10 Amazing Spots for Winter Hiking
Hiking is a year-round activity in the West, and in fact, some places are at their quiet, uncrowded best in winter
Courtesy of REI Adventures
1 of 10 Courtesy of REI Adventures
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
Rim Trail, 1-5 mile round-trip
The image of Bryce Canyon's hoodoos frosted with snow is one of the most stunning sights in the West. The park's signature hike, the Rim Trail, curves around the rock formation-filled amphitheater and can be tackled as easily or as adventurously as you choose. The mostly flat one-mile round-trip hike from Inspiration point to Sunset Point is fairly reliably open all winter. For more of a challenge, continue onto Fairyland Point, a 4-mile round-trip addition. This section is much steeper, and you're likely to need crampons or clip-on traction devices. Be sure to check for trail closures before setting out.
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Creative Commons photo by Tiffany Nguyen is licensed under CC BY 2.0
2 of 10 Creative Commons photo by Tiffany Nguyen is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Jasper National Park, AB
Maligne Canyon; distance varies
The Maligne Canyon experience isn't a relaxed winter stroll. Trails are rugged and icy, and often require crampons. If it's your first time, you shouldn't even think of venturing off the canyon rim without a guide. The rewards, though, make the exertion and equipment purchase worth it. The canyon's renowned waterfalls freeze in winter, making for a fantastical trek. Winter is prime wildlife viewing time, with sightings of elk, wolves, moose, and elusive mountain lions all possible. Plus, the park's designation as a Dark Sky Preserve means that you'll be treated to some of the best stargazing and northern lights shows of your life. Check for closures and hazardous conditions before starting out.
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Creative Commons photo by mlhradio is licensed under CC BY 2.0
3 of 10 Creative Commons photo by mlhradio is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Ruby Valley, NV
Ruby Valley Hot Springs hike, up to 14 miles round-trip
This is a long trek, for sure (you can make it shorter if you have a 4x4 for unplowed roads), but it's over flat land and the payoff is the chance to soak in natural hot springs deep enough for swimming. Steam the soreness away while taking in views of 11,000-foot mountains and keeping an eye out for wild horses and prairie falcons drawn to the nearby Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
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Courtesy of NPS/Tyler Nordgren
4 of 10 Courtesy of NPS/Tyler Nordgren
Death Valley, CA
Badwater Basin boardwalk to lowest point in Western Hemisphere, 3.5 miles or more
In winter you can have the lowest point on this half of the globe almost to yourself, and you're more likely to feel a chill than heat stroke. (Temps will probably peak in the mid 60s and dip into the 40s at night). Drive to the Badwater Basin parking area and stroll out onto the boardwalk built over the salt flats. You'll be greeted with a lunar-esque vista of salt-encrusted sand for miles. You're free to stroll out on the salt as far as you want—the pan itself is about five miles across. The actual lowest point (282 feet below sea level) is about 3.5 miles from the boardwalk, but unmarked. You'll need a GPS; the coordinates are 36° 14.515'N, 116° 49.535'W. A bonus feature to visiting in winter is long nights under the darkest, clearest, and biggest skies you're ever likely to see, making for an epic stargazing experience.
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Creative Commons photo by Janalie Brown is licensed under CC BY 2.0
5 of 10 Creative Commons photo by Janalie Brown is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Coyote Buttes North, UT/AZ Border
The Wave, 5.2-mile round-trip
Only 20 permits per day are issued by the Bureau of Land Management to visit the spectacular undulating sandstone valley known simply as The Wave. Your chances of scoring one are highest during the blisteringly hot month of August, and, interestingly, in January. Winter is the way to go as competition for local lodging is minimal, and daytime temperatures average in the crisp-but-bearable mid-40s. Be prepared for a navigation challenge. There's no marked path across the red-striped stone, and rock formations are striking but hard to distinguish from each other. Bring a GPS device and follow your old-school paper map closely. One potential perk of visiting in winter: It's possible that snowfall will allow you to follow the tracks of the 20 people who were lucky enough to visit the day before you.
