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Best Alpine Meadow Hikes in United States

131 routes in United States qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 7.0 km and 191 m (627 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 232 km.

That is 1 percent of the 9,390 routes we map in United States. They are shorter than the local average, 7.0 km against 14.0 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 191 m (627 ft) against 281 m (922 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

High pasture walking sits above the treeline, at its best in early summer when the meadows are in flower. The mix is broad: 77 are rated easy and 11 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

Deep Creek Lake Wide View
Easy

Meadow Mountain Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
86 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Mt Ritter and Banner Peak seen past Summit Lake, at Agnew Pass. In Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, California.
Moderate

Spooky Meadow Trail

California · United States

Distance
6.0 km
/ 3.7 mi
Elevation gain
645 m
Typical duration
2 hr 13 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
View east from the west end of Maryland State Route 768 (Dares Wharf Road) at Maryland State Route 402 (Dares Beach Road) in Dares Beach, Calvert County, Maryland
Easy

Griffin Meadow Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
21 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
The Loch Raven Reservoir is a reservoir that provides drinking water for the City of Baltimore and most of Baltimore County, Maryland. Originally built in 1881 as a dam and water tunnel to channel water to Lake Montebello and Lake Clifton,
Easy

Meadow Trail (yellow)

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.2 mi
Typical duration
5 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Geranium carolinianum, taken at the Kentucky River Palisades, Mercer County, KY, May 21 2016.
Easy

Meadow View

Kentucky · United States

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
85 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Forest
  • Alpine meadow
  • Wildlife watching
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 59.
Moderate

Summit Meadow Trail

California · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
457 m
Typical duration
1 hr 35 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Alpine meadow
Front view of the farmhouse at the Pleasant Hill Shaker Village's West Lot Farm, in rural Mercer County, Kentucky.
Moderate

Shawnee Run

Kentucky · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
102 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
  • Waterfall
  • Forest
  • Alpine meadow
Moderate

Indian Race Track Trail #171

Washington · United States

Distance
4.8 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
385 m
Typical duration
1 hr 35 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Alpine meadow
Near the end of Forest Road 525 in the Red Rock Ranger District is the Honanki Ruins, which are located at the base of this rock formation, hidden by the trees and shrubbery. For directions on how to get there, visit www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconi
Moderate

Mooney #12

Arizona · United States

Distance
11.3 km
/ 7.0 mi
Elevation gain
673 m
Typical duration
3 hr 21 min
  • Alpine meadow
Nearly at the Top of Mount Washington Gog Railway 2
Moderate

Alpine Garden Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
92 m
Typical duration
42 min
  • Alpine meadow
Students make their way to Porter field for the 4/20 smoke out
Easy

Long Meadow Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
176 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Alpine meadow
500px provided description: The water tower and men's bath house by night at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. [#winter ,#stars ,#snow ,#night photography ,#Kentucky ,#Shakertown ,#Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill ,#US Route 68 ,#US
Moderate

Pelly

Kentucky · United States

Distance
8.8 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
123 m
Typical duration
2 hr 1 min
  • River
  • Alpine meadow
Credit: USFWS
Easy

Barn Meadow Loop

Maine · United States

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
48 min
  • Alpine meadow
Cavanaugh-Zetek House
Easy

East Prairie Loop

Iowa · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Alpine meadow
View from the top of Bear Brook Picnic Area in Acadia National Park , Bar Harbor, Maine
Easy

Great Meadow Loop

Maine · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
17 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Alpine meadow
Pomfret Town House , Pomfret, Connecticut. Now home to the local historic society.
Easy

Mashamoquet Meadow Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Alpine meadow
"Preserved by Samuel H. Cowell and the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in cooperation with the California State Park Commission. Dedicated August 15, 1954."
Easy

Meadow Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Typical duration
10 min
  • Alpine meadow
View from Quinnipiac River Park in Fair Haven looking northeast toward the Fair Haven Heights neighborhood with the spire of Saint James Episcopal Church on East Grand Avenue visible.
Easy

Meadow Walk

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
8 min
  • Alpine meadow
Veterans Acres Crystal Lake, IL
Easy

Prairie View Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Alpine meadow
Schindhelm-Drews House
Easy

West Prairie Loop

Iowa · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Alpine meadow
Abandoned manure spreader (trailer), McLean Game Refuge , Eastern Region, Connecticut, USA.
Easy

Meadow Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Learning How to Cast
Moderate

Long Meadow Lake Trail

Minnesota · United States

Distance
8.3 km
/ 5.1 mi
Typical duration
1 hr 43 min
  • Lake
  • Alpine meadow
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 30.
Hard

String Meadow Trail

California · United States

Distance
14.0 km
/ 8.7 mi
Elevation gain
598 m
Typical duration
3 hr 48 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
Female Magnolia Warbler on nest at New Germany State Park in Garrett County, Maryland.
Hard

