Tuesday 2 June 2015

21 Totally Breathtaking Trails To Hike

1. Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, Utah

Angel's Landing in Zion National Park, Utah
Flickr: sackton / Creative Commons
Flickr: 23155134@N06 / Creative Commons
Flickr: 23155134@N06 / Creative Commons
 
“Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, Utah! The last half mile of the ascent is up a sheer rock face with only chains to hold on to, so you feel like a total badass for getting past it, and the view at the end is breathtaking.” —Sarah Schwartz, Facebook

2. Cinque Terre, Italy

Cinque Terre, Italy
Flickr: sullivanng / Creative Commons
Flickr: tir_na_nog / Creative Commons
Flickr: gataki / Creative Commons
 
“Cinque Terre hands down! You can pick and choose which sections of the hike to do and take a train between each. The lovers’ walk between Riomaggiore and Manarola is gorgeous — even the plants have the initials of lovers carved into them. The last bit between Vernazza and Monterosso is a tough uphill climb, but when you reach the top and see the gorgeous beach below it is totally worth it!” —Kassie Ricci, Facebook

3. West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, Canada

West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, Canada
Flickr: ilya_ktsn / Creative Commons
Flickr: ilya_ktsn / Creative Commons
Flickr: rdog / Creative Commons
 
“The West Coast Trail in BC, Canada…just gorgeous! Perfectly challenging. Seven days of blissful hiking in nature.” —Liz Michelle, Facebook

4. Kalalau Trail; Kauai, Hawaii

Kalalau Trail; Kauai, Hawaii
Flickr: karlsjohnson / Creative Commons
Flickr: karlsjohnson / Creative Commons
Flickr: boblinsdell / Creative Commons
 
“The Kalalau trail on Kauai, Hawaii. The day of that hike was probably the best day of my life.” —AndThenISaySomething

5. Jotunheim National Park, Norway

Jotunheim National Park, Norway
Flickr: saipal / Creative Commons
Flickr: boarderland / Creative Commons
Flickr: jneilson23 / Creative Commons
 
“Jotunheimen National Park in Norway. Glaciers, reindeer, and breathtaking mountains. It feels like you’re walking through a spectacle painting.” —robyna45b596d55

6. Havasu Falls in Havasupai; Grand Canyon, Arizona

Havasu Falls in Havasupai; Grand Canyon, Arizona
Flickr: alanenglish / Creative Commons
Flickr: mutbka / Creative Commons
Flickr: naterose / Creative Commons
 
“Havasupai, it’s so beautiful. Hiking 10 miles through the desert on the bottom of the canyon, then you pass a Native-American burial ground and come up over a cliff with a giant turquoise waterfall. So awesome.” —bosun

7. W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Flickr: douglucas / Creative Commons
Flickr: throgers / Creative Commons
Flickr: douglucas / Creative Commons
 
“The W Trek in Torres del Paine, Chile, was incredible.” —Benjamin Strauss, Facebook

8. Tamang Heritage Trek, Nepal

Tamang Heritage Trek, Nepal
Flickr: 52442953@N05 / Creative Commons
Flickr: 52442953@N05 / Creative Commons
Flickr: 52442953@N05 / Creative Commons
 
“The Tamang Heritage Trail in Nepal brings you right up to the Nepalese-Tibetan border. It’s physically demanding but BEAUTIFUL, and you get to stay in homestays with local villagers. Also, the small village Tatopani has a hot spring that is fantastic after a long day’s hike, a long soak gazing at endless stars peppering the sky with zero light pollution.” —Katie Marshall, Facebook

9. Les Calanques; Marseilles, France

Les Calanques; Marseilles, France
Flickr: wbayercom / Creative Commons
Flickr: akunamatata / Creative Commons
Flickr: obni / Creative Commons
 
“Les Calanques in Marseille/Cassis. Beautiful views of the mountains, the sea, and the city.” —Garrett Ahmad, Facebook

10. MacLehose Trail, Hong Kong

MacLehose Trail, Hong Kong
Flickr: bluuepanda / Creative Commons
Flickr: mikemcd / Creative Commons
Flickr: cyalex / Creative Commons
 
“Hiking along the MacLehose Trail to Tai Long Wan, Sai Kung in Hong Kong was the most beautiful!” —Dan Meyer, Facebook

11. Flattop Mountain Trail; Anchorage, Alaska

Flattop Mountain Trail; Anchorage, Alaska
Flickr: teela / Creative Commons
Flickr: dougbrown47 / Creative Commons
Flickr: 72213316@N00 / Creative Commons
 
