Top 100 Trails of 2005

Trails.com has announced their annual pick for the Top 100 trails in the U.S. It's hard to tell what their criteria was, they say it's based on 10 million "votes." Hmmm, being based in Cali we gotta appeal the fact we were beat out by New York? New York? Com'on now. Could it be they only chose from the trails available in their database? Nevertheless, Doug and the crew up in Seattle are good folk, so go check out the the complete list of 100 on their site. We've posted the top twenty below as well as some of the highlights from their press release:

Top activities: Hiking remains the most popular activity (85 trails), followed by hot springs, mountain biking,walking, road biking (new for 2005), and campgrounds (new for 2005).
Top states: Spread across 27 different states, the top states include New York (14 trails), California (13), Georgia (7), Virginia (7), Colorado (6), Pennsylvania (6), North Carolina (5), Washington (5), and Arkansas (4).
East vs. West: 68 of the Top 100 trails are located east of the Mississippi River
2005 vs. 2004: Within the Top 20 trails, there are 4 new trails and 15 trails increased or decreased their ranking compared to 2004. In addition, 9 trails are over 20 miles long, indicating that there is a continued interest inlonger, multi-day trips.

The top twenty trails were:

Breakneck Ridge Trail (Hiking)
Beacon, NY
Cohutta Wilderness Area Trails (Hiking)
Ellijay, GA
Glacier Gorge (Hiking)
Estes Park, CO
Harriman State Park (Walking)
Bear Mountain, NY
Mount Whitney (Hiking)
Lone Pine, CA
Appalachian Trail: The Pinnacle (Hiking)
Hamburg, PA
Appalachian Trail: Springer Mountain to Hightower Gap (Hiking)
Suches, GA
Appalachian National Scenic Trail - Pennsylvania Section (Hiking)
Rouzerville, PA
Conundrum Hot Springs (Hot Springs)
Aspen, CO
American River Confluence to Lake Clementine (Hiking)
Auburn, CA
Furnace Mountain / Trayfoot Mountain Overnight Loop (Hiking)
Waynesboro, VA
Dolly Sods Wilderness (Hiking)
Petersburg, WV
Appalachian National Scenic Trail: CT & MA (Hiking)
North Adams, MA
American River Bike Path (Mountain Biking)
Sacramento, CA
Bear Mountain - Mount Riga State Park (Hiking)
Salisbury, CT
Half Dome (Hiking)
Merced, CA
Appalachian Trail: Crampton Gap to Harpers Ferry, WV (Hiking)
Burkittsville, MD
Appalachian Trail (VA) - Chester Gap to Harpers Ferry (Hiking)
Front Royal, VA
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlands Park (Hiking)
Issaquah, WA
North Country Trail (Hiking)
Morenci, MI

