Nice to see someone promote responsibility! Leaving children/husband/wife/deathly ill relatives is just not possible for most younger people. Also there are going to be some people really struggling in retirement years if they don’t build up enough retirement income in working years. Great video!
Awesome video Jupiter!! The Tuscarora trail gets no love. +/- 250 miles through VA, WV, MD and PA. Was originally planned as the route of the AT when land aquisition in northern VA was uncertain. Lots of ridge walks, creeks and a shelter system. Also usually very good for solitude.
Ouachita Recreation Trail runs 223 miles through the Ouachita Mountains and National Forest from Eastern Oklahoma to Central Arkansas. Another great choice for a 2 week Adventure. It has shelters regularly along the trail and some beautiful National Forest with some Wilderness stretches along the way.
I just learned about this a few days ago. Trying, struggling, to find something semi-long near Dallas. That sounds like something that could easily be done in a few sections. Good call!
Thanks for bringing it back to more regular trail hiking. There has been an explosion in popularity on the big 3 over the last few years also. A great list.
God this video is gold for me. The fact that you're from Florida blows my mind, because ME TOO. I'm a total beginner and your perspectives are so useful for me - I am going to try my first overnight backpacking trip in Florida this winter, and I definitely want to hike the Ocean to Lake trail. Thanks for these videos.
Thank you so much for making this video. I dream of a 6 month hike, but a week is the most I'm ever going to get off work. You would appeal to a whole new audience if you kept suggesting these trails and showing them off. Foothills trail here I come!
Great list!! Thanks for the intel!! I’m hiking the Backbone trail 64 miles in the Santa Monica Mountains this December. Finding trails during the colder months is a must to keep the spirits up. Thanks again!!❣️
what route is that? ive been looking for a loop around the gorge. tried the 22 mile loop from wolf pit 2x this year but couldnt cross the river at jacobs
@@bP-yr3po Watch some of the Linville Gorge ITAYG loop hike videos. (ITAYG = Is That all You Got?") It's not a full 40 miler doing the northern part of the gorge, but it's supposed to be a tough, tough loop hike. Also, the Avenza App has a Linville Gorge map that is invaluable and free! I'm playing with shorter loops on the west side of the gorge before trying a bigger loop.
The lone star trail near Houston Texas is pretty great imo. 96 miles and goes thru like 5 different ecosystem types so the scenery is always changing. Also hikable in the winter time.
Just spent a week on the Superior Hiking Trail: Northern Terminus to Grand Marais. Absolutely stunning. Views of Lake Superior and steep/deep river valleys with waterfalls. Can't wait to go back.
Thank you for calling the Foothills Trail out! When I go hiking it’s the one I head to because it’s the closest to me. I haven’t hiked the whole thing, but I’ve done sections as day hikes. I love it!
Thank you so much!! This is an incredible list for someone like me who loves long distance hikes but not being out for more than a month. Love your videos so much. 💚💚💚
Love a shout out to my State, Arkansas! Ozark Highland Trail is great. I've not thru hiked it, but did parts of it. Another good on in Arkansas is the Ouachita Trail. It start just 7 miles from my doorstep.
@@JupiterHikes Yeah, the OHT has some of the best scenery Arkansas has to offer. There is no way I can take off a long time to do the AT, but I can do weekend trips. I'm getting back in to backpacking after many years off to raise kids, and I'm hoping to do a few sections of it before long. I'd recommend doing the OHT in the fall. Summer is too humid and the bugs are terrible. Spring or fall is ideal, but you are right, that Winter isn't too bad in Arkansas.
Thanks for posting. Not everyone can or wants to take a significant chunk of a year to spend on a single activity. Also your comment on the ability to refine your gear packing by practicing using the shorter trips is absolutely true. I find a better way to do things almost every trip (granted they are very small changes).
Very good video! The "Big 3" trails get so much attention these days that I'm sure a lot of us overlook these shorter trails. Just finding a trail and getting out and enjoying nature while you hike is one of the most important things. Like your Kuiu shirt too!
Great video as always 👍🏻...Glad The Superior Hiking Trail got the nod..Being from Minnesota and having hiked this trail come hike it in the Fall..Sept 20th -Oct 10th or so...Primetime and skeeters are gone..Yes,it is well marked as you mentioned..Frozen and Redbeard did thru hike vids here on youtube that are pretty good..If you ever come do it let me know...I got over 30 years on this 300 mile scenic path😎😎
Kungsleden (if you happen to be in Sweden) 🤣 I’ll start my hike tomorrow...stoked!! Appreciate your content, it’s inspirational, funny and practical... keep it up!
thank you for covering this. most people are weekenders and just don't have the time or money to do longer thru hikes. Also, thanks for giving a shout out to Kentucky. We have a lot of trails to offer for those weekend warriors!
Love this vid. Realistically, an AT/PCT/CDT thru-hike won't be in my immediate future because of my work schedule and my need for income. I've definitely considered doing a smaller long-distance trail, which better works with my schedule, and bringing awareness to the plethora of this type of trail is really great for people like me.
This by far is my favorite video so far!!! I hike with my Mom and kids so between work and the kids school we do not get a lot of time off for vacations. We have been day hikers for forever, but recently have started backpacking. And our first attempt at a through hike and our first backpacking trip was the Foothills Trail a few weeks ago. Even though we only covered about 25 miles in 3 days before my Mom quit on me, We got to see some pretty amazing sights!
Love this! Thanks for great info for those of us who can’t get off work for months at a time. Here’s a few for Pennsylvania folks: the West Rim Trail and Old Logger’s Path are short but gorgeous.
