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Long-distance trails for the rest of us

by Tom Mangan
January 15, 2010

Guaranteed cure for dead-of-winter cabin fever: Planning a long hike! While it's fun to dream of glory on a six-month Triple Crowner, one of these half-dozen lesser-known long trails might appeal to those of us who are a bit more, well, grounded.

Arizona Trail logoArizona Trail

  • Route: U.S.-Mexico border to Arizona-Utah border
  • Mileage: 800-plus
  • Why go: Saguaro cacti in the south, Grand Canyon in the north, desert wonder all the way. You practically expect to see John Wayne on horseback crossing the trail.
  • Guidebook: "Arizona Trail: The Official Guide"
  • Trail Journal: Shee-Ra, 2009

Ice Age Trail logoIce Age Trail

  • Route: Wisconsin from Lake Michigan north of Green Bay southwest to just north of Illinois border, then northwest to Minnesota
  • Mileage: 1,000-plus
  • Why go: Forget this region's flatlands reputation: Glaciers left a world of fascinating landforms when they melted 12,000 years ago.
  • Guidebook: "Ice Age Trail Companion Guide"
  • Trail Journal: Ann & Cheryl 2008

Idaho Centennial TrailIdaho Centennial Trail

  • Southern Idaho north to Canadian border
  • Mileage: 900
  • Why go: Mountains galore on a trek through some of the most remote country in the continental United States.
  • Guidebook: "Idaho Centennial Trail" (note this is over 10 years old)
  • Trail Journal: Gottago (Ken & Marcia) 2009

Long TrailLong Trail

  • Route: Southern Vermont to Canadian border.
  • Mileage: 273 (plus 175 miles of side trails).
  • Why go: Hike the oldest national trail in the United States, and 95 miles of the Appalachian Trail, while crossing Vermont's highest peaks. Gorgeous (but chilly) in the autumn.
  • Guidebook: "Green Mountain Club's Long Trail Guide"
  • Trail Journal: Bob & Ann, 2009l

Mountains to the Sea TrailMountains to the Sea Trail

  • Route: Western North Carolina to the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Mileage: 1,000
  • Why go: Hike among the highest peaks in the East in the Blue Ridge Mountains, then cross the broad, rolling Piedmont and end up at the Outer Banks. 
  • Guidebook: "Hiking North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea Trail"
  • Trail Journal: PottWalt, 2007

Ozark Highlands Trail logoOzark Highlands Trail

  • Route: East to West across Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas
  • Mileage: 165
  • Why go: Rolling hills of the Ozarks are among the prettiest sights in the middle of the United States. Not an easy trail by any means, according to many accounts.
  • Guidebook: "Ozark Highlands Trail Guide"
  • Trail Journal: Bear Bag Hanger, 2007

This list is just a conversation starter; please add your suggestions in the comments.

This also gives me a perfect excuse to recommend our recent four-part series on planning a thru-hike.

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