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Best Summit Hikes in United States

We track 113 routes that match this search in United States. They average 6.4 km and 334 m (1,096 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 51.3 km.

That is 1 percent of the 9,390 routes we map in United States. They are shorter than the local average, 6.4 km against 14.0 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day.

Summit routes are built around one moment. The climbing is front-loaded and the view arrives all at once. The mix is broad: 33 are rated easy and 15 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

Mountaineer climbing Chasm view wall I took this photo from Chasm Lake, Colorado, USA
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
Snowshoeing in RMNP to Mills Lake
Moderate

North Longs Peak Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
8.7 km
/ 5.4 mi
Elevation gain
65 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Thursday, April 3, 2014 -- Governor Dannel P. Malloy, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Rob Klee, and Mayor Scott Jackson joined first and fifth graders from Hamden’s Helen Street and Ridge Hill Schools f
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
  • Waymarked route
Adult fox yawning in Acadia National Park in Maine, US.
Moderate

Valley Peak Trail

Maine · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
222 m
Typical duration
50 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Label view of ant Temnothorax nevadensis specimen casent0103385 .
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
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
Adams, MA, USA
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
  • Forest
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
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 44.
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
El Paso County, CO, USA
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
  • Summit push
  • Forest
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 38.
Moderate

Summit Lake Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
117 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Pinus engelmannii forest (with Pseudotsuga menziesii at far left). Carr Peak Trail, Ramsey Canyon, Huachuca Mts., Cochise Co., Arizona, 31°25'23"N 110°18'05"W, 2310m altitude
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
Moderate

Colonel Bob Trail #851

Washington · United States

Distance
10.6 km
/ 6.6 mi
Elevation gain
233 m
Typical duration
2 hr 34 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Sign to the Visitor Center of Catoctin Mountain Park
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
Adams, MA, USA
Moderate

Cheshire Harbor Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
159 m
Typical duration
39 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Summit of the 2nd most or perhaps 3rd most frequently climbed mountain on the planet.
Moderate

Smith Summit Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
234 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Trees of Castle Rock (2)
Moderate

Summit Rock Loop Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
228 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
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
Извержение / Outpouring
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
view from fire watchtower at pack monadnock
Easy

Summit Loop

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
A picnic table and a fireplace at the picnic area in the Jackson-Washington State Forest , located southeast of Brownstown in Brownstown Township , Jackson County , Indiana , United States . Built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Moderate

Pinnacle Peak Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
128 m
Typical duration
31 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 50.
Hard

Mt. Lamborn Summit Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
15.0 km
/ 9.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,647 m
Typical duration
5 hr 36 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
View of Arizona taken during ISS Expedition 21.
Moderate

Bassett Peak Trail #287C

Arizona · United States

Distance
9.6 km
/ 5.9 mi
Elevation gain
353 m
Typical duration
2 hr 31 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
View of midtown Phoenix, Arizona from the Phoenix Mountain Preserve at 32nd St. and Lincoln Dr.
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
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
Lon Chaney Sr. High Sierra House, front view. The cabin is located in the Inyo National Forest , about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from the Big Pine Creek trail head next to the north fork of Big Pine Creek , Eastern Sierra . The cabin was designed
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
Moderate

Bunsen Peak Trail

Wyoming · United States

Distance
6.8 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
149 m
Typical duration
1 hr 38 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Hard

IAT - Summit Moraine Segment

Wisconsin · United States

Distance
18.7 km
/ 11.6 mi
Elevation gain
412 m
Typical duration
4 hr 38 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Sunset from Blueberry Hill, below Flattop Mountain
Moderate

Little O'Malley Peak Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
342 m
Typical duration
1 hr 19 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Dragonfly at Big Sur
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
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 17.
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
Easy

Glacier View Trail #267

Washington · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
91 m
Typical duration
1 hr
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Abandoned manure spreader (trailer), McLean Game Refuge , Eastern Region, Connecticut, USA.
Moderate

Summit Trail

Connecticut · United States

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

Summit Lake Trail

California · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
594 m
Typical duration
1 hr 52 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Hard

Matanuska Peak Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
8.9 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,746 m
Typical duration
4 hr 28 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Easy

Avalance Peak Trail

Wyoming · United States

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
82 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Moderate

East Summit Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
105 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Summit Trail

Arkansas · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Black Mountain Summit Trail

New York · United States

Distance
5.9 km
/ 3.6 mi
Elevation gain
129 m
Typical duration
1 hr 25 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bramley Summit Trail

New York · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
57 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Caleb's Peak Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
21 m
Typical duration
13 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Grace Peak Trail

New York · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Gray Peak Trail

New York · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Summit Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
26 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • 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 Longs Peak TrailColorado8.7 km65 m1 hr 54 minModerateJuly to September
North Summit TrailConnecticut1.3 km10 m17 minModerateApril to October
Valley Peak TrailMaine2.4 km222 m50 minModerateApril to October
Alta TrailCalifornia15.7 km177 m3 hr 33 minModerateJuly to September
Borah Peak TrailIdaho6.2 km1,661 m3 hr 47 minHardJuly to September
Charleston Peak Trail South LoopNevada13.5 km1,504 m5 hr 4 minHardJuly to September
Jones Nose to SummitMassachusetts13.2 km706 m3 hr 48 minHardApril to October
Humphreys Summit Trail #151Arizona7.8 km79 m1 hr 44 minModerateJuly to September
Marble Peak TrailCalifornia20.9 km1,511 m6 hr 48 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Longs Peak Trail, North Longs Peak Trail, North Summit Trail. 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

Related guides

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