Illustration: a wooden boardwalk through a wildflower meadow

Easy Hikes

Short, well-made trails to waterfalls, lakes and viewpoints in eight regions, with no scrambling.

Illustration

These guides are for people who love the outdoors but don't need a summit: couples, families and anyone who would rather stroll than slog. Each guide lists the distance, climb, time, best season, parking or transport, and whether the walk suits children and dogs.

Pair each one with its Stay in Nature guide for glamping, cabins and lodges nearby, and check the Nature Calendar for the best month to go.

The Virgin River running through cottonwoods below the Watchman peak in Zion National Park

Utah, USA

Easy hikes in Zion National Park

Paved riverside walks, the Emerald Pools and a short canyon-rim viewpoint, all reachable by free park shuttle.

Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View, with El Capitan on the left and Bridalveil Fall on the right

California, USA

Easy hikes in Yosemite National Park

Waterfall walks on the valley floor, giant sequoias in Mariposa Grove and easy summer rim walks.

Mount Rundle above forest and water at the Vermilion Lakes near Banff

Alberta, Canada

Easy hikes in Banff National Park

Johnston Canyon catwalks, the Lake Louise lakeshore and short trails right from Banff town.

The Skaftafellsjökull glacier tongue and its meltwater lagoon in Vatnajökull National Park

South Iceland and beyond

Easy hikes in Iceland

Waterfalls you can walk behind, a glacier tongue, a warm river valley and the rift at Thingvellir.

Derwentwater and its islands seen from Surprise View near Keswick

Cumbria, England

Easy hikes in Lake District

Lakeside circuits, a woodland waterfall and gentle viewpoints with paths suitable for buggies and wheelchairs.

Staubbach Falls dropping into the Lauterbrunnen valley beside the village

Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald

Easy hikes in Swiss Alps (Jungfrau Region)

Panorama trails reached by gondola, a car-free village walk and the waterfall valley of Lauterbrunnen.

Aoraki/Mount Cook above the Hooker Valley

Aoraki/Mount Cook, West Coast, Fiordland, Abel Tasman

Easy hikes in New Zealand South Island

The Hooker Valley Track, mirror lakes, rainforest walks and golden-sand coastal tracks.

Lagangarbh cottage below Buachaille Etive Mòr at the entrance to Glencoe

Scotland

Easy hikes in Scottish Highlands

Waterfall gorges, forest loch circuits and short island walks with big Highland views.

Photo credits

Zion National Park: Photo: Don Graham from Redlands, CA, USA - God bless it!, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Yosemite National Park: Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Banff National Park: Photo: Jack Borno, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Iceland: Photo: Óðinn, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca, via Wikimedia Commons
Lake District: Photo: Richard Sutcliffe, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Swiss Alps (Jungfrau Region): Photo: chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
New Zealand South Island: Photo: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Scottish Highlands: Photo: Colin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons