My Favorite National Park Hiking Trails

It’s National Park Week, which I believe is something to celebrate! I’m a huge fan of and advocate for our stunning parklands. National Park week started on Earth Day (April 22nd) and will continue through next Sunday (April 30th) and it always feels like something too big to just let pass by. So this year, I thought I’d mix it up a little bit and share my favorite National Park hiking trails (and trails from other NPS Parklands). These are all day hikes, though, not long backpacking trails, and I decided to list them in alphabetical order, since trying to rank them would be impossible.

Angels Landing – Zion National Park, Utah

Angels Landing is one of the most famous, and in some cases infamous, trails. The narrow rock ledge adorned with chains is known to be one of the most hair-raising experiences one can have in the the National Parks System. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but anyone who aches for a sense of adventure, I would recommend this trail to you!

Bear Lake to Emerald Lake – Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

This trail in the Estes Park area has a pretty amazing wow-factor. The trail to Emerald Lake starts at Big Bear Lake, passing two other lakes (Nymph and Dream Lakes) and ending up at Emerald lake which seems to almost be hugged by the surrounding mountains.

Beehive Loop – Acadia National Park, Maine

Beehive Loop leads up to a rounded, granite summit by way of traditional trail and by iron bars literally bolted into the side of the cliff that you have to climb to the summit which looks out over trees and mountains all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Looping around, I highly recommend take a moment at The Bowl to appreciate its beauty as well.

Big Bluff – Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Big Bluff is my favorite hike I’ve done in the state of Arkansas, so of course it’s my favorite from Buffalo National River. It leads out to the tallest bluff line between the Rockies and the Appalachians where you follow a narrow ledge to a perfect vantage point of a bend in the beautiful Buffalo River below. It’s such an unexpected beauty that belongs on any bucket list.

Blue Mesa – Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

When I had heard about Petrified Forest growing up, I heard it was boring. However, I found that when we were there I was blown away by so many facets of this park: petroglyphs, kivas, mesas, petrified wood and, most of all, the badlands of the Blue Mesa trail. This hike is just a mile, but wowza, it’s a stunner! The lavender, dusty rose and taupe striations through the formations were just other-worldly. In fact, I hope we can stop here again this fall!

Blue Spring – Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri

Blue Spring is in my home state of Missouri along the Current River. This massive spring pumps out 93 million gallons of water every day on average and is 300+ feet deep! The spring is very aptly named Blue Spring because the water is one of the most vivid shades of blue that I’ve ever seen in my life! It’s a favorite spot of mine in the entire state.

Crabtree Falls – Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Crabtree Falls is a waterfall we frequented when we lived in Asheville, North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkway, in general is such a special place to us, but this waterfall in particular is one of my very favorites. The way that the water falls over the many smaller rocks within the falls just makes such a stunning shape and it’s never been overly crowded, often times, we had 30+ minutes alone at the base of the falls. I cannot wait to take our kiddos on this hike eventually.

Delicate Arch – Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch is probably the most famous arch in the world, and definitely in Utah. It’s featured on welcome signs and license plates and in 2002, the Olympic torch even passed under it. Its beauty is pretty unmatched, and this is coming from a natural-arch-lover. Delicate Arch has such beautiful look because of the fluid curves that shape this free-standing arch. It’s hike I’ve done again and again and I have no desire to stop making the trek to see it anytime soon.
DON’T FORGET YOU NEED TIMED ENTRY IN ARCHES NATIONAL PARK.

Devil’s Courthouse – Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

I stared at this mountain over and over when I first moved to Asheville, saving it for when my dad came to visit. When he finally did, we made the climb up here and it was such a massive payout. The vantage point from the top is just mesmerizing. Layer after layer of wavy blue mountains fade into each other as far as the eye can see. It’s such a special place to experience the Blue Ridge Mountains any time of day!

Devils Garden – Arches National Park, Utah

Devils Garden is an unforgettable trail in Arches National Park. We did it just after sunrise, which I highly recommend because the mileage of this hike is best tackled before the peak heat of the day. There are 7 arches located on the trail (well, officially signed on the trail) excluding the primitive trail, which I haven’t had the pleasure of doing yet. In addition to the arches, the trail is packed with adventure: rock fins, scrambles, and ledges. We both recommend this trail as a 10/10.

