Best Guided Hiking Trips in USA

Researching an active vacation in the USA can be intimidating with so many options to choose from and so many hiking tour companies on the market. To make things worse, there are a TON of hiking destinations in the United States as well. We have curated what we consider to be some of the best guided hiking tours in the USA, to help you plan your trip and book a vacation to remember!

An Overview Of USA Hiking Destinations

The areas we picked for our top guided hiking holidays in the USA are varied across the entire country. These tours cover all types of terrain and landscapes, from desert canyons and arches, to lush coastal rainforest, and majestic inland cascade mountains. The United States offer a wild amount of choice for a backdrop on your walking tours. Head to the desert for big, open skies, dramatic cliff walls, rushing canyons and Navajo culture. Try the Northern Cascades and Olympic Peninsula to escape the crowds and climb to high ridges with commanding views over emerald blue lakes. The Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks offer some truly epic mountain ranges, wide open sunsets, and the geological marvels of Yellowstone. Where will you head for your nest hiking vacation in the USA?

Best Hiking Tours In USA

American Classics | USA Southwest National Parks Hiking Tour

Operator: Fresh Adventures
Location: US Southwest, Las Vegas to San Francisco
Parks Visited: Valley of Fire, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Parks
Accommodation: Front Country Camping
Length: 12 Days
Price: $3545 usd
Price Per Day: $295 usd
Best For: Solo travelers, couples & friends wanting the iconic American hiking experience. See arches, canyons, hoodoos, sequoias and domes all in one trip along famous Route 66.

Why We Love It: We actually run this trip and carefully designed it to encompass all the essential outdoor experiences in the US Southwest in one trip! Opt for a 7 or 12 day tour length to add on 5 days of exploring the Eastern Sierras and Yosemite National Park. This USA hiking tour starts off in Las Vegas and ventures in a circle, passing through Zion, Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon, before heading West to Yosemite National Park. Leave no canyon undiscovered, as you wander through ancient passages carved from wind and water, and lose yourself in the towering hoodoos of Bryce Canyon. Camping under desert skies with a small group of 12 travelers from around the world makes for easy living. This is the ultimate hiking tour package to combine all the best canyons, hoodoos, Grand Canyon, ancient Sequoias and granite domes of Yosemite and the American Southwest in one epic active vacation.

Oregon Caves & Crater Lake National Park Hiking Tour

Operator: Timberline Adventures
Location: Medford, Oregon
Parks Visited: Crater Lake National Park, Sikiyou National Forest
Accommodation: Lodge Based
Length: 5 Days
Price: $2925 usd
Price Per Day: $585 usd
Best For: Hikers visiting Oregon and wanting to see a unique eco-system and America’s bluest lake.

Why We Love It: Timberline Adventures have a long track record of delighting guests on human powered adventures in America’s National Parks, and that is just what you can expect on this guided USA hiking tour. With a small group, spend 5 days exploring a unique and vivid part of America’s natural tapestry. Ancient cave systems, towering trees, and hiking in Crater Lake National Park are a sure way to get a fantastic outdoor experience in Oregon.

Grand Canyon | Rim To Rim USA Hiking Tour

Operator: Four Seasons Guides
Location: Flagstaff, Arizona
Parks Visited: Grand Canyon National Park
Accommodation: Backcountry Camping
Length: 4 Days
Price: $2250 usd
Price Per Day: $562 usd
Best For: More advanced hikers wanting to take on the classic Grand Canyon backpacking trip

Why We Love It: There are few destinations in the USA that beckon the adventurous traveler more than the Grand Canyon. This is one of the most sought after places to visit in America. Hiking the Rim to Rim Trail offers no option but to get deep into the canyon and travel through some of the most amazing sections of trail within the park. There are many amazing hiking tours in Grand Canyon National Park, but we chose the Rim to Rim Backpacking Trip with Four Seasons Guides as our top pick. Quality guides, tasty food and a well thought out tour bring the magic of the Grand Canyon to life on your guided backpacking trip. Come and see why this is one of our favorite hiking tours in the USA.

Glacier National Park Guided Hiking Tour

Operator: Southwest Adventure Tours
Location: Missoula, Montana
Parks Visited: Glacier National Park
Accommodation: 3 Star Hotels
Length: 7 Days
Price: $3499 usd
Price Per Day: $499 usd
Best For: Travelers wanting an all encompassing experience in Glacier NP. Rafting, sightseeing and cruising add to one of the best hiking tours in USA for beginner hikers.

Why We Love It: Southwest Adventure Tours have wrapped up a big destination with many options into one week of blissful exploration on one of the best hiking tours in the USA. Spend 7 days exploring Glacier National Park, but it’s not all about hiking on this tour package. In addition to exploring several trails, you have the opportunity to raft the Flathead River, take a lake cruise and take a scenic ride along the Going To The Sun Road in a classic “Red Jammer” bus. Stay in mid range hotels to relax without blowing the budget and dine out at some fun restaurants. This USA hiking tour leaves little to be desired!

