Walking is one of the best ways to explore a new place—that slower pace and on-the-ground perspective can make it easy to appreciate new surroundings, taking note of sights, scents, sounds, and textures easily missed at a faster clip.
In Europe, many indulge in this style of travel with multi-day, long-distance walking holidays, as they are known, which involve all-day hiking, moving from one overnight inn to the next. Thanks to luggage transportation provided by tour operators and guiding services, bags are already at the inns when guests arrive each night, ready for a hot shower and comfy bed—all travelers have to carry on the trail are lightweight daypacks with water, snacks, and extra layers.
And now, these inn-to-inn hiking excursions have begun popping up in the U.S. Though there aren’t nearly as many options, the routes that do exist offer a chance to slow down, get outside, and explore the country's diverse terrain. Below are some of our favorite European-style inn-to-inn hiking routes in the U.S.
Northern Colorado
With its lush forests, snow-capped peaks, icy-blue alpine lakes, and abundant herds of elk, Rocky Mountain National Park offers a quintessentially Colorado escape. Explore the 415-square-mile park on foot, then retreat to cozy private cabins or lodge rooms each night with an inn-to-inn hiking trip organized by Footpaths of the World. Though the trek is self-guided, meaning groups hike on their own and at their own pace, owners David and Phebe Novic do all the heavy lifting to make sure the trip is a success. The Novics, who’ve hiked all over Europe and Nepal and also own Estes Park’s Warming House outdoor retail shop, provide luggage transports, sack lunches, maps and GPS waypoints, trekking poles, and breakfast each morning.
The trips range from three to six nights, with each day of hiking covering seven to 11 miles of the Walter Tishma Way, a 42-mile route named for a late Bosnian man who moved to the U.S. after World War II and fell in love with the local mountains—especially those within Rocky Mountain National Park (he climbed Longs Peak, the park’s highest mountain, more than 100 times, according to the Novics). The inns along the trail include an intimate bed-and-breakfast, several historical lodges, and a simple, motel-style accommodation. As they walk, hikers can expect to encounter waterfalls, alpine meadows, and sweeping panoramic vistas of the Rockies (plus, if they’re lucky, some wildlife at a safe distance).
Southern Oregon
The Rogue River starts in the Cascades and winds 215 miles through southern Oregon before finally spilling out into the Pacific Ocean. Rustic lodges and a 100-year-old mining supply trail along the river’s banks make this the perfect spot for an European-style inn-to-inn hike with a twist: hikers’ luggage gets tucked into waterproof bags and transported via river raft. As an added bonus, travelers can always float with their luggage if they need a break from walking.
There are a handful of guiding companies offering lodge-to-lodge hiking trips along this river, including Morrisons Rogue Wilderness Adventures, Momentum River Expeditions, and Orange Torpedo Trips. Though the trips vary slightly by outfitter, they typically last four days and span 40 total miles, with meals and overnight stays at comfortable spots like Black Bear Lodge and Paradise Lodge along the way. Morrisons even offers a special inn-to-inn “wiking” trip (wine and hiking) that includes wine tastings and winemaker presentations each evening.
The trail traverses through classic Pacific Northwest terrain—old-growth forests, rocky canyons, and lush meadows—and offers hikers views of babbling creeks, rushing waterfalls, historic cabins, primitive campgrounds, and interesting rock formations.
Northern California
After trekking in Europe, Greg and Mary Guerrazzi and Sheila Taylor felt inspired to recreate similar hiking vacations in California. Their San Francisco to Mount Tamalpais hiking trip does just that, offering travelers a chance to explore the region’s coastal hills and wooded forests on foot, then settle in for fine dining and relaxation each night.
The trip includes three days of hiking (between nine and 10 miles each day), starting with a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and into Sausalito. Hikers meander through Golden Gate National Recreation Area to Muir Beach, with an overnight at the English Tudor-inspired Pelican Inn, before climbing Mount Tamalpais and descending into Mill Valley.
Western Maine
The old-growth forests, high Appalachians, and peaceful lakes of Western Maine make for some gorgeous hiking scenery. After walking all day with experienced guides from Distant Journeys, put your feet up and rest in warm and welcoming backcountry lodges and huts.
Distant Journeys offers an eight-day Maine inn-to-inn hiking trip through the state’s Moosehead Lake region, the Rangeley-Stratton mountains on part of the Appalachian Trail, and along the rim of Gulf Hagas (often called the “Grand Canyon of the East”); there’s even a five-mile canoe section on the Dead River. (Interested travelers should contact Distant Journeys directly for daily mileage and expected walking times.) This stateside trek is modeled after the many European inn-to-inn hiking trips that Distant Journeys organizes in England, France, Switzerland, Scotland, and Italy, including daily luggage transfers so that all hikers need to carry is a daypack.
Other inn-to-inn adventures
For travelers who are more experienced with long-distance hiking, backpacking, and bikepacking, and willing to sacrifice some of the above creature comforts, there are several DIY inn-to-inn routes to choose from in the U.S. as well. These journeys require more advanced planning—and more physical fitness on the trail, since travelers must carry everything they need on their backs—but also offer more freedom and flexibility; travelers can design their own itinerary with separate reservations at each inn, deciding how long to hike each day and how long to stay at each accommodation.
Wisconsin’s 1,000-mile Ice Age Trail, which highlights the unique landscapes created by a glacial ice flow more than 12,000 years ago, has over 30 bed-and-breakfasts, inns, lodges, cottages, and cabins that welcome hikers with open arms; local “trail angels” are also available to help shuttle hikers between different trail segments. In Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, hikers braving the Appalachian Trail can book a special inn-to-inn hiking package at three of the park’s lodges, two of which include a bagged lunch (the park can also arrange luggage transfers if given up to 30 days’ notice).
Guidebook author Tom Courtney has created more than a dozen inn-to-inn hiking routes in California and Mexico, ranging from 21 to 66 miles of total hiking spread across three to five days. For travelers open to multi-day, inn-based hiking trips that don’t follow a specific, linear trail, Wildland Trekking offers options in the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Moab, and other places with stunning natural scenery.
If traveling on two wheels is more your style, there are dozens of inn-to-inn cycling tours across the country too, including custom trips with daily luggage transfer through the rolling hills of Vermont’s Champlain Valley and many organized by the Adventure Cycling Association.
Whether you opt for a traditional inn-to-inn trek like you'd find in Europe or decide on a more adventurous approach, these trips are a new way to slow down—and appreciate the scenery closer to home.
