I will be graduating college in May of next year and am trying to decide on a location for an extended trip around that time (Beginning Late May/Early June). I was originally planning on attempting a through hike of the A.T. but this is likely not going to be financially feasible. I am from Georgia so I would prefer something with different scenery than I get around here. I am in pretty decent hiking shape, typically averaging 10 to 15 miles a day depending on weather/terrain. I have pretty good gear for either warm or cold weather, although I would prefer to stay away from anything really cold. I will likely be hiking alone for some or all of it if that makes a difference in terms of safety. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Ideas of places thus far:

Banff National Park
The Grand Canyon
Yellowstone
Teton National Park
Yosemite

I would definitely head west, the issue will be snow. In late May a lot of the Rockies will still be under a lot of snow at higher elevations. Fortunately there are some options.

1. Check snow monitoring websites and call the different parks and national forests. If we have a low snow year you might be able to make it.

2. Start farther south and in drier areas. For example you might check out canyon hiking in Utah, the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado or the Lost Creek Wilderness. Of course the Grand Canyon would be a good option too.

One thing to consider is whether you want to do one continuous trip or whether you want to do multiple shorter trips in different locations. That will help determine where you can go.

Edited by Cameron on 08/20/2012 07:36:50 MDT.