6 Best Inn-to-Inn Hikes in the US

The mountains are calling you. Yes, you must go. What you don’t have to do is lug your tent, food and cooking supplies on your back – a vision of suffering that has stopped many a budding backcountry adventure in its tracks. If the fear of a heavy backpack has kept you away from longer trails, consider an inn-to-inn hike. You’ll still carry a daypack, but professionals take care of your shelter and often your meals.

Though common across Europe, hikes between lodgings are harder to find in the USA, but they’re out there. Consider these five inn-to-inn hikes, plus one canvas tent option, for taking on a multiday trail without the baggage.

1. White Mountains, New Hampshire

Best for New England mountains

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The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) has eight overnight huts along the Appalachian Trail (widely abbreviated as AT on trail markers and in conversation) in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The huts’ names evoke fairy-tale destinations – Greenleaf, Zealand Falls, Lakes of the Clouds. On the hike between these lodges, you’ll scramble over granite boulders, dart across windswept summits and pause beside mossy waterfalls. The AMC has managed this backcountry hut system since 1888 and also offers guided trips. Guests sleep in dorm bunks and have communal meals.

Many hikers spend their first night at either the Highland Center near Crawford Notch or Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch. Both sit near popular trailheads. It is typically 5–7 miles between huts via the Appalachian Trail or one of the numerous spur trails.

Where you'll stay: AMC’s High Mountain Huts
Available: June to late September or mid-October
Amenities: Bunks, hot dinners and breakfasts, cold running water and bathrooms; no electricity
Getting there: White Mountain Hiker Shuttles runs between busy trailheads from early June to September for 20–24 US dollars (US$) per person one-way.

2. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Best for wildflowers and waterfalls

The Appalachian Trail crosses through Shenandoah National Park for 101 miles, running roughly parallel to Skyline Drive as the scenic road swoops along the forested crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Where it reaches the park's Central District, the trail links three lodges, which are managed by Delaware North Parks & Resorts.

Likely distractions while hiking include wildflowers, white-tailed deer, boulder fields and mountain streams. Spur trails lead to swimming holes and waterfalls. Raptors ride thermals above the park’s mountain slopes during their annual migration from September through mid-October. This three-day hike is about 25 miles. Expect ups and downs, but the Appalachian Trail is not extremely steep on this route. You will feel the burn, however, on side trails to peaks and waterfalls.

Where you’ll stay: Lewis Mountain Cabins, Big Meadows Lodge and Skyland
Available: Early May to October
Trip length: 3 days, 25 miles
Amenities: Cabins have an outdoor grill, picnic tables and a gift shop; lodges have a restaurant, coffee shop, taproom, gift shop and wi-fi. There is limited to no cell service at both cabins and lodges.
Getting there: Big Meadows Lodge is 105 miles from Washington, DC – about a 2.25-hour drive.

3. Berkshires, Massachusetts

Best for rolling hills and fall foliage

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This lovely 3-day hike, also along the Appalachian Trail, climbs to the stone-and-timber Bascom Lodge on the summit of Mt Greylock in northwestern Massachusetts. The arts-and-crafts-style rooms – outfitted with hardwood floors, Stickley furniture and the occasional fireplace – come in a variety of configurations, including family rooms and a bunk room.

Start from the town of Dalton and follow the AT 9 miles north to Cheshire. The welcoming Harbour House Inn in Cheshire is then a short walk from the trail. On the second day, you’ll head to the mountain. The 3489ft summit of Mt Greylock is the highest point in the state, but the 7.7-mile ascent to the top from the town of Cheshire isn’t overly strenuous.

Hiking north from Bascom Lodge, it’s a 6.7-mile drop into the city of North Adams. This steep descent is a banger on the knees, but relief – and mulled cider – awaits at Tourists, a revamped, 46-room motor court not far from the trail that has a 90-acre campus of fun beside the Hoosic River.

To return to your car in Dalton, you can take a taxi or Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, Line 1 to Line 4.

Where you’ll stay: a B&B, a mountaintop lodge and a hip motel
Available: Late May to mid-October
Trip length: 3 days, 23.4 miles
Amenities: Food available at all locations
Planning tip: Consider spending your first night at a hotel in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, then drive 5 miles east to Dalton.

4. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Best for red rock views

There is one gobsmacking view after another on this rim-to-rim hike across the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona. The immensity and age of the canyon, which is home to some of the oldest rocks in the world, will likely trigger thoughts about your cosmic insignificance, but the communal friendliness of Phantom Ranch, where hikers gather for cold beer and family-style dinners, feels pretty darn significant after a day on the trail.

Many hikers begin on the North Rim, dropping into the canyon on the steep North Kaibab Trail. After a night at Phantom Ranch, climb the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim. There are numerous lodges on the South Rim, but the rustic elegance of El Tovar is a fine end-of-hike reward. This is a one-way trek of nearly 24 miles.

Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim is only open from May 15 to October 15, which means there is a five-month window for this hike. If you skip the North Rim, you can hike to Phantom Ranch year-round on a 17.5-mile loop from the South Rim. This classic route follows the South Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch, then links to the Bright Angel Trail for the ascent. Lodging options at Phantom Ranch include cabins and dorms and are available by lottery. (Enter the lottery 15 months ahead of your desired trip date.)

Where you’ll stay: Grand Canyon Lodge, Phantom Ranch and El Tovar
Available: May 15 to October 15
Amenities: Grand Canyon Lodge has dining options; its rooms and cabins have ceiling fans and private bathrooms. Phantom Ranch's cabins have bedding, a cold-water sink and a toilet; showers and hot-water sinks are available in a central location. El Tovar has full hotel amenities, including TVs and room service.
Planning tip: Trans-Canyon Shuttle can drive you between the two rims, which is a distance of 213 miles.

5. Sneffels Range, Colorado

Best for big sky and big mountains

You’ll find big mountains, big skies and big adventure in the Sneffels Range, where a 34-mile mountain path runs from the outskirts of Telluride into the city of Ouray, Colorado. Managed by San Juan Huts, four shelters along the way are all located on national forest land.

Meadows, streams and aspen groves await, and spur trails lead to blue alpine lakes and the 14,157ft summit of Mt Sneffels. Each hut holds eight bunks, sleeping bags, propane stoves, cooking utensils and soap – you bring a bag liner and your own grub. You can also request food deliveries at two of the huts.

Though you’re hiking at elevation (between 9250ft and 10,800ft), the route is doable for most hikers, and this can be a good adventure for families. No specialty equipment is needed. Take a look at the online calendar, and pick the nights that work for you or your group. If you’re in a small group, you may share the hut with others. You must hike the entire route.

The company also oversees mountain biking and cross-country skiing trips.

Where you’ll stay: San Juan Huts
Available: June–October
Trip length: 5 days, 34 miles
Amenities: Cooking supplies are available at each hut; travelers must bring their own food.
Getting there: A shuttle will pick you up in Ouray and drive you to the trailhead near Telluride. You will hike directly into Ouray.

6. Yosemite National Park, California

Best for a high-country loop

Reservations for Yosemite National Park's High Sierra Camps are hard to snag and must be won through a lottery, but the epic beauty of the soaring Sierra Nevada range will confirm the worthiness of your efforts.

This hike travels a circuit between five camps in the Tuolumne Meadows area along Tioga Rd north of Yosemite Valley. Canvas tent cabins at each camp hold dorm-style bunks complete with pillows and linens. Dinner and breakfast are included and served family-style in a central dining tent, and lunch is available for purchase. You’ll hike 6–10 miles daily. These trips have garnered some criticism in recent years due to potentially negative impacts on the backcountry, including damage to the trail from pack mules.

Guided trips are also available for an additional cost and must also be secured through the lottery system.

Where you’ll stay: High Sierra Camps
Available: June to September
Trip length: 5–7 days, 56 miles
Amenities: Sleeping space in coed tents (you must bring a sleeping bag or liner); access to bathrooms and showers, purified water and shared bear-proof food lockers (no refrigeration); no electricity and limited to no cell service
Planning tip: Enter the lottery during the month of November the year before your planned trip.