TrailheadHiking guide

HIKING GUIDE

Know the trail before you go.

Practical guides to different kinds of trails and terrain — what to expect, what to pack, and how to hike safely and responsibly.

Difficulty key

Browse by terrain

7 guides Mountain & Ridge 6 guides Water & Coast 7 guides Forest & Woodland 6 guides Desert & Canyon 8 guides Meadow & Alpine

Mountain & Ridge

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Moderate Ridge Walk: Hiking the Skyline 山脊徒步：行走天际线 6-10 km · 3-5 hours A ridge walk is one of the most rewarding ways to spend a day in the mountains. Hard Summit Day Hike: Reaching the Top 登顶一日徒步：抵达峰顶 8-14 km · 5-8 hours A summit day hike is a serious undertaking that rewards you with expansive views and a profound sense of accomplishment. Moderate Switchback Ascent: Climbing Steady 之字坡爬升：稳步向上 5-9 km · 3-6 hours Switchback ascents are a classic way to gain elevation on a mountain trail without feeling like you are climbing a ladder. Hard Alpine Pass: Crossing the High Saddle 高山垭口：翻越高鞍 10-16 km · 5-9 hours Crossing a high alpine pass is one of the most rewarding yet demanding day hikes you can undertake. Moderate Above Treeline: The Alpine Ramble 树线之上：高山漫游 7-12 km · 3-6 hours Above the treeline, the world changes. Hard Scrambly Peak: Hands-On Summits 徒手攀爬登顶：手脚并用 6-10 km · 4-7 hours A scrambly peak day is a step up from a regular hike. Hard Sunrise Summit Hike: Reaching the Top at Dawn 日出登顶徒步：黎明登顶 5-10 km · 3-6 hours A sunrise summit hike is a pre-dawn ascent to a high point with the goal of watching the sun rise from the top.

Water & Coast

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Easy Waterfall Trail: Chasing the Falls 瀑布步道：追寻飞瀑 4-8 km · 2-4 hours A waterfall trail is a short, rewarding hike that leads you to the base or top of a cascading stream. Easy Lakeshore Loop: A Walk Around the Water 湖岸环线：绕水而行 6-12 km · 2-4 hours A lakeshore loop is one of the most approachable and rewarding day hikes you can do. Moderate Coastal Bluff Walk: Above the Sea 海岸悬崖步道：海崖之上 5-10 km · 2-4 hours A coastal bluff walk is a classic day hike that combines sweeping ocean views with the chance to drop down to a sandy or rocky beach. Moderate River Canyon Trail: Following the Current 河谷步道：顺流而下 6-12 km · 3-5 hours A river canyon trail is a walk that follows a moving stream through a confined valley, where the water has spent a long time carving a channel between sloping walls. Easy Beach Tidepool Hike: Life at the Waterline 海滩潮池徒步：水线边的生命 3-6 km · 1.5-3 hours A tidepool hike is one of the most rewarding ways to spend a few hours outdoors, because the landscape you explore changes with every tide. Moderate Hot Springs Hike: Soaking at the End of the Trail 温泉徒步：步道尽头的温泉 4-10 km · 2-5 hours A hot springs hike is a rewarding adventure that combines a moderate day hike with the unique pleasure of soaking in naturally heated water at the end of the trail.

Forest & Woodland

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Easy Old-Growth Forest Trail: Walking Among Giants 原始森林步道：行走巨木之间 4-8 km · 2-4 hours Walking among old-growth giants is a humbling experience that connects you to centuries of natural history. Easy Pine Forest Loop: Quiet Miles Under the Canopy 松林环线：林冠下的安静里程 5-10 km · 2-4 hours A pine forest loop is a gentle introduction to woodland hiking, offering quiet miles under a canopy of evergreen boughs. Easy Wildflower Meadow Walk: Color on the Hillside 野花草甸徒步：山坡上的色彩 3-7 km · 1.5-3 hours A wildflower meadow walk is one of the most accessible and rewarding ways to experience the outdoors. Easy Mossy Glen Trail: A Damp Green World 苔藓幽谷步道：潮湿的绿色世界 3-6 km · 1.5-3 hours The Mossy Glen Trail is a gentle, family-friendly hike through a damp, green woodland world. Easy Woodland Brook Trail: Beside the Babbling Water 林间溪流步道：溪水潺潺 4-8 km · 2-4 hours A woodland brook trail is one of the gentlest and most rewarding ways to spend a day outdoors. Easy Autumn Foliage Hike: Peak Color on Foot 秋色徒步：步行看红叶 4-8 km · 2-4 hours Autumn is a magical time to hit the trail, when forests transform into a mosaic of gold, orange, and red. Easy Family Nature Trail: Short and Wonder-Filled 亲子自然步道：短途充满惊奇 1-3 km · 1-2 hours A family nature trail is less about covering ground and more about opening a door.

