6 Of The Longest Hiking Trails In The USA
If you’re looking for a challenge that will push you to your limits and test you mentally and physically, these 6 hiking trails will do the trick! They spread across all different types of terrain and biomes showing hikers the best of what the American landscape has to offer.
Many of the trails on this list combine several separate trails to make up one long route. For a list of the official longest trails, be sure to stayed tuned as this article will be on our website soon.
For anyone planning to tackling one or part of these trails, be sure to read our article about the 9 hiking essentials to take along. It also includes a free PDF checklist with even more items worth bringing.
If you thought the longest trail in the U.S. was the Appalachian Trail, the American Discovery Trail beats it by almost 4,000 miles! Stretching 6,800 miles, this trail is the only pathway to connect the Pacific Coast with the Atlantic.
It crosses 15 states and Washington D.C. starting from Delaware and ending in California. The trail also passes through 16 National Forests, 14 National Parks and over 10,000 historical sites.
While it may seem impossible, this monumental trail has been completed a handful of times. On August 18, 2003, hikers Joyce and Peter Cottrell walked the entire trail in what they described as, “the adventure of a lifetime.” The first non-stop thru hike of the trail was completed by Marcia and Ken Powers in 231 days who averaged more 20 miles per day in their historic feat.
For those looking for other methods of transportation instead of hiking, bicycling and horseback riding are also viable options used to complete the trail. The ADT is still a work in progress with some areas lacking trail signs, however there are maps that show the route in its entirety with turn-by-turn directions.
The second longest trail in the U.S. is also the same distance as the first, coming in at 6,800 miles. It loops through 9 states including New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona while also crossing through the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Hikers will pass through 12 National Parks and 75 wilderness areas on this wild journey.
The backbone of this trail is five existing long-distance trails linked together including the Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, and Arizona Trail. It also includes 675-miles that aren’t connected to any of these trails.
Great Western Loops origins began in 2006 as a new way to explore states in the Lower 48 and to date, only two people have completed the entire trail. It took 9 months and 14 million steps to walk the route, battling the conditions of arid deserts and towering mountains.
“ECT combines routes from the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, the Florida Trail, Pinhoti Trail, the Benton MacKaye Trail and the entire Appalachian Trail up to Mount Katahdin, Maine.”
3. Eastern Continental Trail
Stretching across the East Coast for 5,400 miles, the Eastern Continental Trail runs from Key West, Florida all the way up to Belle Isle of the Newfoundland and Labrador province in Canada.
Like the Great Western Loop, the ECT is made up of several separate trails combined to form one continuous route. It was thought up by John Brinda in 1997 who started his journey in Key West on the Florida Trail. After reaching the Alabama state line, he decided to continue and didn’t stop until he crossed the Canadian boarder.
The trail was named by long-distance hiker M.J. Eberhart, also known as “Nimblewill Nomad,” who trekked through Alabama along the Appalachian Trail and ended his journey several months later in Cape Gaspé. In fact, he was so impressed by the trail, he hiked the same route again, this time from north to south.
ECT combines routes from the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, the Florida Trail, Pinhoti Trail, the Benton MacKaye Trail and the entire Appalachian Trail up to Mount Katahdin, Maine. Hikers then hit the International Appalachian Trail that takes them through Maine all the way to Quebec.
Interestingly, while the hiking trail ends in at the Gulf of St. Lawrence, hikers can continue the route by crossing a water gap up to Newfoundland. From here, they can hike to the trails symbolic end at Belle Isle in the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland.
Running through eight states from North Dakota to Vermont, the 4,800 mile North Country Trail is a scenic journey through America’s northern states. It’s the longest trail in the National Trails System and passes through 10 National Forests, four National Parks, and over 100 state parks, forests and game areas.
The NCT run along three of the Great Lakes and through the Adirondack Mountains while also passing many farmlands, prairies, rivers and cityscapes. For the bold and adventures, the entire trail is there to tackle. Those looking for something a little less ambitious can pick and choose which sections of the trail to hike.
The trails official creation dates back to March of 1980 when legislation passed by Congress authorized the North County National Scenic Trail. In its current form, the trail differs significantly in many areas from some of the initial proposals. It’s a result of direct public input and meetings during the early days of the trail taking shape.
Because of this input, the trail follows the most scenic and awe-inspiring routes along its nearly 5,000 mile length. It’s a great place to explore the northern half of the U.S. and see a diverse range of landscapes and wildlife.
“Much of the landscape remains unchanged and provides an opportunity to visit and experience unaltered wilderness.”
Contrasting the previous trail, the Great Western Trail is a 4,455 mile network that explores the Western half of America. Crossing through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Arizona, the GWT passes through deserts, canyons, woodlands and alpine meadows. It’s a great trail to traverse and experience a wide variety of different landscapes.
The Great Western Trail was designated Utah’s Centennial Trail in 1996 and a National Millennium Trail in 1999. However, the trails roots can be traced back to the 18th century when two Spanish priests named Dominguez and Escalante were shown a portion of the trail by Paiute Native Americans. Much of the landscape they saw remains unchanged and provides an opportunity to visit and experience unaltered wilderness.
In the 1970s, Lyle Gomm is created with being the “father” of the GWT. It was through him that he organized an inter-agency team to create the Bonneville Rim Trail connecting the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park.
The name was later changed to the Great Western Trail in 1986 and the first thru-hike was completed in 1988. Beginning in Priest Lake State Park, Idaho and ending at the Mexican boarder of Arizona, English hiker Simon Cordial and New Yorker James Mayberger completed the entire journey in 4 months.
For those who aren’t up for hiking, many parts of the trail can also be accessed by off road vehicles, bicycles and horseback. The route is made up of a variety of backcountry trails, dirt roads and even high speed highways. These paths combine to form one trail that can be joined from many points.
The last trail on our list stretches 3,100 miles through the “wild west” of the United States. It’s also the youngest trail on the list – officially being created in 2012. However its history dates back nearly 100 years to the creation of another famous trail, the Appalachian.
With the founding of the Appalachian Trail Conference in 1925 and the trails successful completion, other groups around the U.S. were inspired to create their own trails for the general public to enjoy. Planning and scouting for the Continental Divide Trail actually began in the 1930s.
It wasn’t until 1968 with the passing of the National Trails System Act that the CDT began to garner serious consideration as an official trail. However, the trails future looked bleak in 1995 as shrinking budgets, lack of public involvement, and an increased demand for public land in America became prominent.
Over the next 15 years, the Continental Divide Trail Association worked to raise public awareness about the trail and made steady progress. Unfortunately, the CDTA folded in 2012 and left the trail in jeopardy yet again. But, through countless volunteers and partners, the CDT was able to survive and show it’s a trail of national and international importance.
The Continental Divide Trail prides itself on being more than just a trail, but also living museum of the American West, a place to reconnect with nature, and a unifying force to bring people together. It passes through the states of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana crossing numerous deserts and the beautiful Needle Mountains. It’s a great trail to see a diverse variety of landscapes and wildlife.
Conclusion
So for the passionate hiker looking to undertake the next great adventure, these 6 trails will get you started on your next journey! All of them offer a unique and incredible perspective of the American landscape and will challenge any outdoor enthusiast to get out and explore.
