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Best Panoramic Hikes in United States

The directory currently contains 123 quality-checked routes matching this guide in United States. Their average mapped distance is 5.7 km and average recorded ascent is 317 m (1,040 ft); the longest route in the set is 51.3 km.

This subset represents 2% of the 5,699 quality-checked routes in United States. Its average distance is 5.7 km, compared with 14.1 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 317 m (1,040 ft), versus 264 m (866 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes carry the viewpoint tag. Visibility, orientation and the precise viewpoint location are not guaranteed by the tag. Within this set, 27 routes (22%) are rated easy, 20 (16%) are rated hard or expert, and 24 (20%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Trails

The Dove glacier and Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. August 2021
Hard

Longs Peak Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
11.0 km
/ 6.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,560 m
Typical duration
4 hr 38 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

North Summit Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Hard

Crest Trail #103

Arizona · United States

Distance
16.8 km
/ 10.5 mi
Elevation gain
677 m
Typical duration
4 hr 35 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Alta Trail

California · United States

Distance
15.7 km
/ 9.7 mi
Elevation gain
177 m
Typical duration
3 hr 33 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Doyle Peak and Fremont Peak in the San Francisco Peak of Arizona. I hiked from Lockett Meadow on the Inner Basin Trail to the Weatherford Trail to Humphrey's Summit in the San Francisco Peaks Wilderness north of Flagstaff Arizona. Looking s
Moderate

Humphreys Summit Trail #151

Arizona · United States

Distance
7.8 km
/ 4.8 mi
Elevation gain
79 m
Typical duration
1 hr 44 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Hard

Marble Peak Trail

California · United States

Distance
20.9 km
/ 13.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,511 m
Typical duration
6 hr 48 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Expert

Summit National Recreation Trail

California · United States

Distance
51.3 km
/ 31.9 mi
Elevation gain
2,050 m
Typical duration
14 hr
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Kinnikinnick is very common matted plant on the gentle gravelly slopes along the ridge leading up to Borah Peak.
Hard

Borah Peak Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
6.2 km
/ 3.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,661 m
Typical duration
3 hr 47 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Joe's Canyon Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
497 m
Typical duration
1 hr 49 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Carr Peak Trail #107

Arizona · United States

Distance
5.5 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
620 m
Typical duration
2 hr 5 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Monument atop Mount Greylock at sunset
Hard

Jones Nose to Summit

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
13.2 km
/ 8.2 mi
Elevation gain
706 m
Typical duration
3 hr 48 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
NPS Photo / Samantha Zurbuch
Moderate

Overlook Cliff Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
36 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Coastal
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Lookout Mountain Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
84 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Hikers along the ridge of Catoctin
Moderate

Blue Ridge Summit Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Coronado National Memorial
Moderate

Coronado Peak Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
89 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Huachuca Mountains, Arizona.
Moderate

Hamburg Trail #122

Arizona · United States

Distance
5.1 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
81 m
Typical duration
1 hr 11 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Parker Canyon Lake is located southwest of Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Moderate

Parker Canyon Lakeshore Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
7.7 km
/ 4.8 mi
Elevation gain
137 m
Typical duration
1 hr 49 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Summit Meadows Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
99 m
Typical duration
30 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Hard

Upper Lookout Canyon Trail #120

Arizona · United States

Distance
18.1 km
/ 11.2 mi
Elevation gain
138 m
Typical duration
4 hr 4 min
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Expert

Barr Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
19.1 km
/ 11.9 mi
Elevation gain
2,303 m
Typical duration
7 hr 34 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Summit Trail 300

Arizona · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
418 m
Typical duration
1 hr
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Middle Lookout Canyon Trail #121

Arizona · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
52 min
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Looking west over Flagstaff from Mt. Elden Lookout. Taken 7-17-13 by Brady Smith. Credit: U.S. Forest Service, Coconino National Forest.
Moderate

Elden Lookout Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
764 m
Typical duration
2 hr 1 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
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
Moderate

Baker Summit Trail

California · United States

Distance
10.0 km
/ 6.2 mi
Elevation gain
140 m
Typical duration
2 hr 18 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Cheshire Harbor Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
159 m
Typical duration
39 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Yaqui Ridge Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
198 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Early fall vista from Chimney Rock
Moderate

Thurmont Vista Loop Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
98 m
Typical duration
56 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Early fall vista from Chimney Rock
Moderate

Thurmont Vista Overlook

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
58 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Vista Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
157 m
Typical duration
46 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Yellow Poplar Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
11.9 km
/ 7.4 mi
Elevation gain
301 m
Typical duration
2 hr 56 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Manuel Peak Trail

California · United States

Distance
17.7 km
/ 11.0 mi
Elevation gain
773 m
Typical duration
4 hr 55 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Miller Canyon Trail #106

Arizona · United States

Distance
5.0 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
862 m
Typical duration
2 hr 20 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Watatic Summit

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
5.3 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
246 m
Typical duration
1 hr 29 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Huachuca Mountains, Coronado National Forest.
Moderate

Ida Canyon Trail #110

Arizona · United States

Distance
5.6 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
695 m
Typical duration
2 hr 13 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
Moderate

Oversite Canyon Trail #112

Arizona · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
708 m
Typical duration
1 hr 58 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Huachuca Mountains, Arizona.
Moderate

Pat Scott Trail #123

Arizona · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
547 m
Typical duration
1 hr 28 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
This springs restoration project is the first tribal-Forest Service collaborative project to be implemented since the February 2014 publication of the new Land and Resource Management Plan (forest plan) for the Kaibab National Forest, and t
Moderate

Big Spring Lookout Trail #51

Arizona · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
284 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Forest
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

White Bark Vista Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
19 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Easy

South River Overlook

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • River
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Yavapai Vista #172

Arizona · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
6 min
  • Forest
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Summit Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
23 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Panorama Trail

California · United States

Distance
8.8 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
464 m
Typical duration
2 hr 32 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Nepaug State Forest's Valley Outlook Trail scenic overlook view of the Nepaug valley and Yellow Mountain.
Easy

Valley Overlook Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
16 m
Typical duration
24 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route

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
Longs Peak TrailColorado11.0 km1,560 m4 hr 38 minHardJuly to September
North Summit TrailConnecticut1.3 km10 m17 minModerateApril to October
Arizona Trail #1 Huachuca MountainsArizona32.6 km1,290 m9 hr 16 minExpertJuly to September
Crest Trail #103Arizona16.8 km677 m4 hr 35 minHardJuly to September
Alta TrailCalifornia15.7 km177 m3 hr 33 minModerateJuly to September
Charleston Peak Trail South LoopNevada13.5 km1,504 m5 hr 4 minHardJuly to September
Humphreys Summit Trail #151Arizona7.8 km79 m1 hr 44 minModerateJuly to September
Marble Peak TrailCalifornia20.9 km1,511 m6 hr 48 minHardApril to October
Summit National Recreation TrailCalifornia51.3 km2,050 m14 hrExpertJuly to September
Borah Peak TrailIdaho6.2 km1,661 m3 hr 47 minHardJuly to September

Longs Peak Trail, North Summit Trail, Arizona Trail #1 Huachuca Mountains currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

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