REFLECTION CANYON
Reflection canyon is a completely unique wilderness experience. It can be somewhat difficult and dnagerous for the less experienced hiker as you have to pay attention to way points and landmarks that may be obscure. Never the less it is such a photographic locale to backpack for about 20 miles.
CHICAGO BASIN
Boasted as one of the best backpacking experiences in the West, it’s rugged and remote back country where there are fourteeners, alpine lakes and wildflower meadows, and a well developed network of trails and dispersed campgrounds. You can approach the area via the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad where you can be dropped off at Needleton, about 6 miles away or by the Vallecito Reservoir, which is accessible by car.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
Summers in the Pacific Northwest are absolutely beautiful and are well worth it as it provides a terrain unlike any other. You can hike along sandy beaches among the sea stack giants, tide pools, nearly unbroken old-growth forest and river crossings on the trails.
CIRQUE OF THE TOWERS, WIND RIVER RANGE
This rugged and remote mountainous outdoor mecca is clearly beautiful and can be completed in a long day but it’s best to slow down the pace and break the trip into at least two days, stopping to camp high in the Rockies.
THE WALLOWA MOUNTAINS
Perched in the northeastern corner of Oregon, the Wallowa Mountains have been called the Alps of the West, it makes for a fantastic alpine backpacking destination. Side trips from the lake can fill an entire weekend.
JOHN MUIR TRAIL
Definitely one of the most beautiful thru-hikes in the country it is also one of the hardest to access. Extending from Yosemite National Park the trail passes through some of the most scenic mountain wilderness. Preparation is key here if you seek to complete the entire trail.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
Glacier National Park is a wilderness area in Montana’s Rocky Mountains, with glacier-carved peaks and valleys and miles of hiking trails around the lake. You can go backpacking, cycling and camping and spot the various wildlife.