Many people enjoy spending time in the great outdoors and this can be a great way to enjoy the countryside, as well as getting some exercise and fresh air. Some will base their vacation plans around this and there are some great backpacking trips that will provide wonderful scenery as well as the opportunity to get out of the city. The following are 7 of the best options.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world and this draws many people to enjoy its attractions. Located within the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, it is some 277 miles long, 18 miles at its widest point and up to 1 mile deep in places. There is plenty to do to experience a great backpacking trip and this includes hiking through and camping in the canyon, as well as seeing some of the famous sights including the Desert View Watch Tower and Toroweap Overlook. The Grand Canyon is a destination that many want to visit and it can be a spectacular location to enjoy some great backpacking trips.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is one of the iconic backpacking locations in the USA. Covering some 1,200 square miles in California, there is plenty of open space to experience for those that enjoy backpacking trips. It has some of the most famous waterfalls in American and these can be worth seeing on a visit, although there are plenty of other activities to enjoy and sights to see. There are a number of trails running through the park, which take in many of the best sights and this provides backpackers with plenty of choice. Yosemite National Park is a beautiful part of the country and one of the best wilderness areas to take in.
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail runs up the eastern United States and, at just over 2,000 miles in length, passes through wilderness areas in a number of different states. The trail is managed by the National Park Service and there are many different sections along its length that can make for some great backpacking trips. Some of the best of these include the Pinnacle in Pennsylvania, Sunfish Pond in New Jersey and Springer Mountain to Hightower Gap in Georgia. The trail also extends into Canada, finally ending at the Atlantic Ocean, and its length provides many opportunities for backpackers to enjoy the wilderness areas of eastern USA and Canada.
Glacier Gorge
The Glacier Gorge trail is located in the Rocky Mountains National Park of Colorado and has a range of scenic landscapes to offer those that backpack pack along it. This includes beautiful lakes, woodlands, open meadows and also streams and rivers. The trail is at a relatively high altitude and can provide some snowy scenery and views of mountain peaks. It is rated one of the top trails in the US and can be an excellent location to enjoy some backpacking.
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is another extensive trail, this time running up the western side of the US from the Mexican border at its southern limit to British Columbia in Canada at its northern end. In total it is some 2,650 miles long and passes through a number of states in the western USA and into Canada. This provides plenty of opportunities for some great backpacking trips and the scenery that can be enjoyed on the various stages varies from mountains to forests and meadows. It passes through 7 national parks and these can be good locations to take it in, although its overall length means there are plenty of stretches to enjoy.
Continental Divide Trail
The Continental Divide Trail is another that runs through America between the Mexican and Canadian border. This route passes through some of the mid-western states and again its length, which is in excess of 3,000 miles, ensures that there are plenty of opportunities for some great backpacking trips for those that enjoy this pastime. The wilderness areas that can be enjoyed along the Continental Divide Trail range from the desert scenery of New Mexico to the mountainous terrain of Colorado and Montana.
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies are located in the Alberta and British Columbia regions of Canada and offer some fantastic scenery for those that enjoy backpacking. The mountains cover an area of around 70,000 square miles and this provides plenty of open spaces for backpackers to choose a destination. Many companies offer tours of the area and there are plenty of trails crossing the region which can be used to get around. For those that want to travel further north in the Americas, the Canadian Rockies can be a good choice for a backpacking trip.
Spending some time in wilderness terrain can make for some fantastic experiences and a few of the best locations to enjoy great backpacking trips are shown above. A trip to any of these will provide the opportunity to see some wonderful scenery, local plants and wildlife and the chance to get away for the hustle and bustle of city life. This can make them great destinations to visit.