Breakneck Ridge Trail (Hiking)
Beacon, NY
Cohutta Wilderness Area Trails (Hiking)
Ellijay, GA
Glacier Gorge (Hiking)
Estes Park, CO
Harriman State Park (Walking)
Bear Mountain, NY
Mount Whitney (Hiking)
Lone Pine, CA
Appalachian Trail: The Pinnacle (Hiking)
Hamburg, PA
Appalachian Trail: Springer Mountain to Hightower Gap (Hiking)
Suches, GA
Appalachian National Scenic Trail - Pennsylvania Section (Hiking)
Rouzerville, PA
Conundrum Hot Springs (Hot Springs)
Aspen, CO
American River Confluence to Lake Clementine (Hiking)
Auburn, CA
Furnace Mountain / Trayfoot Mountain Overnight Loop (Hiking)
Waynesboro, VA
Dolly Sods Wilderness (Hiking)
Petersburg, WV
Appalachian National Scenic Trail: CT & MA (Hiking)
North Adams, MA
American River Bike Path (Mountain Biking)
Sacramento, CA
Bear Mountain - Mount Riga State Park (Hiking)
Salisbury, CT
Half Dome (Hiking)
Merced, CA
Appalachian Trail: Crampton Gap to Harpers Ferry, WV (Hiking)
Burkittsville, MD
Appalachian Trail (VA) - Chester Gap to Harpers Ferry (Hiking)
Front Royal, VA
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlands Park (Hiking)
Issaquah, WA
North Country Trail (Hiking)
Morenci, MI
Bear Mountain State Park (Walking)
Highland Falls, NY
Black Mountain Crest (Hiking)
Asheville, NC
Appalachian Trail: Sunfish Pond & Mount Mohican (Hiking)
Columbia, NJ
Big Creek Falls (Taylor River) (Hiking)
North Bend, WA
Deep Creek Hot Springs (Hot Springs)
Hesperia, CA
Bear Mountain Loop (Hiking)
Highland Falls, NY
Holy Jim Falls Trail (Hiking)
Lake Forest, CA
Mount Mitchell (Hiking)
Asheville, NC
Mount Marcy - New York Highpoint (Hiking)
Lake Placid, NY
Havasu Canyon (Hiking)
Seligman, AZ
Appalachian Trail in New York State (Hiking)
Newburgh, NY
Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (Hiking)
Johnstown, PA
20 Lakes Basin Loop (Backpacking) (Hiking)
Bishop, CA
Anthony's Nose (Hiking)
Bear Mountain Bridge, NY
Clingman's Dome Overnight Loop (Hiking)
Gatlinburg, TN
Slide Mountain Loop (Hiking)
Woodstock, NY
Eagle Rock Loop (Hiking)
Glenwood, AR
Big Devils Stairs (Hiking)
Front Royal, VA
Appalachian Trail: Woody Gap to Neels Gap (Hiking)
Suches, GA
Cottonwood Lakes to Upper Rock Creek (Backpacking) (Hiking)
Lone Pine, CA
Appalachian Trail: Bake Oven Knob to Lehigh Gap (Hiking)
Lehighton, PA
Central Alpine Lakes Loop (Backpacking) (Hiking)
Cle Elum, WA
Boulder County: Longs Peak (Hiking)
Estes Park, CO
Whiteoak Canyon Falls (Hiking)
Madison, VA
Camelback Mountain Summit Trail (Hiking)
Phoenix, AZ
Hut to Hut Presidential Traverse (Hiking)
Gorham, NH
Ringwood State Park (Mountain Biking)
Ringwood, NJ
Appalachian Trail: Bear Mountain - Harriman State Parks - West (Hiking)
Arden, NY
Uwharrie National Forest (Hiking)
Asheboro, NC
Appalachian Trail to Loudon Heights Trail Loop (Hiking)
Harpers Ferry, WV
Benton MacKaye Trail (Hiking)
Ellijay, GA
Indian Head Mountain Loop (Hiking)
Saugerties, NY
Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail (Mountain Biking)
Woodbury, NY
Ouachita Trail (Hiking)
Mena, AR
Franconia Ridge (Hiking)
Lincoln, NH
Amicalola Falls State Park Trails (Hiking)
Dahlonega, GA
Cross Timbers Trail (Hiking)
Dallas, TX
Alander Mountain Loop (Hiking)
South Egremont, MA
Ozark Highlands Trail (Hiking)
Alma, AR
Ramsey's Draft Wilderness (Hiking)
Staunton, VA
Bull of the Woods Loop (Backpacking) (Hiking)
Salem, OR
Bergen Peak (Hiking)
Denver, CO
Appalachian Trail (VA) - Damascus to Marion (Hiking)
Damascus, VA
The Superior Hiking Trail (Hiking)
Two Harbors, MN
Old Rag - Shenandoah National Park (Hiking)
Sperryville, VA
Bagby Hot Springs (Hot Springs)
Estacada, OR
Ocala National Forest (Hiking)
Ocala, FL
Appalachian Trail: Dicks Creek Gap to Deep Gap (NC) (Hiking)
Hiawassee, GA
Carson Mineral Hot Springs Resort (Hot Springs)
Carson, WA
Big Santa Anita Loop (Hiking)
Arcadia, CA
Blue Lake - Indian Peaks Wilderness (Hiking)
Nederland, CO
North Kettle Moraine (Hiking)
Dundee, WI
Kauai: Kalalau Valley & The Na Pali Cliffs (Walking)
Hanalei, HI
Mount Pisgah Area Trails (Hiking)
Brevard, NC
Mount Mansfield, Sunset Ridge Trail (Hiking)
Burlington, VT
Appalachian Trail: Hightower Gap to Woody Gap (Hiking)
Suches, GA
Appalachian Trail: Hawk Mountain to PA 309 (Hiking)
Eckville, PA
Mount Washington via Boott Spur (Hiking)
Gorham, NH
Oxford Valley Mall (Walking)
Langhorne, PA
Arapaho Pass Trail to Lake Dorothy (Hiking)
Nederland, CO
Appalachian Trail: Sunrise Mountain & High Point (Hiking)
Sussex, NJ
North Fork of the American River (Hiking)
Auburn, CA
American River Bike Trail Ramble (Road Biking)
Sacramento, CA
Palisades Interstate Park and the Long Path, NJ (Hiking)
Englewood, NJ
Appalachian Trail: Mount Katahdin (Hiking)
Millinocket, ME
The Hudson Highlands (Hiking)
Cold Spring, NY
Maddron Bald Overnight Loop (Hiking)
Waynesville, TN
Mount Rainier - Wonderland Trail Loop (Backpacking) (Hiking)
Buckley, WA
Verde Hot Spring (Hot Springs)
Strawberry, AZ
Courthouse Rock and Double Arch (Hiking)
Stanton, KY
Aliso / Wood Canyons Regional Park: Rock-It / Cholla Loop (Mountain Biking)
Laguna Beach, CA
Black Mountain Loop (Hiking)
Lake George, NY
Buffalo River Trail (Western Section) (Hiking)
Clarksville, AR
Appalachian Trail: Bear Mountain - Harriman State Parks - East (Hiking)
Arden, NY
San Diego Area Campgrounds (Campgrounds)
San Diego, CA
Waterloo-Pinckney Recreation Hiking Trail (Hiking)
Jackson, MI
Appalachian Trail: Clingmans Dome to Spence Field (Hiking)
Cades Cove, NC
Catoctin Mountain Park and Cunningham Falls State Park (Hiking)
Thurmont, MD
Kalalau Trail on Na Pali Coast Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakapiai Falls (Hiking)
Lihue, HI
Blue Hills Reservation (Hiking)
Boston, MA

