The World's Best Trail – According To Experienced Hikers!

Bright Angel Trail at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

In my view, it’s the Bright Angel Trail at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. This popular trail takes tourists and hikers alike from the touristy South Rim to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and Phantom Ranch, an oasis in an otherwise desolate canyon.

The trail is approximately 10 miles in length, and mid-way through the trail is the Indian Garden campground, an area to camp overnight or rest if you’re coming up from the bottom. To experience the Grand Canyon, you must hike the Bright Angel Trail — I did several years ago on an overnight hiking expedition from the top to the bottom, and it was well worth the experience. The trail is covered for a good length of the way, and there’s plenty of areas to grab water — for me, it was a relatively easy hike, though certainly strenuous in the overall grand scheme of hikes.

Some hikers choose to hike down on the shorter South Kaibab trail, but this trail is much more desolate, and there’s less flora and fauna to look at on your way down or up. Plus, on the Bright Angel Trail, you can see the famous Grand Canyon mules as they take supplies and mail down to the ranger station and overnight encampment down below.

Annapurna Base Camp trail

Imagine yourself standing at an elevation of 4300 meters from the sea level surrounded by a ring of mountains - all of them over 7000 meters in height sprawled along colorful prayer flags. You are shivering in the cold, your lungs are gasping for air - but you are not sure if it is because of the thin air in high altitude or for the breathtaking scenery. You feel like entering a different world, a world where peace, tranquility and nature comes together. You forget the tiredness, difficulties and hardships of walking 6 consecutive days in the wonderful but gruesome mountainous trail right at that moment.

That’s what the Annapurna Base Camp trail (aka ABC trail) will present you. This trail is in Nepal, a small country in South Asia. You need 8 to 9 days to complete the trail. It’s not an extreme trail, anyone with moderate fitness should be able to do it. You will find small tea houses along the way for a night stay, so you need not carry any tents with you.. Besides, you don’t need any guide as the trail is well marked. It’s one of the most beautiful and rewarding trails on earth which you can’t afford to miss. I visited this train during the month of December three years back and I would love to go back there again.

The summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

Contrary to popular belief, summiting Kilimanjaro requires no technical climbing skills. It is just a long hike at high altitude. This means that anyone with a good level of fitness and the right attitude can reach the Roof of Africa.

Hiking Kilimanjaro is however a significant challenge and the decision to climb it should not be taken lightly. Good health and prior fitness training is a pre-requisite. The biggest risk on Kili is the altitude. At 5,895m, the summit is situated in the extreme altitude band. Altitude sickness, or acute mountain sickness, is a common problem on Kilimanjaro and can be fatal.. There is no way to prepare for altitude sickness. The key to avoiding it is to make sure your ascent is slow. That means taking a longer route on the mountain, like the 7-day Machame or 8-day Lemosho. Shorter routes on Kilimanjaro, like the 5-day Marangu, have a high incidence of altitude sickness.. It is also very important to stay well hydrated and listen to your guide. If altitude sickness symptoms get bad one must descend.

On a lighter note though, the hike is beautifully scenic and takes trekkers through four distinct climate zones - rainforest, heathland, desert, and glacial moraine. At the summit, the views over the Tanzanian and Keyan plains is breath-taking, and one that will never be forgotten.

I highly recommend hiking Kilimanjaro to anyone who is looking for a real adventure!

The Rota Vicentina snakes along Portugal's Southwest coast

The Rota Vicentina, particularly the section of trail called Fisherman's Way, snakes along Portugal's Southwest coast. My wife, two teenaged daughters, and I spent 5 days backpacking north from Odeceixe on this meandering, sandy path with spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean always off to our left. We wandered through cork forests, along rocky cliffs, and on protected beaches. Our days backpacking would end at full-service campgrounds which always sported hot showers, a restaurant/pub, and a small grocery store. However, the Rota Vicentina can easily be done as a trek with evening hotel or B&B stays each evening.

Camping Rota Vicentina is Who is the trip of your dreams. After all, this is the opportunity to stop in places where you wanted, which you have never seen, to stay overnight in houses, or, in general, in tents on the banks of a large water or in a picturesque forest. This place definitely leads to the list of the best roads for travel.

We would wander into the villages after dinner to have a beer and watch World Cup soccer or stroll the beach at sunset. Food and wine in restaurants were rustic but delicious. People were always friendly and willing to forgive our lack of Portuguese language skills. This trail is especially great because it is little-used compared with Spain's Camino de Santiago, which is often over-crowded, resulting in not only a slog with a million other tourists but price-gouging and bad food. The Rota Vicentina avoids the throngs and also gives you a glimpse of rural Portuguese life and a taste of the sea air.