“Flattop in Anchorage, Alaska! Beautiful view of the city! It is a tough hike with a major elevation gain, but so worth it when you reach the top!” —kellien4ed93dbb0

12. Tongariro Alpine Crossing in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Tongariro Alpine Crossing in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
Flickr: jeffpang / Creative Commons
Flickr: quosi / Creative Commons
 
“The Tongariro Alpine Crossing in Tongariro National Park. Depending on which end you start at, you go from wetlands, to a marshlike flat out, to the top of a volcanic crater, back down next to azure-blue lakes, and eventually down into a lush rainforest. Did I mention this hike gives you perfect views of Mount Doom (Mount Ngauruhoe) from Lord of the Rings?” —Katelyn Bianchini, Facebook

13. Salkantay Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru

Salkantay Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru
Flickr: mvanderbilt / Creative Commons
Flickr: mvanderbilt / Creative Commons
 
“Inca trail in Peru. Approaching Machu Picchu through the sun gate at the top of the mountain was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had!” —saraha466825d56

14. Highline Loop at Glacier National Park, Montana

Highline Loop at Glacier National Park, Montana
Flickr: davidnkeng / Creative Commons
Flickr: glacierguymt / Creative Commons
Flickr: glacierguymt / Creative Commons
 
“Hands down, the best trail is the Highline Loop at Glacier National Park, Montana. While hiking along the Continental Divide, I saw so much amazing wildlife, including a wolverine dashing off with a squirrel in his mouth. It’s been more than a decade since I last hiked it, but the difficulty and beauty of the trail will stay with me a lifetime.” —Valerie Comeaux

15. Glen Aulin Trail at Yosemite National Park, California

Glen Aulin Trail at Yosemite National Park, California
Flickr: gcwest / Creative Commons
Flickr: gcwest / Creative Commons
 
“Glen Aulin in Yosemite National Park, up in Toulumne Meadows. Waterfalls after another. Breathtaking.” —maicyl

16. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Scotland

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Scotland
Flickr: 22691568@N04 / Creative Commons
Michal Ziembicki / Flickr: mzmultics / Creative Commons
Flickr: swalophoto / Creative Commons
 
“Loch Lomond in Scotland. The view at the top was absolutely breathtaking. It was like a painting.” —Hayley Mulcrone, Facebook

17. Alamere Falls in Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Alamere Falls in Point Reyes National Seashore, California
Flickr: javi_velazquez / Creative Commons
Flickr: dcruzin / Creative Commons
Flickr: sigma / Creative Commons
 
“Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Coast trail leading to Alamere Creek. The hike follows the coast, then into the dense forest. About two hours in you’ll find a marked but rough trail leading to the shore where the creek falls into the ocean. Very secluded, absolutely beautiful. Just north of San Francisco.” —michaeld40b0d8fa3

18. The Overland Trek; Tasmania, Australia

The Overland Trek; Tasmania, Australia
Flickr: blackbeltjones / Creative Commons
Flickr: trekkingtheplanet / Creative Commons
Flickr: graeme / Creative Commons
 
“The Overland Trek in Tasmania. It’s 50 miles. I spent a week doing the trail, and got to see some amazing scenery and wildlife. Got within five feet of a wallaby nursing her joey; she didn’t care that I was there.” —Ellen Davis, Facebook

19. Camino de Santiago, Spain and France

Camino de Santiago, Spain and France
Flickr: mavip777 / Creative Commons
Flickr: respenda / Creative Commons
Flickr: respenda / Creative Commons
 
“The Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain — a physical and spiritual journey through 500 miles of Spanish terrain (with a morning walk in France) over the Pyrenees (and that’s just the first day), through Basque regions, the wine-growing Rioja region, through Pamplona, Burgos, and Leon, over the “Spanish Plain,” over the Leonese mountains and the Galician mountains and on the Santiago itself. Accommodation is plentiful and good value, as is the glorious food, and you will never forget the camaraderie with people met on the route.” —Graeme Taylor, Facebook

20. Boiling Lake Hike in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica

Boiling Lake Hike in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica
Flickr: kartlasarn / Creative Commons
Flickr: liamq / Creative Commons
Flickr: kartlasarn / Creative Commons
 
“The Boiling Lake hike in Dominica. You have to have a guide so you know which streams would burn your toes off, and I don’t think it’s possible to get through The Valley of Desolation without a local. That’s the actual name. But my goodness, start to finish, that hike will keep all of your breath.” —Jamie Vandenberg, Facebook

21. Hike to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest), Bhutan

Hike to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest), Bhutan
Michael Foley / Creative Commons / Via Flickr: michaelfoleyphotography
Flickr: carsten_tb / Creative Commons

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