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National Forests and Parks

Love hiking? See the top 10 national parks with the best trails

Portrait of Camille Fine Camille Fine
USA TODAY
Sept. 3, 2022Updated Sept. 18, 2022, 12:34 p.m. ET
  • Yosemite is the number one park in KURU Footwear's “Top 10 Best National Parks for Hiking” list.
  • Pick a national park with a lot of trails to ensure "there's something for everyone," KURU said.
  • The list is based on a park's total number, distance and average ratings of trails.

Want to experience the best trails the National Park Service has to offer? With over 44,000 combined miles to choose from, consider these national parks ranked best for hiking. 

Utah-based shoe company KURU said it used the total number of trails, distance of trails, average trail rating, number of annual visitors and acreage of the park to determine the “Top 10 Best National Parks for Hiking” and narrow down over 4,155 combined trails across 63 national parks. Choosing a park with a high number of trails is a smart option for families who hike and want to ensure "there's something for everyone," the company said.

The longest trail in the National Park System is the North Country Trail – spanning 4,600 miles across eight states. Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis ranked worst out of all the national parks for hiking, with only one, 2-mile-long trail.

Yosemite ranked No. 1. It also made The Family Vacation Guide's best national parks for you and your family to visit this summer list and was one of the 25 most visited parks in the National Park System last year. 

1. Yosemite, California

Yosemite National Park visitors wade in a river on July 12, 2022 in Yosemite National Park, California.

  • 278 trails

  • 4,729 total miles of trail

  • 4.56 /5 average trail rating 

2. Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

  • 348 trails

  • 4,354 total miles of trail

  • 4.38 /5 average trail rating 

Fireflies during mating season at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.

3. Yellowstone, Wyoming 

  • 267 trails

  • 3,507 total miles of trail

  • 4.2 /5 average trail rating 

Tourists view the Morning Glory hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, on May 14, 2016. The distinctive colors of the hot spring is due to bacteria which survive in the hot water although its vivid color has changed from its original blue to yellow and green after an accumulation of coins and debris thrown by tourists.

4. Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 194 trails

  • 3,072 total miles of trail

  • 4.28 /5 average trail rating 

A person snowshoes in Hurricane Ridge at Olympic National Park on Dec. 28, 2008, in Washington.

5. Shenandoah, Virginia

  • 264 trails

  • 2,667 total miles of trail

  • 4.34 /5 average trail rating 

A hiker looks at a map as he walks part of the Appalachian trail in Shenandoah National park, Virginia, on June 13, 2019.
A view through a canopy of trees in full fall color Oct. 24, 2015, along Skyline drive in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

6. Glacier, Montana

  • 154 trails

  • 2,160 total miles of trail

  • 4.43 /5 average trail rating 

7. Rocky Mountain, Colorado

  • 235 trails

  • 1,970 total miles of trail

  • 4.5 /5 average trail rating 

People walk near the Trail Ridge Road May 23, 2003, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

8. Sequoia, California

  • 98 trails

  • 1,624 total miles of trail

  • 4.48 /5 average trail rating 

Visitors walk past a giant sequoia tree on Aug. 22, 2022, in Sequoia National Park, California. Giant sequoia trees can live for over 3,000 years and average between 180 to 250 feet in height.

9. Grand Canyon, Arizona 

  • 133 trails

  • 1,562 total miles of trail

  • 4.32 /5 average trail rating 

Eric Luth wades through water in the redwall narrows of a side canyon of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park.
A rainbow arches through the Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona, Sept. 7, 2002.

10. Kings Canyon, California 

  • 68 trails

  • 1,583 total miles of trail

  • 4.47 /5 average trail rating 

A view of Kings Canyon National Park, California, from Lookout Peak.

Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY's NOW team. 

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