Good Hiking Spots
 

My sister-in-law and I were trying to think of a fitness goal that we could have for next summer and we thought of going on a long hike in the mountains.

Does anyone know of a good place to go hiking(somewhere in the US)? We don't want it to be a guided hike but, we want the trail to be laid out.

Brittany

How about the Appalachian trail? The trail runs from Maine to Georgia. I've heard about and know at least one person that took the whole summer off just to hike this trial. I believe it's over 2,000 miles long, not that you would have that long to walk it, but it has always sounded nice to me.

The AT is indeed a great place to hike, there are lots of resources that can give you ideas for day hikes or longer ones. There are also shelters along the way but be sure to contact the park service to reserve them as some that are listed on the trail maps are actually no longer there or are closed. If you just show up at a shelter and someone else shows up with a "reservation" they can kick you out. If you want to do a several day hike and don't have a lot of camping equip it's the way to go.

Just outside Gatlinburg, TN there is a "hotel" at the top of Mt LeConte (The LeConte Lodge) which might be a good little treat. It's still fairly primitive - all supplies are brought in by llama and occasional helicopters. The views are incredible. Good luck and have fun...

Edit: Found this link: http://www.nps.gov/appa/pphtml/planyourvisit.html which says that most shelters don't require reservations but to check with the local area you will be hiking. I've always done parts of the Great Smoky Mtns National Park which does require/suggest it.

I'm a huge fan of Rocky Mountain National Park. There's tons of trails, but it's quite the endurance test. What I liked is that I could hike all day, but choose to stay overnight in a hotel in Estes Park and take a shower! lol

You could always look for <a href="http:www.railtrails.org">Rails to Trails</a> in your area or anywhere else you might be interested in. They are stretches of old, unused railroad tracks that have been converted into cycling & hiking paths for public use. Some are very rural, others are in suburbs. There is a search engine on the site if you are interested.

Not sure if you want to come all the way out to CA, but if you do, I recommend Costanoa (www.costanoa.com). It's like luxury camping. You can stay in the lodge, in a cabin, or tent cabins. There are several hikes that you can do right on the resort property and there's also a spa, so you can get massages and/or other treatments while you are there. The resort is right on the coast, you can walk to the Pacific ocean and there are trails with great views of the ocean. It isn't quite in the mountains, but there are hills. It is perfect for an outdoorsy vacation with a little luxury. It can get crowded on weekends, so I definitely recommend a mid-week trip if you can manage it.

There are also several state parks within easy driving distance if you want to get beyond the resort, including the Ano Nuevo State Reserve (http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=523) and Butano State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=536). Butano in particular is a great park, lots of trails that are all well-marked, and not as well known as other CA parks, so it isn't that crowded.

- Barbara