50 Trail Runs of North America

There is a book titled 50 Classic Climbs of North America which was published by Allen Steck and Steve Roper in 1979. There is even the guidebook 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America, published by Art Burrows, Chris Davenport, and Penn Newhard in 2010 (and made popular recently by Cody Townsend and the “Fifty Project”). There still is not an agreed upon list of ‘classic’ trail runs.

I’m not claiming to be the expert here; most of these runs I have not done myself. However, these 50 trail runs highlight some of the best that North America has to offer. 

To keep the list accessible to a majority of the trail running population, I laid out the following requirements for a route to make the list:

Requirements

• No Class 4 or 5 scrambling (i.e. no technical rock climbing or significant rock scrambling)
• Less than 100 miles
• Must have been done before by others (i.e. cannot be a “first”)
• No glacier travel
• Must be at least 50% on trail

*Note the order of these trail runs is random and in no way a representation of their priority
**Note that ‘North America’ has been limited to USA and Canada

The entire list can be found mapped out here, on Caltopo, where the runs will be loaded with their GPS coordinates.

 The list of 50 will be divided into the following sections: 

• Eastern US
• Mountain West — Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Arizona
• Western US — California, Washington, Oregon
• Alaska
• Hawai’i
• Canada

Eastern US

The highlighted routes in the Eastern US bring you above treeline to admire the rolling hills of New England, the Smoky Mountains, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Fall colors make these runs even more spectacular, with greens, reds, and yellows popping all around you.

1. Presidential Traverse, New Hampshire
2. Pemigewasset Loop, New Hampshire
3. Katahdin, Maine
4. Great High Peaks Traverse, New York
5. Old Rag Mountain Loop, Virginia
6. Art Loeb Trail, North Carolina
7. Foothills Trail, South Carolina/North Carolina
8. Great Smokies Loop, North Carolina/Tennessee
9. Georgia Loop, Georgia

Mountain West

The Mountain West region highlights the alpine, rugged nature of the Rockies, and the expansive plateaus of the desert West. Panoramic vistas, jagged mountain peaks, and deep canyons are the bread-and-butter of the Mountain West. Travel to some of the wonders of the American West in the Grand Canyon, Tetons, and Rocky Mountains.

10. Teton Crest Trail, Wyoming
11. Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R), Arizona
12. Skyline Trail, New Mexico
13. South Rim Loop + Emory Peak, Texas
14. Boulder Skyline, Colorado
15. Pawnee-Buchanan Pass Loop, Colorado
16. Zion Crossing, Utah
17. Maroon Bells 4 Passes Loop, Colorado
18. James Peak Skyline to Rollins Pass, Colorado
19. Cirque of the Towers Loop, Wyoming
20. Uinta Highline Traverse, Utah
21. Alice Toxaway Loop, Idaho
22. Gunsight Pass, Montana
23. Highline Trail Loop, Montana
24. Bridger Traverse, Montana
25. Ruby Crest Traverse, Nevada
26. Great Basin Traverse, Nevada
27. Seven Devils Loop, Idaho

Western US

The West Coast will bring you through rainforest, high alpine, and the foothills of sweeping glaciers. From Yosemite Valley in California to the footsteps of Mount Rainier, the routes on the West Coast feature long climbs broken up by awe-striking nature. Don’t be fooled though, none of these will come easy.

28. Wonderland Trail, Washington
29. Timberline Trail, Oregon
30. Grand Loop (Olympic National Park), Washington
31. Little Giant-Spider Gap Loop, Washington
32. Backbone Trail, California
33. Desolation Wilderness Loop, California
34. Trans-Catalina Trail, California
35. Tuolumne to Mammoth Lakes (JMT Section), California
36. Loowit Trail, Washington
37. Rae Lakes Loop, California
38. Clouds Rest, California
39. Enchantment Lakes Traverse, Washington

Alaska

Alaska is the ‘Last Frontier’ for a reason: it’s pure, raw wilderness. The selected routes below will bring you into that powerful nature briefly and make you forget you even started at a trailhead. 

40. K’Esugi Ridge Trail
41. Penguin Ridge
42. Lost Lake Trail

Hawai’i

Hawai’i’s volcanoes and dramatic coastlines are on full display in the two routes below. Escape the beach for a day or two and run through steep, undulating terrain and explore the mountains above. Then you can enjoy your relaxing times soaking up the sun!

43. Kalalau Trail
44. Haleakala

Canada

The selected routes for Canada are solely in British Columbia and Alberta, as the country is too big to see all of. These runs will bring you through dramatic post-glacial valleys and mountain ranges. The selected routes are relatively easy to access and close to major cities, so you can plan a trip out to visit.

45. Yoho Iceline Trail
46. Rockwall Trail
47. Howe Sound Crest Trail
48. Sawback Trail
49. Panorama Ridge
50. Sunshine Coast Trail (sections…since it’s just over 100 miles)

*Table values have been rounded to nearest mile and 500’ of elevation

Color Coding Legend

Mileage

• <20 = GREEN
• 20-40 = YELLOW
• 40 – 60 = ORANGE
• >60 = RED

Elevation Gain

• <5,000’ = GREEN
• 5,000’ – 10,000’ = YELLOW
• 10,000’ – 12,000’ = ORANGE
• >12,000’ = RED

Reminder that all of these are mapped on Caltopo!

The Final Word

The routes mentioned in this list are a great sampler of terrain across North America, from high alpine meadows to dense forests to rocky ridgelines. They include some of the more ‘famous’ trail runs like the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim, the Wonderland Trail, and the Presidential Traverse. But there’s also some lesser known routes that will bring you into new terrain, from the Bridger Traverse to the Grand Loop to the Art Loeb Trail. 

Don’t want to bite off some of the larger runs? Try using them as inspiration for creating a shorter loop or an out-and-back! In no way is this list totally comprehensive, but it will help you put some ‘dots on the map’ for destinations for your next vacation!

And don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly! I’m always happy to provide my experience and thoughts. Reach out to me at [email protected].