Breathe in that fresh air. Hiking through the great outdoors lets you get away from it all, take a break from your day-to-day life, and explore a beautiful area.
The West of the USA has such a varied landscape that provides great hikes; you will find yourself strolling amongst the tallest trees in the world, swimming under majestic waterfalls, and skipping through a landscape carved out by the power of water.
Hiking often provides great rewards such as spectacular views, waterfalls at the end of the hike, as well as a great workout for the body and mind.
All these hikes listed can be achieved in less than a day. I was cheeky though, I included a couple that needs an overnight stay and can be completed in a weekend, forgive me…
Mount Constitution Loop, Moran State Park, Washington – 6.7 miles
Situated in the heavily wooded San Juan Islands, Mount Constitution on Orca Island is the highest point in the area. At the peak is a beautiful stone tower with 360° views across the whole lake region.
This is a pretty hard trail but getting easier towards the summit.
James Irvine & Miners Ridge Trails, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California – 10.7 Miles
This trail encompasses 3 unique environments; a redwood-filled ridgetop, a vast unspoiled beach, and finally a beautiful green valley.
Regarded by many as the best hike in the park, you will find yourself hiking through a landscape you could find in a Star Wars or Lord of the Rings movie.
Also home to the Bodie State Historic Park, it is recommended to visit California in October.
Ewoldsen Trail, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, California – 4.5 Miles
This is a Great Redwood forest hike located near Big Sur. The trail follows a lovely river through one of the many valleys and the second part of the trail offers Ocean views of the California coast.
McWay Falls trail is nearby and starts in the same parking lot so check that out too!
Weaver’s Needle, Peralta Trail #120, Arizona – 4.9miles
This hike leads to some surreal views across the Arizona landscape. With a steady incline, great views, and a couple of stream crossings on the way up the hike itself is fun.
However, at the summit, you have views of the famous Weaver’s Needle – the volcanic remnants of an ancient super volcano, how epic! Arizona has a lot of other fantastic places to check out including magical Sedona.
Dry Creek Falls, Portland, Oregon – 4.4 miles
This family-friendly hike culminates with a series of 5 cascading waterfalls with a combined height of 230ft! The waterfall is surrounded by a rock amphitheater that is covered in lush green vegetation resembling something out of Jurassic Park!
Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, California – 4 miles
This hike has so many awesome views packed into such a short distance; Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and the imposing peaks that surround it.
The hike on the way up is pretty strenuous but being surrounded by the amazing wooded environment and the views that follow are sure to be worth it!
Triangulation Peak and Boca Cave, Oregon – 4 miles
The views of Mt Jefferson at the summit of this hike are simply spectacular. Boca Cave is a must to explore if you take the slightly harder side trail.
This side trail is definitely worth it though as the cave provides you with a completely different viewpoint of the massive mountain.
Bear Canyon to Seven Falls, Arizona – 8 Mile.
This hike leads to a series of 7 cascading waterfalls. The hike starts relatively flat but rises up through a valley with a stream running down its middle.
You will find several stream crossings and varied vegetation throughout. At the top there is a chance for you to swim in the pools created by the falls; you will also be joined by lots of fish!
*Ok the next two aren’t day hikes, you need at least two days for both of them but they’re so amazing that I had to put them on here!*
Havasupai Trail – Havasu Falls, Arizona – 20 miles.
Situated in the Grand Canyon, Havassu Falls is known as the Garden of Eden of the desert. The 10 Mile hike on the way in is pretty unforgiving so take liters of water and plenty of sun protection.
Reaching the falls will help you forget all about the trials of the hike as you explore the turquoise waters of the amazing area. Permits required.
The Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah – 16 miles
It’s pretty obvious due to its name; The Narrows is the narrowest section of the Narrows Canyon. That’s a lot of narrows.
This hike takes you through a sandstone landscape carved out by the Virgin River. On the hike, you will wade through part of this river and be surrounded by canyon walls up to 1000ft in height.
Summary of the best day hikes
hiking through the great outdoors in the West of the USA is an incredible experience that offers a break from the day-to-day routine and allows one to explore the stunning natural beauty of the region.
With a variety of hikes ranging from short day hikes to longer multi-day adventures, there is something for everyone.
From the towering redwoods in California to the surreal Arizona landscapes, and the breathtaking views in Zion National Park, each hike provides its own unique rewards, including spectacular views, challenging terrain, and a great workout for the body and mind. So, take a deep breath and get out there to explore the beauty of nature.
**Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. When booking through one of our links, we earn a small kickback at no extra cost to you and it’s a big help to keep the site up and running.
Would you be interested in advertising that costs less than $39 monthly and sends thousands of people who are ready to buy directly to your website? Send a reply to: jack5886tur@gmail.com to find out how this works.
Looking for powerful online marketing that delivers real results? Sorry to bug you on your contact form but actually that’s exactly where I wanted to make my point. We can send your promotional message to websites through their contact forms just like you’re receiving this ad right now. You can target by keyword or just fire off bulk blasts to websites in any country you choose. So let’s say you want to push through an ad to all the real estate agents in the US, we’ll scrape websites for just those and post your promo to them. As long as you’re advertising a product or service that’s relevant to that business category then your business will get awesome results!
Type up a quick note to ethan3646hug@gmail.com for the details