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Courtesy of National Park Service
6 of 10 Courtesy of National Park Service
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
South Kaibab Trail, 14-mile round-trip
You may feel you know the Grand Canyon, but it's a completely different place in the winter when crowds are thin and snow softens the angles on the landscape. Winter is also the time when you have the best chance at getting a lottery-driven reservation at Phantom Ranch. Accommodations aren't luxurious, but the property makes the canyon base accessible without backpacking. Note that we said "accessible," not "effortlessly available." There's no way around the fact that the ranch is a vertical mile below your starting point. There are several paths down, but in winter, the steep, shade-free South Kaibab Trail (pictured) is your best bet. You'll be happy for that sun, which keeps the trail mostly snow- and ice-free, and no shade means nothing to block the canyon views that will keep you going when the 7-mile trail gets rough.
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Creative Commons photo by LunchboxLarry is licensed under CC BY 2.0
7 of 10 Creative Commons photo by LunchboxLarry is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Hyalite Canyon, MT
Hyalite Lake hike, up to 12 miles round-trip
Going as far as the lake is optional on a hike this gorgeous, and in fact, it isn't always possible without snowshoes. No matter. The journey, not the destination, is the important thing in Hyalite Canyon, so turn back when you like. The area is renowned as an ice-climbing destination, and almost as impressive as the clutch of sapphire-blue frozen waterfalls punctuating the area is watching the efforts of the world-class climbers drawn here every winter.
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Creative Commons photo by Daniel Parks is licensed under CC BY 2.0
8 of 10 Creative Commons photo by Daniel Parks is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Yosemite National Park, CA
Yosemite Valley, distance varies
Yosemite Valley is another familiar place that shows a different side of itself when temperatures drop and crowds go home. What can seem like a selfie stick-studded tourist trap in July turns cathedral-quiet in January. Trails that are open for hiking year-round range from the easy half-mile ramble to the base of Bridalveil Falls, to the borderline-grueling, 9.4-mile Snow Creek Trail. (Check conditions, though, to make sure standard hiking boots will cut it the day you set out.) You can't hike Half Dome at this time of year, but you can get great views of it while taking a spin at the seasonal Half Dome Village ice skating rink.
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Creative Commons photo by Chris Ballance is licensed under CC BY 2.0
9 of 10 Creative Commons photo by Chris Ballance is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Marble Mountain Sno-Park, WA
Mt. St. Helens Worm Flows trail, 10.8 miles round-trip
This isn't an easy hike—you'll gain 5,700 feet, and probably want an ice axe and crampons. Still, it requires no technical climbing skills, putting an alpine experience within reach of anyone in reasonably good shape. Plus, at the end you're on top of an active volcano, more than 8,000 feet above sea level. Much of the hike is above the treeline, offering dramatic views of Spirit Lake and Mount Rainier, as well as the eerie lava-laced face of Mt. St. Helens itself. Winter weather at this elevation can get very real, so check conditions before you set out—and be sure to apply for a climbing permit, too, if you're going all the way to the top.
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Creative Commons photo by Thomas is licensed under CC BY 2.0
10 of 10 Creative Commons photo by Thomas is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Haleakala National Park, Maui, HI
Pipiwai Trail, 4-mile round-trip
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow on someone else. If you hate cold but want to stay active all winter, you can't do better than a tropical trek on Maui, where the average February temperature (70° F) is only seven degrees lower than it is in August. Haleakala National Park offers hiking for every fitness range. A favorite is the Pipiwai Trail, in the remote and rugged Kipahulu District. A four-mile round-trip through a bamboo forest rewards you with the chance to take a dip in waters at the base of 400-foot Waimoku Falls (pictured). Will you have the cascade to yourself? No; winter is high tourist season here. But you'll stay active and get a better tan than your snowbound mainland friends, and have Insta-worthy photos of your workout, to boot.
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