North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-11-04Three Trails Worth the Drive: November 4–11, 2026Three hikes for the week of November 4–11, 2026 — a West Texas canyon in the last week of its colour window, a South Carolina summit under a ranger's report of every autumn stage at once, and Georgian Bay's Grotto now that its booking system has ended.1
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-10-28Three Trails Worth the Drive: October 28–November 4, 2026Three hikes for the week of October 28–November 4, 2026 — north Georgia inside its colour peak, Utah's Devils Garden on the last two dry days before a cold front, and Vancouver Island's storm-watching coast — with the permit, the water release and the closed trail that decide each trip.
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-10-21Three Trails Worth the Drive: October 21–28, 2026Three hikes for the week of October 21–28, 2026 — the Smokies' mid slopes in their colour window, Ohio's Hocking Hills at the front edge of its southern peak, and the Ozark ledge above the Buffalo River — with the parking tag, the one-way trail and the cliff-edge half-mile that decide each trip.1
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-10-14Three Trails Worth the Drive: October 14–21, 2026Three hikes for the week of October 14–21, 2026 — the Maine coast at peak colour, 21 waterfalls in Pennsylvania's northern Poconos, and West Virginia's New River Gorge on Bridge Day weekend — with the reservation, the seasonal closure and the bridge shutdown that decide each trip.2
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-10-07Three Trails Worth the Drive: October 7–14, 2026Three hikes for the week of October 7–14, 2026 — near-peak colour on Lake Superior's Algoma shore, the northern Berkshires under Mount Greylock's closing summit tower, and Shenandoah's Old Rag as western Virginia starts to turn — with the permit, the summit-lot fee and the two-dollar ticket that decide each trip.3
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-09-30Three Trails Worth the Drive: September 30–October 7, 2026Compare three first-week-of-October hikes — Algonquin's maple ridges in Ontario at 90 percent colour, Michigan's Escarpment Trail above Lake of the Clouds at its projected peak, and Washington's golden-larch climb to Lake Ingalls — with the permits, passes, small parking lots and day-by-day weather that decide each trip.2
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-09-23Three Trails Worth the Drive: September 23–30, 2026Compare three late-September hikes — Banff's larches above the Vista Lake trailhead, Mount Rainier's meadow loop at Chinook Pass, and Mount Mansfield's ridge in Vermont — with the fees, small parking lots, and day-by-day weather that decide each trip.1
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-09-16Three Trails Worth the Drive: September 16–23, 2026Compare three mid-September hikes — Colorado's Maroon Bells aspens, Banff's larches above Moraine Lake, and New Hampshire's Franconia Ridge — with the reservations, reopened road, and freezing nights that decide each trip.
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-09-09Three Trails Worth the Drive: September 9–16, 2026Compare three September hikes in Alberta and California, with the parking limits, fee changes, and weather gates that decide whether each trip works.2
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-09-02Three Trails Worth the Drive: September 2–9, 2026Compare three September hikes in British Columbia, Washington, and Alaska, with the pass, parking, weather, and seasonal cutoffs that decide whether each trip works.1
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-08-26Three Trails Worth the Drive: August 26–September 2, 2026Three current picks for August 26–September 2: Banff’s Healy Pass alpine meadows under free Canada Strong Pass admission, Rocky Mountain’s Black Lake via Timed Entry+, and Washington’s Lake Valhalla if Smithbrook Road is driveable.
North American National Park & Hike Trail Pick2026-08-19Three Trails Worth the Drive: August 19–26, 2026Three current picks for August 19–26: Banff’s glacier-view Parker Ridge, Pacific Rim’s short Radar Hill climb, and Bryce Canyon’s storm-sensitive Queen’s/Navajo loop, with the access checks that decide each trip.1