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    Looking for the best backpacking in United States? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around United States. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

    Top Backpacking Spots in and near United States

    • Kamas, Utah

      Ibantik Lake via Crystal Lake Trailhead

      5.0
      3.96 mi / 646 ft gain
      From the Crystal Lake trailhead, follow the trail 1.1 miles north to Wall Lake. Here, you'll come to a junction with the trail from Trail Lake; take the left trail heading north to Notch Mountain, and Ibantik Lake is a mere .6 miles northeast, nestled next to Notch Peak. At Ibantik Lake, you'll ...
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    • Mariposa County, California

      10 Lakes Basin in Yosemite

      5.0
      13.38 mi / 2200 ft gain
      Beginning at the Ten Lakes trailhead, the trail to the lakes is a moderately strenuous uphill grind to Ten Lakes pass, followed by a quick downhill into the lake basin. We met a woman at the top who made sure we didn’t miss the short side trail to a vista point on the pass that offered a sweeping...
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    • Kempton, Pennsylvania

      Hike the Pinnacles and Pulpit Rock

      4.2
      9 mi / 1200 ft gain
      Park in the lot near the Hamburg Reservoir and hike around the barrier and up the gravel road. Shortly on your right the Appalachian Trail branches off the road. Follow the white blazes of the AT for around 2 miles to the Pulpit Rocks, just before the trail passes the Lehigh Valley Astronomical S...
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    • Wawona, California

      Cathedral Lakes

      4.8
      9.04 mi / 1100 ft gain
      Starting at the Cathedral Lakes Trailhead near the Tuolumne Meadows parking lot (if parking is full at the TH), this trail wanders through the classic High Sierra forest with large white granite boulders and pine trees. After approximately 4 miles of quiet solitude in the forest, you will reach ...
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    • Lyons, Colorado

      Camp at Coulson Gulch

      4.0
      9 mi
      Coulson Gulch is a lightly used area of the Roosevelt National Forest which makes it perfect for a weekend getaway without the crowds. This is a great place to camp out under the stars!To get to Coulson Gulch From Lyons, head west on U.S. Highway 36 for about 9 miles. Turn southwest onto Larimer ...
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    • Idaho Springs, Colorado

      Lower and Upper Chicago Lake

      4.5
      9.22 mi / 2270 ft gain
      From the parking lot, stay to the right of Echo Lake and you will run into the Chicago Lakes Trailhead. Follow the switchbacks down and across Chicago Creek. After crossing the creek, follow the sign indicating that the trail follows the dirt road and hang a left; from here, you'll reach the Idah...
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    • Munising, Michigan

      Backpack Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

      5.0
      43 mi / 500 ft gain
      The time of the year is one of the most important factors of this trip. DO NOT under any circumstances plan this trip for a time during mid June - mid August. The black flies at this time of the year are more than a nuisance. They are seemingly resistant to even 100% DEET, and can bite through cl...
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    • Allenspark, Colorado

      Backpack to Lake Verna

      5.0
      13.5 mi / 2500 ft gain
      Want to get away it from it all and enjoy some high alpine lakes? The East Inlet Trail is just outside Grand Lake, on the westside of Rocky Mountain National Park, 2.35 miles east of Highway 34 on West Portal Road. From the trailhead, one can access 8 different campsites. The campsites are as ...
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    • Packwood, Washington

      Snow Lake Trail

      3.8
      2.12 mi / 427 ft gain
      Snow Lake is a beautiful lake in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. You can do the 2.6 mile roundtrip hike to the lake as either a day trip or as a backcountry camp. To camp at one of the two sites on the lake you must secure a permit from the permit office at Longmire. The hike to the s...
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    • Nederland, Colorado

      Hiking the Indian Peaks Wilderness' Lost Lake

      4.3
      4.5 mi / 1000 ft gain
      Lost Lake of the Indian Peaks Wilderness area is a scenic short hike (about 3 hours) with a lot to see. The trailhead is tucked at the end of a road that passes through Eldora, a charming village of cabins and old abandoned buildings. You will pass by the lost "town" of Hessie on foot, which is w...
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    • Eagle Harbor Township, Michigan

      Backpack Isle Royale NP's Greenstone Ridge Trail

      5.0
      41.12 mi / 3235 ft gain
      Isle Royale National Park consists of Isle Royale, a fifty mile long and nine mile wide island in Lake Superior, and about 45 smaller islands around (and within) it. Remote and undeveloped, the shores can be visited by watercraft, but the only way to see the interior is to walk across it. Because...
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    • Teller County, Colorado

      Backpack to the Abandoned Skagway Power Plant and Ghost Town

      3.5
      10 mi / 1000 ft gain
      Construction of the Skagway Plant began in 1899 and was complete in 1901. In 1965, 15 days of rain brought floods washing out a lot of the pipeline and other infrastructure. Fixing the power plant didn’t make sense and funds weren’t in place. The land was reverted to the government. The hike b...
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    • Mason County, Washington

      Upper Lena Lake

      5.0
      12.61 mi / 4239 ft gain
      The hike to Upper Lena Lake is a beautiful one. It first takes you past Lena Lake, which is a very popular weekend destination for families. Luckily you're pushing on to Upper Lena Lake that sits in a peaceful alpine meadow with Mt. Lena and Mt. Bretherton towering above. The first part of the t...
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    • Jamul, California

      Hiking Otay Mountain

      5.0
      15.3 mi / 2903 ft gain
      The trek begins on the Otay Mountain Truck Trail at Pio Pico Resort & Campground. You can either park and hike the entire trail, or drive up to a point a couple miles and park before the road becomes steep and rough. The distance on here is if you hiked the whole way. If you have a 4-wheel dr...
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    • Enterprise, Oregon

      Mirror Lake via Two Pan Trailhead

      4.7
      13.49 mi / 2280 ft gain
      Mirror Lake, one of the most photogenic and peaceful lakes in the area, is accessible via the Two-Pan Trailhead, off of Upper Lostine Road. The hike follows the river that flows down from the Lakes Basin, so water is plentiful throughout. You will slowly move up the valley, crossing the river a ...
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    • Mason County, Washington

      Lena Lake

      4.5
      6.24 mi / 1644 ft gain
      The trail climbs gently up and is accessible almost every season, weather permitting. Snowshoes may be needed December-February, so make sure and check with the Hoodsport Ranger Station. Just 45 minutes north of Hoodsport (a darling small town on the shores of Puget Sound), this trailhead has sp...
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