Desert & Canyon

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Moderate Canyon Rim Trail: Views from the Edge 峡谷边缘步道：悬崖边的风景 6-12 km · 3-5 hours A canyon rim trail offers some of the most dramatic and accessible views in the desert Southwest. Moderate Desert Wash Hike: Following the Dry Watercourse 沙漠干谷徒步：沿干涸水道 5-10 km · 2-4 hours A desert wash hike follows a dry watercourse, often called a wash, arroyo, or wadi, through an arid landscape. Moderate Oasis Canyon Hike: Water in the Dry Lands 绿洲峡谷徒步：旱地里的水 6-12 km · 3-6 hours An oasis canyon hike is a walk into a rare ribbon of life surrounded by dry, open country. Moderate Badlands Loop: A Lunar Landscape 荒地环线：月球般的地貌 6-10 km · 3-5 hours The Badlands Loop is a moderate day hike through a stark, eroded landscape that feels like another planet. Moderate Sandstone Slickrock Hike: Gripping the Rock 砂岩光面徒步：抓牢岩面 4-8 km · 2-5 hours Sandstone slickrock hiking offers a unique blend of challenge and reward. Easy Mesa Top Walk: Flat Land, Big Views 台地顶部徒步：平坦大地大视野 4-8 km · 2-3 hours A mesa top walk is one of the most rewarding easy hikes you can do in desert and canyon country.

Meadow & Alpine

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Moderate Alpine Meadow Loop: High-Country Wildflowers 高山草甸环线：高海拔野花 6-10 km · 3-5 hours The Alpine Meadow Loop is a classic high-country day hike that rewards you with sweeping views and a dazzling display of wildflowers in midsummer. Moderate Wildflower Basin Hike: A Sea of Blooms 野花盆地徒步：花海之中 5-9 km · 3-5 hours A wildflower basin hike is a moderate day hike that leads you into an open, bowl-shaped meadow where seasonal blooms can carpet the ground in color. Hard High Lake Trek: Reaching an Alpine Lake 高山湖徒步：抵达高山湖 8-14 km · 4-8 hours Reaching an alpine lake is a classic goal for day hikers who want a big payoff for a sustained effort. Moderate Plateau Walk: Miles of Rolling High Ground 高原徒步：起伏的高地 8-14 km · 3-6 hours A plateau walk is a journey across rolling high ground where the horizon stretches wide and the sky feels close. Easy Grassland Prairie Hike: A Sea of Grass 草原徒步：草海茫茫 6-12 km · 2-4 hours A grassland prairie hike is one of the most approachable ways to spend a day outdoors, and it is often the kind of walk that surprises people who assume flat country must be boring. Moderate Tundra Ramble: Walking the Fragile High Country 苔原漫游：行走脆弱的高山带 5-10 km · 3-5 hours A tundra ramble is a walk through the high, open country above the treeline, where the landscape is shaped by wind, cold, and a short growing season. Moderate Night Hike: Walking Under the Full Moon 夜徒：满月之下 3-8 km · 1.5-3 hours A night hike under a full moon offers a rare chance to experience a familiar landscape in a completely different light. Moderate Winter Snowshoe Walk: Quiet Miles on Snow 冬季雪鞋徒步：雪地上的安静里程 3-8 km · 2-4 hours Winter snowshoe walks offer a unique way to experience the quiet beauty of snow-covered landscapes.