Walking America's national parks

From ancient mountains and haunting prehistoric forests to dusty scrubland, wide canyons and sculptures in desert stone, the striking contrasts and colours have to be seen to be believed. There are few visitors who would turn down the opportunity to go hiking through these remote and wild landscapes.

Our guide to walking in America’s national parks spotlights some of the best parks for hiking, and suggests short routes and loops that will suit beginner hikers or those with limited time.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is America’s oldest national park (the oldest in the world, in fact). Visit this wonderland in the north of Wyoming and you’ll see why Yellowstone inspired a movement to preserve the world’s wild places.

Volcanic activity in the region has produced a whole host of unusual geothermal features including, most famously, geysers like the legendary Old Faithful. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit hot springs, mud pots and volcanic lakes on your trip here.

One of the best easy walks to take in Yellowstone is the Old Faithful Geyser Loop, a flat, paved trail that’s just over a kilometre in length. As the name suggests, it takes you to the geyser, with a handful of benches where you can sit and await the next eruption (they’re approximately every 90 minutes).

If you want to get in touch with your inner David Attenborough and see wildlife in Yellowstone National Park, hiking to the top of Mount Washburn is a popular trail (particularly in summer and early autumn, when wildflowers line the route). Bighorn sheep usually graze along this route, and you may also spot bison and elk.

Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona is home to one of the world’s most famous landmarks, the Grand Canyon. Measuring 18 miles wide in some places and up to a mile deep, this vast site is the perfect place to see life from a different perspective.

The South Rim is one of the Canyon’s most popular spots to visit – here you can take a hike along the Rim Trail, a flat path that people of most ability and fitness levels can manage. The views on this walk will have you filling up memory space on your camera. If you can, stop and watch the sunset at Mohave Point.

If you’re on the North Rim, the Bright Angel Point Trail is an easy, paved walk to a fantastic Grand Canyon viewpoint. It’s approximately half a mile round-trip, and should take no more than 30 minutes (with added time for photos at the viewpoint, of course).

Rocky Mountain National Park

Streaked with craggy mountains and bands of dense forest, Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is seriously scenic. With over 300 miles of trails, it’s no easy task to pick your route.

If you only have a limited time here take a walk around Bear Lake, a spot that lies at the intersection of immense glacial valleys, granite mountains, waterfalls and forests. This is one of the most popular spots in the park, so expect crowds.

You’ll need a good strong pair of hiking boots for this mountainous playground, as terrain can be uneven and steep.

Yosemite National Park

The Sierra Nevada Mountains in California contain one of America’s best loved national parks: Yosemite. The park is home to many icons of the American wilderness, including El Capitan, a dizzying vertical rock formation in the west of the park.

Enjoy a nature walk through Yosemite Valley where you’ll be greeted by Bridalveil Falls, one of the most photographed attractions in the entire park. The trail is a half-mile round-trip loop – expect to get wet as you get close up to the falls!

Other easy hikes in Yosemite include the mile-long Lower Yosemite Falls Trail (walk it clockwise for the best views) and Cook’s Meadow Loop, a flat half-hour trail that offers photo-worthy views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Glacier Point, Sentinel Rock and Royal Arches.

White Sands National Park

Set in the New Mexico wilderness, this national park’s landscape is almost otherworldly: mile upon mile of shifting dunes made up of white gypsum crystals.

There are a number of easy hiking routes in White Sands, including the Interdune Boardwalk (no more than 30 minutes on a raised boardwalk, with detailed information boards explaining the landscape and wildlife), the Playa Trail (particularly interesting after rainfall, when the playa temporarily fills with water), and the hour-long Dune Life Nature Trail (ideal for spotting birds, coyotes, reptiles and more).

Arches National Park

Arches National Park sits in the dry Utah desert, and is home to some of the most spectacular rock formations in the USA. More than 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of pinnacles, rock fins and more – and it’s one of the most accessible parks for hikers, too.

Many of the trails are labelled easy to moderate, and can be done within an hour. Popular walks include the Balanced Rock Trail (15-20 minutes, partly paved), Courthouse Towers Viewpoint (just over three kilometres) and Landscape Arch Trail (just under an hour’s walking time).

The park’s most famous (and most photographed) arch is Delicate Arch. There are two viewpoints, both accessed from the same trail. The lower viewpoint is short, flat and easy, while the upper viewpoint is steep but still only takes around 45 minutes round-trip.

Petrified Forest National Park

The striking landscape here comes from the fossilised remains of a huge conifer forest – ancient trees which grew more than 200 million years ago. It’s also where you’ll find the Painted Desert, a vast arid badland scattered with buttes and mesas (and a fair few dinosaur fossils). 

Popular short hikes in the Petrified Forest NP include the Painted Desert Rim Trail (one mile round-trip, on slightly uneven ground – great for flora, fauna and views); the Puerco Pueblo (remains of a vast pueblo from 600-odd years ago, with petroglyphs visible); and the Crystal Forest loop for close-ups of petrified wood deposits.

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