Experience the country's natural beauty with an expert as your guide.
Picture it: Your backpack is loaded with everything you need for a few hours or a few days in the great outdoors. There’s nothing standing between you and the wilderness. And getting lost is the furthest thing from your mind because you’ve got an expert hiking guide leading the way. Hiking tours let you experience the world from a whole new perspective, and here’s where you can find the best ones in the U.S.
This three-day backpacking tour takes you to one of the greatest wonders of the Grand Canyon: Havasu Falls. You’ll have a full day to explore Havasupai’s turquoise waters and plenty of scenic waterfalls. The tour package includes your tour guide, food, transportation, and most of your gear.
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This half-day guided hike is every bit as adventure-packed as you could want! Along with the stunning scenery and iconic landmarks of Arches National Park, you’ll see 100-million-year-old dinosaur tracks and get insider information on the interpretive walks. The minimum age for this tour is five, so expect an easy, family-friendly tour.
Wildland Trekking offers a stunning 4-5-day hike that takes you to some of Yellowstone’s most scenic wonders. From meadows to river valleys to Mount Sheridan and the Snake River hot springs, every day is a new adventure in itself. This is one of the best ways to see Yellowstone wildlife in all its glory, including bears, wolves, elk, moose, coyotes, fox, and birdlife.
Explore some of Hawaii’s hidden gems in this family-friendly water-and-land adventure. Kayak through a once-sacred valley, then begin your hike through the rainforest to reach the Secret Falls.
The Appalachian Trail slices right through the Great Smoky Mountains, and this tour takes you along an eight-mile portion. At the highest point, you’ll get a feel for just how expansive the mountains are, with 360-degree views of wilderness as far as the eye can see.
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The Lost Coast is a major stretch of unspoiled California shoreline, and it’s as breathtaking as you can imagine. The remoteness is a far cry from the rest of the state and makes going off the grid all the more enjoyable. This tour takes you over black sand beaches, low tide zones, rich forests, and coastal mountains over the course of six days.
This six-day adventure hike from OARS follows the Wild and Scenic Rogue River, one of the most beloved hiking destinations in the country. This tour is raft-supported, meaning you can rely on river rafts to carry your gear as you travel high and dry on land. You’ll eat and camp with waterfront views and soak in 360 degrees of nature for your entire trip.
This five-day tour has been carefully curated to highlight some of the most amazing natural sights and formations in southern Utah. A basecamp-style trip, you can expect to visit famous icons like the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and Angels Landing. Hot showers and fresh-cooked meals make this one hard to pass up.
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Offering private trips, day hikes, and backpacking trips throughout the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Adirondacks, you will be in good hands traveling with 360 Guiding. The private guided adventure allows hikers to choose from any of the offered destinations. The 3-5-hour hike features an experienced guide who is both first aid and CPR certified.
If you’re having trouble deciding which of Utah’s amazing national parks to visit, this hiking tour combines the mighty five into a single trip. Zion, Bryce, Arches, Capitol Reef, and Canyonland are on the agenda in this five-day, four night tour, along with several state parks, hot showers, and home-cooked meals.
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Alli Hill is a freelance content writer and mom of two. She spends most of her free time exploring the great outdoors by trail or by kayak. She is also the founder and director of FreelanceSpeak, a blog to support other freelance creatives.