The 36-mile Gerard Hiking Trail at Oil Creek State Park at Titusville PA (northwest PA) is pretty amazing and scenic. It offers two overnight shelter areas and a hike through the valley where the oil industry was born in the 1860’s. Lots of history and artifacts to see. Start at the trailhead at the Jersey Bridge near Drake Well Park at Titusville. This trail is home to the popular Oil Creek 100 Trail Runs race in October every year.
I love this - have thought about the AT for a while but realistically, taking so much time away would be difficult. Love your perspective, personality and style.
NPT (Northville, Lake Placid Trail), western part of the Adirondacks of NY. 133 miles. Part of the 7.1 million acres forest preserve/wilderness, largest in lower 48! Larger than Yellow Stone, Yosemite and Glacier combined. It’s a carbon copy of the 100 Mile Wilderness of Maine. And hey, the northern terminus is in Lake Placid, two time Olympian host.
@@markcummings6856I Chose this as my first long hike in hopes that it will give me a feel for through hiking. I have gone on 5 or 6 overnight hikes but I think the NPT and the FLT are good warm ups for the AT that I plan on starting in april next year.
The Lone Star Hiking Trail in Texas is about 96 miles and goes through some beautiful East Texas Piney woods. Best hiked from December to February. Recommend checking trail conditions on the Facebook page before hiking it, as it can get muddy and swampy during very rainy years. Watch out for alligators and wild pigs. Goes through the Sam Houston National Forest.
So true! I am gonna go hike a trail near me . There is no elevation, no huge mountains but The Botana Trail in the NJ Pine Barrens is beautiful! Been wanting to get out there & now I am inspired. Happy trails!
I hiked the Batona several times in my youth, about 45 years ago. As I recall, back then it was only 30 miles, ending in Batsto. My first ever solo backpack trip was a through-hike of the Batona at age 15.
@@pjhills01 COOL!! Love hearing this! The trail is @ 53 miles now & goes from Bass River to Ong (south to North). Were you nervous of the Jersey Devil, LOL? I bet that was an exciting time!! Thanks for sharing!
First time seeing this video, as I'm currently halfway through your "Which Trail Should You Hike?" video. I love how you say that people SHOULD hike the AT at the very beginning of this video, and I would like to comment on this (before I have seen the video). Yes the AT is long, but section hiking is also a really great option. As a rebuttal to the section hike option, I would like to discuss a fundamental instilled by my mother at an early age. It's her idea to set goals which are achievable that suggests section hiking isn't the best option. We are motivated by completion, which is why some people do video games to 100%. When there is a start and an end, those are the easiest ways to discuss something .... "How far did you go?". This normal conversation can morph into something that sounds judgmental or elitist (out of human nature). My mom always explained how if you have a big list of things to finish, that completing a few easy ones will make the list look much smaller. It's just how we work. We feel good when we complete something. That's why I think that some of the smaller hikes are going to be better for a hiker. A 3 day hiker here is the same as a 3 day hike somewhere else........ except when one of them is a "complete" hike. This is just basic psychology. You could argue that the hikes are the same, you could look at hiked distance or elevation (versus days outdoors). Just the moral boost of completing a hike is worth considering some of the small options. You could argue that this is simply a placebo effect, but I would take a placebo pill every single day if it helped me hike better. In my opinion, it's a strong mental state to be able to say "I have already completed one hike, and now I can complete another", rather than asking one's self if they can complete a hike. I look forward to hearing your suggestions in this video, but knowing my mom's wisdom tells me that you're going to be correct.
Another excellent video! I grew up in kentucky and never realized the sheltowee trace was so long. I currently live in Michigan and am within 10 hours of both the sheltowee trace and superior trail and think ill try to accomplish those two before I think about doing anything longer. Much thanks for taking the time to make such incredible videos and bringing so much good information
Thanks for the tip / info on the foothills trail. This is definitely on my radar for the next hike or so once we things calm down and we are allowed to return to the trails. Saw your live video with Darwin the other day. Glad to hear your foot has healed. I just suffered an injury to my right foot four weeks ago and I am hoping that it doesn't take 6-8 months to recover. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you feel better soon! I had two broken bones so it took quite a bit long. I was deathly afraid is need surgery but just staying still and focusing on other things did the trick. Good thing about now is, just about everyone in the world is staying quite still with you!
@@JupiterHikes Thank you! Truly appreciate your videos during this time as it has been difficult to not be back out there on trail. Will take your advice and take it easy for a little while longer. Cheers!
Thanks for the information. Great to hear about some of the shorter trails. I did the Long Trail last year and it was fantastic. You are absolutely right about the second "half" (after the AT) being better than the first.
I hiked 30 miles of the long trail with my dad last year, and it was an amazing experience! This video is great, as a college student that wants to do mini thru hikes sometime, thanks!
Thanks for the Sheltowee shout-out! I'm building up to a hike of this one with shorter weekend hikes in Red River Gorge (which Sheltowee runs through). And thanks for all the other suggestions.
Thank you for all the great ideas. I am doing my first thru hike this summer, the West Coast Trail up here in BC, Canada and I hope to do a few of the ones you listed down in Washington and Oregon.
If you love waterfalls, the FHT is full of them. We did it in 5 days. Amazing time and not too busy. Finished the Long Trail last month. It was insanely fun and really challenging. Met an amazing trail family on it. You gotta hit those two man!
I did the Foothills Trail this summer; it was remarkably free of hikers for the most part and pretty much constantly up and down along the Blue Ridge Escarpment where the mountains rise precipitously from the rolling hills of the Piedmont. Lots of waterfalls, and it would be especially stunning in the fall.
I don’t live in the US but hope to one day visit and do a hike there, which will have to be a shorter one so this list was a good start for a shortlist. The Wonderland Trail looks like something I’d like to do, completely different scenery to what I’m used to over here in the land of Oz!
So glad I found your channel. I forgot about Tahoe Rim. Hiked parts of the Superior Trail. Thought about the Lost Coast Trail along California's north Coast. Thank you, so much, for your positive attitude.