North Cascades Classic Hiking Trip

Operator: Wildland Trekking
Location: Seattle, Washington
Parks Visited: North Cascades National Park
Accommodation: Backcountry Camping
Length: 5 Days
Price: $2195
Price Per Day: $439
Best For: Advanced hikers looking to escape crowds in America’s least crowded national park on a guided backpacking trip.

Why We Love It: While so many national parks in the United States are ever busier and more crowded, North Cascades National Park has managed to stay slightly more off the radar, making it a great choice for a secluded backpacking trip! Wildland Trekking have created an excellent choice for intermediate to advanced hikers looking for an off the beaten path backpacking holiday in the US. Spend 5 days wandering through sub-alpine forests, and climbing alpine ridges. There is a lot of elevation to gain over the 35 mile trail, so this is not for the faint of heart (literally, your heart will be working hard), but the views are plenty of reward to make it all worthwhile!

Yellowstone & Grand Teton In Depth Hiking Holiday

Operator: Bindlestiff
Location: Boseman, Montana
Parks Visited: Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Parks
Accommodation: 3 Star Hotels
Length: 5 Days
Price: $2995 usd
Price Per Day: $599 usd
Best For: Hikers wanting to explore Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks and learn about native flora and fauna, as well as try tracking wolves on their USA hiking tours.

Why We Love It: Yellowstone is perhaps the most essential US National Park to visit, and Bindlestiff have created a great way to get a feel for the area and go deeper than the boardwalks and visitor info signs. Spend five days hiking some beautiful trails, and learn about the local flora and fauna. In fact, during this USA hiking tour, you go deeper and head out with a real wolf tracking expert, hot on the trail of the wolf packs that hold the entire ecosystem of Yellowstone together! This is the perfect chance to learn about the natural processes of Yellowstone and have a unique and memorable experience at the same time. Neighboring Grand Teton National Park offers some incredible hikes and views of the majestic mountain range that soars towards the sky in spectacular fashion.

Yosemite & Lake Tahoe Camping and Hiking Trip

Operator: Mountain Based
Location: Reno, Nevada
Parks Visited: Yosemite National Park
Accommodation: Front Country Camping
Length: 5 Days
Price: $2399 usd
Price Per Day: $479 usd
Best For: Perfect beginner friendly camping experience in Yosemite National Park. One of the best hiking tour packages for essential Yosemite NP highlights.

Why We Love It: While not everyone is clamoring to go camping, it is actually the best way to see an area. While hotel tours head back to the hotel, line up for dinner and flick through the TV channels in their rooms, camping tour guests are out in the most beautiful scenes at the most beautiful times of day! Would you rather spend sunset in a restaurant, or feasting on some home cooked food around a campfire? We thought so! This is why we figure the Yosemite and Lake Tahoe Camping Trip from Mountain Based is one of the best hiking tours in USA. Perfect for beginners, and still fun for advanced hikers and campers, this is the perfect way to experience Yosemite National Park and add in a visit to Lake Tahoe along the way. Explore the highlights of Yosemite, like Vernal Falls, and capture epic views of Half Dome and Dawn Wall, made famous in countless magazines and films. Even if you aren’t usually a camping type, we highly recommend you try a camping package on your next hiking vacation in the United States.

Olympic Peninsula to Britsh Columbia Walking & Hiking TOur

Operator: Backroads
Location: Seattle, Washington to Victoria, British Columbia
Parks Visited: Olympic National Park
Accommodation: Lodges and Upscale Hotels
Length: 6 Days
Price: $4999 usd
Price Per Day: $833 usd
Best For: Hikers looking for a relaxing group hiking tour, with high end accommodations in the PNW of United States.

Why We Love It: The Pacific Northwest is often forgotten about and for that reason, we love it! Empty trails, wide open expanses of wilderness and gorgeous views make for a pretty solid choice for your next hiking holiday in the USA. Backroads offer a really great way to explore the PNW highlights, venturing from Seattle to Victoria by road, foot and ferry. Stay at 3 comfortable and well appointed lodges and hotels, eating well and relaxing at the spas and along secluded lake or ocean shores. During your tour you will hike to panoramic alpine ridges, to waterfalls, and through lush coastal forests. Ferry crossings offer the chance to see marine life, and the hotel spas offer the perfect opportunity to kick back and take a load off. Come and see why we rated this one of the best hiking tours in the United States!

Where is Your Next USA Guided Hiking Vacation?

With so many options, this is the million dollar question! We hope this guide to the USA’s best hiking tours has given you a few great options to choose from on your next holiday. Whether you are after something relaxing and scenic, or an active wilderness exploration these walking trips are sure to satisfy your craving.

While USA is surely one of the best hiking destinations in the world, we also recommend taking a detour further north and trying out a guided hiking vacation in Canada! While there may not be the same Mars-like landscapes of the Southwest, the Rockies and Yukon sure boast some beautiful mountain scenery to reward intrepid hikers!

More USA Hiking Holiday Info

About The Author

Alex Ross- Lead Guide/ Founder

Let’s just say Alex didn’t want to work a real job when he grew up. He had his heart set on avoiding any kind of accounting, human resources, compliance, marketing and business administration, in order to be free for his dream job as a ski guide. Now he guides people on skis, but mostly does accounting, human resources, compliance, marketing and business administration work!