Posted by GetOutdoors in Hiking, Meaningless Lists at 00:10 | Comments (3) | Trackback (1)
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Top Bicycling Cities In The U.S.
Bicycling Magazine published their annual list of best (and worst) cities for biking. Like the Top Trails list, the judges were biased against our fair state, with two #1s and an honorable mention. We should have swept that list. We invented mountain biki

Weblog: Getoutdoors.com Outdoor Blog
Tracked: Feb 09, 23:15

Comments

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Funny, I wonder why the Stinson Beach-Muir Woods or Alamere Falls trails aren't on this list. I've been on a fair number of these in the east, and I gotta say that those two spots in Marin are up there with them.

Also, where is Utah on this list?

#1 bward (Homepage) on 2006-02-10 09:08 (Reply)

I do breakneck (#1) a few times a month, but I did Kalalau Trail (#99) on the Na Pali Coast earlier this year. I'm all for local pride and Breakneck is a GREAT hike, but c'mon...i'd like to know how this is possible...

#2 jam squad on 2006-12-27 03:43 (Reply)

The Cranberry back country in Richwood West Virginia is another wonderful place for hiking and fishing. They have a graveled trail that is several miles long that meanders through the back country of the monongahela national forest.

Ihave a bunch of pictures of the area on my website.

#3 Forest Wander (Homepage) on 2007-05-28 06:39 (Reply)

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