Thanks, Thomas, is an amazing list. Yosemite, Glacier, and the Tetons certainly have shorter and easier trips than the big ones I described in this story, including the trip I cover in my e-book “The Best Short Backpacking Trip in Grand Teton National Park.” Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains and Wyoming’s Wind River Range also offer more beginner-friendly backpacking options. The southern Olympic coast is also a gorgeous and relatively easy trip.

I can help you plan that trip. See my Custom rip Planning page to learn how.

I can help you plan any trip you read about at my blog. See my Custom rip Planning page to learn how.

Thanks for the comment. Get in touch anytime.

Hi Matthew,

Thanks for the nice compliment about this story and congratulations on completing your first backpacking trip, and in the Tetons, of all places.

You ask a fair question and one I would encourage all new backpackers to contemplate. I didn’t really think much along those lines when I was taking my first backpacking trips as a young man; three of my earliest were in Yosemite, on the Teton Crest Trail (following the same itinerary you hiked), and Denali. I made some classic newbie mistakes on those trips—none of them, fortunately, more consequential than losing some of our food to a black bear in Yosemite and having wet and cold feet every day in Denali—and they were transformative experiences for me in ways similar to what you’ve described: I decided not long after those three trips that I needed to leave my job as a newspaper editor and write about the outdoors full-time.

Fortunately, that consequential choice turned out well.

The truth is that I have gone back to every place and most of the trails described in this story multiple times—partly because that’s what I do for a living—and I tell you that to communicate that all of them are that special: You will want to visit them all more than once.

Honestly, there are trips in Glacier that are beginner-friendly, with the right preparation. There are trips on this list that are best tackled once you’ve acquired more experience, including many in the Grand Canyon and Wind River Range, but also trails even in those rugged places where beginners often backpack and develop their skills.

I’d like to recommend you read a few stories at The Big Outside that I think you’ll find helpful:

“How to Decide Where to Go Backpacking”

“How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be”

“5 Questions to Ask Before Trying That New Outdoors Adventure”

I can also give you a personalized trip plan for any trip you read about at The Big Outside. See my Custom Trip Planning page to learn how.

I hope you sign up for my free email newsletter and decide to Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. And check out my e-books.

I hope some of this is helpful to you. Good luck and keep in touch.

So, where I was going with this is what trip on this list would you take if you were to go back and do it again after the Tetons the first time and why? I have been highly considering Glacier but am worried I am not ready due to the fact I have only done one trip, the Tetons. My parents went there, and I was extremely jealous of what they got to see (they just day hiked, no backpacking). FYI I am located in the front range of Colorado, and would probably drive to these hikes given my current financial situation. Any input/opinion on this is highly appreciated! I loved reading this post and learning more about the best places to backpack in the US. Thanks!

Hi Maxwell,

You should also see my story “The 10 Best Backpacking Trips in the Southwest.”

While I have not yet backpacked either the West Coast Trail or North Coast Trail on Canada’s Vancouver Island, I’m familiar with them (and their reputation for difficult terrain and wet weather). This story is about the best backpacking trips in the U.S.

Well, the Sawtooths have seen an exponential leap in popularity since the summer of 2020 and that may have abated somewhat but backpacker use has not returned to pre-pandemic levels and probably never will. Still, there are areas of the Sawtooths, as with virtually every popular mountain range and national park, that see far fewer backpackers; much of the traffic is concentrated in a few most-accessible areas of the Sawtooths on August weekends, although August weekdays are getting busier in those same popular areas.

Thanks for the nice words. Good to hear from you again.

Thanks, Ryan. The lead photo at the top of this story is of my friend Jeff on the Dawson Pass Trail in Glacier National Park, an awesome hike.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Rob, and your examples illustrate the importance of choosing the right time of year for any trip.

The WCT is known internationally, and half the people you’ll see on the trail will be europeans, so it is indeed a very highly regarded trail. In fact one couple we met from Germany was on their second WCT trip. It is an interesting trail, known for being rugged and difficult, with a relatively high percentage of people needing to be evacuated from the trail due to injury, something like 1 in 100 people. I passed at least two that needed rescue. Its basically an old route for shipwrecked sailors to get back to civilization. It hugs the coast line, periodically wandering along the beach or in the woods above the beach, with many river crossings. There are many ladders constructed to ascend/descend cliffs, suspension bridges and even a handcart on a zip line, all to avoid deep rivers running out to the ocean.

