The Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park is one of the most accessible glaciers in North America. You can book a ride to go walk on the glacier, or, if the thought of a crowded bus doesn’t appeal to you, why not hike a short trail to the toe of the glacier for a little exercise and an expansive view at trail’s end.

The trail to Dege Peak in the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier National Park is one of the more popular trails in this area, and with good reason. The well-maintained route takes the hiker past scenic basins, flower-filled meadows, and distant mountains to a 360-degree view at trail’s end.

There are must-do hikes in many parks and Delicate Arch Trail in Arches National Park is one of them. This 3-mile (4.8 km) roundtrip hike up and over slickrock to a sandstone arch so famous it’s on the Utah state license plate is extremely popular and with good reason. It’s a trail contributing photographer Rebecca Latson has hiked and it’s one you can hike, too.

There are trails within each of the three units comprising John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, none of them very long. In truth, you can do every single trail within a unit (not each unit, but a unit) in an entire day. Contributing writer and photographer Rebecca Latson describes the trails she hiked at the Painted Hills Unit of this national monument in Oregon.