You provide so much good great information. Another little known but nice 250 mile trail is the Tuscarora Trail. It breaks off from the AT in the Mid-Shenandoah Valley area, goes west across the Shenandoah Valley then turns north and parallels the AT and reconnects with the AT in PA near Harrisburg. It's definitely on my list and if I get really ambitious I'll follow the AT south back to my starting point--a 500 mile loop!!
Thank you SO much for this- the trails list AND your warm & encouraging personality & words!! I can’t do 6 months (and would not want to!) but would really enjoy the beauty, challenge & sense of accomplishment of doing trails like these. Never knew trails like these existed, till this vid came up in my recommendations... you earned a new sub! Thanks again! 💐💐💐
If someone is interested in hiking the Ozark Highlands trail check out somewhere down the trail. He vlogged the entire trail. It's recommended to hike it in fall, winter, or early spring. It can get overgrown in summer. Folks will want to be up to date on brown bear safety for this area. Glad you mentioned this often overlooked gem
I recommend the Susquehannock Trail System (STS) in PA. Not a lot of epic views but a challenging 85 miles of back country goodness! The Chuck Keiper Trail is also another good PA hike. 55 miles and beautiful streams.
Can confirm that the foothills trail is awesome! It was my first "thru hike" so it definitely holds a special place in my heart. Lots of cool footbridges, waterfalls, and a few places to go for a swim! Even though we only saw like 3 hikers the whole way, the trail was well maintained with a good amount of campsites available. Happy hiking!
Nice video, these all sound great. I live in Colorado, and while of course we have the 500ish mile Colorado Trail, there are also just a bunch of huge, beautiful wilderness areas with interlocking trails in every direction. Makes it really easy to to choose your own adventure in whatever size you're looking for. But if there is one in particular that would fit with the others in this list, I'd say the 160 mile Collegiate Peaks Loop is a good choice.
If anyone reading this lives in or near central AZ, check out the Prescott Circle Trail and the Black Canyon Trail. Both are incredibly beautiful and diverse sub-100 miles thru hikes. The Prescott Circle Trail starts off a bit rough with lots of road walking, including having to cross a super busy roundabout, but once you hit the Katahn trailhead/Granite Basin part of the hike, it's all scenic wilderness up until the very last 5 miles or so.
Obviously you're a 10k mile stud, Jupiter, but you're ingeniously hitting on a topic less covered here. For those of us trapped in adulting, short trails are the shat. Thanks for compiling this. Happy Trails, good sir. -Wheelz
Jupiter, first off great video really enjoyed it and I really love all of your videos you seem like a really chill person who has found his happy place and embraced it. I live in central NC and am about 2 miles from the Mountains to sea trail which cuts across NC from Clingmans dome in GSMNP to Jockeys ridge on the outer banks. The MST is a long trail well over 1k miles, however there are several really cool smaller trails that are part of the MST. Right down the road from me is the Haw River trail. It’s my local trail and while right now only has 19 miles of foot trail has 40 miles planned in the future. The trail follows the Hawk River which was the powerhouse that energized the textile revolution in the 19th and early 20th century in the south. You will find remains of old grist mills and textile mills up and down the river and maybe even some old mash stills. The Haw River is also held in esteem and set as an example for the clean water act. Due to pollution by the mills and other pollutants just 30 years ago you couldn’t swim in the river without coming out red,blue, green whatever color the mills were running that day. Now due to legislature and the clean water act the Haw is an ecological Lazarus life is flourishing wildlife is everywhere and we have a beautiful river once again.
Thanks! Some I didn't know about that I will check into! One that didn't make your list that is the mountain to sea trail. This made my list because you can expect everything from high mountain view to down to beach trails. Also Sheltowee trace is extending the trail farther down south in the Big South Fork maybe even passed Rugby.
Thanks. I’m retired, but just don’t have an interest in leaving my family and other life interests behind for 5-6 months. I have been researching some shorter trails that might give me a month on the trail. You’ve added a few to my list. BMT is definitely on my radar as it’s just up the road. Plug It In just hiked it and posted some great videos.
I so appreciate your humor and perspectives. I am a wannabe backpacker. I hope to get out on a small segment of the PCT in August. I thought I heard you say you were going to the PCT days which I will be attending Hope to see you and say thanks in person. Thank you.
Great video. I have another suggestion. The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (LHHT) in Pennsylvania. It is 70 miles long and runs from Ohiopyle, PA to just outside of Johnstown, PA. I have done some sections of it and look forward to doing a through hike in the near future.
I think I'll try the BMT next year. I don't usually get much time off to do the longer trails but I believe it can be done comfortably in a little over 2 weeks. I did 350 miles on the AT in that time recently, but only had a limited number of days. I could at least get the payoff of completing it. Plus, there's not as many towns to get sucked into.
Great list and you named a couple I had never heard of which I will be checking out. Nice to see the love for the Florida Trail but don't forget the Blackwater section in the panhandle. It's one of my favorite sections.
The Colorado Trail is another awesome one. It's a bit longer- just shy of 500 miles. I haven't heard of many of these and really want to do a few shorter thru hikes before I make the choice to uproot my entire life for the AT or the PCT. Thank you for the list :D
Thank you for this informative video. I think it's quite an accomplishment to complete long trails like the AT, PCT and CDT and I congratulate all those who have done so. However , I've been hiking, camping and exploring for over 62 years on five continents but I don't think I would enjoy it months at a time. I love those 3 to 4 nights out but enjoy returning home to my warm comfortable bed. There are other outlets for me like skiing, diving and jet skiing and soon I will try sky diving as well. At 72 I'm enjoying my retirement and look forward to our move to Florida and my doing the lake to ocean trail. Another cool factor about your video is that it invites your fans to offer their own suggestions as there are countless trails throughout this incredible country of ours we would never know about without this influx of information. Even the app ALL TRAILS doesn't offer every trail open to us.
