5 Hikes for Bold Adventurers

While many travelers admire the scenery from Skyline Drive, which meanders through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia (114 kilometers from Washington, D.C.), spectacular views await those who explore on foot. 

Old Rag Mountain is the most difficult hike in Shenandoah, but it's also the most popular – and for good reason. Once you reach the summit, you'll admire a 360-degree view of the park. The 14.5-kilometer round trip takes experienced hikers seven to eight hours from start to finish in optimal conditions. Prepare and plan before you attempt this hike – the route includes rock scrambles, tight squeezes, steep hills and precarious shuffles along cliff sides, but the vistas make it worthwhile. Local tip: Obtain your day-use ticket in advance of your visit to the park, then arrive before 8 a.m. to beat the crowds.

The Half Dome Hike in California's Yosemite National Park requires you to not only hold onto safety cables, but also hold a trail access permit. This hike is in high demand.

Ranging from 22.5 to 25.7 kilometers round trip, Half Dome is no easy climb. In the final stretch, cables line the way to help hikers reach the top of the steep rock without climbing equipment.

It's possible to complete the hike in a day if you start early, and the views of the park from Half Dome's summit make the trek a worthwhile challenge. To hike Half Dome, you can apply for an advance permit throughout the month of March, prior to the start of the hiking season. From this pool of applications, the park will randomly grant access to 300 hikers per day. You can also try to obtain a permit two days before your hike, but there are no guarantees.

Don’t let the well-maintained paths at the beginning of this route fool you – Angels Landing in Utah's Zion National Park is strictly for those with a taste for adventure and the hiking experience to back it up.

Angels Landing’s ascent is short but challenging. The eight-kilometer round-trip hike offers stunning vistas as it quickly escalates to a rough finale of steep, sheer drops with chain grips to aid those striving for the summit. The view from the 454-meter rock formation makes it well worth the effort. Be sure to obtain a permit before attempting this hike. 

Found within Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, Alum Cave is a “rock shelter” rather than an actual cave, so there’s no worry for the claustrophobic. This 16-kilometer round-trip trail is breathtaking with its scenic views and steep climbs. 

Hikers start by ascending a rock staircase (with the help of hand cables) to reach Arch Rock. Then, the trail continues to intensify with a climb up nearly 1.5 kilometers of solid rock. Those with experience can continue past Alum Cave to Mount LeConte, the third-highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains. 

The Grandview Trail is renowned as one of the toughest hikes in Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park, with little shade, steep climbs, rough trails and plenty of ledges. Anyone wishing to attempt this hike should consider speaking with experts at the Backcountry Information Center located in Grand Canyon Village before setting out. This is a challenging trail even for experienced desert hikers, but as its name implies, this hike of up to 10.3 kilometers (round trip) offers sweeping views of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.

Another challenging option with great views of the canyon and river is the South Kaibab Trail, a 9.6-kilometer round-trip route. The trail is well-maintained but steep, starting with a series of switchbacks. When planning a hike here, it's best to avoid the summer months due to dangerous daytime heat.