TRAILMIX

A small brook winds in and out of the meadow below Ostler peak and Amethyst Lake in Amethyst Basin, UT.

Peak Season

The high country has finally melted out, the meadows are in full bloom, and the weather is warm. Time to tackle the hikes you dreamt about all year.

BY KRISTIN SMITH

These trails take you from the slopes of Mt. Rainier to the summit of Mt. Katahdin, wandering through the best wildflower blooms in the country and Alaska’s calving tidewater glaciers on the way.

WHERE TO HIKE: Double Arch Trail

DANIEL BOONE NATIONAL FOREST, KY

Amethyst Lake

UINTAWASATCHCACHE NATIONAL FOREST, UT

Backcountrypicnicdestinations don’t get much better than this high-alpinelakenestledbeneath two12,000-footpeaks.Secluded Amethyst Lake, deep in Utah’s High Uintas, is surrounded by meadows, scattered trees, and austere,scree-slopedridgelines; keep an eye out for mountain goats. Set up camp on the shore and bask in views of the clear blue-green water and snowspotted cliffs, or explore the handful of named and unnamed tarns that dot the rest of the rocky basin.

DISTANCE 13 miles ELEVATION GAIN 2,326 feet SEASON Summer PERMIT None CONTACT fs.usda.gov/uwcnf Utah isn’t the only state with impressive sandstone arches. Of the more than 100 arches in the Red River Gorge (the largest concentration of them east of the Rockies), none are more striking than this set of stacked windows. The trail is best (and most easily) hiked in summer after the snow, icicles, and slippery trail ice melt away. Check out views of Courthouse Rock, Haystack Rock, and other prominent features of the Gorge from inside the lower arch, or scramble to the top for panoramic views of the Gorge.

DISTANCE 4.6 miles ELEVATION GAIN 633 feet SEASON Year-round

PERMIT None CONTACT bit.do/redrivergorge

Greenstone Ridge Trail

ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK, MI

It might not be high elevation, but this northern island melts out just as late as the alpine. A hike that spans the entire spine of a Great Lakes island, with more moose than fellow campers? Sign us up. The Greenstone Ridge Trail traverses Isle Royale from end to end, ranging through boreal forest, wetlands, and rocky ridgetops as it crosses six peaks. Hit the trail at midsummer and take advantage of the remote lakes scattered along the route for a quick dip, or wait until late August to enjoy a blueberry feast.

DISTANCE 42 miles ELEVATION GAIN 4,320 SEASON Summer PERMIT Backcountry overnight permit (free), available on the ferry or at Rock Harbor CONTACT nps.gov/isro

Spray Park

MT. RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WA

Snag iconic views of alpine wildflowers and icy Mt. Rainier on this trail leaving from the less-visited Mowich Lake Area. When the deep Cascadian snowpack finally melts out in July and August, the meadows of Spray Park burst into bloom: Deep purple alpine aster and butterwort, red-orange paintbrush and columbine, and delicate yellow glacier lilies form the foreground of a perfect picture, with the volcano rising in the background. On the way up, make sure to take the short side trail to 354-foot tall, 100-foot wide Spray Falls.

DISTANCE 6 miles ELEVATION GAIN 1,300 feet SEASON Summer and early fall

PERMIT None CONTACT

Mt. Katahdin

BAXTER STATE PARK, ME

The highest point in the state of Maine at 5,267 feet, Mt. Katahdin is also the high point of many hikers’ summers. With over 4,000 feet of prominence, this summit has no competition on any horizon, and the views are all-encompassing: Lush forests, deep blue lakes, and distant hills spread out as far as the eye can see. Take the Helon Taylor Trail up to tiptoe across the aptly named Knife Edge Trail to the top.

DISTANCE ELEVATION GAIN SEASON Summer PERMIT None CONTACT

WHAT TO SEE

Wildflowers

From the sprawling subalpine meadows full of nodding yellow glacier lilies on the West Coasttothefuzzybeargrassand bright pink mountain ball cactus of the Rockies to the East’s low-growing mountain rosebay, plants are strutting their stuff for the short, snowless pollination window. The best way to catch the show? Hike it. It’s as amazing a view as the peaks looming above.

WHERE TO SEE THEM: The Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee bloom with Catawba rhododendrons, purple orchids and the Cascades of Washington to an astonishing 300-plus species

Calving Tidewater Glaciers

There are few water shows in the world as stunning as watching huge chunks of ice from tidewater glaciers crash into the sea. In North America, the best place to view these long rivers of ice tumbling into the ocean is in Alaska and northern British Columbia. The flow of ice becomes unstable where it drops into the water, causing enormous pieces of ice to fall off (calve), particularly in the warm summer months. Calving glaciers in Alaska generate waves up to 25 feet high, the final break accompanied by an enormous cracking boom and a fountain of spray.

WHERE TO CATCH IT: Glacier Bay Na in Alaska are home to 11 and 17 out area trails or try out a sea kayak

GO LOSE YOURSELF IN A LONG WEEKEND.