Grand View Point Overlook – Canyonlands National Park

Grand View Point Overlook is our number one pick for a sunset in the Moab area. The views are spectacular and the end point faces perfectly west. Plus, it’s the perfect distance to be able to get back to the car pretty quickly once the sun goes down. I imagine it’s also a super stellar place to star-gaze as well, though, if you want to take your time.

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Hurricane Hill via Hurricane Ridge – Olympic National Park, Washington

This was such a stunning mountain trail. This is the place that made me first truly fall in love with Washington because it was our very first stop in Olympic National Park. Between the stunning ridges of snow-capped mountains and the bright blue Pacific Ocean, I was head-over-heels! It’s a place that is in the highlight reel of father-daughter trips and I can’t wait for Matt to see this place in person!

Lost Mine Trail – Big Bend National Park, Texas

This mountain trail of the deep, wild west of Texas was one of those places that still has a wildness to it. Even though it is decently trafficked, it just still felt a bit untouched with its craggy surfaces and sage-colored flora. I also love that it combines the two types of landscapes that I adore: mountains and deserts.

Lower Falls – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

This is a very popular trail in Yellowstone. However, it’s not the image that Yellowstone typically drums up in your brain. It actually has a bit of a southwest look to it. (I know, shocker, I love desert-looking things!) In fact, the canyon itself is called Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. But in addition to that red-rock sort of feel, there’s the massive waterfall!

Marymere Falls – Olympic National Park, Washington

This moss-filled forest hike leads to a 90-foot cascade at the end. The hike to Marymere Falls brings you face-to-face with some of the rainforest-dwelling flora and fauna like banana slugs, ferns, mosses and trees that tower overhead.

Mist Falls – Kings Canyon National Park, California

This is the only hike I’ve done in Kings Canyon, but it was so special to me because it was my introduction to the Sierra Nevadas. The hike is so beautiful and as gorgeous as Mist Falls is, the mountains were the show stealer for me, personally. I cannot wait to get back to this park this fall!

Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tubes) – Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai’i

We did tons of hikes in Hawai’i, but the one that stood out to me inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park was Nāhuku, otherwise known as the Thurston Lava Tubes. This was the first time I’d ever seen anything like this. The 2000 degree lava flow from 500 years ago created these tubes that weren’t discovered again, as far as we know, until 1913. The trail starts through the lush, green jungle first before you walk down a set of stairs into these dark, long caves of solidified lava flow. It’s other-worldly and a bizarre connection with the volcanoes that made this island and still surround us.

Santa Elena Canyon – Big Bend National Park, Texas

Santa Elena Canyon is not only a stunning trail into a canyon starting at river-level into this canyon with massive sheer walls, but it is such an enlightening moment of perspective that one side of that canyon is one country, and the other is another. It makes you recognize the luck, the privilege and the awareness that our citizenship and status is defined simply by what side of a line you’re born on – in this case, the Rio Grande.

Second Beach – Olympic National Park, Washington

This is the most stunning beach I’ve ever visited. I went at high tide and low tide, while high tide was my favorite for beauty, I loved being able to visit the tidal pools during low tide. There were sea starts and urchins all through the tidal pools. Massive, rugged sea stacks jut out of the ocean and waves crash onto them during high tide. The beach has driftwood all across it. Plus, the trail to second beach is through a mossy, fern-covered rain forest. It’s just the best beach trail I’ve yet to take.

Timber Creek Overlook Trail – Zion National Park, Utah

This was a recommendation we saw in our rental house’s guest book. We loved this short hike so much that we did it three different times! It’s located in the less-visited Kolob Canyon of Zion National Park, which meant that we saw very few people, the drive there was absolutely stunning and the trail looked out over towering cliffs, the canyon below and all the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on a clear day.

The National Parks are just so special to me. They’re destinations that inspire me, they challenge my knowledge of this big, beautiful world of ours, they’ve pushed me mentally + spiritually and they’ve been places that I’ve forged some truly amazing bonds with friends and family. They’re also a constant in my life. They’ve been there for me when I needed to work through things and I truly hope that I can continue to be part of protecting them, preserving them and even growing them for future generations.

Thank you to everyone who funds them, visits them responsibly, those who serve at these parks and those who have made and continue to make these protected lands. Happy National Park Week!

Also, give me some inspiration – what are your favorite National Park hiking trails?!

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