Good suggestions. Try the Ouachita Trail (222 Miles) in Arkansas to Oklahoma. I am not required to do the full trail. I am hiking from Springer Mountain to Damascus next March.
this is a great video. I do plan on tackling the AT in the hopefully near future, but have been planning other hikes that are shorter, so this list helps me. thanks
if you want a long distance hike where you'll be utterly alone I suggest the oregon high desert trail. it requires some easy routefinding and some pretty long water carries but it looks amazing.
Just finished a good chunk of the Ozark Highlands Trail recently. Absolutely recommend it especially for newer backpackers. Really beautiful and friendly trail, pretty secluded, great experience overall!
This is a fantastic video for those who can only dedicate to shorter trips or who need a few test hikea. I just did 4 days on the Shawagunk Ridge Trail. The NJ part stunk but once into NY you go through forests that have experienced a recent fire and once you get to Sam's Point / Lake Minnesakwa it gets pretty amazing.
I was going to say the Sheltowee Trace trail and it was the first one on the list lol. The first 50 miles or so starts in Tennessee that’s where some of the best sights on the trail are at.
I'd also like to recommend the 2 Arkansas trails, the Ozark Highlands Trail and the Ouachita Trail. Of the 2, the Ozark Highlands is less developed (no shelters) and occasionally the track is quite faint. The winter or late fall is a great time when the chiggers and ticks are down.
YES! Great video. I would love to do the trail, but section hikes are all I have time for in my immediate future. I am lucky that I live in Virginia, where there are 500 miles of Appalachian Trail. My husband and I can't take off months from work, but we can take the occasional long weekend for some overnight hiking and camping. We plan on doing the Virginia Triple Crown (Dragon's Tooth, McAfee Knob, & Tinker Cliffs) sometime this spring.
What a cool style you have well done . Would love to see another vid on how you stacked your pack for these trips and most importantly resupply points along trail say every 3-4 days too. Great keep up the vids. Thanks 😊🦌
Check out the Northville-Placid Trail. It's a 138 mile trail located in the Adirondack Park in New York State. I did it in the fall and it was the best six days I've ever spent in the woods.
Did the OHT this past spring and I would definitely recommend doing it in the winter. It turns into the amazon in the spring and you’ll spend 90% of your time treating poison ivy and ticks. Also don’t expect to run into other hikers. That area of Arkansas is the definition of desolate. You cross rivers a ton so pack footwear footwear you can either take off easily or you don’t mind having wet for the next week (nothing dries). Finally watch the weather, it flash floods like crazy so if there’s rain coming be sure you don’t get trapped between creeks for the next three days.
I think North Carolina’s “Mountain to Sea Trail” would be a great addition to your hit-list. 1,150 miles so I understand why it wouldn’t be in this video. One of the coolest aspects is that after hiking Western NC from Clingmans, you can jump on a mountain bike and sore thru the lower forests. There’s even some long sections you could opt to aqua-blaze by canoe!
Thank you for recognizing that the average hiker can't get the time off to do extended hikes. I have a hard time asking for a Friday off.
That's life ,
My thoughts exactly. I loathe working like a slave. TH-cam fills the gap for now until I can break loose. Good luck
Seems like nows the time
As a newer backpacker who’s just trying to get a feel for this, videos and lists like this are crazy helpful! Thanks!
I'm watching this video while sitting in a shelter on the Appalachian Trail. It's too late for me, my friends.
FEATS don't fail me now! :)
sacrilege turn off your devices in the woods man, youre stealing form your own soul
I'm stealing *from my own soul.
Good luck!
@@MichaelDanielHikerLionKing the worst part of ANY trail experience is preachy people like you. Go away.
Sell their children 😂😂😂
Think of the weight savings!
That line made me laugh at loud ! Hugs and thanks
Nice to see someone promote responsibility! Leaving children/husband/wife/deathly ill relatives is just not possible for most younger people. Also there are going to be some people really struggling in retirement years if they don’t build up enough retirement income in working years. Great video!
Awesome video Jupiter!! The Tuscarora trail gets no love. +/- 250 miles through VA, WV, MD and PA. Was originally planned as the route of the AT when land aquisition in northern VA was uncertain. Lots of ridge walks, creeks and a shelter system. Also usually very good for solitude.
Hillbilly Hikes thanks for the PA love
Outstanding! I take my family on small hikes now so that when the kids are older, we will be able to do the bigger trips.
Ouachita Recreation Trail runs 223 miles through the Ouachita Mountains and National Forest from Eastern Oklahoma to Central Arkansas. Another great choice for a 2 week Adventure. It has shelters regularly along the trail and some beautiful National Forest with some Wilderness stretches along the way.
Agreed. Did it in 2018, and feel it is super underrated.
Im putting my gear together and getting in shape to do it.
I just learned about this a few days ago. Trying, struggling, to find something semi-long near Dallas. That sounds like something that could easily be done in a few sections. Good call!
Starting my thru of the OT on October 30. 👍
I second your post Greg, it’s an awesome trail and the terminus is about 50 miles from my house... Take Care
Great video! Thanks for taking the time to put it together - you'll inspire plenty of folk to explore these lesser-known options!
Thanks for bringing it back to more regular trail hiking. There has been an explosion in popularity on the big 3 over the last few years also. A great list.
God this video is gold for me. The fact that you're from Florida blows my mind, because ME TOO. I'm a total beginner and your perspectives are so useful for me - I am going to try my first overnight backpacking trip in Florida this winter, and I definitely want to hike the Ocean to Lake trail. Thanks for these videos.
