Forge Your Own Path: The Least Traveled Hiking Routes in America

Now that the summer is in full swing, you probably want to start hitting the trails and finally start crossing some of those items off your bucket list. Except somehow, the Grand Canyon seems just a little less grand when you’re fighting groups of tourists for the chance to snap a picture of a scenic vista — and really? Every campsite near Mount Katahdin in Maine is already booked for every weekend until October?

The problem with popular hiking spots like Yosemite, the Appalachian Trail and Zion National Park is that, well, they are popular. You think you’re heading out into the wilderness to get away from it all, when really there’s a good chance that you’re just going to encounter as many people out in the woods as you are at the beach or amusement park.

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