Hiking has always been synonymous with adventure and challenge, and it is often full of unknowns, which is one of the reasons why it attracts hiking enthusiasts.
There are many places in the world suitable for hiking, some are small and fresh, some are literary, and some look dangerous. Whether you're a novice or an expert hiker, the following are some of the best hiking trails in the world that won't let you down.
1. Pacific Ridge National Trail
Location: From Washington, USA to California
Total length: 4265 kilometers
The Pacific Ridge National Trail spans Washington, Oregon, and California from the U.S. border to the U.S. border, traversing various landscapes of the western United States.
The wonders of deserts, glaciers, and jungles are the best reward for a hiker's long day, so it is the most varied trail in the Triple Crown.
The Triple Crown refers to the three long-distance trails that traverse the continental United States, the Pacific Ridge Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail.
Like three crowns, these three trails are the ultimate stateside dream for many hikers.
2. The Appalachian Trail
Location: From Maine to Georgia, USA
Total length: 3500 kilometers
One of the longest hiking trails in the United States, the Appalachian Trail takes its name from the Appalachian Mountains that run through it. This mountain range was formed by ancient orogeny, originally not lower than today's Himalayas, but after tens of millions of years of weathering and erosion, its highest peak is only 2023 meters.
The Appalachian Trail is the most humanistic trail among the three crowns of trails, and there are many poetic stories here.
3. Balkans Trail
Location: Western Balkans
Overall length: 1930 kilometers
At the end of the Alpina Road, the eight-country Balkan Trail begins in Slovenia and goes deep into southeastern Europe, passing through Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, and Macedonia.
If you're determined to take this hike, you'll have 3 options: the alpine white walk, the green walk through pristine forest, and the blue walk all the way south along the Dalmatian coast.
The culture and traditions contained in each trail truly restore the ancient and primitive world for travelers.
4. Alpina Road
Location: Alps
Total length: more than 5000 kilometers
The red trail of the Alpina Road winds from Monaco to Trieste, through France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia, over 4,000 meters of high mountains and 44 border crossings.
There are also four shorter trails to choose from: green, yellow, blue, and purple. After a full and exhausting day of hiking, you can rest for the night at a country lodge or mountain hut to recharge and replenish your food.
In this way, the backpack can "reduce the load", without having to pack food for several days at a time, and at the same time, you can also have the opportunity to experience the local culture.
5. Tealaroa Trail
Location: New Zealand
Total length: 3000 kilometers
Known by the Maori as the "Long Road", the Tealaroa Trail starts from Cape Reinga, the northernmost tip of New Zealand's North Island, and stretches to Bluff, the southernmost tip of the South Island. This is New Zealand's only long-distance walk and runs through the whole of New Zealand, starting and ending in the ocean.
If you plan to travel from north to south between September and December, you will be in for a breathtaking view of glaciers and headlands. Due to its long-term separation from the mainland, New Zealand has developed a unique geographical distribution of vegetation.
Wander the Tealaroa Trail and you'll pass sandy beaches filled with seals and penguins, vibrant subtropical jungles, active volcanoes, snow-capped mountains, and turquoise glacial lakes.
In order to fully explore the charm of this trip, it is best to spend a few days in a Maori village along the way.