Don't forget the Colorado Trail! -567 miles, 8 mountain ranges and high alpine scenery
Greetings from Utah! You’re quickly becoming a go-to guy for excellence in backpacking how-to’s and trail videos. Love your spirit 👍👍
Thank you so much for making this video. I dream of a 6 month hike, but a week is the most I'm ever going to get off work. You would appeal to a whole new audience if you kept suggesting these trails and showing them off. Foothills trail here I come!
Great list!! Thanks for the intel!! I’m hiking the Backbone trail 64 miles in the Santa Monica Mountains this December.
Finding trails during the colder months is a must to keep the spirits up.
Thanks again!!❣️
The full 40 mile loop around the Linville gorge in NC is gorgeous year-round!
what route is that? ive been looking for a loop around the gorge. tried the 22 mile loop from wolf pit 2x this year but couldnt cross the river at jacobs
@@bP-yr3po Watch some of the Linville Gorge ITAYG loop hike videos. (ITAYG = Is That all You Got?") It's not a full 40 miler doing the northern part of the gorge, but it's supposed to be a tough, tough loop hike. Also, the Avenza App has a Linville Gorge map that is invaluable and free! I'm playing with shorter loops on the west side of the gorge before trying a bigger loop.
@@PatJ61 Ive also done the more common 20ish mile loop, but shortened it by turning off on to the chimbric ridge trail and doing a river crossing
The lone star trail near Houston Texas is pretty great imo. 96 miles and goes thru like 5 different ecosystem types so the scenery is always changing. Also hikable in the winter time.
Just spent a week on the Superior Hiking Trail: Northern Terminus to Grand Marais. Absolutely stunning. Views of Lake Superior and steep/deep river valleys with waterfalls. Can't wait to go back.
Thank you for calling the Foothills Trail out! When I go hiking it’s the one I head to because it’s the closest to me. I haven’t hiked the whole thing, but I’ve done sections as day hikes. I love it!
This is an excellent video. Great information. These trails will be on my bucket list. Thanks for the information! ✌️
You are getting better and better with your channel.
Keep it up!
Thank you so much!! This is an incredible list for someone like me who loves long distance hikes but not being out for more than a month. Love your videos so much. 💚💚💚
Really enjoying your videos. Your way of telling a story or something as simple as giving us some info is just pleasing
Love a shout out to my State, Arkansas! Ozark Highland Trail is great. I've not thru hiked it, but did parts of it. Another good on in Arkansas is the Ouachita Trail. It start just 7 miles from my doorstep.
The OHT looks amazing! I really want to do that and the Ouachita.
@@JupiterHikes Yeah, the OHT has some of the best scenery Arkansas has to offer. There is no way I can take off a long time to do the AT, but I can do weekend trips. I'm getting back in to backpacking after many years off to raise kids, and I'm hoping to do a few sections of it before long. I'd recommend doing the OHT in the fall. Summer is too humid and the bugs are terrible. Spring or fall is ideal, but you are right, that Winter isn't too bad in Arkansas.
@@JupiterHikes plus you can get amazing deals from Florida to Fayetteville on alligiance air. I would be happy to shuttle u to trail
Curtis Ware that is a cool offer!
The Ozark Trail in Missouri and Ouachita Trail in central Arkansas make a nice compliment to the Ozark Highlands Trail.
Bug Doctor a buddy and myself are planning a thru hike of the Ozark trail for this September!
Great video. Please do a part 2, 3,4.... Really enjoyed it. Would like some other options. Thanks again
Thanks for posting. Not everyone can or wants to take a significant chunk of a year to spend on a single activity. Also your comment on the ability to refine your gear packing by practicing using the shorter trips is absolutely true. I find a better way to do things almost every trip (granted they are very small changes).
Very good video! The "Big 3" trails get so much attention these days that I'm sure a lot of us overlook these shorter trails. Just finding a trail and getting out and enjoying nature while you hike is one of the most important things.
Like your Kuiu shirt too!
Great video as always 👍🏻...Glad The Superior Hiking Trail got the nod..Being from Minnesota and having hiked this trail come hike it in the Fall..Sept 20th -Oct 10th or so...Primetime and skeeters are gone..Yes,it is well marked as you mentioned..Frozen and Redbeard did thru hike vids here on youtube that are pretty good..If you ever come do it let me know...I got over 30 years on this 300 mile scenic path😎😎
Kungsleden (if you happen to be in Sweden) 🤣 I’ll start my hike tomorrow...stoked!! Appreciate your content, it’s inspirational, funny and practical... keep it up!
Good luck!
thank you for covering this. most people are weekenders and just don't have the time or money to do longer thru hikes. Also, thanks for giving a shout out to Kentucky. We have a lot of trails to offer for those weekend warriors!
Love this vid. Realistically, an AT/PCT/CDT thru-hike won't be in my immediate future because of my work schedule and my need for income. I've definitely considered doing a smaller long-distance trail, which better works with my schedule, and bringing awareness to the plethora of this type of trail is really great for people like me.
This by far is my favorite video so far!!! I hike with my Mom and kids so between work and the kids school we do not get a lot of time off for vacations. We have been day hikers for forever, but recently have started backpacking. And our first attempt at a through hike and our first backpacking trip was the Foothills Trail a few weeks ago. Even though we only covered about 25 miles in 3 days before my Mom quit on me, We got to see some pretty amazing sights!
Love this! Thanks for great info for those of us who can’t get off work for months at a time.
Here’s a few for Pennsylvania folks: the West Rim Trail and Old Logger’s Path are short but gorgeous.
Jim Stoltzfus thanks for this. I’m moving to PA next month. I’m also stoked for the ECT. Any experience with that one? See you out there.
