5 Great State and National Parks for Hiking This Summer

Summer is when alpine meadows burst into bloom, waterfalls and rivers run rapidly with snowmelt, and long daylight hours invite lingering adventures. Wildlife is more active, campgrounds hum with communal energy, and many remote trails become accessible for the first time since spring thaw. 

Public lands offer some of the most resplendent hiking experiences nationwide, from well-known state and national parks to rarely explored wilderness areas and national forests. Whether you’re seeking a simple stroll or an intense multiday trek, here are some of the prettiest public lands welcoming you (and your hiking boots) this summer.

Montana

Glacier National Park is breathtaking in the summer. Snow melts from high passes, opening access to iconic trails like the 15-mile Highline Trail and 10-mile Grinnell Glacier, where wildflowers carpet the slopes and mountain goats traverse cliffside ledges. Crystal-clear lakes shimmer beneath jagged peaks and long daylight hours let you linger on the trail or pause for a lakeside picnic. 

Glacier’s beauty is no secret, so crowds are at their peak in summer. However, late July and August are the only times when snow doesn’t threaten trail closures. If you want to have the widest availability of trails, late summer is the best (and only) time to visit. To minimize crowds, plan your visit for an early morning weekday hike toward the end of August. A timed entry vehicle reservation is required for the popular west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, but it is not needed to access Apgar Village, Two Medicine, and the East Entrance to Going-to-the-Sun Road at St. Mary.

Arizona 

Summertime in Arizona brings to mind unbearable heat that many hikers would be wise to avoid, but Flagstaff is perched at 7,000 feet in elevation, so the temperature is about 20 degrees cooler than in Phoenix or Tucson. Here, you can have your pick of short trails winding along ancient Hopi cliff dwellings at nearby Walnut Canyon National Monument and redrock natural swimming pools at Sedona’s Slide Rock State Park, 15 and 30 minutes away, respectively.

Flagstaff is also a great base to visit Grand Canyon National Park, which becomes a sensory feast in summer. Sunrise spills golden light over the rim, while shadows stretch deep into the canyon’s sculpted layers. Trails like Bright Angel and South Kaibab come alive with early morning hikers, but be advised that temperatures soar the farther down into the canyon you venture. 

To stay cool, stick with the 13-mile Grand Canyon Rim Trail, which is flat, paved, and accessible to wheelchairs and walkers in many sections. Summer is also the only time that the park’s free shuttle service runs from end to end, so you can hike as far as you like then catch the shuttle back.

The recent Dragon Bravo wildfires were concentrated along the lesser-visited North Rim, taking out the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge and closing lodging at the base of the canyon due to fire-induced water treatment plant destruction. While the South Rim (where the most popular trails and lodgings are located) was unaffected, it would be wise to check the NPS website for updates before visiting.

Maine

Salt-laced breezes drift in from Casco Bay, mingling with the scent of spruce and wildflowers—an olfactory welcome to Portland, Maine, where coastal charm meets alpine access. Though best known for its thriving food scene and historic waterfront (lobster rolls, anyone?), Portland doubles as a strategic home base for hikers craving summer trails that deliver both rugged beauty and serene solitude.

Four state parks are less than an hour drive from Portland, and the diversity of these parks makes for completely different experiences within a very small geographic area. Regardless of where you hike, you can count on starting your days off with stunning sunrises and winding them down with fresh oysters and craft beer.

Just 30 minutes away is Bradbury Mountain State Park, where marvelous mountain peaks and well-maintained trails receive relatively few visitors, offering a quiet alternative to big Maine names like Acadia. Most of the trails are short and easy (half mile to four miles), so it’s a great option for families and beginner hikers. An hour from Portland sits Sebago Lake State Park, where hikers can also enjoy relaxing lakeside camping, boating, and swimming in a crystal-clear lake that is shockingly warm given how northerly it is. Most of the park’s trails are two to four miles long but can easily be strung together for a longer route.

Wyoming 

Wyoming’s most famous hiking areas, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone, are spectacular in summer, but they are also enormously crowded. To avoid roads so clogged that they are doubling as parking lots, head to nearby Bridger-Teton National Forest. About 30 minutes from hotspot Jackson (and the adorable and far more affordable Pinedale), you’ll find 3.4 million acres of public lands. Here, 3,000 miles of roads and trails wind across alpine ridges, through wildflower-dappled meadows, and along rushing snowmelt-fed creeks. 

Within this massive wilderness, towering lodgepole pines give way to sweeping vistas where marmots sun themselves on boulders and bald eagles circle overhead. Have your pick between countless day hikes like the 7.7-mile Green River Lakes Loop, which can easily be extended by tacking on sections of numerous connecting trails. For an intense (and intensely rewarding) overnight camping trek, consider the 23-mile Cirque of the Towers to Fremont Loop Trail. Keep in mind that the entire area sits within grizzly bear country, so it’s wise to bring bear spray and hike with a friend.

Wisconsin

Tucked along the rugged shores of Lake Superior, the area surrounding Bayfield, Wisconsin, is a summer hiker’s dream—where sandstone cliffs meet ancient forests and the lake’s breeze carries the scent of pine and wild berries. Trails here don’t just meander; they reveal. You might begin your hike beneath a canopy of sugar maples only to emerge at a windswept overlook where the Apostle Islands glisten like jewels scattered across the water.

Perched at the northern tip of Wisconsin’s Bayfield Peninsula, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a sanctuary of natural beauty and cultural heritage. Spread across 21 islands and 12 miles of pristine Lake Superior shoreline, this protected area lies within the ancestral homeland of the Ojibwe people, whose connection to the land continues to shape its story. 

Bayfield’s terrain is wildly diverse, offering everything from relaxed woodland strolls to more strenuous hikes with rewarding lake vistas. Multi-activity visitors often enjoy hiking the four-mile clifftop Meyers Beach Hike via Lakeshore Trail and then kayaking below the cliffs into wave-carved sea caves.

While the national lakeshore is the most famous attraction in the area, you can also choose between an enormous variety of public lands near Bayfield. Forest walks and Indigenous history can be found at nearby Frog Bay Tribal National Park, the country’s first tribal park; and families will enjoy boardwalk trails and easy beach hikes at Big Bay State Park (accessible from the mainland by ferry).