12 Epic Multi-Night Loop Hikes in the US

Dilemma: you need a little backpacking trip to decompress from your stressful everyday life, but you’re too burnt out from your stressful everyday life to deal with the logistical hassle of planning a little backpacking trip.

What you need, sweet reader, is a nice, peaceful loop hike. Simply show up at the trailhead, hike in a big circle, and at the end of it you can hop in your car and go home. No backtracking or fussy shuttle arrangements needed.

To make this process even easier for you, we’ve listed some of the best loop hikes in the US for your viewing pleasure, ordered from longest to shortest. Next time you need to peace out to the mountains, you can just pick a hike from the list below and start packing. Smooch.

12 of the Best Multi-Day Loop Hikes in the US

1. Collegiate Loop | Colorado

Length: 162 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 35,000 ft
Time to Complete: 8 – 16 days
Hiking Season: Late June – Early October

Best loop hikes in the US: Collegiate Loop. The Real Hiking Viking photo

Ed. note: As of this writing, the Collegiate Loop is temporarily closed due to the Interlaken Fire.

Thru-hikers of the Colorado Trail and Continental Divide Trail have to pick which half of the Collegiate Loop they want to hike: the high mountains of the West or the lower, lusher, hot-springs-resort-having East. But you, loop hiker, don’t have to choose. You get to experience both.

Numerous 14,000-foot peaks are accessible from this route, and even if you skip the summits, you’ll be treated to constant glorious views and highly swimmable alpine lakes. Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort is worth a stop on the eastern half of this trail, as is the quirky town of Salida right around the midpoint.

 Twin Lakes would be the most logical place to start and end this hike, as it’s right on the trail and easily accessible from Denver.

2. Wonderland Trail | Washington

Length: 93 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 22,000 feet
Time to Complete: 5 – 10 days
Hiking Season: Late June – Early October

Best loop hikes in the US: Wonderland Trail. Madeline Newel photo

One might say the Wonderland Trail is the premier loop hike in the US. This rugged circumnavigation of Mount Rainier will allow you to appreciate everyone’s favorite snow-capped stratovolcano from all angles.

This is a diverse and challenging hike with distinct Sound of Music vibes, complete with wildflower-strewn meadows and occasionally being stricken with the sudden giddy urge to frolic and burst into song at unpredictable moments.

To be fair, logistics are fairly complicated with this hike: the fact that you don’t need a shuttle is about the only straightforward thing about it. You’ll need to secure a competitive permit for the hike, and unless you’re hiking very quickly, you may want to cache food at one or more ranger stations along the way.

But we couldn’t write a list of the “best loop hikes in the US” and not include this bucket-list gem. This one is worth a little extra effort.

3. North Circle Loop | Montana

Length: 52 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 12,000 ft
Time to Complete: 4 – 6 days
Hiking Season: Late June – Early October

Best loop hikes in the US: North Circle Loop. Mark Goble photo

What better way to explore the vastness of Glacier National Park’s backcountry than on this breathtaking 52-mile tour? The route covers some of Glacier’s best highlights, including Ptarmigan Pass and Elizabeth Lake. If you haven’t been to the northern Rockies, it’s hard to put their beauty into words. Just go and see for yourself.

This hike is very much in grizzly country, so make sure you bring a bear canister for your food and bear spray. Keep your spray accessible during the day, people! And like the Wonderland Trail above, you do need to apply for a competitive permit to hike this trail. It’s worth it.

4. Three Sisters Loop | Oregon

Length: 47.5 mi
Elevation Gain/Loss: 7,000 ft
Time to Complete: 3 – 5 days
Hiking Season: Late June – Early October

Best loop hikes in the US: Three Sisters Loop. Jean Taggart photo

The Three Sisters Loop circumnavigates three iconic volcanic peaks in Oregon. You guessed it, those peaks are the Three Sisters. The route knits together the Green Lakes, Scott Pass, Pacific Crest, LeConte Crater, and Moraine Lake trails to make a big loop around South, Middle, and North Sister.

If you’re looking for a little flavor of the Pacific Northwest, the PCT, and the Wonderland Trail without all the permitting hassle, this is a great option. From glacial streams and berry patches to challenging lava field traverses, this hike has a little bit of everything. The route is moderately challenging and short enough to complete on a single resupply.

Permits here.

5. Rae Lakes Loop | California

Length: 41 mi
Elevation Gain/Loss: 7,700 ft
Time to Complete: 3 – 5 days
Hiking Season: Late June – Early October

Best loop hikes in the US: Rae Lakes Loop. Peretz Partensky photo

For those who don’t have time to hike the whole John Muir Trail (much less the PCT), the Rae Lakes Loop will give you a tour of some of the most stunning scenery in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in less than one week. We recommend going as slow as you can, honestly, the better to take in the unmatched beauty of this range.

The hike involves, as you might imagine, a lot of lakes, but also high passes and rivers and waterfalls and meadows and other glorious mountainy things. Everything you could want, really, coupled with a healthy dose of elevation change just to remind you you’re alive.

Yes, you need a permit for this one also (sorry!), but it is relatively easy to obtain through recreation.gov or walk-up.

6. Timberline Trail | Oregon

Length: 41 mi
Elevation Gain/Loss: 10,800 ft
Time to Complete: 2 – 4 days
Hiking Season: Late June – Early October

Best loop hikes in the US: Timberline Trail. Sydney Brehm photo

Woo, let’s bundle aaaaalll the west coast hikes together in the middle of the list! No loop hike roundup would be complete without the Timberline Trail, a 41-mile circumnavigation of Mount Hood.