The 36-mile Gerard Hiking Trail at Oil Creek State Park at Titusville PA (northwest PA) is pretty amazing and scenic. It offers two overnight shelter areas and a hike through the valley where the oil industry was born in the 1860’s. Lots of history and artifacts to see. Start at the trailhead at the Jersey Bridge near Drake Well Park at Titusville. This trail is home to the popular Oil Creek 100 Trail Runs race in October every year.
I love this - have thought about the AT for a while but realistically, taking so much time away would be difficult. Love your perspective, personality and style.
NPT (Northville, Lake Placid Trail), western part of the Adirondacks of NY. 133 miles.
Part of the 7.1 million acres forest preserve/wilderness, largest in lower 48! Larger than Yellow Stone, Yosemite and Glacier combined. It’s a carbon copy of the 100 Mile Wilderness of Maine. And hey, the northern terminus is in Lake Placid, two time Olympian host.
Great suggestion! I'm hiking it in early September!
Ada Marie Enjoy! I as well. Either First wknd in Aug or Sep sometime.
@@markcummings6856I Chose this as my first long hike in hopes that it will give me a feel for through hiking. I have gone on 5 or 6 overnight hikes but I think the NPT and the FLT are good warm ups for the AT that I plan on starting in april next year.
Ada Marie Enjoy!
The Lone Star Hiking Trail in Texas is about 96 miles and goes through some beautiful East Texas Piney woods. Best hiked from December to February. Recommend checking trail conditions on the Facebook page before hiking it, as it can get muddy and swampy during very rainy years. Watch out for alligators and wild pigs. Goes through the Sam Houston National Forest.
So true! I am gonna go hike a trail near me . There is no elevation, no huge mountains but The Botana Trail in the NJ Pine Barrens is beautiful! Been wanting to get out there & now I am inspired. Happy trails!
I hiked the Batona several times in my youth, about 45 years ago. As I recall, back then it was only 30 miles, ending in Batsto. My first ever solo backpack trip was a through-hike of the Batona at age 15.
@@pjhills01 COOL!! Love hearing this! The trail is @ 53 miles now & goes from Bass River to Ong (south to North). Were you nervous of the Jersey Devil, LOL? I bet that was an exciting time!! Thanks for sharing!
Also the Northville-Lake Placid trail - the longest trail in Adirondack Park ~140 miles
First time seeing this video, as I'm currently halfway through your "Which Trail Should You Hike?" video. I love how you say that people SHOULD hike the AT at the very beginning of this video, and I would like to comment on this (before I have seen the video). Yes the AT is long, but section hiking is also a really great option. As a rebuttal to the section hike option, I would like to discuss a fundamental instilled by my mother at an early age. It's her idea to set goals which are achievable that suggests section hiking isn't the best option. We are motivated by completion, which is why some people do video games to 100%. When there is a start and an end, those are the easiest ways to discuss something .... "How far did you go?". This normal conversation can morph into something that sounds judgmental or elitist (out of human nature). My mom always explained how if you have a big list of things to finish, that completing a few easy ones will make the list look much smaller. It's just how we work. We feel good when we complete something. That's why I think that some of the smaller hikes are going to be better for a hiker. A 3 day hiker here is the same as a 3 day hike somewhere else........ except when one of them is a "complete" hike. This is just basic psychology. You could argue that the hikes are the same, you could look at hiked distance or elevation (versus days outdoors). Just the moral boost of completing a hike is worth considering some of the small options. You could argue that this is simply a placebo effect, but I would take a placebo pill every single day if it helped me hike better. In my opinion, it's a strong mental state to be able to say "I have already completed one hike, and now I can complete another", rather than asking one's self if they can complete a hike. I look forward to hearing your suggestions in this video, but knowing my mom's wisdom tells me that you're going to be correct.
Another excellent video! I grew up in kentucky and never realized the sheltowee trace was so long. I currently live in Michigan and am within 10 hours of both the sheltowee trace and superior trail and think ill try to accomplish those two before I think about doing anything longer. Much thanks for taking the time to make such incredible videos and bringing so much good information
Thanks for the tip / info on the foothills trail. This is definitely on my radar for the next hike or so once we things calm down and we are allowed to return to the trails. Saw your live video with Darwin the other day. Glad to hear your foot has healed. I just suffered an injury to my right foot four weeks ago and I am hoping that it doesn't take 6-8 months to recover. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you feel better soon! I had two broken bones so it took quite a bit long. I was deathly afraid is need surgery but just staying still and focusing on other things did the trick. Good thing about now is, just about everyone in the world is staying quite still with you!
@@JupiterHikes Thank you! Truly appreciate your videos during this time as it has been difficult to not be back out there on trail. Will take your advice and take it easy for a little while longer. Cheers!
Thanks for the information. Great to hear about some of the shorter trails. I did the Long Trail last year and it was fantastic. You are absolutely right about the second "half" (after the AT) being better than the first.
I hiked 30 miles of the long trail with my dad last year, and it was an amazing experience! This video is great, as a college student that wants to do mini thru hikes sometime, thanks!
Thanks for the Sheltowee shout-out! I'm building up to a hike of this one with shorter weekend hikes in Red River Gorge (which Sheltowee runs through). And thanks for all the other suggestions.
Thank you for all the great ideas. I am doing my first thru hike this summer, the West Coast Trail up here in BC, Canada and I hope to do a few of the ones you listed down in Washington and Oregon.
Thank you for the list. I plan to take a group on the OTL this January. Then onto the other short trails.
If you love waterfalls, the FHT is full of them. We did it in 5 days. Amazing time and not too busy. Finished the Long Trail last month. It was insanely fun and really challenging. Met an amazing trail family on it. You gotta hit those two man!
Jeremiah Stringer Hikes when he mentioned the FHT, straight away I thought of your vids of the FHT 😀
Footprints and Tyre Tracks glad I finally got to finish the series lol. Appreciate you watching!
Jeremiah Stringer Hikes thanks for taking the time to make them!
