Top 10 Trails of 2021: Greg Heil's Best Hikes of the Year

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.