We don’t necessarily think about hiking as being a dangerous activity in and of itself, but we all know that occasion things can go very wrong out on the trail. More often than not, when things do go off the rails it’s probably because someone didn’t take time to plan their hike properly, didn’t watch the weather,
bring the proper gear, or something similar. But from time to time, the actual hiking trail could be blame, as some routes are inherently more dangerous than others. To that end, Backpacker magazine has selected the ten most dangerous hikes in America, listing some iconic trails that we all know and love that might also be just a tad difficult for inexperienced or unprepared.
As indicated above, several of the trails that make the list are ones that you’ve probably heard of and maybe even have hiked yourself. For instance, the Mist Trail on Half Dome in Yosemite fits that description, as does Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon.
Others are not quite as famous, such as the Barr Trail in Colorado or Huckleberry Mountain in Montana. Some, are downright infamous however, such as Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. All of the hikes that make the cut are epic in scope and beauty however, so even though they’re on the dangerous side, they certainly have their appeal.
I’ve already revealed half the list in the paragraph above, so I don’t want to give too much more away. After all, half the fun of a list like this one is discovering which hikes earned a spot on such dubious — yet fun — list. Backpacker also makes it interesting by breaking down why exactly these hikes has earned its reputation for being dangerous, offering up some interesting stats, stories, and information that may give you reason to pause before embarking on one of these adventures.
If you want to read up on these ten dangerous hikes, you can find the entire list here.
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