Spending 4 or 5 days near Acadia National Park, any advice? : hiking. 10 of the Best Places to Hike in the United States. The United States is a huge country with tons of variety, so there’s no shortage of awesome places to lace up the boots, get that blood pumping, and take in some amazing views. Want to add US hikes to your trip itinerary? If you’ve been stuck indoors much of the winter and spring, here are ten great places around the country to get out and hike. Zion National Park – Utah With a wide variety of options and a multitude of landscapes, Zion National Park in Utah is a hiker’s and climber’s paradise. Popular hikes in Zion There are a lot of challenging trails in Zion, and it’s imperative to be aware of weather and time of year, particularly when it comes to hiking in the canyon, as flash floods can happen at any time.
Angels Landing - One of the most popular hikes in the park is also one of its most challenging. There are literally hundreds of different intersecting trails in Zion, so be sure to check out the following links for more information about hiking in Zion: Grand Canyon Backcountry Hiking. Blue Ridge Mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains are noted for their bluish color when seen from a distance. Trees put the "blue" in Blue Ridge, from the isoprene released into the atmosphere,[2] thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color.[3] Within the Blue Ridge province are two major national parks: the Shenandoah National Park in the northern section and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the southern section. The Blue Ridge also contains the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile (755 km) long scenic highway that connects the two parks and is located along the ridge crestlines with the Appalachian Trail.[4] Geography[edit] The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles (755 km) along crests of the Southern Appalachians and links two national parks: Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains.
Geology[edit] Most of the rocks that form the Blue Ridge Mountains are ancient granitic charnockites, metamorphosed volcanic formations, and sedimentary limestones. History[edit] Mount Mitchell. History[edit] The mountain was named after Elisha Mitchell, a professor at the University of North Carolina, who determined its height in 1835, and fell to his death at nearby Mitchell Falls in 1857, having returned to verify his earlier measurements. The ascent of Mount Mitchell is now rather easy, since a 4.6 miles (7.4 km) road (NC 128) off the historic and scenic Blue Ridge Parkway runs nearby, and a 980-foot (300 m) trail leads through a conifer forest to the summit.
The 40-foot (12 m) stone observation tower on the summit was torn down in late 2006. A new observation deck was constructed and opened to visitors in January 2009.[3] Also on the summit is the tomb of Dr. Environment[edit] The mountain's summit is coated in a dense stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, which consists primarily of two evergreen species— the red spruce and the Fraser fir. Wildflowers are abundant all summer long.
Climate[edit] Sign atop Mt. Gallery[edit] Forest floor high on Mount Mitchell. List of mountains of the Blue Ridge.