The Annapurna Circuit in Nepal

I've done various trails all over the world, but the best one hands down, was the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. This Himalayan trek can take as long as 3 weeks and culminates at 5416m (17,770 ft). Taking this into account, at first glance it may seem like something too challenging for the general population. However, based on my experience visiting the Himalayas several times, people from all walks of life complete this trail successfully. The reason is that there is plenty of time to gradually acclimatize to a higher altitude.

Naturally, a decent level of fitness is required, but I’ve seen 70 years old people completing it without major hiccups. There are various reasons why I consider this trail to be the best in the world.

Firstly, being so high in the beautiful mountains forces you to put things in perspective. Hence, it’s a perfect place for deep introspection. It’s just you and nature. You can't use distractions as a means to run away from yourself. You have to face who you and reconcile your internal “demons.”

Secondly, the Nepalese people are some of the friendliest hosts out there with a genuine desire to make you feel welcomed.

Thirdly, in the last few years the number of people trekking, even in the high season, has been reasonable. It means that you can still feel the unspoiled magic of the Himalayas.

Combination of trails around Chesler Park in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park

Best way is to start at Squaw Flat Campground and hike Big Spring to the Joint Trail Connector. On the way, short detour to Druid Arch (it isn’t really worth it, but you’re so close, you might as well check it out). At Chesler Park, go through the Joint, then walk or hitchhike (if any jeeps come through) to Devil’s Kitchen. The loop leads back to the other side of Chesler Park and then to the connector trail back to Squaw Flat Campground.

Distance: 20 miles with little elevation loss/gain, 8-10 hours of hiking.

This trail combo has a surprise every step of the way. From big sandy washes to narrow slot canyons to manmade ladders and steps carved into the sandstone. Not to mention the needle-like formations, the arches, and the flat grassy field in the middle of it all! Nowhere else is the hiking itself as enjoyable as the views around you. Bonus: You’ll most likely be alone on the connector trails.

This trail combo is meant for advanced and fit hikers. Beginner hikers should consider shorter loop trails at the Needles.

Personal story: I feared I wouldn’t have time to see everything before darkness, so I ran a short portion of the trail at Chesler Park and immediately tripped over myself, fell, and hit my knee on a rock. I sat there for what seemed like 20 minutes catching my breath. I was hiking alone, at a place with no cell phone reception, with little to no other hikers (I only saw one more hiker the entire day, at Druid Arch of all places). Nothing actually happened to me. My knee was fine, but I went into a small panic attack realizing how alone I was and how much worse things could have been. Here’s the photo where I fell. It was all worth it!

Blue Lakes in Colorado

Located near the town of Telluride, Blue Lakes trail is the ultimate adventure. The Blue Lakes sit in the glacial basin in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness in southwest Colorado and require your entire day.

The hike leading to the lower blue lake is dotted with gorgeous alpine wildflowers and gurgling creeks. After reaching the lower lake, hikers can proceed up toward the middle and upper blue lakes. The steep ascent and considerable elevation gain require a lot of water and plenty of sunscreen, as the sun is harsh at that elevation.

West Coast Trail in Vancouver Island, Canada

The world’s best trail is West Coast Trail, located in Vancouver Island, Canada. Hiking on West Coast Trail requires high-level expertise because it is a very irregular trail with almost seventy ladders, 130 bridges, and cable cars.

There are many astounding trails in Canada, and West Coast Trail is one of them. I’ve been to this trail, and it was really an unforgettable adventure, which I enjoyed a lot. West Coast Trail is a forty-seven miles long trail covering the southern Vancouver Island. Bonilla Point and Owen Point are the nearest spots.

I enjoyed hiking and the related adventures such as moving on the muddy tracks and overall camping on the beautiful Vancouver Island. My friends and I reserved a place there, and through self-guidance, we hiked West Coast Trail in almost seven days, but if you are a trail runner, you can cover the trail in less than 12 hours.

Trailing the West Coast trail and the cost I paid for this adventure was 127.50 dollars. But for the Gordon River and Nitinat Narrow adventure, I paid a total of 40.50 dollars. If you are pro at trailing, then you must go for this adventure.

Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand

The world’s best trail is easily the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand. Not only is it the site of Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings, but it’s also a gorgeous hike. You’ll get to hike through a lava field that’s formed incredible topography, challenging climbs and beautiful emerald lakes. The park has some of the most stunning landscape shots in the country - which is saying a lot, because New Zealand is gorgeous.

I hiked Tongariro last year with no preparation. The hike is a medium intensity with steep climbs, gravel downhill stretches, and the need for stamina over nearly 20km. Although the hike is intense, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to rest while taking photos of the scenery as you watch the sun rise over the mountains. Don’t miss out on this incredible trail through the most unique topography you’ll ever see.