I did the Foothills Trail this summer; it was remarkably free of hikers for the most part and pretty much constantly up and down along the Blue Ridge Escarpment where the mountains rise precipitously from the rolling hills of the Piedmont. Lots of waterfalls, and it would be especially stunning in the fall.
I don’t live in the US but hope to one day visit and do a hike there, which will have to be a shorter one so this list was a good start for a shortlist. The Wonderland Trail looks like something I’d like to do, completely different scenery to what I’m used to over here in the land of Oz!
I’m so glad you mentioned the Superior Hiking Trail. It’s absolutely gorgeous!
So glad I found your channel. I forgot about Tahoe Rim. Hiked parts of the Superior Trail. Thought about the Lost Coast Trail along California's north Coast. Thank you, so much, for your positive attitude.
You provide so much good great information. Another little known but nice 250 mile trail is the Tuscarora Trail. It breaks off from the AT in the Mid-Shenandoah Valley area, goes west across the Shenandoah Valley then turns north and parallels the AT and reconnects with the AT in PA near Harrisburg. It's definitely on my list and if I get really ambitious I'll follow the AT south back to my starting point--a 500 mile loop!!
Thank you SO much for this- the trails list AND your warm & encouraging personality & words!! I can’t do 6 months (and would not want to!) but would really enjoy the beauty, challenge & sense of accomplishment of doing trails like these. Never knew trails like these existed, till this vid came up in my recommendations... you earned a new sub! Thanks again! 💐💐💐
If someone is interested in hiking the Ozark Highlands trail check out somewhere down the trail. He vlogged the entire trail. It's recommended to hike it in fall, winter, or early spring. It can get overgrown in summer. Folks will want to be up to date on brown bear safety for this area. Glad you mentioned this often overlooked gem
I recommend the Susquehannock Trail System (STS) in PA. Not a lot of epic views but a challenging 85 miles of back country goodness!
The Chuck Keiper Trail is also another good PA hike. 55 miles and beautiful streams.
Can confirm that the foothills trail is awesome! It was my first "thru hike" so it definitely holds a special place in my heart. Lots of cool footbridges, waterfalls, and a few places to go for a swim! Even though we only saw like 3 hikers the whole way, the trail was well maintained with a good amount of campsites available. Happy hiking!
Grafton Loop Trail! 38 miles of rugged Maine mountains. I hope to do it in the very near future.
Great video man! Such useful info! Thanks for the shout out to the Ozark Highlands trail here in Arkansas!
Nice video, these all sound great. I live in Colorado, and while of course we have the 500ish mile Colorado Trail, there are also just a bunch of huge, beautiful wilderness areas with interlocking trails in every direction. Makes it really easy to to choose your own adventure in whatever size you're looking for. But if there is one in particular that would fit with the others in this list, I'd say the 160 mile Collegiate Peaks Loop is a good choice.
The Loyalsock Trail in Pennsylvania can be done in a week that's on my list. We also have the Black Forest trail and Lural Highlands trail.
If anyone reading this lives in or near central AZ, check out the Prescott Circle Trail and the Black Canyon Trail. Both are incredibly beautiful and diverse sub-100 miles thru hikes. The Prescott Circle Trail starts off a bit rough with lots of road walking, including having to cross a super busy roundabout, but once you hit the Katahn trailhead/Granite Basin part of the hike, it's all scenic wilderness up until the very last 5 miles or so.
Obviously you're a 10k mile stud, Jupiter, but you're ingeniously hitting on a topic less covered here. For those of us trapped in adulting, short trails are the shat. Thanks for compiling this. Happy Trails, good sir. -Wheelz
Jupiter, first off great video really enjoyed it and I really love all of your videos you seem like a really chill person who has found his happy place and embraced it.
I live in central NC and am about 2 miles from the Mountains to sea trail which cuts across NC from Clingmans dome in GSMNP to Jockeys ridge on the outer banks. The MST is a long trail well over 1k miles, however there are several really cool smaller trails that are part of the MST.
Right down the road from me is the Haw River trail. It’s my local trail and while right now only has 19 miles of foot trail has 40 miles planned in the future. The trail follows the Hawk River which was the powerhouse that energized the textile revolution in the 19th and early 20th century in the south. You will find remains of old grist mills and textile mills up and down the river and maybe even some old mash stills. The Haw River is also held in esteem and set as an example for the clean water act.
Due to pollution by the mills and other pollutants just 30 years ago you couldn’t swim in the river without coming out red,blue, green whatever color the mills were running that day. Now due to legislature and the clean water act the Haw is an ecological Lazarus life is flourishing wildlife is everywhere and we have a beautiful river once again.
Thanks! Some I didn't know about that I will check into! One that didn't make your list that is the mountain to sea trail. This made my list because you can expect everything from high mountain view to down to beach trails.
Also Sheltowee trace is extending the trail farther down south in the Big South Fork maybe even passed Rugby.
Thanks. I’m retired, but just don’t have an interest in leaving my family and other life interests behind for 5-6 months. I have been researching some shorter trails that might give me a month on the trail. You’ve added a few to my list. BMT is definitely on my radar as it’s just up the road. Plug It In just hiked it and posted some great videos.
The Cohos Trail in NH goes from the presidentials to Canada. Remote and diverse.
I so appreciate your humor and perspectives. I am a wannabe backpacker. I hope to get out on a small segment of the PCT in August. I thought I heard you say you were going to the PCT days which I will be attending Hope to see you and say thanks in person. Thank you.
Great video. I have another suggestion. The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (LHHT) in Pennsylvania. It is 70 miles long and runs from Ohiopyle, PA to just outside of Johnstown, PA. I have done some sections of it and look forward to doing a through hike in the near future.
