Best Backpacking Trails in the US

These overnight backpacking trips are some of the best adventures out there. These guides have everything you need to know to plan and hike these classic routes.

HikeDist.ClimbEffortDogsPlace
Eagle Creek Trail Guide4.2 miles525 ftModerateYCascade Locks
Hiking & Camping Channel Islands National Park (Santa Cruz)7.5 milesftEasyNVentura
Throop Peak + Mount Burnham + Baden-Powell From Dawson Saddle9 miles2700 ftModerateYParadise Springs
Hike Mt Islip From Crystal Lake10.5 miles2800 ftHardYAzuza
Palm Springs Tram Hike to San Jacinto Peak11 miles2620 ftHardNPalm Springs
Dry Lake (San Gorgonio) From The South Fork Trail11.5 miles2330 ftHardYAngelus Oaks
Momyer Creek Trail to Dobbs Cabin12 miles3150 ftHardYForest Falls
Sugarloaf Mountain Trail Guide - Big Bear12 miles3360 ftHardYBig Bear
Telescope Peak Hike (Death Valley)12.5 miles3200 ftHardNDeath Valley
Clouds Rest Hike Guide12.5 miles3200 ftHardNYosemite Valley
Cottonwood Lakes Trail13 miles1500 ftModerateYLone Pine
Hike Pacifico Mountain on the PCT13.5 miles2350 ftModerateY Palmdale
Hike Ontario Peak and Bighorn Peak14.7 miles4240 ftHardYSan Bernardino County
White Mountain Peak Hike (California)15 miles3360 ftHardYBishop
Hiking on Catalina Island to Parsons Landing Campsite15.2 miles1320 ftEasyNAvalon
San Bernardino Peak Hike16 miles4670 ftHardYForest Falls
Grand Canyon Rim to River Hike Guide17 miles4800 ftVery HardNGrand Canyon Village
How To Hike Half Dome17 miles5200 ftVery HardNYosemite Village
Mt Charleston Peak Hike - South Loop Trail17.5 miles4890 ftVery HardYMt Charleston
San Gorgonio Hike on the Vivian Creek Trail18 miles5470 ftVery HardYForest Falls
Hike San Bernardino East Peak From Forsee Creek Trail18 miles4600 ftHardYForest Falls
Hike Mt San Jacinto Peak on the Deer Springs Trail19 miles5400 ftVery HardNPalm Springs
South Fork Trail to San Gorgonio Mountain19.5 miles4700 ftHardYAngelus Oaks
Fish Creek Trail to San Gorgonio Mountain20.5 miles3700 ftHardYAngelus Oaks
Rim to Rim Grand Canyon Hike Guide21 miles6200 ftVery HardNNorth Rim
Mt Whitney Hike21.5 miles6500 ftVery HardNLone Pine
How to Hike the Lost Coast Trail25.5 miles1000 ftHardYShelter Cove
Enchanted Valley Chalet Backpacking Guide28 miles3400 ftModerateNQuinault
Gabrielino Trail (NRT) Guide28.8 miles6500 ftHardYPalmdale
Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier Hike Guide36 miles5400 ftHardNForks
California Riding and Hiking Trail (Joshua Tree)38 miles3060 ftHardNTwentynine Palms
Trans Catalina Trail (TCT) Hike Guide38.5 miles7900 ftHardYAvalon
Timberline Trail Guide (Mt Hood)41.5 miles10800 ftHardYGovernment Camp

All Guides

Enchanted Valley Chalet Backpacking Guide

Enchanted Valley Chalet Backpacking Guide

The Enchanted Valley Chalet in Olympic National Park is one of the most iconic and scenic overnight backpacking trips in...

28 miles - Moderate

Hiking & Camping Channel Islands National Park (Santa Cruz)

Hiking & Camping Channel Islands National Park (Santa Cruz)

Figuring out how to camp, backpack, and hike Channel Islands National Park can be intimidating. Each island has its own...

7.5 miles - Easy

Momyer Creek Trail to Dobbs Cabin

Momyer Creek Trail to Dobbs Cabin

Located in some of the most pristine wilderness of Southern California, the hike up Momyer Creek Trail to Dobbs Cabin...

12 miles - Hard

How to Hike the Lost Coast Trail

How to Hike the Lost Coast Trail

Worthy of any hiking bucket list, the Lost Coast Trail offers a challenging adventure along California's longest stretch of undeveloped...

25.5 miles - Hard

Palm Springs Tram Hike to San Jacinto Peak

Palm Springs Tram Hike to San Jacinto Peak

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Hike to Mt San Jacinto is a great way to bag Southern California's second-highest peak...

11 miles - Hard

Throop Peak + Mount Burnham + Baden-Powell From Dawson Saddle

Throop Peak + Mount Burnham + Baden-Powell From Dawson Saddle

This hike, which takes in Throop Peak, Mount Burnham, and Mount Baden-Powell from Dawson Saddle, has dramatic high-mountain scenery and...

9 miles - Moderate

Eagle Creek Trail Guide

Eagle Creek Trail Guide

You can't go wrong with a hike on the Eagle Creek Trail, considered the signature trail of the Columbia River...

4.2 miles - Moderate

Telescope Peak Hike (Death Valley)

Telescope Peak Hike (Death Valley)

Offering dramatic views into some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world, the beauty of the Telescope Peak hike...

12.5 miles - Hard

Grand Canyon Rim to River Hike Guide

Grand Canyon Rim to River Hike Guide

The Grand Canyon 'rim to river' hike from the South Rim to Colorado is the one hike that the NPS...

