In our travel column, assistant editor Emma Veidt answers your hiking questions with the help of a rotating cast of experts.
I find myself wanting more of a challenge (and more of an escape) after coming back from a couple of days in the backcountry, but I don’t think I have it in me to be gone for months at a time on something like the Appalachian Trail. What can I do? — Looking For Remote
Dear Remote,
Completing a thru-hike as legendary as the ones on the Triple Crown takes a lot of planning. You have to take months off work—or quit your job outright—and say goodbye to your regular routine for months on end. But then, sometimes just one week in the woods isn’t enough to shake off frontcountry stressors. If that sounds like you, there’s a perfect mini-adventure middle ground: a two-week hike.
Depending on how many miles you’re willing to cover in a day, you should look for a trail that’s between 130 and 250 miles long. Luckily there are plenty of those available in the states. Here are four of our favorites. (Note: We’ve figured in one zero day on all of these for a more relaxed adventure. If you’re a “no days off”-style backpacker, adjust accordingly.)
12.2 miles/day for 13 days of hiking and one zero day
This stretch between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers is a staple for first-time thru-hikers in the midwest. It encompasses hiking trails, equestrian trails, and road walks that pass through plains, bluffs, bayous, pine groves, and more.
The trail varies from wide and gravel-paved to single-track dirt paths that are overgrown to the point that it feels like you’re bushwhacking. (Word to the wise: Bring poison ivy wipes with you just in case.) Late winter or early spring is the best time to gaze at all the vistas at the tops of climbs before the dense greenery grows back. In the summer and early fall, the creek beds can run dry, so plan water caches ahead of time.
Looking for a thru-hiker classic meal once you hit town? Check out Shotgun Eddys in Eddyville, about a third of the way into the hike if you’re westbound.
12.7 miles/day for 13 days of hiking and one zero day
Take a spin around Lake Tahoe, at the border between California and Nevada. Don’t expect flat terrain: This trail is in the Sierra Nevada, so it ranges in elevation from 6,223 feet at the outlet of Lake Tahoe to 10,338 feet at Relay Peak in Nevada. Regularly preserved and maintained by the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, this trail is chock-full of signs, directions, and more. Want to celebrate reaching the finish line with some swag? The trail association can deck you out with some patches, shirts, hats, and more. Check out the Tahoe Rim Trail website for more information or check out our guide here.
11.1 miles/day for 13 days of hiking and one zero day
Sure, we included this trail in our roundup of weeklong trails. But that’s only feasible if you want to go ham for seven days straight. If you’re looking to ease your way into long-distance backpacking, with about 10 miles a day of hiking, this is the perfect itinerary for you. This trail earned a spot on our former map contributor Stuart Peck’s list of favorite midwest hikes: “We Midwestern backpackers spend a lot of time looking for routes that rise above the trees and deliver a view,” he says in this article. “That’s why the Maah Daah Hey Trail is special. The climbs are short and easy, and the views are nonstop.”
This Badlands trail winds through an ancient fossil wood forest and takes you along native mixed grasses with roaming bison and wild horses. There’s no better way to embrace your inner wild by watching stallions chase the wind. Side note: Four established campsites on the trail have potable water, but some choose to cache their water along the way.
15.4 miles/day for 13 days of hiking and one zero day
Starting from Whiskey Springs on the AT and ending at the banks of the Brandywine River, this 200-mile path connects the Appalachian Trail with the Brandywine Trail. Accordingly, a lot of prospective ATers treat the Mason-Dixon Trail as a shakedown trip.
Along the M-DT, hikers will follow the outline of several creeks and rivers, largely the Susquehanna River. The trail occasionally traverses private land, but owners have permitted hikers to pass through. You won’t spend the entire time deep in the backcountry: You’ll also pass through rural and semi-urban landscapes, such as farmlands in Pennsylvania and historic sites and small towns in Maryland and Delaware.
Looking for resources as you plan? Check out the trail’s website for information on camping, lodging, water sources, resupply shops, mail drops, shuttles, and more.
From 2023
