25 Gorgeous Hikes You Have to Do in Your Lifetime

Length: 4.8 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Difficult
Estimated Time: 4 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Summer
Don't Miss The… View from the top of the ski hill. You'll be able to see the Copper River Delta in one direction and the Prince William Sound in the other. The trail also leads past what remains of an old ski cabin that was home to the Cordova Ski Club in the 1920s.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Cordova is a small fishing village that's only accessible by boat or plane, so no visit there would be complete without a fishing trip.

For more info, visit mteyak.org. 

Length: 600 feet (out and back)
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Time: 30-40 minutes
Best Time of Year to Go: Spring or Fall
Don't Miss The… Waterfall cave at the end of the trail.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: About 60 miles northwest in the town of Camp Verde is the Alcantara Winery (3445 S. Grapevine Way, Cottonwood, AZ; alcantaravineyard.com), where you can take a kayaking "Water to Wine" tour. 

For more info, visit azstatparks.com.

Length: 4.5 miles (loop)
Difficulty: Moderate
Estimated Time: 3-4 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Fall
Don't Miss The… Signs of prehistoric bluff-dwelling Native Americans—you'll see them among the forests and the natural stone canyons.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: The Movie House Winery, a renovated 1930s theater, makes its own vino and even offers wine-making classes (112 E. Commerce St., Morrilton, AR; moviehousewinery.com)

For more info, visit petitjeanstatepark.com.

Length: 3.4 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Estimated Time: 2.5-3 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Fall or spring
Don't Miss The… 220-foot Whiskeytown waterfall, which is located deep in Shasta Cascade's forest and was kept a closely guarded secret by loggers for more than 40 years.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Cross the Sacramento River on the breathtaking 700-foot-long Sundial Bridge, which connects the north and south parts of Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

For more info, visit nps.gov.

Length: 5.3 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Moderate
Estimated Time: 3.5-4 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Summer
Don't Miss The… View from the lake's eastern shore. You'll be able to see one of the finest vantage points in the Rockies of the Keyboard of the Winds (a popular rock-climbing spot), Pagoda Mountain, Chiefs Head Peak, and Thatchtop Mountain.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Explore the nearby Estes Park, Colorado, on an historic fire engine, thanks to the tours offered by the town's Stanley Hotel ($10-$15; stanleyhotel.com/tours). 

For more info, visit rockymountainhikingtrails.com.

Length: 3.2 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Time: 1.5 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Spring
Don't Miss The… Blooming flowers; you'll see pink lady's slipper and beach heather.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Locals love fueling up post-hike at the nearby restaurant Surf Bagel (17382 Coastal Hwy, Lewes, DE; surfbagel.com).

For more info, visit destateparks.com.

Length: 4 miles (out and back)
Difficulty:  Moderate
Estimated Time: 2.5 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Year-round
Don't Miss The… 400-foot-tall Waimoku Falls. You'll also hike near a freshwater stream and diverse forest areas.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: The Maui Nui Botanical Gardens is the best place to learn about—and experience firsthand—the native plant life ($5, mnbg.org).

For more info, visit nps.gov.

Length: 8 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Estimated Time: 4-5 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Summer
Don't Miss The… Wildflowers, granite peaks, and high-mountain lakes.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: The Meadow Creek Inn & Spa (955 Eva Falls Ave., Stanley, ID; meadowcreekinn.com) offers a variety of treatments, including a relaxing or therapeutic massage, rejuvenating skin care, soothing body wraps, refreshing foot reflexology, and an aromatherapy steam sauna.

For more info, visit visitstanleyidaho.com.

Length: 3.75 miles (loop)
Difficulty: Moderate
Estimated Time: 1-1.5 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Spring or fall
Don't Miss The… Stunning views of Lake Michigan! That side of the trail reaches the highest elevations, so you can see for miles.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Chesterton's European Market (Broadway & 3rd St., Chesterton, IN; chestertonseuropeanmarket.com) offers access to shopping, live entertainment, and artisan food on Saturdays from May to October.

For more info, visit in.gov.

