Thruhiking is great!
(If you like being recreationally exhausted in cool places)
Thruhiking is the endurance sport of hiking a trail from end-to-end, usually in one calendar year. This activity combines backcountry skills like navigation, food storage, and backpacking-style camping, along with the endurance athletics of daily physical challenges. In the United States, the most commonly thruhiked long trails are the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails, collectively referred to as the "Triple Crown." These trails traverse some of the most impressive and rarely-seen ecological wonders of North America, as well as leading to many small communities and special waypoints dotted throughout the countryside. More people have been to space than have completed the Triple Crown.
A thruhiker may expect to hike 15 to 25 miles a day on
average, with adjustments for terrain, weather, and the
hiker's health. The thruhiker will carry all her
necessary belongings in her pack, including food, water,
shelter, first aid, clothing, and other essentials.
Paring this base kit down to a light weight is an
important step to ensuring that the thruhiker may
maintain the speed and rigor required to traverse
thousands of miles within a few months.
Learn more about thruhiking.
For beginners or experienced hikers, there are many ways to enjoy the outdoors in the United States. "The National Trails System consists of 11 national scenic trails, 21 national historic trails, over 1,300 national recreation trails, and seven connecting and side trails, as well as one national geologic trail, with a total length of more than 91,000 mi (150,000 km)." (Source: Wikipedia) Whether you want to be out for a day, a week, or a season, there is a space on the National Trails System for you!