United States

Description

Arizona Trail - by DerekGiven the boundless diversity of trails and landscapes, the United States can safely be labelled the hiker's Walhalla. In the U.S. you can truly get lost in the expansive wilderness areas. Meetings with black bears, grizzly bears and vipers are common. Camping out in the wild is a rule rather than an exception. European hikers - thoroughly spoilt with B&B's, mountain huts and gites d'etappe - will be thrown back into reality here.

The U.S. is where the tradition of long distance hiking started. As main eye-catcher, the Appalachian Trail runs for over 2000 miles through 14 eastern states, and was laid out as early as 1937. In fact it was a major inspiration for the first British long distance trail, the Pennine Way. Many legendary thru-hikers have left their tracks on the slopes of the Appalachians.

The most important hiking trails in the U.S. received the status of "National Scenic Trail". There is also a category of so-called National Historic Trails, but these are not really hiking trails. Third are the National Recreational Trails, of which there are several thousand. Most of these measure only a couple of miles, although some continue for a hundred miles or more, and often hikers will share the trail with bikers and riders. And there is more. Countless long distance trails lack a national status, but are no less beautiful or important.

The National Scenic Trails (NST), "designation for protected areas in the United States that consist of trails of particular natural beauty", and the most important long distance hiking trails are the following (take note: the construction many trails is by no means completed. Over time, gaps are being closed, extensions are added, and long stretches exist on paper only):

  • American Discovery Trail (6356 miles 10229 km)
  • Appalachian Trail - the first, 1937 (2100 miles 3380 km) NST
  • Arizona Trail (817 miles 1315 km) NST
  • California Coastal Trail (1200 miles 1930 km)
  • Continental Divide Trail (3100 miles, 4990 km) NST
  • East Coast Greenway (2500 miles 4000 km)
  • Florida Trail (1400 miles 2300 km) NST
  • Great Eastern Trail (1600 miles 2575 km)
  • Great Western Trail (3100 miles, 4990 km)
  • Ice Age Trail (1000 miles 1600 km) NST
  • Idaho Centennial Trail (1200 miles 1931 km)
  • New England Trail (220 miles 354 km) NST
  • North Country Trail (4600 miles 7400 km)
  • Pacific Crest Trail (2638 miles 4240 km) NST
  • Pacific Northwest Trail (1200 miles 1930 km) NST
  • Potomac Heritage Trail (700 miles 1127 km) NST


This list covers already 34399 miles or 55360 km!

Longer hiking trails than the above do exist, but consist of shorter trails strung together. For instance the Eastern Continental Trail (5400 miles 8700 km) or the International Appalachian Trail, extending into Canada.

All trails differ widely in terms of landscape, terrain and demands made on the hiker. On the one extreme you will find spectacular and challenging trails like the Pacific Crest Trail, following the Eastern Sierras, Cascades and other mountain ranges from Mexico to Canada. If you're looking for something easier, try the Florida Trail. In urban areas you will find so-called "greenways", a green corridor. For the ultimate survival experience, get dropped in Alaska to find your own way home through the wilderness.

Hiking in the U.S. is not restricted to long distance trails. In the many National and State Parks or Forests you will generally find extensive networks of trails. National Parks do get crowded, so avoid visitors centres and roads and trek into the less accessible parts. Within many parks, separate and secluded wilderness areas exist where hikers are welcome, sometimes with permit. The lesser known National Forests, State Forests and BLM Lands are no less interesting, often larger and more quiet.

The choice of landscapes is unlimited, ranging from tropical rain forests in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and subtropical hiking in the Everglades National Park, to the prairies of the Badlands National Park and canyons in the Grand Canyon of Hells Canyon National Park.Some parks, notably the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the Nez Perce National Forest and the Wenatchee National Forest each have thousands of miles of trails. Alaska has the largest nationale park, Wrangell-St. Elias, about the size of Croatia (55.000 sq. Km) and the highest mountain, Mt. McKinley (20320 ft 6194 m).

