Pemi Loop, White Mountains, NH: Extremists honed on the granite steps of the White Mountains may be fixated on the more well-known Presidential Range Traverse, but we regard the so-called Death March as merely a prelude to this classic trek across the untamed Pemigewasset Wilderness.
Great Range Traverse, Adirondacks, NY: The fact that the highest mountain in New York is only the last obstacle on this well-known loop—and by no means the hardest—is not without irony. Nine summits are covered along the route, including the previously mentioned 5,344-foot Mount Washington and six others that rise to 4,000 feet.
Windom Peak in Colorado's San Juan Mountains: There is no time to waste on views once you join Windom: Because of the high risk of lightning in the summer, climbers should summit by 11 a.m. That's not easy, considering the 5,800-foot hump that rises 10 miles to the perilous 14,082-foot summit through ever thinner air.
Trail from Cactus to Clouds, Mount San Jacinto, CA: While climbing Mt. Whitney is undoubtedly significant, the lowest point in the lower 48 states is 8,360 feet. Starting on the desert bottom, you climb 10,700 feet to conquer Cactus to Clouds, which is a half-mile more vertical than Whitney.
Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee/North Carolina: This is not a stroll in the woods on a leisurely pace. The notorious switchback-free stretch of the Appalachian Trail, which descends a whopping 7,678 feet and rises 4,600 feet, tears you down both physically and mentally. It runs from Newfound Gap to TN 32 in the northeast corner of the national park.
Grand Smoky Mountains, Tennessee/North Carolina: This is not a stroll in the woods on a leisurely pace. The notorious switchback-free stretch of the Appalachian Trail, which descends a whopping 7,678 feet and rises 4,600 feet, tears you down both physically and mentally. It runs from Newfound Gap to TN 32 in the northeast corner of the national park.