Meadow Mountain Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
18.9 km
/ 11.7 mi
Elevation gain
343 m
Typical duration
4 hr 34 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
500px provided description: The water tower and men's bath house by night at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. [#winter ,#stars ,#snow ,#night photography ,#Kentucky ,#Shakertown ,#Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill ,#US Route 68 ,#US
Easy

Lampton

Kentucky · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
72 m
Typical duration
43 min
  • Alpine meadow
500px provided description: The water tower and men's bath house by night at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. [#winter ,#stars ,#snow ,#night photography ,#Kentucky ,#Shakertown ,#Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill ,#US Route 68 ,#US
Moderate

Tanyard

Kentucky · United States

Distance
7.8 km
/ 4.9 mi
Elevation gain
135 m
Typical duration
1 hr 50 min
  • Alpine meadow
View north along Maryland State Route 109 (Beallsville Road) at Maryland State Route 28 (Darnestown Road) in Beallsville, Montgomery County, Maryland
Easy

Meadow Loop

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Howard Eaton Trail

Wyoming · United States

Distance
17.5 km
/ 10.8 mi
Elevation gain
384 m
Typical duration
4 hr 17 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
  • Forest
Moderate

Walupt Lake Trail #101

Washington · United States

Distance
6.8 km
/ 4.3 mi
Elevation gain
151 m
Typical duration
1 hr 39 min
  • Lake
  • River
  • Alpine meadow
Rhamphomyia sp. Sawtooth National Forest near Stanley, Idaho.
Hard

Alpine Way Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
28.5 km
/ 17.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,042 m
Typical duration
7 hr 55 min
  • Alpine meadow
Expert

Maah Daah Hey Trail

North Dakota · United States

Distance
232 km
/ 144 mi
Elevation gain
5,114 m
Typical duration
62 hr
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Ledges State Park, Madrid, United States
Easy

Prairie Trail

Iowa · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Typical duration
11 min
  • Alpine meadow
Moderate

Volcano Meadow Trail

California · United States

Distance
6.7 km
/ 4.1 mi
Elevation gain
261 m
Typical duration
1 hr 47 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Volcano
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 45.
Moderate

Doe Meadow Trail

California · United States

Distance
9.6 km
/ 5.9 mi
Elevation gain
579 m
Typical duration
2 hr 51 min
  • Alpine meadow
Moderate

Summit Meadow - Holcomb Cutoff

California · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
174 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Alpine meadow
Moderate

Meadow Brook Trail

California · United States

Distance
9.3 km
/ 5.8 mi
Elevation gain
750 m
Typical duration
3 hr 4 min
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
Well-exposed natural outcrop of the Cottonwood Limestone alongside the Konza Prairie Nature Trail .
Moderate

Konza Prairie Nature Trail

Kansas · United States

Distance
11.3 km
/ 7.0 mi
Elevation gain
170 m
Typical duration
2 hr 36 min
  • Alpine meadow
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 59.
Easy

Meadow Mouse Trail

Michigan · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Typical duration
9 min
  • Alpine meadow
Woods Canyon Lake, United States
Easy

Meadow Trail 505

Arizona · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Typical duration
33 min
  • Alpine meadow
Ridgway State Park
Easy

Mule Deer Meadow Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
30 m
Typical duration
12 min
  • Alpine meadow
Easy

Eagle Pass Trail

Washington · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Alpine meadow
Front view of the farmhouse at the Pleasant Hill Shaker Village's West Lot Farm, in rural Mercer County, Kentucky.
Easy

West Lot

Kentucky · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
61 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • Forest
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Meadow Creek National Recreation TrailIdaho41.9 km567 m10 hrExpertJune to October
Meadow Mountain TrailMaryland5.4 km86 m1 hr 15 minEasyApril to October
Iowa River Trail - Terry Trueblood to Waterworks Prairie ParkIowa12.2 km26 m2 hr 34 minModerateApril to October
Spooky Meadow TrailCalifornia6.0 km645 m2 hr 13 minModerateJuly to September
Griffin Meadow TrailMaryland1.6 km9 m21 minEasyApril to October
Meadow Trail (yellow)Maryland0.4 kmflat5 minEasyApril to October
Meadow ViewKentucky3.7 km85 m54 minEasyApril to October
Summit Meadow TrailCalifornia4.3 km457 m1 hr 35 minModerateJuly to September
Shawnee RunKentucky4.6 km102 m1 hr 6 minModerateApril to October
Indian Race Track Trail #171Washington4.8 km385 m1 hr 35 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Meadow Creek National Recreation Trail, Meadow Mountain Trail, Iowa River Trail - Terry Trueblood to Waterworks Prairie Park. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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