20 BEST HIKES IN THE NATIONAL PARKS

Veteran parks writer Robert Earle Howells is the authority on finding real adventure in the National Park System. Here he names the 20 best hikes in the parks, from unforgettable day trips challenging backpacking escapes.

 

 
Outer Mointain Loop
When to go: October to May
Round-Trip: 30 Miles, 3 Days
Level: Moderate Backpacking Trip

Big bend is all about a sense of vastness: Hundred-mile views sweep across the hills, arroyos, and mesas of the Chihuahua Desert with nary a sign of  civilization. No place delivers a sense of the park's enormity -and solitude-better than the high country of the park's enormity—and solitude—better than the high country of the Chisos Mountains. This three-day, two-night hike climbs into and traverses the south rim of the range, where you can stand in the shade of big maples, cypress, oaks, and ponderosa pines and view the austere beauty of the desert far below.

Insider Tip: Cache water in advance at Blue Creek Canyon so you only have to carry two days’ worth of liquid
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