It’s very much like a miniature Wonderland Trail, only shorter and more rugged. Most of the glacial stream crossings you’ll encounter on this hike are unbridged, unlike the WT, and the trail is not nearly as heavily regulated (all you need is a self-issued permit for Mt. Hood National Forest when you arrive).

The views are glorious and the all-you-can-eat breakfast at the Timberline Lodge, famous among PCT hikers, isn’t too shabby either. The Lodge is a logical place to start your hike, with easy road access and ample overnight parking for your vehicle.

7. Shawnee Backpacking Trail | Ohio

Length: 36 mi
Elevation Gain/Loss: 6,000 ft
Time to Complete: 2 – 4 days
Hiking Season: April – October

Best loop hikes in the US:  Shawnee Backpacking Trail. Jim Rahtz photo

Located in Shawnee National Forest, this loop is a wonderful celebration of the Appalachian foothills. Apparently the region is sometimes called the “Little Smokies” for its resemblance to North Carolina and Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

It may not boast the high peaks of the west, but Ohio has a lot to offer backpackers. The Shawnee Backpacking Trail is pristine and tranquil, exploring lush forests with ample wildlife-spotting opportunities. And you’ll still be rewarded with glorious panoramic views of the surrounding rolling mountains; you just have to work a bit for them.

8. Virginia Triple Crown Loop | Virginia

Length: 34 mi
Elevation Gain/Loss: 7,900 ft
Time to Complete: 2 – 3 days
Hiking Season: April – November

Best loop hikes in the US: VA Triple Crown. Alison Bell photo

Three iconic viewpoints in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains — Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee Knob, and. Tinker Cliffs — make up the Virginia Triple Crown. AT hikers get to enjoy all three in quick succession, as they all fall on the white blazes, and they’re all easily accessible as day hikes. But where’s the fun in that when you could combine all three into a nice juicy weekend backpacking loop?

You can do just that by linking the AT with the North Mountain Trail. In true east coast fashion, this trail involves a lot of up and down in a short distance, and while the AT is heavily trafficked and well maintained, the North Mountain Trail is quieter and can get overgrown in summer. Pants might be a good idea.

9. Pemi Loop | NH

Length: 32 mi
Elevation Gain/Loss: 9,500 ft
Time to Complete: 2 – 4 days
Hiking Season: Mid-May – October

Best loop hikes in the US: Pemi Loop. Brian Garner photo

If I were going to name a loop-hike equivalent to Rae Lakes for the east coast, it would be the Pemigewasset Loop, affectionately known as the Pemi Loop. For those who don’t have time for an AT thru-hike, this strenuous 32-mile tour of the White Mountains is a highlights-reel of one of the most beautiful and memorable ranges the AT crosses.

In the space of a long weekend, you’ll get to experience some of the precious little alpine-zone hiking on the east coast and will have the option to stay (or at least eat) at one of the Whites’ iconic AMC huts, which are maybe the closest thing to European-style mountain refuges you’ll find in this country. The route includes Franconia Ridge, one of the most famous and glorious ridgeline walks in these mountains.

These mountains are popular, so although you do not need a permit for the Pemi Loop, you must reserve your campsites well in advance.

10. Four Pass Loop | Colorado

Length: 26 mi
Elevation Gain/Loss: 7,800 ft
Time to Complete: 2 – 4 days
Hiking Season: Late June – Early October

Best loop hikes in the US: Four Pass Loop. Troy Zohner photo

The Four Pass Loop contains a lot of elevation change in a short distance, but the lactic acid will be well worth it. This short loop is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness, bringing you to many highlights including the eponymous four passes themselves: Buckskin, Trail Rider, Frigid Air, and West Maroon.

Its beauty is also reflected in the popularity of this trail — solitude is not one of the Four Pass Loop’s strong suits. You’ll need to apply ahead of time for a permit through recreation.gov.

Afternoon thunderstorms are characteristic of the Rockies (and many high mountains, but let’s be real, especially the Rockies), so be careful and try to be below treeline as much as possible in the afternoons.

11. Pin-Chin-Sky Loop | Alabama

Length: 19 mi
Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,000 ft
Time to Complete: 2 days
Hiking Season: March – November

You could definitely complete this short and sweet lil’ trail in just one day, but many hikers choose to extend it into an overnight. The Pin-Chin-Sky Loop is a favorite among Alabama backpackers. You won’t get above treeline, but you will be immersed in glorious nature and you’ll still be treated to some epic viewpoints along the way.

Why is it called the Pin-Chin-Sky, you ask? The answer is surprisingly straightforward: the route combines three trails, the Pinhoti, the Chinabee Silent, and the Skyway Loop, to create a 19-mile circuit through the Cheaha Wilderness and Talladega National Forest. 

The trail is only moderately challenging and logistically very easy, with no need to resupply or secure permits along the way.

12. Paintbrush and Cascade Canyons | Wyoming

Length: 18 mi
Elevation Gain/Loss: 4,100 ft
Time to Complete: 2 days
Hiking Season: Late June – Early October

Best loop hikes in the US: Paintbrush – Cascade Canyons. Anne Baker photo

The Tetons are exceptionally lovely mountains, and this loop in Grand Teton National Park will show you the best of them. There’s a decent amount of elevation change for such a short lil’ hike, but no technical skills are required unless you go really early in the season when the passes are still snowbound.

If you only have the weekend to explore, this loop is a great way to experience Wyoming’s jagged peaks and colorful glacial lakes. You might also get to see wildlife such as moose, bears, and marmots, to say nothing of all the beautiful wildflowers up there.

You do need to get a permit for this hike from recreation.gov, but getting the campsites you want shouldn’t be a problem.

What are some of your favorite loop hikes in the US? Let us know!

Featured image: Madeline Newel photo. Graphic design by Chris Helm.