17 miles - Very Hard

Hike Pacifico Mountain on the PCT

Hike Pacifico Mountain on the PCT

If you want to get off the beaten path in Angeles National Forest, head over to the Pacifico Mountain hike....

13.5 miles - Moderate

Timberline Trail Guide (Mt Hood)

Timberline Trail Guide (Mt Hood)

The 41.5 mile Timberline Trail, which circles Oregon's highest point, Mt Hood, dropping in and out of glacier-carved canyons, is...

41.5 miles - Hard

South Fork Trail to San Gorgonio Mountain

South Fork Trail to San Gorgonio Mountain

The South Fork Trail is one of the more popular routes to the San Gorgonio Mountain summit, and for a...

19.5 miles - Hard

Fish Creek Trail to San Gorgonio Mountain

Fish Creek Trail to San Gorgonio Mountain

Offering solitude and the easiest (but not easy) climb to San Gorgonio Mountain, the Fish Creek Trail is a great...

20.5 miles - Hard

San Gorgonio Hike on the Vivian Creek Trail

San Gorgonio Hike on the Vivian Creek Trail

Easily the most popular San Gorgonio hike route, the Vivian Creek Trail is an iconic adventure up to the highest...

18 miles - Very Hard

Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier Hike Guide

Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier Hike Guide

The Hoh River Trail in Olympic National Park is a bucket-list worthy hike. You'll start the adventure by hiking along...

36 miles - Hard

Sugarloaf Mountain Trail Guide - Big Bear

Sugarloaf Mountain Trail Guide - Big Bear

Although Sugarloaf Mountain, at 9952 feet, is the highest point in Big Bear Valley, this mountain peak is often overlooked...

12 miles - Hard

Rim to Rim Grand Canyon Hike Guide

Rim to Rim Grand Canyon Hike Guide

The rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon is iconic, spectacular, and challenging. Over my years of hiking the rim-to-rim, I've...

21 miles - Very Hard

Hike Mt San Jacinto Peak on the Deer Springs Trail

Hike Mt San Jacinto Peak on the Deer Springs Trail

The hike to Mt San Jacinto Peak on the Deer Springs Trail is one of the toughest and most beautiful...

19 miles - Very Hard

Trans Catalina Trail (TCT) Hike Guide

Trans Catalina Trail (TCT) Hike Guide

The Trans Catalina Trail, a mini, 38.5-mile thru-hike across the rugged island of Catalina, is a very doable adventure for...

38.5 miles - Hard

How To Hike Half Dome

How To Hike Half Dome

The hike up to Half Dome, towering over the Yosemite Valley at 8846 feet, is one of the great bucket...

17 miles - Very Hard

Clouds Rest Hike Guide

Clouds Rest Hike Guide

The Clouds Rest hike in Yosemite is a favorite of the park rangers; you get incredible panoramic views from over...

12.5 miles - Hard

Dry Lake (San Gorgonio) From The South Fork Trail

Dry Lake (San Gorgonio) From The South Fork Trail

Dry Lake, nestled in the shadow of San Gorgonio Mountain, is a beautiful day hike or overnight camping destination. This...

11.5 miles - Hard

California Riding and Hiking Trail (Joshua Tree)

California Riding and Hiking Trail (Joshua Tree)

Backpacking the California Riding and Hiking Trail (CRHT) is like a mini thru-hike of Joshua Tree National Park. The CRHT...

38 miles - Hard

Cottonwood Lakes Trail

Cottonwood Lakes Trail

The Cottonwood Lakes Trail is a great hike and backpacking trip for beginners, and a favorite for experienced hikers. Starting...

13 miles - Moderate

Hike Mt Islip From Crystal Lake

Hike Mt Islip From Crystal Lake

Tucked into Angeles National Forest away from the crowds, this loop hike to Mt Islip from Crystal Lake offers a...

10.5 miles - Hard

Gabrielino Trail (NRT) Guide

Gabrielino Trail (NRT) Guide

Stretching 28.8 miles through the heart of Angeles National Forest, the Gabrielino Trail covers not only some of the most...

28.8 miles - Hard

Hike San Bernardino East Peak From Forsee Creek Trail

Hike San Bernardino East Peak From Forsee Creek Trail

Get away from the crowds on this San Bernardino East Peak hike that climbs up the Forsee Creek Trail, meanders...

18 miles - Hard

Mt Charleston Peak Hike - South Loop Trail

Mt Charleston Peak Hike - South Loop Trail

The Mt Charleston Peak hike takes you to the highest point around Las Vegas, at 11,916 feet. This guide to Charleston...

17.5 miles - Very Hard

Hiking on Catalina Island to Parsons Landing Campsite

Hiking on Catalina Island to Parsons Landing Campsite

Hiking on Catalina Island offers some beautiful options, but I think the hike to and overnight at Parsons Landing campsite...

15.2 miles - Easy

White Mountain Peak Hike (California)

White Mountain Peak Hike (California)

The White Mountain Peak hike brings you to the third highest peak in California, only a few hundred feet lower...

15 miles - Hard

Mt Whitney Hike

Mt Whitney Hike

The Mt Whitney hike is one of the classic bucket list adventures in the U.S. At 14,505 feet, Mount Whitney...

21.5 miles - Very Hard

San Bernardino Peak Hike

San Bernardino Peak Hike

The San Bernardino Peak (10,649 feet) hike is tough but rewarding. The San Bernardino Mountains were named after San Bernardino Peak, which...

16 miles - Hard

Hike Ontario Peak and Bighorn Peak

Hike Ontario Peak and Bighorn Peak

If you want a great Angeles National Forest mountain hike without the crowds, hike Ontario Peak (8,696 ft) and Bighorn...

14.7 miles - Hard