2020 in Review: Best Hikes

Hiking is our favorite hobby, so it only seemed fitting to close out our 2020 in review series with our favorite hikes of 2020. We thought this list would be harder to make, but we were able to narrow it down to our top 10 hikes without too much debating.

We spent the beginning of quarantine only walking around our neighborhood, too scared of running into people on popular hiking trails. Thankfully as the pandemic stretched on it became clear that outdoor activities were the safest option. We still always have masks with us and put them on whenever we're near other people while hiking.

This list is a combined ranking by both Anthony and I.

1. Sky Pond, Colorado

8.5 miles | 1,761 feet elevation | hard | AllTrails

The Glacier Gorge Trail to Sky Pond would probably rank in my top 10 hikes of all time. Located in Rocky Mountain National Park, this trail includes two waterfalls—Alberta Falls and Timberline Falls—and three lakes—The Loch, Lake of Glass, and Sky Pond. Alpine lake views are my favorite scenery while hiking and they are plentiful on this hike. The entire last mile was a sheet of ice when we were there since it had recently snowed. Climbing up the side of a waterfall and crossing an icy, snow covered boulder field wasn't my favorite, but the views were completely worth it.

2. Goat Lake, Idaho

8.2 miles | 1,814 feet elevation | hard | AllTrails

I have mixed feelings about this hike. The majority of the hike was very enjoyable. The last half mile was not fun for me. It was a rock scramble straight up the side of the mountain. I don't have a huge fear of heights, but I was terrified during that entire segment. I highly recommend reading the tips in the AllTrails description and following them closely. Even with the tips, we still got lost several times. The stunning view of the lake at the top was worth pushing through the feeling that I might fall off the side of the mountain. The entire Sawtooth Mountain region is my favorite place we visited in 2020.

3. Exclamation Point, Colorado

2.9 miles | 364 feet elevation | easy | AllTrails

I believe that Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of the most underrated national parks. This was the first hike we did when we arrived and it was my favorite view in the park. The park can be easily enjoyed via overlooks on the side of the road, but this hike is absolutely worth doing. It's on the north rim which is the less visited side of the canyon. Exclamation Point is appropriately named as I think all of our jaws may have dropped when we saw the view. Call me crazy, but I think Black Canyon of the Gunnison is more impressive than the Grand Canyon.

4. High Dune, Colorado

3.0 miles | 629 feet elevation | hard | AllTrails

I think this hike in Great Sand Dunes National Park was the hardest hike we did last year. Hiking up sand dunes is incredibly exhausting. It was our first day at a high elevation, which I'm sure contributed to the challenge. I'm glad we pressed on and continued to the top though because the views get even better up there. I had never seen a landscape like this before. It felt completely surreal looking out at the dunes that seemed to go on forever.

5. Taggart Lake, Wyoming

4.1 miles | 429 feet elevation | easy | AllTrails

We spent two days in Grand Teton National Park which did not feel like enough time to me. This hike had my favorite views that we saw. It was very hazy when we were there because of the wildfires, but the clear lake with the reflection of the mountains was an incredible sight. It is an easy hike too which makes it popular.

6. Ute Trail, Colorado

4.0 miles | 216 feet elevation | easy | AllTrails

This trail was the highest elevation we hiked at last year. It starts right off of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park at 11,400 feet. The views along this trail are absolutely amazing the entire time. There are mountains on all sides of the trail. Like many people on AllTrails recommend, we only hiked the first two miles of the trail and then turned around. After that, the trail gets incredibly steep and I don't think the views change much. The first two miles are flat and easy.

7. Pipiwai Trail, Hawaii

3.4 miles | 820 feet elevation | moderate | AllTrails

We did this hike at the end of a long day of sight seeing along the Road to Hana. It's located in Haleakalā National Park and the trail leads to Waimoku Falls. We loved that the hike passed an awesome banyan tree and went through a bamboo forest. The waterfall at the end of the hike is the perfect viewpoint to enjoy.

8. Mount Galbraith, Colorado

4.0 miles | 928 feet elevation | moderate | AllTrails

We got to this trail early to beat the crowds and got to see a beautiful sunrise over the mountains. I think this trail was one of the most enjoyable we hiked because of how good the views were compared to how moderate it was. It's unbelievable how views like this are just a few miles away from the city of Golden. As an added bonus, we saw a baby rattlesnake on this trail.

9. Kīlauea Iki Trail, Hawaii

3.0 miles | 688 feet elevation | moderate | AllTrails

This is my favorite hike in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The beginning of the hike is along the top of a crater, then the middle of the hike goes across the bottom of the crater before climbing back up the other side to form a loop. Walking along the bottom of the crater feels like being on another planet. It's frequently raining on this side of the island, but we were very lucky and had perfect weather for our hike.

10. Rough Ridge, North Carolina

2.5 miles | 761 feet elevation | moderate | AllTrails

This was our favorite of the local hikes we did last year. We originally wanted to hike to Rough Ridge from the Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor's Center, but the parking lot was closed. We took the shorter, more popular trail instead. The rocky overlooks have great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We were planning to continue hiking to the Linn Cove Viaduct, but we somehow got turned around and ended up back at Rough Ridge.