Here are six great hikes to get you excited for spring.
Pull your mountaineering boots out of hibernation, find your trusty backpack, and get excited: springtime is just around the corner. From stunning locales in America, reachable by road trip or a short plane ride, to intercontinental environments pinpointed further afield, here are great treks—perfect for a wide range of abilities—to get you pumped for hiking season. Soil seekers, rock kickers, petrichor hunters, tree huggers, and outdoor explorers chasing shades of green would do well to bookmark the following destinations for spectacular spring rambling adventures. Arizona: Grand Canyon National Park The Colorado River carved out the Grand Canyon millions of years ago and if you dip below the rim and hike to the bottom, you’ll be rewarded with views of colorful ravines and scored, weather-worn geological creations. It’s like a history lesson as you hike further down into the canyon, past all the multi-hued layers of sandstone, shale, and limestone. Hiking in Grand Canyon National Park is an experience you’ll treasure forever, whether you’re day hiking or backpacking in the backcountry. Helpful Resources for Your Hike—Training: Challenge Yourself With These Three Muddy Obstacle Courses. California: The John Muir Trail Experienced hikers who have trained and prepared for a challenging 211-mile thru-hike experience will love exploring the magical land of towering peaks, glacial lakes, massive granite faces, and verdant deer-filled valleys on the John Muir Trail. From Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney—the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet, this is not an easy or speedy backpacking experience but as you make your way through the Sierra Nevada, you undoubtably will be grateful for all of the time spent in Yosemite National Park, John Muir Wilderness, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.
