The Best First Backpacking Trips in the US
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Loading... - Noah Taylor
- 15 Apr 2022
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The beautiful thing about backpacking: You don’t need expensive classes or years of experience to do it well. Whether you’re into mountaintop views, starry nights, or heart-pumping ascents, all you need to enjoy the best that the backcountry has to offer is some gear, some basic fitness, and a single night.
These 15 one-night backpacking trips are suitable for beginners, but that doesn’t mean they’re boring. Each one is easy to follow and has established campsites, but also has the kind of scenery you’d expect from a long-distance path. We’ve ranked these trips by the fitness level you’ll need to do them—people new to the trail will have the best time with easy ones, while experienced dayhikers branching into backpacking will enjoy tackling the harder picks—along with camping regulations to keep in mind before you hit the trail.
Little Manatee River State Park Trail, Wimauma, Florida
- Length: 6.14 miles
- Elevation gain: 304 feet
- Trail type: Loop
- Difficulty: Easy
Dip a toe into the world of backpacking with an easy overnight hike on Florida’s six-mile Little Manatee River State Park Trail. Start at the state park’s main entrance, and enjoy a mild, river-adjacent jaunt with potential wildlife sightings like alligators, turtles, otters, and even manatees. Fall asleep to wild Florida backcountry sounds at the park’s primitive campsite just over halfway on the trail (reservations required).
Jordan Hot Springs, Gila National Forest, New Mexico
- Length: 6.8 miles
- Elevation gain: 696 feet
- Trail type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Moderate
There’s backpacking, then there’s backpacking with a muscle-relaxing soak at the end, and the latter’s what you’ll get on a trip to Jordan Hot Springs in Gila National Forest. This expansive wilderness, located in southwest New Mexico, welcomes travelers with juniper and pinyon forests, and primitive camping spots near the springs (no permit required). The Jordan Hot Springs trek is no walk in the park: expect creek crossings, sometimes waist deep, and roughly 700 feet of elevation gain.
Hunter Mountain, Catskills, New York
- Length: 4.6 miles
- Elevation gain: 2,206 feet
- Trail type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Moderate
The Catskill Mountains offer some of New York state’s best beginner backpacking trips. Hunter Mountain, the second tallest of the Catskills High Peaks, is a great place to start. This 4.6-mile one-way outing winds up 2,238 feet, with a forested trail and sneak peeks of the bucolic Catskills region along the way. If your legs are begging for a bit more trekking, Hunter’s also linked with the 24-mile Devil’s Path trail, one of the most challenging backpack trips in the state. Camping permits here are only required if trips are longer than three nights, or with 10 or more people.
Gunsight Pass to Gunsight Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana
- Length: 6.37 miles
- Elevation gain: 1,014 feet
- Trail type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Moderate
A backpacking trip to Gunsight Lake offers a taste of Glacier National Park’s sprawling beauty. The journey to the trailhead alone is worth the price of Glacier National Park’s admission; it starts just off Montana’s famed and mountainous Going-to-the-Sun Road. Park at the Gunsight Pass trailhead, then hike past a horizon of mountain peaks and multiple waterfall detours, including Florence Falls (mile four), before reaching the bright blue Gunsight Lake. Glacier National Park requires permits for backcountry campgrounds like Gunsight Lake. They’re available either online or first-come, first-served in person.
Miscowawbic Peak, Upper Peninsula, Michigan
- Length: 16.3 miles
- Elevation gain: 853 feet
- Trail type: Loop
- Difficulty: Moderate
With a smattering of waterfalls and striking maple, hemlock, and birch forests, the Porcupine Mountains, better known as The Porkies, are a top destination for any visitors to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. See the region’s lake-and-forest grandeur on a backpack trip up Miscowawbic Peak. The route follows the Lake Superior and Big Carp River trails, with backcountry camping sites dispersed throughout the trip. The 16-mile route has minimal elevation gain, and starts and ends at the Lake of the Clouds Scenic Overlook parking lot. Backpacking permits are required.
Harding Icefield Trail, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
- Length: 4.1 miles
- Elevation gain: 3,081 feet
- Trail type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
A quick overnight hike on the Harding Icefield Trail proves why Alaska’s a prime backpacking destination. This rocky four-mile Kenai Fjords National Park trail climbs along cottonwood forests, verdant meadows, and strenuous switchbacks on its journey to the surreal, 700-square-mile Harding Icefield. More than 30 glaciers of varying sizes flow out from here, including Exit Glacier, which is visible from the trail. Kenai Fjords National Park allows camping on the Harding Icefield Trail; tents must be at least one-eighth of a mile from the path. No permit is required. Read More...
