Lost Mine Trail
A popular hike in Big Bend National Park with endless views of the Chisos Mountains.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 7.3 km
- Ascent
- 340 m
- Descent
- 340 m
Greg Heil's top 10 hikes in 2021.
Hiking Moderate, Difficult, Severe, Extreme
Also in Colorado, United States of America • Nevada, United States of America • Oregon, United States of America • Texas, United States of America • Washington, United States of America • Wisconsin, United States of America
At the beginning of 2021, I set a personal goal of covering at least 500 miles on foot over the next 12 months. I know, I know, that doesn't sound like a lot to some of the ultrarunners that will inevitably read this article, but when you consider that mountain biking is my main sport and I spent 167 days riding and pedaled over 2,500 miles last year, plus about 9 days spent SUPping, 9 days of snowboarding, a few days of rock climbing, and more, it felt like a pretty jam-packed 12 months of adventure!
I not only reached 500 miles, but I soared past it in the final two weeks of the year thanks to an epic vacation to the Big Bend region of Texas. The final count for the year: 529 miles covered on foot.
As I took a few minutes to review the dozens of hikes from 2021, I was inundated with a flood of memories—beautiful vistas, difficult challenges, and epic trips from a whole host of incredible days spent in the mountains and deserts.
While I always publish a year-in-review summary of my favorite mountain bike trails from the previous year, for the first time ever, I'm pairing my mountain biking round-up with a hiking rendition as well. So without further ado, here are 10 of my favorite hikes from 2021.
A popular hike in Big Bend National Park with endless views of the Chisos Mountains.
Difficult Hiking
Packed with incredible views—likely the best bang-for-your-buck hike in Chamonix!
Difficult Hiking
Day hike to and from the Glacier Basin Campground—not the full mountaineering ascent to the summit of Rainier.
Difficult Hiking
One of the top hikes in the Pacific Northwest!
Moderate Hiking
This upthrust rock formation stands prominently by itself, providing an unbelievable 360-degree view from the summit!
Extreme Hiking
A popular and stunning, yet somewhat technical, hike in Red Rocks.
Severe Hiking
A stunning hike into the alpine along a knife-edge mountain ridge.
Difficult Hiking
The best hike on the mainland for viewing Lake Superior's sea caves.
Difficult Hiking
A stunning alpine loop hike up Burroughs Mountain.
Moderate Hiking
The most popular trail in the Chisos Basin.
Difficult Hiking
10 routes · Alpine Climbing · Hiking
6 routes · Hiking
14 routes · Hiking
8 routes · Hiking
15 routes · Hiking
6 routes · Alpine Climbing · Hiking
6 routes · Hiking
8 routes · Hiking
5 routes · Hiking
14 routes · Hiking