Hiking & Walking Trails Across the USA
532,545 mapped trails across 51 states, each with a free trail map. Real OpenStreetMap data, updated weekly. Browse by state, difficulty, or distance.
Pick a difficulty
Difficulty is derived from OSM sac:scale, mtb:scale, and trail length. Long backcountry routes (20+ mi) and alpine grades push into Hard / Expert.
Top states for hiking
Ranked by total mapped trails. Each state page has full county + city breakdowns.
Sample trails
A small cross-section — 48 of 532,545 indexed. Drill into a state or difficulty for the full list.
From the OutsideAtlas Blog
Photo: Silvia GrešováHow to Read the SAC Hiking Scale (and Why It Matters)
The SAC scale is the most common trail difficulty system on OpenStreetMap. Here's how to interpret each tier — and why a T3 can ruin your day if you're not ready.
Photo: Joshua EarleThe 10 Essentials: What to Actually Pack on Every Day Hike
The 10 Essentials are the minimum survival kit for any hike. Here's what they are, why each one is on the list, and what to skip.
Photo: Maddi BazzoccoA Complete Beginner's Guide to Hiking (Without the Marketing)
Your first hike doesn't have to be a disaster. A practical step-by-step for picking a trail, packing right, and building real outdoor skills.
Photo: Patrick HendryHow to Score Hard-to-Get Campsites on Recreation.gov
Booking a Yosemite or Glacier campsite at peak season feels impossible. Here's the strategy that actually works.
Photo: Tobias MrzykHow Trail Difficulty Ratings Actually Work (and Why They Lie)
Every trail app rates trails differently. Here's why an "easy" trail in one app can be a "hard" trail in another — and how to read between the lines.
Photo: Joshua EarleWhen to Visit Each Major National Park (Without the Crowds)
Summer at Yosemite means three-hour shuttle lines. Here's when each major US national park is actually worth visiting.