It is challenging due to much of it not being a simple well worn trail. It is up, down, around, over, under rocks, trees, roots, cliffs, etc.. My friend said it reminded him of Yoda’s homeland, and it was a pretty dead on image for some of that trail. It can also often be very slippery and muddy. It all makes it challenging and fun, that is if you like that kind of fun.

https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/activ/SCO-WCT

And although I did enjoy it, there were times it was miserable due to wet/muddy conditions, and even more so, it does not offer the spectacular views I personally like when you are in the mountains.

My top three favorite backpacking trips so far are also Yosemite, Tetons and Glacier NP (MT). I really loved my route at Yosemite, starting at May Lake, summitting Mt Hoffmann, then crossing the ridge of Clouds Rest, then summitting Half Dome, then down to the valley.

I also had a fantastic route at the Tetons, starting near Phelps Lake, working towards Death Canyon Shelf, across it and down to Sunset Lake, up the cliff above it to overlook Snowdrift Lake (spectacular!), out towards the South Fork Cascade trail, and then out at Jenny Lake.

Glacier NP is difficult to plan a loop route that covers the highlights, so its best to cobble together a couple of short in-and-outs or day hikes.

Yoho is epic too, but much of it can be seen basecamping with day hikes, but you can backpack it too.

https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/activ/arrierepays-backcountry

The Grand Canyon is definitely beautiful in its own way. Did it once in August and once in late November. August was too hot, November was too cold, had to bail early due to a blizzard hitting and we barely made it out in time only to get to our car, buried under a couple feet of snow, in the dark, and the highways were closed! Worth doing, but carefully choose the time of year!

I hope to do some of the others in your list, like Rainier and Rockwall! Thanks for posting about your trips, I’m always on the lookout for the next epic adventure.

Thanks for the nice words, David. Snow will cover the mountains throughout the West in mid-May and probably into mid-July, given the winter snowpack that’s been building up everywhere this year. In mid-May, you should head for to the Southwest or perhaps the Northeast mountains.

Good luck and thanks for the question.

I appreciate your excellent article and summary! If I can ask a quick question? I will be backpacking with my buddy in mid May this year. We are happy to travel anywhere in the continental US. We are both in good backpacking shape and fairly experienced so we are up for a challenge. We have done the JMT, Grand Canyon, Zion but not the rest on your list. What else would you suggest during that time of year? I’m worried about hitting snow during mid May in the more northern areas.
I appreciate your help!

Thanks

Perhaps a day or so hike north of Rialto Beach, as I recall.

Thanks, Jeff, that’s a very legit suggestion. I backpacked the Four Passes Loop some years back, it’s beautiful. The best time, I think, is early August, when the profuse meadows of wildflowers bloom. I hear it’s become very popular and would try to avoid it on weekends.

Hi Jeff,

Good to hear from you again and I may yet take you up on your very generous invitation, thank you. Yes, that’s my assessment of the Lost Coast vs. the Olympic coast, especially for anyone traveling some distance to either place, they should go to the better one. And thanks for sharing your story about that campsite. I may go looking for it!

I was glad to see this comment. I have been considering whether to hike the Lost Coast Trail. I have done both the Olympic coast north hike and the Olympic Coast south hike (twice). I was curious whether I should do the Lost Coast Trail or do the Olympic North coast again. Your comments above confirm what I was thinking; the photos I see of the Lost Coast Trail don’t seem to compare to what I experienced on the Olympic Coast. As an aside, I have backpacked a lot of places, and one of my most spectacular campsites was on the Olympic north coast (a beautiful grass bluff a foot above the shore, huge evergreen trees; river mouth to the left, seals, whales spouting offshore, , etc.). Also, Michael if your hiking plans include doing (likely again) the Olympic North Coast, I have a home on the Olympic Peninsula about 30 mins away from the Shi Shi Beach TH; you are welcome to spend a night.

Thanks for the comment and good vibes, Walker. I have backpacked throughout the Northeast Appalachian Mountains and in parts of the Southeast Appalachians, including the Great Smokies. I agree there’s much about the East’s mountains that I enjoy. But I do think the landscapes of the West are simply more majestic that the East. But if you can point me to a backpacking trip in the East that you strongly believe belongs on this list, please let me know!

Get in touch anytime. Thanks again.

Great article. I am enthralled with the Southern Olympic Coast Trail. I am intrigued that you didn’t put any hikes from the Appalachia area. Any particular reason, or are the ones out West truly that much better?

Sending good vibes from Alabama!

Hi Roxanne,

Thanks for that question. June is tricky because it’s already hot in the Southwest but often still too snowy in mountains like the Tetons.

