Hiking Trails Across the USA

Iconic summit hikes span every region: Mount Washington in New Hampshire, Mount Marcy in New York's Adirondacks, Grays Peak and other Colorado 14ers, Mount Whitney in California (highest peak in the lower 48), Mount Mansfield in Vermont, and Clingmans Dome on the Tennessee–North Carolina border. SummitSeeker covers 1157 summits across 49 states, with a mapped route, elevation profile and difficulty rating wherever the route has been verified.

It depends on the region. Northeast and Rockies peaks are best late May through October, with alpine 14ers safest July–September after snowmelt. Desert Southwest hikes (Arizona, Nevada, Utah) are best October–April to avoid extreme heat. Southern Appalachian trails (Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas) are hikeable most of the year. Always check the mountain forecast — conditions at the summit can differ drastically from the trailhead.

Rules vary by land manager. National forests often require a recreation pass (for example, White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire), some wilderness summits like Mount Whitney require lottery permits, and many state parks charge day-use or vehicle fees. Check each trail guide on SummitSeeker and the official land-manager page linked there for current requirements.

SummitSeeker rates every trail using the National Park Service difficulty formula, which combines round-trip distance and total elevation gain. Trails are rated Easy, Moderate, Hard, or Strenuous. A short steep climb can rate harder than a long gentle one — the rating reflects overall effort, and each guide also shows the elevation profile so you can judge the steep sections yourself.

Routes and trail geometry come from public authoritative sources: the US Forest Service, National Park Service, USGS National Map, and OpenStreetMap, with elevation profiles from the Copernicus digital elevation model. Every route is checked against the summit: a guide whose mapped track doesn't reach the top says so and quotes no distance, time or difficulty until the route is fixed or a published distance is found. Peak photos are licensed images from Wikimedia Commons with attribution.

The essentials for any summit hike: sturdy footwear, layered moisture-wicking clothing, rain shell, 2+ liters of water, food, offline map or downloaded GPX, first aid kit, headlamp, and sun protection. For high peaks add trekking poles, insulating layers, and an emergency shelter; winter or alpine conditions require microspikes or crampons and experience using them.

Yes — every trail guide includes a downloadable GPX file of the route that works with any GPS app or device (Gaia GPS, OsmAnd, Garmin, and others). Cell coverage is unreliable in the mountains, so download the route and an offline map layer before you leave the trailhead.

Use the Save Peak button on any trail guide to build your personal peak list, then mark summits as completed on your My Peaks page. Your list is stored in your browser — no account required. It's an easy way to track progress on goals like the New Hampshire 4000-footers or your state's highest summits.