10 of the Best Day Hikes in the Appalachian Mountains

One of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, the Appalachians are entirely underrated as an outdoor destination!

Greg Heil

Images

45522043751_a116c40b45_6k.jpg
15520261079_4e7c913bd3_k.jpg
11613284164_a9a0c7b64f_k.jpg
5901018374_b91105e032_k.jpg
Mt._Lafayette_from_Franconia_Ridge.JPG
Greenleaf_Mountain_Hut.jpg
Greenleaf Mountain Hut

by Ken Gallager

Licence Free

Franconia_Ridge.jpg
14920709564_8398c6e9e9_k.jpg
15406182825_b271922151_k.jpg
15219554090_3a40a18a3a_k.jpg
6154095452_7caaf9ac14_k.jpg
15335966547_3acf67eaaa_k.jpg
20190214_105140.jpg
North of Horse Rock Bald on the ridge

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20190214_105157.jpg
North of Horse Rock Bald on the ridge

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20190214_105154.jpg
North of Horse Rock Bald on the ridge

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20190214_105136.jpg
North of Horse Rock Bald on the ridge

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20190214_101803.jpg
The graded climb from Bowlens Creek

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

Mount_Mitchell_sign.jpg
20180627_132424.jpg
Mount Washington

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180627_124042.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180627_141130.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180627_113740.jpg
Mount Eisenhower

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

SunsetRidge_DougKerr.jpg
Mount Mansfield

by Doug Kerr, edited from original

Creative Commons: Share Alike
16263023685_a74e254818_k.jpg
20013623153_066853d784_k.jpg
20560400720_90e8688ab2_o.jpg
9623267010_dead2865bb_k.jpg
33177799562_6ccae5385f_o.jpg
20180326_121719.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180326_134004.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180326_134003.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180326_112413.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180326_122926.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180326_121716.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180326_122931.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180326_142139.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

20180326_135050.jpg

by Brendon Voelker

Licence Free

8534860773_915453c887_o.jpg
3618845016_dea84f879a_o.jpg
2017-07-26_11_44_26_View_north-northwest_towards_Mount_Katahdin's_Hamlin_Peak_from_South_Peak_in_Baxter_State_Park,_Piscataquis_County,_Maine.jpg
2017-07-26_12_04_17_View_northwest_along_Mount_Katahdin's_Knife_Edge_Trail_towards_Baxter_Peak_from_a_point_about_0.8_miles_west_of_Pamola_Peak_in_Baxter_State_Park,_Piscataquis_County,.jpg
2017-07-26_10_48_45_View_north-northeast_along_Mount_Katahdin's_Knife_Edge_Trail_towards_Pamola_Peak_from_Chimney_Peak_in_Baxter_State_Park,_Piscataquis_County,_Maine.jpg
9600060812_e55e9e1cb7_o.jpg
Old Rag Summit

by NPS | Public Domain

Licence Free

2017-06-21_15_00_37_View_southeast_from_about_2,680_feet_above_sea_level_along_the_Ridge_Trail_on_the_northeast_side_of_Old_Rag_Mountain_within_Shenandoah_National_Park,_in_Madison.jpg
2017-06-21_15_53_12_The_summit_of_Old_Rag_Mountain_within_Shenandoah_National_Park,_in_Madison_County,_Virginia.jpg

Description

The entire expanse of the Appalachian Mountains is an entirely underrated region of the country, and one of the oldest mountain ranges on planet Earth. "Though not as tall nor as steep as the mountains of the American West, the slopes and summits of the Appalachians are uniquely varied, with everything from dense temperate forest to barren alpine tundra," says adventure travel writer Jesse Weber.

While it seems like the Rocky Mountains—and the Western USA in general—get all the hype, the Appalachians are home to epic outdoor adventures of every stripe. From mountain biking to rock climbing, and from day hikes to the most famous thru-hike in the world, you can find almost every type of adventure imaginable without leaving the East.

And those adventures are not easy by any stretch of the imagination. "The hiking is notoriously difficult. . .with endless roots and rocks to contend with, and anywhere [in the Appalachians] can be subject to mud and miserable weather," says Weber. "In the eastern U.S., it can rain for days on end at any time of year," he warns.

While, of course, the Appalachian Trail is an adventure of a lifetime, what if you don't have the time to dedicate to a 5-7 month thru-hike? And what if you aren't even interested in a several-day section hike? The answer: head out into the mountains for a day hike!

In this guidebook, we've rounded up 10 of the very best hikes in the Appalachian Mountains that can be completed in a day or less. Some of these routes, like the Presidential Traverse, would make for ambitious single-day hikes, with very little time for sleep on that particular day. Others, like the Precipice Trail, offer gorgeous views and plenty of challenge, and yet can still be completed in just a couple of hours.

Whatever your flavor and desired length of hike, this list of 10 epic East Coast hikes will both inspire you to leave the comfort of home and deliver you to one of the most epic landscapes in the Appalachians!

Adventures

McAfee Knob

Arguably the most iconic viewpoint on the Appalachian Trail!

Precipice Trail Loop

Climb up metal ladders in cliffsides and skirt along exposed rock ledges on this death-defying hike!

Blood Mountain

The most-hiked section of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, thanks to an epic summit view!

Old Rag Loop

A epic and mesmerizing hike — "One of Shenandoah's premier experiences."