AARP Home » Travel » Domestic »6 Great Hikes

6 Great Hikes

Some of the nation's best walking trails may be closer than you think

by: Gregory McNamee | from: AARP The Magazine | May/June 2011

C&O Canal / Washington, D.C., and Maryland

Often overlooked amid the capital's many attractions is the 1830s-vintage Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, where flatboats once hauled everything from coal to whiskey along the Potomac River. Besides its 184.5 miles of flat towpath hardpack, perhaps the greatest jewel of the C&O comes as it passes by the Great Falls of the Potomac, the towpath giving birth to miles of overlook and loop trails above the churning river. Watch for circling bald eagles and graceful, long-necked great blue herons.

Next: A new trail in the big apple.
— Photo by Katja Heinemann/Aurora Select

« Previous

1 of 7

Even on vacation, Americans tend to see the world at 65 mph. But as a walker and constant traveler, I've discovered that our nation's virtually limitless trails offer a new, more leisurely perspective on everything from wild rivers to architectural wonders. Here are six of my favorite places to walk. Some are in the wild, others are in the city (and still others are in the wild in the city!), but all are easy to get to — with rewards you'll reap only on foot.