different environments in Glacier National Park. If you have the experience and fitness level to complete this backpacking trip, it is one of the best in the park!
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Boulder Pass
Backpacking through this northern section of Glacier National Park is a very wild experience. With limited access to the area, the trail between Goat Haunt and Boulder Pass is remote and stunning. It is a trip for any backpacker’s bucket list.
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
The Highline
The Highline is one of Glacier’s legendary hikes along the Continental Divide, and this backpacking loop is the best way to extend the trip and enjoy the Upper Highline and get deeper into the beauty of GNP backcountry. Hiking from Logan Pass to Fifty Mountain is epic above treeline hiking, while the return journey is lower but through a burned forest offering equally scenic but different views. All in all, the extended Highline is a fantastic backpacking trip.
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty