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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

    • Kane County, Utah

      Coyote Gulch Loop

      4.7
      10.59 mi / 4354 ft gain
      Easy hiking, water availability, and spectacular scenery make this a "must do" hike. Three days are best to see all this canyon has to offer. You can either make this a 3-5 mile hike or a longer 10-15 mile hike. The perfect trip down Coyote Gulch is three days and two nights. Hike in to Jacob Ham...
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    • Payson, Arizona

      Horton Springs Loop

      4.4
      8.42 mi / 1896 ft gain
      This is a more scenic and bit more strenuous loop hike to the spring, taking in the Derrick Trail, part of the Highline Trail, and the Horton Creek Trail.After parking the cars near Upper Tonto Creek Campground follow the Derrick Trail and hike gently uphill for 1.4 miles through the rim country ...
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    • Deming, Washington

      Hike Skyline Divide

      5.0
      9 mi / 2500 ft gain
      If driving 13 miles on a forest road, and hiking miles of switchbacks doesn't bother you, your in for one of the most exquisite views that you can get from hiking in Washington state.Just a mile outside of the town of Glacier, turn onto Forest Road 37 and follow it up switchbacks for the majority...
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    • Government Camp, Oregon

      Tom Dick and Harry Mountain

      5.0
      8.28 mi / 1726 ft gain
      Looking to score those iconic photos of Mt. Hood? Climb the well-graded trail to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain, one of the most accessible summit hikes to Portlanders, and see where they were all taken. Starting from the busy Mirror Lake Trailhead, climb roughly 900 feet and 1.5 miles to Mirror La...
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    • Sedona, Arizona

      West Fork Trail

      5.0
      6.49 mi / 1102 ft gain
      This is one of the most beautiful hikes in Sedona, Arizona. It is a fairly easy hike, although it is 6 miles roundtrip. A lot of families come here, and children love to play in the water. There are various stream crossings, but for most of them, you should be able to keep dry. The canyon walls ...
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    • Port Angeles, Washington

      High Divide and 7 Lakes Basin

      5.0
      19.93 mi / 5056 ft gain
      A day spent plying the trails of the High Divide in Olympic National Park changes an outdoorsman. This moderate to strenuous loop boasts the best views on the peninsula, a chance to see foraging black bears and abundant deer, stunning waterfalls and marvelous old growth forests. By the time you f...
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    • Slade, Kentucky

      Hike the Indian Staircase Loop and Cloudsplitter

      5.0
      10 mi
      Starting at the Bison Way Trailhead #210. You'll take this until you come to the intersection of the Sheltowee Trace Trail #100. Go left. You're going to turn right on the unmarked trail just past the sign that says stay on trail. This is quite the incline. Keeping going until you get to the base...
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    • Camp Sherman, Oregon

      Black Butte

      4.5
      3.94 mi / 1493 ft gain
      Just outside of Sisters Oregon is the stunning and popular day hike to the summit Black Butte (Elevation 6,436 feet). At the top, spectacular views of the surrounding Cascades await the intrepid hiker. To get to the trailhead, turn off of Highway 22 onto National Forest Road (NFR) 11, also known...
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    • Ketchum, Idaho

      Alice Lake via Petit Trail

      5.0
      11.97 mi / 1673 ft gain
      Alice Lake is a must-see, jaw-dropping alpine lake in the Sawtooth Wilderness. Whether it's a day hike or a multiple night backpacking trip, it surely won't disappoint. Put on the Idaho playlist, we're headed to Stanley! In Stanley, hang right at the T in the road and continue 17 miles south alo...
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    • Avalon, California

      Trans-Catalina Trail

      5.0
      37.67 mi / 8189 ft gain
      This adventure is a great way to see the entire island of Santa Catalina. Catalina Island is situated less than 30 miles off the coast of Southern California, and can be reached by ferry from Dana Point, San Pedro, or Long Beach. Catalina Express in the company that operates the ferry. This adve...
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    • Lane County, Oregon

      Linton Falls

      4.5
      4 mi / 900 ft gain
      NOTE: There is no development of viewing areas or trails, which makes for more of a wilderness experience than other waterfalls in the region. There may also be fallen trees blocking the trail, making this adventure more challenging.  Hiking to Linton Falls accounts for the two larger waterfalls...
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    • Mariposa County, California

      Little Yosemite Valley Campsite and Half Dome

      4.6
      13.88 mi / 4800 ft gain
      First things first. You will need to get a wilderness pass by entering the lottery for Half Dome access. If you don't get a pass via lottery just go to the Yosemite Valley visitor center, tell the clerk you are backpacking to Little Yosemite Valley and that you would like to hike up Half Dome. Th...
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    • Telluride, Colorado

      Blue Lakes Trail

      5.0
      8.81 mi / 2635 ft gain
      Your adventure begins at the Blue Lakes Trailhead, elevation 9400’, in Uncompahgre National Forest. Take CO-62 from Ridgway toward Telluride, turn left onto Ouray County Road 7, and follow it into the national forest to the end of the road. Just past the trailhead, the trail splits; be sure to ...
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    • North Bonneville, Washington

      Table Mountain via Aldrich Butte Trailhead

      4.7
      16 mi / 3350 ft gain
      Hike up into the forest (take the right path, not the one going left), and follow it all the way until you get to "Carpenter Lake" (which always seems to be just an empty, marshy field). Keep going and do not take the right path at the first Y split off. Instead, stay left, until you come to anot...
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    • Quilcene, Washington

      Marmot Pass via Big Quilcene Trail

      5.0
      10.5 mi / 3481 ft gain
      This trail has a nice, steady climb that's perfect for beginner or intermediate backpackers. The first 2.5 miles follow a forest trail along the Big Quilcene River. For the next 3 miles, the trail flows in and out of shaded trees, over a small talus field, and through a meadow before the final ac...
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    • Forks of Salmon, California

      Grizzly Lake via China Gulch Trailhead

      4.4
      14.6 mi / 5112 ft gain
      Grizzly Lake is in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. The lake is know for its brilliant waterfall flowing from the lake's surface straight off the side of a cliff and roughly 600 feet down to the meadow below. Grizzly lake is located in some of America's most amazing and remote alpine wilderness, incl...
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