<but I'm interested in recommendations for any other particularly good hiking web sites. >

I'd recommend websites that are dedicated to a certain area or park, and are primarily forum type of websites where members post trip reports, answer questions, etc. There are some good sites for Utah, Zion, Grand Canyon, Big Bend NP, Rocky Mtn NP, etc. that are far more in-depth than the commercial sites like gorp.com or trails.com will ever be. Anytime I plan a visit to a new area, I do a google search for "hiking forums" or "chat" and the park name (or the state/area). Hikearizona.com was found this way, and it is a great website for the state.

www.backpacking.net has a good online forum for just about anything related to hiking. Lots of good trip reports on there as well.

The hike up Camelback Mountain (in Phoenix) is nice. It is only a few hours, but the view is pretty neat! Also, South Mountain Park seemed to have a lot of really nice trails; one was about 14 miles long I think!

1. Switzerland's Jungfrau Region-more specifically hike up to lake Bachalpsee all the way down to village of Grindelwald. Went from arctic ice and 20 degree F weather to 70 degree alpine surroundings in a few hours.
2. Petroglyph Hike in Mesa Verde
3. Sentinel Dome in Yosemite

I live in the foothills of the Rockies and have the opportunity to see Mountain scenery often.

The most spectacular day hike I have done in the last while ....

San Francisco - From downtown - through Chinatown, North Beach to Coit Tower and down to Fisherman's Wharf

Hi my picks would be #1 the heliotrope trail on Mt Baker, Washington. and #2 the Cinque Terra, Italy. #3 Any where in Glacier National park.

#1 - Torres Del Pain in Chile.
It's as if someone said "here is what I'd like a park to look like", and G-d built it.

#2 - The Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu.

Now that I'm married with 1.5 kids, my hiking days are over for at least several years.

Sometimes it helps to make a special connection with a park ranger for special tips, for example:
3 incredible slot canyon hikes out of Rattlesnake Canyon in Death Valley

1. Swiss Alps: The Wengen - Jungrau hike
2. Cinque Terra: Walking from the 1st village all the way to the 5th village
3. Old Rag: You can feel you're on top of the world without going to the Himalaya's

I know you westerners are saying "what? no western hikes?" I've done several in the Pacific NW, Pacific shore, and up the Rockies, and I'd say the west far and away has the highest total number of great hikes. But these are my top three of all time.

We have hiked all over the USA and have been to a lot of the places already mentioned. However, the most spectacular beyond words place we ever hiked was in Switzerland. We stayed in Wengen and did a number of hikes. The one that sticks out as being the best day of hiking was up at Kleine Scheide. The huge mountains were right in our faces with fantastic scenes all around. Words cannot describe it, and the hikes were not difficult. I will never forget it.

me either, bandman! Loved the hike to Gimmelwald and Murren, too. What an incredible place. I had to go back the next year and do it again! (however, this year we're hiking in Austria)

In no particular order:
Hiked up a barstool at Kauai's Sand Bar
Hiked up a barstool at SF's Washington Sq Bar and Grill and then hiked up to one at Shanghai Kelly's.
Hiked up a barstool at La Posada in Rimini, IT.

Cracker Lake in Glacier NP
Crypt Lake in Waterton Lakes NP, Canada
South Kaibab in the Grand Canyon NP
Old rag in Shenandoah NP
Gorham Mountain Trail in Acadia NP
Beehive Trail in Acadia NP
Charlies Bunion in the Smokies
The Chimneys in the Smokies

great thread.

Zlaor, you may not want to fly clear to South America to hike, but I'd encourage you not to stop entirely because you have kids....there are great baby and toddler backpacks, or trade babysitting.

Wow - what a list! Maybe I should just retire and get started on these.

I can't remember the exact name of some of these trails, but at least I can point you in the general direction.

in the US:

Cape Perpetua, Oregon coast - you can walk along a heavily wooded, wildflowered trail hundreds of feet above the Pacific, amazing views for miles up and down the coast, and then look DOWN on whales right below you - incredible!

Box Canyon, Mt. Rainier, Washington - beautiful river canyon

Trails off Beartooth Highway, Montana - just NE of Yellowstone - the road goes over an 11,000 foot pass, lots of alpine lakes and trails

Some trails west of Tucson, Arizona through saguaro cacti and petroglyphs

I'll second the vote for South Sister, Oregon and the Sisters/Bend/McKenzie Pass area

and ditto, Yosemite, Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, North Cascades, Olympic, Zion, Shenandoah, and Acadia National Parks - I guess they're National Parks for a reason ;->

Farther afield:

Jasper National Park, Canada

Trails outside of St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada

Trails northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia - take the road northwest along the coast out of Vancouver as far as it goes

Dart-Rees Trail, South Island, New Zealand - the first part can be a day hike - if you do the whole thing it's a backpacking trip. Even just the first part is fantastic!! (Better in my opinion than the Milford Track - which is of course more than a day hike itself).

Trails near Grindelwald, Switzerland

Trails on Ovalau, Fiji

Nikko National Park, Japan

OK, I'm having a hard time stopping ... but I will.

Most of my hiking is in B.C. and Alberta. My personal favorite is called the Alpine Circuit, in the Lake O'Hara area. It includes Wiwaxy gap, Lake Oesa, All Souls, and it goes on an on. Stupendous!

Second (I really had a hard time choosing between these two)is Snowbird Pass behind Mt. Robson in B.C. To do this one you have to hike the Berg Lake Trail, then do Snowbird as a long day hike.

Silver Fall State Park in Oregon. YOU hike behind incredibly beautiful waterfalls. Eleven to be exact. My husband and I hiked 8.9 miles. It was just after a freeze- so there were these incredible icicles hanging off the waterfalls.

My mistake: It was NOT Rattlesnake Canyon -
It was SIDEWINDER CANYON in Death Valley, with hidden, deep, long slot canyons.

This is a great thread, I hope to revive it with a response.
These are "some" of my favorite hikes, mostly because of scenery or a special memory--but it is a bit hard to pick favorites.

Lake Louise, Alberta - Tea House
Sedona, AZ - Doe Mesa, Devil's Bridge, Munds Wagon Trail
Zion NP - Angel's Landing, Hidden Canyon
Bryce NP - Peek-A-Boo
Boulder, UT - Calf Creek Falls