But the southern Olympic coast, while just 18 miles, is a great three-day hike and should have good weather, certainly mild temps and no snow. Zion’s Narrows would probably be a good one then, too, but it’s likely too late for you to reserve a backcountry permit for June. You’ll see on a map of Yosemite that there are middle-elevation areas, such as north and northwest of Yosemite Valley, where trails can be snow-free or mostly so by late June. Lastly, I have backpacked in the Sawtooths in late June, but you would definitely encounter snow above around 8,000 feet.

I know of specific routes in Yosemite that would likely work for you then; see my Custom Trip Planning page to learn how I can help you plan your trip.

Good luck!

You’re welcome, Chris, and good luck with your permit application.

Thank you for the detailed answer! Fingers crossed that I can snag a permit.

Hi Chris,

Our 90-mile hike began with the 65-mile route known as Glacier’s Northern Loop, a horseshoe-shaped circuit from near Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Many Glacier, Ptarmigan Tunnel, Stoney Indian Pass, the Highline Trail, and finishing at Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. That was followed immediately by a roughly 25-mile overnight on the Gunsight Pass Trail, including an optional side trip to the Sperry Glacier, one of the park’s largest.

I write about the entire trip in this story.

I did that trip before the park instituted a rule against including any road transportation within a single backcountry permit itinerary. So we were able to finish the first five-day portion of the trip at Logan Pass and catch the shuttle bus to Jackson Glacier Overlook on the Sun Road to start the Gunsight Pass Trail. Now the park won’t issue a permit for an itinerary with that shuttle bus ride mid-trip, so you have to alter your route to link up both legs of that trip using the Continental Divide Trail, which makes it a longer hike, too.

Good luck planning your trip. Thanks for the good question.

What was the second 25-mile leg you referred to that made up the rest of your first 90ish mile trip in Glacier NP?

Thanks!

Hi Ron,

Without knowing more exactly what you’re looking for, that’s a little hard to answer, but I can offer some general suggestions.

There are areas of Yosemite where the trails have less elevation gain and loss and you’ll still get into some wonderful scenery and camp on lakes. You’ll have to look at a trail-topo map of the park to figure some of that out, but you should see my stories “The 7 Best Backpacking Trips in Yosemite,” “Where to Backpack First Time in Yosemite,” and “Yosemite’s Best-Kept Secret Backpacking Trip,” which describes a longer and harder trip than you may want, but that route includes a smaller section that’s more accessible and moderate.

See also “How to Get a Yosemite or High Sierra Wilderness Permit,” because we’re already in the time period for submitting permit applications.

There’s an area of the park I cover in my e-guide “The Best First Backpacking Trip in Yosemite,” where you can put together a relatively shorter and easier multi-day hike.

And I can help you plan a Yosemite trip that’s right for you. See my Custom Trip Planning page to learn how.

Thanks for the comment and keep in touch.

I will be going to California this summer, and I am planning on visiting Yosemite. But I am afraid this hike might be too difficult for me. Do you have any recommendations for a hike, that is not a 4 but rather a 2 regarding the level of difficulty?

Thank you in advance.

Thanks for that good suggestion, Wesley. Of course, it’s not one of the best in America, but I’m sure it’s one of the best in Canada!

Thanks, Micah. I’ve backpacked the Lost Coast Trail in northern California (though I haven’t written about it at The Big Outside) and it’s nice, and you’re right, it’s quiet and secluded. We saw some wildlife, too. But I consider the southern Olympic coast much more spectacular and without comparison in the Lower 48. Check it out.

Thanks, Mike. Yes, many trips in the West belong on this list and I’ve hiked many others in the East as well.

Thanks Beth, I’m glad you find my blog enjoyable and helpful. I hope you sign up for my free email newsletter and decide to Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. And click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip.

Please keep in touch!

Truth that, Joshua.

There’s a reason I fly from the East Coast out West every year in search of awe-inspiring hikes. As special as the Roan or Grayson Highlands or Dolly Sods are, my most memorable hikes are all out West.

Hi Richard,

Yes, this story is clearly focused on trips in the West. I’m originally from New England and I’ve hiked and backpacked throughout the East; I authored a hiking guidebook to New England for about 10 years before moving to the West. I like the hiking in Northeast, particularly, and get back there to hike almost every year. But I don’t see a trip on this list that I’d replace with another from a different part of the country, to be honest.

Ultimately, of course, any list of best hikes is the product of the writer’s opinions and I can say that mine are formed by about four decades of hiking all over the country. But I welcome your suggestions here for top backpacking trips that are not on this list. Thanks for the comment.

Thanks, Mitch. Nice to hear from you. I hope you have some fun plans for this year.