Length: 1.75 miles (loop)
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Estimated Time: 45 minutes
Best Time of Year to Go: Spring and fall
Don't Miss The… Schoolhouse from the 1880s! There's always a variety of wildlife to see, too, and depending on the season, you can also check out the tallgrass or wildflowers.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: The Chase County Historical Society Museum (free; 301 Broadway St., Cottonwood Falls, KS; chasecountyhistoricalmuseum.com) has put local history on display since 1934.

For more info, visit nps.gov.

Length: 0.75 miles
Difficulty: Difficult
Estimated Time: 1.5 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Year-round
Don't Miss The… Bald eagles that you can sometimes see in the tall hemlocks and hardwoods you'll reach before the overlook.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Northern Latitudes Distillery (112 E. Philip St., Lake Leelanau, MI; northernlatitudesdistillery.com) offers free tastings abd custom cocktails made with local ingredients. And you can BYOF (bring your own food).

For more info, visit leelanauconservancy.org.

Length: 9.6 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Time: 5 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Fall
Don't Miss The… Temperance River, which is carved into a dark basaltic canyon.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Drive the Gunflint Trail National Scenic Byway (visitcookcounty.com) to see 57 miles of boreal forest and glacier-dug lakes.

For more info, visit shta.org.

Length: 1 mile (Loop)
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Best Time of Year to Go: Fall
Don't Miss The… Elephant-sized granite boulders (they're how the park got its name!) and the amazing views of the 7.5-acre Elephant Rocks Natural Area.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: The Route Du Vin (rdvwinetrail.com) is one of several wine trails in Missouri. This one includes six wineries, from Ste. Genevieve to Farmington, Missouri.

For more info, visit mostateparks.com.

Length: 4.5 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Moderate
Estimated Time: 3-4 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Summer
Don't Miss The… Bear sightings! You'll want to bring your camera so you can take a picture if you spot one.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Big Sky's scenic lift ride ($16; bigskyresort.com) gives you a bird's eye view of the surrounding mountains.

For more info, visit fs.usda.gov.

Length: 5 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Estimated Time: 3.5-4.5 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Spring or fall
Don't Miss The… 360-degree views from the summit of Las Vegas and Red Rock Canyon.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: The Red Rock Casino, Resort, and Spa (11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV; redrock.sclv.com) is a short 10-15 minute drive from the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area—and it's been named one of the top resort spas. 

For more info, visit redrockcanyonlv.org. 

Length: 6.4 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Estimated Time: 3.5-4 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Fall
Don't Miss The… Rock ledge that drops off and looks out onto the mountains.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Woodstock Inn Station and Brewery (135 Main St., North Woodstock, NH; woodstockinnnh.com) has a great selection of micro brews.
 
For more info, visit fs.usda.gov.

Length: 2.6 miles (loop)
Difficulty: Moderate
Estimated Time: 2-2.5 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Year-round
Don't Miss The… Gorgeous view of the Adirondack High Peaks from the open summit ledges—it's one of the best vantage points you'll find!
Awesome Nearby Attraction: The Wild Center ($17; 45 Museum Dr., Tupper Lake, NY; wildcenter.org) offers a variety of experiences, exhibits, and programs designed to open new ways to look into our relationship with nature.

For more info, visit lakeplacid.com and visitadirondacks.com.

Length: 3.2 miles (Loop)
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Spring, summer, or fall
Don't Miss the… Popular swimming spot Yellowstone Prong. It's a crystal-clear stream that flows across bedrock.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: The historic Biltmore Estate (1 Lodge St., Asheville, NC; biltmore.com) includes 8,000 acres of majestic buildings and gardens.

For more info, visit fs.usda.gov. 

Length: 4.3 miles (Loop)
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Estimated Time: 2-3 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Summer
Don't Miss the… River Bend Overlook. You'll see the Badlands from a shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: The city of Medora—it's an authentic Old West town that was founded in 1883.

For more info, visit nps.gov.

Length: 7 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Moderate
Estimated Time: 4-5 hours
Best Time of Year to Go: Summer or fall
Don't Miss The… Structure at the top of Harney Peak—it was formerly used as a wildfire lookout. It's the tallest point in South Dakota, and from it, you can see the Black Hills National Forest and four different states: South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana.
Awesome Nearby Attraction: Mount Rushmore National Memorial (13000 S. Dakota 244, Keystone, SD; nps.gov) is an absolute must-see if you're in the area.

For more info, visit gfp.sd.gov.