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Loop Trails in United States

The directory currently contains 1,042 quality-checked routes matching this guide in United States. Their average mapped distance is 4.0 km and average recorded ascent is 82 m (269 ft); the longest route in the set is 270 km.

This subset represents 18% of the 5,699 quality-checked routes in United States. Its average distance is 4.0 km, compared with 14.1 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 82 m (269 ft), versus 264 m (866 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set is classified as a loop and returns to its starting area. A loop can still reuse part of the same path. Within this set, 680 routes (65%) are rated easy, 35 (3%) are rated hard or expert, and 1042 (100%) 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

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

32.2 km

Highland Lakes - Arnot Creek Loop

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

1,081 m

Highland Lakes - Arnot Creek Loop

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

6 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Expert

Rae Lakes Loop

California · United States

Distance
57.6 km
/ 35.8 mi
Elevation gain
2,081 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
Expert

Big SEKI Loop

California · United States

Distance
251 km
/ 156 mi
Elevation gain
9,009 m
Typical duration
72 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 39,843. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County. In 1864 Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona T
Expert

Prescott Circle Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
88.8 km
/ 55.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,160 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Long-distance path
(1 in a 5-picture set) Turn, paddle wheel, turn. You will go back in time as you watch the wheel churn up the beautiful cobalt blue water. Wanna' know a secret? The wheel is not really propelling the boast. It is just for 'atmosphere.'
Expert

Tahoe Rim Trail

California · United States

Distance
270 km
/ 168 mi
Elevation gain
4,808 m
Typical duration
71 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

High Sierra Camp Loop

California · United States

Distance
76.3 km
/ 47.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,125 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
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
Expert

Eagle Rock Loop

Arkansas · United States

Distance
42.3 km
/ 26.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,058 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Moderate

Bald Mountain Red Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
192 m
Typical duration
1 hr 10 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
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
Wapack National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Matt Poole/USFWS. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/USFWSNortheast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/USFWSNortheast
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
Moderate

Bald Mountain White Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
85 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Shoreline Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
6.5 km
/ 4.1 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
1 hr 26 min
  • Coastal
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Trail 7

Indiana · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
49 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bald Mountain Green Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
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
Easy

Bear Lake Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
21 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Easy

White Oak Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
61 m
Typical duration
25 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
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
Easy

Meadow Trail (yellow)

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.2 mi
Typical duration
5 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Gahuti

Georgia · United States

Distance
12.7 km
/ 7.9 mi
Elevation gain
475 m
Typical duration
3 hr 21 min
  • Mountain
  • Castle and ruins
Geranium carolinianum, taken at the Kentucky River Palisades, Mercer County, KY, May 21 2016.
Moderate

River Road

Kentucky · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
176 m
Typical duration
1 hr 9 min
  • River
  • Coastal
Easy

Prairie View Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Lake
  • Alpine meadow
A man fishing in the Indian Head River reservoir , on the border of Pembroke and Hanson in Massachusetts.
Easy

Indian Head River Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
5.6 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
1 hr 14 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Munger Brook Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
19 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

River Trail

Michigan · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Spencers Creek Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Meadow View

Kentucky · United States

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
85 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Lake
  • Alpine meadow
Horseshoe lake, where the portage trail crosses the powwow hiking trail
Expert

Powwow Trail

Minnesota · United States

Distance
48.5 km
/ 30.1 mi
Elevation gain
147 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
The Little Indian Sioux River as it passes Echo Trail (Ely-Buyck Road) in the Superior National Forest near Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) entry point (EP) 9 / 14.
Expert

Sioux-Hustler Trail

Minnesota · United States

Distance
49.9 km
/ 31.0 mi
Elevation gain
490 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Geranium carolinianum, taken at the Kentucky River Palisades, Mercer County, KY, May 21 2016.
Moderate

Palisades Loop

Kentucky · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
31 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Waterfall
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Fisherman Road

Michigan · United States

Distance
117 km
/ 72.9 mi
Elevation gain
480 m
Typical duration
28 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Easy

Woodland Path Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
16 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
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
Kīlauea Iki crater from above, Kīlauea, Hawaii, United States
Hard

Crater Rim Trail

Hawaii · United States

Distance
18.1 km
/ 11.3 mi
Elevation gain
288 m
Typical duration
4 hr 18 min
  • Volcano
Expert

Great Circle Trail

Maine · United States

Distance
44.9 km
/ 27.9 mi
Elevation gain
768 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
California bay tree (Umbellularia californica), wind-sculpted, along trail on exposed Rocky Ridge of Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, East Bay, California.
Moderate

Rocky Ridge Loop Trail

California · United States

Distance
6.9 km
/ 4.3 mi
Elevation gain
434 m
Typical duration
2 hr 6 min
  • Mountain
Woodland Reservoir Pine Trees
Easy

Woodland Lake Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Typical duration
22 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
Pass Mountain, Usery Mountain Regional Park, March 2015
Moderate

Pass Mountain Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
11.7 km
/ 7.3 mi
Elevation gain
325 m
Typical duration
2 hr 56 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Kraft Mountain Loop

Nevada · United States

Distance
5.7 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
196 m
Typical duration
1 hr 28 min
  • Mountain
Westward view from Thatcher Ledges
Expert

Tully Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
35.7 km
/ 22.2 mi
Elevation gain
684 m
Typical duration
9 hr 6 min
  • Mountain
Pemigewasset River, Flume Gorge, Lincoln
Moderate

Flume Gorge Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
163 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Canyon and gorge

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
Rae Lakes LoopCalifornia57.6 km2,081 m16 hrExpertJuly to September
Big SEKI LoopCalifornia251 km9,009 m72 hrExpertJuly to September
Prescott Circle TrailArizona88.8 km1,160 m22 hrExpertJune to October
Tahoe Rim TrailCalifornia270 km4,808 m71 hrExpertJuly to September
High Sierra Camp LoopCalifornia76.3 km2,125 m20 hrExpertJuly to September
Highland Lakes - Arnot Creek LoopCalifornia32.2 km1,081 m8 hr 51 minExpertJuly to September
Parker Canyon Lakeshore TrailArizona7.7 km137 m1 hr 49 minModerateJune to October
Eagle Rock LoopArkansas42.3 km1,058 m11 hrExpertApril to October
Snowbank and Disappointment Lakes LoopMinnesota38.5 km272 m9 hr 8 minExpertApril to October
Bald Mountain Red TrailConnecticut4.2 km192 m1 hr 10 minModerateApril to October

Rae Lakes Loop, Big SEKI Loop, High Sierra Camp Loop 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

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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