UPFRONT/GO
Hit the Trail
Explore spectacular landscapes on these hikes that aren’t too strenuous
Point Lobos Loop
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, California
6.4-MILE LOOP
→ This nature reserve jutting into the breakers of the Pacific is a hiker’s paradise—and one of the easiest places to explore on this breathtaking coastline. The loop passes by tidal pools where you can find starfish and anemones at low water. Catch glimpses of harbor seals, sea otters and humpback whales farther out from the rocky coast. Sections also wind through cypress groves. Be on the lookout for acorn woodpeckers, California quail and thrashers.
Lakes of the Clouds via Crawford Path
Mount Washington, New Hampshire
2.9 MILES OUT-AND-BACK
→ New Hampshire’s 6,288-foot high point is not an easy summit to hike, so it’s a good thing a road leads to the top. From there, hike down onto rocky terrain dotted with tiny colorful wildflowers. This is a rare opportunity to explore this ecosystem since there are only about 13 square miles of alpine habitat in the Northeastern U.S. Bring hiking poles for the short, steep (1,276 vertical feet) climb back to the top.
Council Rock and Lookout Rock
Appalachian Trail, Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania
2.4 MILES ROUND TRIP
→ This steep but short hike gives you a chance to travel a bit of the famed Appalachian Trail. After hiking through the hardwood forest, you will reach a granite-cliff overlook that rewards you with a postcard-perfect view of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a draw for boaters and an ancestral homeland of Indigenous Lenape people. —Douglas Schnitzspahn