The most beautiful (consequently the busiest) parks are:

  • Yosemite National Park (California)
  • Yellowstone National Park  (Wyoming)
  • Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
  • Rocky Mountains National Park (Colorado)
  • Glacier National Park (Montana)
  • Olympic National Park (Washington)
  • Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park (California)
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

Map

USA Trails North-West USA Trails North-East

USA Trails South-West USA Trails South-East

Trails

Regions

States

Mountains

Books

Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Simple Gestures
  • The Greater Middle East poses major challenges for the United States. Yet despite decades of intense involvement in Middle Eastern affairs, most Americans still know little about the cultures of the region. ”Simple Gestures” describes one American`s efforts over forty years to better understand the society in the countries where she lived and... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Conversations Across Our America
  • In the summer of 2007, Louis G. Mendoza set off on a bicycle trip across the United States with the intention of conducting a series of interviews along the way. Wanting to move beyond the media`s limited portrayal of immigration as a conflict between newcomers and ”citizens,” he began speaking with people from all walks of life about their... Read more
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
2021
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Netherlands
2021
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The Book Depository
United Kingdom
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
2022
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Netherlands
2022
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The Book Depository
United Kingdom
Bol.com
Netherlands
  • The Cambridge Gazetteer of the USA and Canada
  • Originally published in 1995, The Cambridge Gazetteer of the United States and Canada contains more than 12,000 entries of places of all kinds. It is a detailed, alphabetically arranged enyclopedic dictionary of places. It includes coverage of all cities and towns having populations of over 25,000. But the Cambridge Gazetteer is far more than a... Read more
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Bol.com
Belgium
  • The Cambridge Gazetteer of the USA and Canada
  • Originally published in 1995, The Cambridge Gazetteer of the United States and Canada contains more than 12,000 entries of places of all kinds. It is a detailed, alphabetically arranged enyclopedic dictionary of places. It includes coverage of all cities and towns having populations of over 25,000. But the Cambridge Gazetteer is far more than a... Read more
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Bol.com
Netherlands
  • Southwest usa
  • These are the guides that show you what others can only tell you. You can hike, hack or kayak through some of the world's most spectacular national parks, or relax in luxury at Caesar's Palace. With unique 3D cutaway maps the wonder of the Southwest is fully revealed. So don your blue suede or hiking shoes, and head into the land of the pioneer! Read more
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Bol.com
Belgium
  • Southwest usa
  • These are the guides that show you what others can only tell you. You can hike, hack or kayak through some of the world's most spectacular national parks, or relax in luxury at Caesar's Palace. With unique 3D cutaway maps the wonder of the Southwest is fully revealed. So don your blue suede or hiking shoes, and head into the land of the pioneer! Read more
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Bol.com
Netherlands
  • The History of a Mountain - Scholar's Choice Edition
  • This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have... Read more
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  • Bol.com, Belgium
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Bol.com
Belgium
  • The History of a Mountain - Scholar's Choice Edition
  • This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have... Read more
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Bol.com
Netherlands
2016
  • Road Trip USA
  • Professional traveler Jamie Jensen traveled more than 400,000 miles to bring you the best-selling travel guideRoad Trip USA. In this focused tour of the Appalachian Trail, Jensen highlights major cities, obscure towns, popular attractions, roadside curiosities, historic sites, and oddball trivia. This driving route parallels the hiking trail,... Read more
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Bol.com
Belgium
2016
  • Road Trip USA
  • Professional traveler Jamie Jensen traveled more than 400,000 miles to bring you the best-selling travel guideRoad Trip USA. In this focused tour of the Appalachian Trail, Jensen highlights major cities, obscure towns, popular attractions, roadside curiosities, historic sites, and oddball trivia. This driving route parallels the hiking trail,... Read more
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De Zwerver
Netherlands
2018
  • Wandelgids TopTrails Nordamerika West - Noordwest USA | Rother Bergverlag
  • De Rother wandelgidsen beschrijven zeer goed de wandelingen in specifieke gebieden. In de gids vindt men kaarten, routebeschrijvingen en de nodige praktische informatie om van de wandelingen/trekkings een geslaagde onderneming te maken. Natur und Wildnis, soweit das Auge reicht – die Nationalparks und Wilderness Areas im Westen Nordamerikas... Read more
Bol.com
Netherlands
  • From Hell to the National Hall of Fame
  • Alex Ely no doubt had an adventurous life, from his birth in Brazil continuing with his voyage to America and ultimately being inducted into the United States Soccer Hall of Fame. Leaving Brazil, he came to America not knowing what his destiny would bring. He strived through the hardships of the average newcomer to America, but he possessed... Read more
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  • Bol.com, Belgium
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Bol.com
Belgium
  • From Hell to the National Hall of Fame
  • Alex Ely no doubt had an adventurous life, from his birth in Brazil continuing with his voyage to America and ultimately being inducted into the United States Soccer Hall of Fame. Leaving Brazil, he came to America not knowing what his destiny would bring. He strived through the hardships of the average newcomer to America, but he possessed... Read more
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Maps

Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Los Angeles Borch
  • Laminated and waterproof map for visitors to Los Angeles, combining a selection of street plans and a road map to cover the LA conurbation as a whole plus its most visited parts in greater detail. An overview street plan of the city at 1:60,000 extends from Santa Monica and the International Airport inland to Pasadena and San Gabriel, naming... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • World & Flags Hema Political Pacific-Centred
  • The world at 1:40,850,000 presented with Pacific Ocean in the centre on a double-sided folded map from the Australian publishers Hema; political version on one side and a physical map on the reverse. Each side shows the land masses against the background of light blue oceans with bathymetric tints to reflect the depth of the ocean floor. Polar... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
Stanfords
United Kingdom
De Zwerver
Netherlands
De Zwerver
Netherlands
  • Wegenkaart - landkaart Noordwest USA - Northwest USA | Borch
  • Northwest-USA 1. Pacific Northwest 1 : 3 000 000 & City Maps ab 9.9 EURO Einzelkarten: Pacific Northwest 1:3 000 000, San Francisco 1:15 000, San Francisco Bay Area 1:400 000, San Francisco & Region 1:1 000 000, Seattle 1:13 000 / Greater Seattle 1:250 000, Seattle & Region 1:1 000 000, Portland 1:20 000, Denver Borch Map USA. 16. Auflage Read more
De Zwerver
Netherlands
2014
  • Wegenkaart - landkaart Virgin Islands - Maagden eilanden | Borch
  • Virgin Islands 1 : 80 000. Road Map ab 9.9 EURO U. S. and British. United States Virgin Islands, St. Croix, Charlotte Amalie, Charlotte Amalie Historic District, Cruz Bay, Christiansted, Fredericksted, British Virgin Islands, Anegada, Road Town, The Valley (Spanish Town), Lesser Antilles Borch Maps. new edition. Read more
De Zwerver
Netherlands
  • Wegenkaart - landkaart USA Northeast - USA Noordoost | Hildebrand's
  • USA Nordosten 1 : 700 000. Hildebrand´s Urlaubskarte ab 7.95 EURO Umgebungskarten: Boston, New York, Washington - Baltimore. Stadtpläne: Boston, New York/Manhattan, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Pittsburgh. Ortsregister Hildebrand´s Urlaubskarte. Neuauflage, Laufzeit bis 2016 Read more
De Zwerver
Netherlands
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Marco Island - Ten Thousand Islands FL
  • Marco Island - Ten Thousand Islands Coastal Recreation Map at 1:40,000 from the National Geographic in their extensive series of GPS compatible maps of USA’s national and state parks or forests and other popular recreational areas. Cartography based on the national topographic survey, with additional tourist information. Coverage includes... Read more
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Bol.com
Netherlands
  • Ten Thousand Islands
  • Waterproof Tear-Resistant Topographic MapNational Geographic's Marco Island - Ten Thousand Islands Coastal Recreation map is the ideal companion for adventures along shore and on the water.National Geographic's new family of Coastal Recreation maps are two-sided, waterproof maps designed specifically for recreation along America's most... Read more
Bol.com
Belgium
  • Ten Thousand Islands
  • Waterproof Tear-Resistant Topographic MapNational Geographic's Marco Island - Ten Thousand Islands Coastal Recreation map is the ideal companion for adventures along shore and on the water.National Geographic's new family of Coastal Recreation maps are two-sided, waterproof maps designed specifically for recreation along America's most... Read more
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