50 Best Hikes in the World Every Adventurer Should Do

48. The Long Trail, Vermont (100 miles)

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Vermont’s 272-mile “footpath in the wilderness,” established in the early 1900s, is the oldest distance hike in the U.S., and flat-out one of the greatest backcountry routes in the world. Stretching from northern Massachusetts to Canada and coinciding for a good stretch with the Appalachian Trail, it encompasses craggy mountain peaks, alpine bogs, hardwood forests, and countless lakes and streams. The best section, according to Philip Werner, runs between the Maine Gap and the Canadian border, just after the LT and AT split. “It’s very remote and far less crowded than other parts,” says Werner. “There’s no one and nothing up there, except maybe moose.”

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49. Bigfoot Trail, Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, California (40 miles)

The 400-mile Bigfoot, first blazed in 2009, goes from one random spot in northern California to another random spot in northern California. Thru-hiker Sage Clegg recommends the 40-mile South Yolla Bolly section, from the Ides Cove Trailhead near Mt. Linn, in the Mendocino National Forest, all the way to Solomon Peak and back. “It crosses a funky mountain range that hardly anyone knows about,” says Clegg. “You bag four peaks, gain 6,000-8,000-feet in elevation, and the views are amazing. On a clear day you can see the Pacific Ocean.” Clegg, who grew up in nearby Mendocino County, took her first backpacking trip here as a kid. “It just blew my mind. I went back this summer and was like, ‘Wow! There’s nobody here!’ If you want a chance to see Bigfoot in the wild, this is it.”

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50. Franconia Ridge Traverse, White Mountains, New Hampshire (8.2 miles)

“Probably the single best day-hike in the country,” says climber Jonathan Waterman of this classic northeast loop. Located in the Franconia Notch State Park, the route traverses the second-highest range in the White Mountains (after the Presidential Peaks). “You walk along a knife-edge ridge with huge commanding views of the valley,” Waterman says. You also bag three 5,000-foot peaks in the process: Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette. The downside: it’s two-hours north of Boston, which means around 700 hikers a day during the high season. Aim for midweek in the fall when the crowds have thinned and the foliage is peaking.

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50 Best Hikes in the World Every Adventurer Should Do in Their Lifetime

48. The Long Trail, Vermont (100 miles)

49. Bigfoot Trail, Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, California (40 miles)

50. Franconia Ridge Traverse, White Mountains, New Hampshire (8.2 miles)

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