US trail guides for hikers
Three maintained guides with distance, access rules and safety notes sourced to the National Park Service.
The Narrows
A Virgin River gorge hike in Zion National Park: walls about 1,000 feet tall and the river sometimes only 20–30 feet wide. Bottom-up from the Temple of Sinawava needs no permit; the 16-mile top-down from Chamberlain’s Ranch does.
Grinnell Glacier
A full-day Many Glacier hike in Glacier National Park to the Grinnell Glacier Viewpoint: about 5.3 miles one way and 1,600 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead, or about 3.6 miles one way with the concession boat.
Emerald Lake Trail
A Bear Lake corridor hike in Rocky Mountain National Park past Nymph and Dream Lakes to Emerald Lake: about 1.7 miles one way and 771 feet of elevation gain from the Bear Lake trailhead at 9,475 feet.