Yes, it is. I last did it with my family and another family, hiking Redfish Lake to Pettit Lake, in August 2018. Beautiful lakes and mountains.

That trip in the Sawtooths is a great one as well. Pettit to Redfish. I did that one with my son a few years ago and we had a blast. It was a little smoky from fires, though.

Thanks for the comment and suggestions, Steve. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Trinity Alps from a friend (and former editor of Backpacker), and I have spent some time in the San Juans of southwest Colorado and would like to return.

Funny you mention the Kananaskis area of the Canadian Rockies: I have scrambled some peaks there and love that country, and I actually have plans to do some backpacking (and dayhiking and peak-bagging) in the Canadian Rockies this summer. Watch for stories from that trip. I hope you also saw my story about backpacking the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park.

Yes, Paria Canyon is one of the best multi-day canyon hikes in the Southwest, no question. You should also check out my picks for “The 10 Best Backpacking Trips in the Southwest.”

Thanks for writing, keep in touch.

Thanks, Richard, I appreciate the share.

Thanks, Will, I appreciate the comment. I’m pleased with the list myself! To help you live that dream, I hope you’ve signed up for my free email newsletter and joined The Big Outside for full access to all stories at my blog, including the full feature stories about all of these trips, which include my tips on planning them.

Go live that dream.

Thanks, Kevin. I love every one of them.

This is great! I would love to see not only west coast, but east coast also.

Thanks, glad you like the story, Wmckee. It would be much too long and cluttered to include all of the information and the photos in each of the 10 full stories about these trips. Giving you one click for deeper information about each trip is a simple and more organized way of providing that information to readers.

As you probably saw, accessing those complete stories about each trip also requires joining The Big Outside, which gives you access to all stories at my blog, and which is clearly also the business model that supports my work on this blog. I give you this story and some others for free, to let you see at no cost what deeper information is available at my blog, and if you want to read those other stories, you can support my work by joining! I hope you will consider doing so.

Thanks for the comment and giving me the opportunity to explain that.

Great question, Emily, thanks for asking. I’d have to suggest that the Olympic coast, Zion’s Narrows, and maybe the Teton Crest Trail are the most beginner-friendly, even though the TCT has a couple of rigorous days (unless you break up those days). The Sawtooths would be close, too, but longer trips are by nature harder because of cumulative fatigue. The route in northern Glacier isn’t terribly strenuous, but it’s long and complicated by the skills required for hiking in grizzly country. The others on the list are longer, demand some advanced skills, and/or more strenuous.

Good luck! Let me know when you’ve ticked them all off!

I can’t wait to explore some of these locations. They all have some awesome views. I just want to know which one is the best for first-time backpackers? I’m planning to invite my cousin for an adventure. It will be her first ever experience.

Thanks, Ned. Yep, I highly recommend a goal of knocking off this entire list.

I have not backpacked the Great Divide Trail, although I have hiked the section overlapping the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park (spectacular, see my story: https://thebigoutsideblog.com/best-of-the-canadian-rockies-backpacking-kootenay-national-parks-rockwall-trail/), and I’ve done a ski traverse of the Wapta Icefield on the Divide in Banff and Yoho national parks, as well as climbing some Canadian Rockies peaks in areas that parallel the Great Divide Trail. It’s certainly incredible country.

There’s a section of the Great Divide Trail that’s on my to-do list. It’s the 130-mile stretch from the North Saskatchewan River to the town of Jasper, which I’ve read is the GDT’s best-marked and most scenic. See http://www.greatdividetrail.com/discover-the-gdt/.

By SHR, are you referring to California’s Sierra High Route? No, I haven’t done it, although it’s also on my list, having already thru-hiked the John Muir Trail (my story: https://thebigoutsideblog.com/thru-hiking-the-john-muir-trail-in-a-week-a-once-in-a-lifetime-experience-or-just-certifiably-insane/).

Those are certainly two trips that could eventually make it onto this list. Good luck with your adventures.

Also have you ever completed a full thru hike of the SHR? What is your take on that?

Thanks, Meg. From this list, I’d only suggest the Royal Arch Loop or other hikes in the Grand Canyon for that late in the season, and even there, you could see snow fly at the canyon rim. Visit my All Trips Listed By State page (https://thebigoutsideblog.com/all-trips-by-state/) and scroll down to Utah. I’d also be happy to help you with ideas and planning; see my Ask Me page for details on that (https://thebigoutsideblog.com/ask-me/).

Hi Kara, thanks for reading my blog. Good luck with working on your bucket list.