I think I'll try the BMT next year. I don't usually get much time off to do the longer trails but I believe it can be done comfortably in a little over 2 weeks. I did 350 miles on the AT in that time recently, but only had a limited number of days. I could at least get the payoff of completing it. Plus, there's not as many towns to get sucked into.
Great list and you named a couple I had never heard of which I will be checking out. Nice to see the love for the Florida Trail but don't forget the Blackwater section in the panhandle. It's one of my favorite sections.
The Colorado Trail is another awesome one. It's a bit longer- just shy of 500 miles. I haven't heard of many of these and really want to do a few shorter thru hikes before I make the choice to uproot my entire life for the AT or the PCT. Thank you for the list :D
I'm currently section hiking the River to River trail in Illinois. Thanks for the video!
Thru hiking the R2R in November. Very excited! Be safe and enjoy :)
Awesome list. I have been looking at the Foothills trail for years. Also that Ocean to Lakes trail looks good for winter!
Thank you for this informative video. I think it's quite an accomplishment to complete long trails like the AT, PCT and CDT and I congratulate all those who have done so. However , I've been hiking, camping and exploring for over 62 years on five continents but I don't think I would enjoy it months at a time. I love those 3 to 4 nights out but enjoy returning home to my warm comfortable bed. There are other outlets for me like skiing, diving and jet skiing and soon I will try sky diving as well. At 72 I'm enjoying my retirement and look forward to our move to Florida and my doing the lake to ocean trail. Another cool factor about your video is that it invites your fans to offer their own suggestions as there are countless trails throughout this incredible country of ours we would never know about without this influx of information. Even the app ALL TRAILS doesn't offer every trail open to us.
Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (70mi) in PA is a good 3-7 day trail.
Great advice. Thank you so much for the video. I live near the Allegheny trail, yet know nothing about it. Around here the AT gets all the attention.
I'm fascinated with the short/medium trails. Thanks for putting a couple more on my radar.
Me too! And there's so many of them!
Check out the Mid State Trail in PA! 323 miles of some of the best hiking in the state!
Chad North thanks for the PA love.
Excellent perspective on shorter hike advantages.
This is a great video. Our family is hiking the PNT, and none of our friends can pull off more than a few days with us on trail.
Good suggestions. Try the Ouachita Trail (222 Miles) in Arkansas to Oklahoma. I am not required to do the full trail. I am hiking from Springer Mountain to Damascus next March.
this is a great video. I do plan on tackling the AT in the hopefully near future, but have been planning other hikes that are shorter, so this list helps me. thanks
if you want a long distance hike where you'll be utterly alone I suggest the oregon high desert trail. it requires some easy routefinding and some pretty long water carries but it looks amazing.
Just finished a good chunk of the Ozark Highlands Trail recently. Absolutely recommend it especially for newer backpackers. Really beautiful and friendly trail, pretty secluded, great experience overall!
You should definitley do the long trail! Early october on the LT is amazing.
This is a fantastic video for those who can only dedicate to shorter trips or who need a few test hikea. I just did 4 days on the Shawagunk Ridge Trail. The NJ part stunk but once into NY you go through forests that have experienced a recent fire and once you get to Sam's Point / Lake Minnesakwa it gets pretty amazing.
I was going to say the Sheltowee Trace trail and it was the first one on the list lol. The first 50 miles or so starts in Tennessee that’s where some of the best sights on the trail are at.
I'd also like to recommend the 2 Arkansas trails, the Ozark Highlands Trail and the Ouachita Trail. Of the 2, the Ozark Highlands is less developed (no shelters) and occasionally the track is quite faint. The winter or late fall is a great time when the chiggers and ticks are down.
I absolutely LOVED this video dude! I have such a hard time knowing about the good trails around me, that this really helped!
YES! Great video. I would love to do the trail, but section hikes are all I have time for in my immediate future. I am lucky that I live in Virginia, where there are 500 miles of Appalachian Trail. My husband and I can't take off months from work, but we can take the occasional long weekend for some overnight hiking and camping. We plan on doing the Virginia Triple Crown (Dragon's Tooth, McAfee Knob, & Tinker Cliffs) sometime this spring.
Virginia has some of the best stuff on the AT too!! Grayson Highlands really was a treat, and as you mention the triple crown!
What a cool style you have well done . Would love to see another vid on how you stacked your pack for these trips and most importantly resupply points along trail say every 3-4 days too. Great keep up the vids. Thanks 😊🦌
Check out the Northville-Placid Trail. It's a 138 mile trail located in the Adirondack Park in New York State. I did it in the fall and it was the best six days I've ever spent in the woods.
I love how passionate you are talking about hiking !
You can definitely thru hike the OHT in winter. I thru hiked it in December 2016. Did it again May of this year. Got Uinta on my radar now
The New England Trail!
215 miles from Guilford Sound, CT to the Mass/New Hampshire Border!
I’m in Tampa and have been out of hiking since living here. Good to see you live in Florida! Would love to meet other hikers here
Did the OHT this past spring and I would definitely recommend doing it in the winter. It turns into the amazon in the spring and you’ll spend 90% of your time treating poison ivy and ticks. Also don’t expect to run into other hikers. That area of Arkansas is the definition of desolate. You cross rivers a ton so pack footwear footwear you can either take off easily or you don’t mind having wet for the next week (nothing dries). Finally watch the weather, it flash floods like crazy so if there’s rain coming be sure you don’t get trapped between creeks for the next three days.
Thanks for sharing these trails. It is great to learn about new trails as the AT does require a lot of time and planning to complete. Cheers!
I think North Carolina’s “Mountain to Sea Trail” would be a great addition to your hit-list. 1,150 miles so I understand why it wouldn’t be in this video. One of the coolest aspects is that after hiking Western NC from Clingmans, you can jump on a mountain bike and sore thru the lower forests. There’s even some long sections you could opt to aqua-blaze by canoe!