The 9 Best Urban Trails in the United States

The name says it all. At the point where northwest San Francisco meets the Pacific Ocean, Lands End is a windy, fog-draped, eucalyptus-scented realm that feels as far from city life as you can get. The 2.8-mile round-trip Lands End Coastal Trail winds through it all, following a former railroad bed. You skirt rocky cliffs, delve through cool forests, and spy tiny beaches far below as you make your way along the Golden Gate—the strait connecting San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean. (Yes, that’s how the famous red-orange bridge, which spans it, got its name.)

Plaques describe the region’s history, including the ships that have met their demise in these freezing, treacherous waters. And just when you think it can’t get more stunning, around a bend, you’re greeted by the tip-tops of the Golden Gate Bridge’s towers. Little by little, you approach the iconic landmark, spanning the strait since 1937.

The best place to begin the trail is the new visitor center at Lands End (at Merrie Way). Here, too, you can enjoy exhibits about the area’s cultural and historic past. That said, you can access the trail at many points along the way. The trail ends at Eagle Point Overlook.

Give thanks to Frederick Law Olmsted, the nation’s first professional landscape architect and designer of Central Park, for the glorious string of lush nine parks, linked by parkways and waterways, through the heart of Boston. It’s a combination of urban green spaces, historic landmarks, and serene natural environments. And you can cobble together a ribbon of trails for a 7-mile hike through this magnificent realm. Hikers typically begin at Boston Common, the nation’s oldest public park. From there, explore the Victorian-era Public Garden, tree-lined Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Back Bay Fens with its network of meandering pathways, and the linear Riverway, following the Muddy River to heavily wooded Olmsted Park. The last piece is woodsy Franklin Park, established in the 19th century as a “country park” and considered Olmsted’s crown jewel in the Greater Boston area.

It’s a splendid thing where the forest meets desert, and one of the best places to experience this captivating beauty is along Albuquerque’s La Luz Sandia Peak Trail. Climbing 8 miles through the Sandia Mountains, the pine-scented, rocky trail takes you higher and higher, with ever-changing views of cliffs, trees, and wildflowers. At the 10,678-foot peak, you’re greeted by wide-sweeping views of the rugged Rio Grande Valley, cradled around the colorful mosaic of Albuquerque. Warning: It’s a tough trail. It takes up to 8 hours, and depending on the season, it can have ice, snow, and wind. Some people hike up and take the Sandia Peak Tramway down.

If you think New York is too crazy-busy, the High Line on Manhattan’s West Side provides the perfect antidote to crowded sidewalks, honking taxis, and the go-go-go mentality. At this masterful revival of an old, elevated freight rail line, a beautifully designed pathway wanders for 1.45 miles between Gansevoort Street and W. 30th Street amid trees, gardens, and flowering plants, enticing you to slow down and take it all in. Along the way, you’re treated to unique perspectives on the surrounding neighborhoods’ architecture—it passes through cool Chelsea and the glam Meatpacking District. Locals and visitors alike also enjoy a host of inspiring events, art exhibitions, performances, and docent-led tours.

Granted, the Lakefront Trail is one of Chicago’s highlights, famed among bikers and runners for its paved pathway meandering along Lake Michigan’s lapping surf for 18 miles. But for those who want a deeper dive into nature, there’s Burnham Wildlife Corridor, 100 acres of restored native prairie, savannah, meadows, and woodland on the city’s South Side. Yes, it’s still the Lakefront Trail, but this wild section of it—roughly between 26th and 47th Streets—connects a variety of parks that attract rabbits, clouds of butterflies, migrating birds, and other wildlife. You’d never guess you were in a city short of the distant views of skyscrapers.

A stone’s throw from the capital city’s traffic-clogging presidential motorcades, majestic old buildings, and marble-clad monuments, a serene towpath takes off along the Potomac River for 185.5 miles—with nearly 3 miles of it in D.C. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal was built between 1828 and 1850, and a stroll along its crushed-stone path opens up a surprising natural world. Within half a mile, you’re enjoying a leafy corridor of sycamores, tulip poplars, oaks, and maples. Watch carefully for the menagerie of wildlife: great blue herons, foxes, white-tailed deer, beavers, and bald eagles. Spring brings magnificent displays of wildflowers, notably bluebells, cardinal flowers, and black-eyed Susan. It’s like you weren’t in the nation’s capital at all.

While Portland is supremely blessed with abundant greenspace, Forest Park, one of the nation’s largest urban forests covering over 5,000 acres, offers a quick getaway into true solitude. This massive natural retreat has more than 80 miles of hiking and biking trails (and more than 40 different trailheads) through lush valleys, dense forest filled with soaring, moss-covered trees, sweet-smelling wildflower fields abloom in spring and summer, and babbling creeks. One of the most popular hikes is the Skyline Cruise Loop, a 2.8-mile short and easy trail that rewards with stunning views of snowcapped peaks. For something more challenging, head out on the rolling, 30-mile Wildwood Trail, popular for hiking, birding, and running.

San Antonio’s restaurant- and bar-packed River Walk is one of Texas’s most visited attractions. A lesser-known extension of this river-hugging path, wandering south past four of the city’s historic Spanish missions, is giving the city a new take on urban hiking. Extending 10 miles south of the Alamo, the paved Mission Reach at the San Antonio River Walk follows what was once a drainage ditch. But today, it’s a vibrant natural world where native grasses and wildflowers thrive, ducks dive, and birds sing—the epitome of a success story of urban ecosystem restoration that has brought the San Antonio River back to life. Over time, it’s hoped more than 23,000 native trees and shrubs of over 30 different species will be re-established. Along the way, public art installations, coffee shops, and eateries add an urban touch.

In the heart of Indy, you can get in your steps along the Indianapolis Canal Walk, a 3-mile promenade that follows a portion of the 19^th-century Indiana Central Canal between White River State Park and 11th Street. The canal, with high hopes to facilitate trade across Indiana, was never fully built due to financial difficulties. But this refurbished section through several downtown neighborhoods survived—and has been transformed into a beautiful public space for locals and visitors alike. Don’t expect the wilderness here, of course—you’re definitely in an urban setting sprinkled with multiple museums, restaurants, and shops. But you’ll also find plenty of serenity along the green waterway, dotted with kayaks and gondolas (yes—those are authentic Venice-style gondolas offering rides by singing gondoliers). Picturesque bridges, fountains, public art installations, and landscaped mini parks add to its allure.