8 Long Distance Hiking Trails

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The great outdoors is a great place to wander, breath, refresh and have your own peace of mind. Exploring the outdoors will make you see the beautiful sceneries, landscapes, splendid views and panoramic sights you only see majestically in pictures and images. Of course America has great hiking trails to offer but many hikers are going abroad for even more spectacular scenery and hiking trails.

Typically, a long distance trails is defined as a hike that will usually take you more than a day to complete. Traversing long distance trails around the world in a lifetime seems to be an impossible dream to some and if one achieves this inevitable dream, the memory lingers and makes the adventures hurdled so memorable.

Here are some of the world’s best long distance trails you might want to go hiking:

1. Appalachian Trail

When it comes to long distance trails, this name would be one of the most endorsed. The Appalachian Trail is 2,185 miles long stretching from the Springer Mountain in Georgia to the great heights of Mt. Katahdin in Maine.

The Applachian Trail is one of the greatest long-distance trails in US, which means that you’ll have to take 5 million steps at most, pass through 14 states and visit 2 National Parks and 8 National Forests. Some say that hiking the entire AT trail is tantamount to trekking the summit of Everest 16 times – quite a long trail!

2. Continental Divide Trail

One of US Hiking Triple Crown, the Continental Divide Trail is 3,100 miles long spanning from Mexico to Canada passing through the rough terrain of the Rocky Mountains. It is also considered to be the toughest among the three long distance trails of US because of its rugged trek with elevations, lots of wildlife hazards and high risk of exposing to elements. However, with all these risks and hazards posed to hikers, going through all these will give one a picturesque of the western landscapes.

3. Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) starts at a desert, runs through the mountain ranges of Cascade and Sierra Nevada and passes the states of California, Washington and Oregon, which totals to 2,633 miles of diverse hiking. Treats you’d get when hiking this trail include seeing great parks and nature such as John Muir, Goat Rocks, Crater Lake and Yosemite.

4. Tour du Mont Blanc

When in Europe, Tour du Mont Blanc trail is the most popular trail encompassing Italy, France and Switzerland all throughout the hike. Trekking the trail will usually take 7-10 days to complete and is best done in an anti-clockwise direction. As you go through the trail, you’ll pass by 7 valleys, areas to sleep overnight and other options you might want to indulge in for hiking.

5. West Coast Trail

Touted to be one of the top hiking trails in the world, the West Coast Trail in Vancouver, Canada is 121 km long and part of the Pacific Rim National Park. While going through the trail, hikers will get to see the various sceneries ranging from pristine beaches, mighty waterfalls and bogs. Aside from these picturesque scenes, you will likely encounter different kinds of animals such as wolves, cougars and bears as well as molluscs and sea anemones in some of its beaches.

Don’t worry about areas to stay for the night as there are designated camping areas meant for adventurers like you. The West Coast Trail may be traversed from May 1^st till the 30^th of September.

6. Inca Trail of Peru

The world’s best and number one hiking trail, the Inca Trail of Peru has lots to offer that makes it a so popular for hikers. There are numerous trails you can choose to for you jumpstart your journey but to this date, the most popular is the one that leads to Machu Picchu. The Classic Trail en route to Machu Picchu is the most travelled; wherein the starting point is in Cuzco.

When trekking the Classic Trail to Machu Picchu, you’ll get to pass through the ruins of Patallacta, see the Sayaqmarka and Incan tambo of Runkuraqay. Aside from these remarkable sites, you will also see different bodies of water such as lakes and river as well as lush vegetation. Be ready to go climbing some steep areas as well.

If you have plans to go here, might as well do some booking reservations ahead of time because the trail is closed every year to maintain its beauty. Also, advanced booking is really necessary because only 500 people are usually allowed to go on this trail everyday, that includes guides and porters.

7. Mount Everest Base Camp

If you choose this trail, then you have to be ready for a cold trekking adventure. The whole Mount Everest Base Camp trail usually takes 2 weeks to complete the entire trail. Mount Everest is one of the hardest to trek but there are easy routes you can take wherein you get to eat and rest while on journey.

The strenuous travel will reward you with beautiful clouds covering the mountain peaks, wildflowers along the trail as well as overlooking houses below. Guides are always available but you can travel the trail on your own.

Trekking the Mount Everest is different from other trails in that you have to be fully geared and wholly ready for cold temperatures and high altitudes.

8. Tokai Nature Trail

Spanning 1,054 miles across Tokyo to Osaka, the Tokai Nature Trail is Japan’s best long-distance trail. However, if you wish a generally plain and easy terrain, the Mt. Fuji is a good choice. You’ll get to pass by gardens where cherry blossoms and Japanese maples lush around, wetlands and fertile hillsides.

Exploring the great outdoors is perhaps one, if not the best way to refresh and rejuvenate oneself. It’s a way of finding meaning for yourself and be surprised as well by the many things you can do. The list are not the only ones worth trekking as there are so many trails in the world that is worth discovering. The trails listed above are not in particular order.

With all the beauty the world has to offer, one of the best things a traveller can do to keep the grandeur of nature is to be responsible wanderer – leave footprints, bring your trash with you and take with you only the wonderful memories and photographs.

Enjoy your hiking wherever you are!