This is a strange list. Hikes are not uniformly distributed among states. It almost feels sacriligeous to boil states like Washington or Utah or Colorado down into a single "best" hike (Yellow Aster Butte? When the Enchantments exist? Really???) so unless you're a pathological box-checker I don't understand the point of this article.
The only thing this article really shows is that every state has a nice place to go hiking. Aside from that, there are many factors that make a hike enjoyable, and criteria are not the same for different people.
Personally, I just try to make the most of any place I'm in, and appreciate it for what it is. Even if it's the local trail that I've hiked a hundred times, it is never exactly the same experience. And that's what makes it fun (to me).
And finding beauty in what would ordinarily pass as a "mundane" trail is precisely what makes the exceptional places so awe-inspiring.
Yellow Aster Butte is a reasonably accessible day hike that can be completed by just about anyone who's fit enough to hike. Yes, the last pitch to the butte is a bitch, but just about anyone can do it. The Enchantments, on the other hand, is a permit only area (for overnight trips), that is not easily completed in a day long thru-hike - which from the Stuart trailhead is 18 miles with 4500ft of elevation gain. Even experienced hikers struggle with the Aasgard Pass scramble. This list strikes me as not just best in terms of views and landscape, but also accessibility.
I totally agree the Enchantments are more spectacular, but they require some serious commitment and are not likely to be enjoyed by the vast majority casual hikers.
Fair enough, however the I would counter that the JMT can be sectioned, though not necessarily as day hikes. Other than the permit requirement it is way more accessible and less difficult than the Enchantments (don't get me wrong, they're both hard). I agree the JMT is the best hike in CA. I see how Yellow Aster could be considered the best hike in WA, the Enchantments is just different and special in its own unique way.
It's to generate clicks, because people will wonder if their favorite hike is on the list.
Just like when you see a magazine wants to increase readership or clicks from a particular region, it may publish a top ten list specific to that region.
It's the hiking equivalent of "See girls looking for love in localhost!"
The point is to generate clicks and ad revenue. Listicles like this are great for clicks. Even better if they make unconventional / controversial choices.
Not everyone lives near Washington or Utah or Colorado, but everyone lives in a state with nice hikes, so this article is still useful. And even though I do live in Washington, I'd never been to (or even heard of) the "Yellow Aster Butte" hike -- the wealth of nice hikes nearby has kept me from branching out to hikes in other parts of the state.
State may not be the perfect way to break things up (I can easily drive across connecticut in a couple hours, not so much in Texas or California), but there's no other commonly used grid system to break up the country.
I think it's just supposed to be a conversation starter. Everyone knows lists are silly. I don't think anyone is suggesting that you must do these and only these hikes.
I think it's good for people who have only hiked one region and might do some image searches and see something they like in another part of the country. But I agree, picking one hike for Texas is pretty silly since if you're in Houston in east Texas you won't want to drive ten hours to their pick in the far western corner.
It is subjective anyway. I don't think it is meant to be taken that serious...
I found it helpful since I often just want a rough list of hikes to look into further. Other resources focus on specific areas, so I like how broad this one is.
I'm not even scratching the surface here, and many may disagree about any of these being the "top 10", but here are some longer day hikes I did, that are near Denver, and that I thoroughly enjoyed and would do again:
1. Cascade Creek Trail to Crater Lake near Tabernash, CO (starts on the southern side of Lake Granby)
2. East Inlet Trail to Lake Verna (starts on the northern side of Lake Granby)
3. Jasper Lake Trail (near Nederland CO, can take a shuttle from the town to the trailheads)
4. Chicago Lakes Trail by Mt. Evans
Those all fall into a category of hike that you can complete by early-mid afternoon if you start around 7 or 8 AM.
Then there are ton that are 2+ days to complete. The most famous one is the Maroon Bells loop, which I haven't done yet. But one I loved was near Aspen, taking the Maroon Snowmass trail up to Snowmass Lake, camping overnight, and heading back. Most folks extend the trip and summit Snowmass Mountain the next morning.
There are ton of much shorter hikes a very short distance away from Denver that are good to do most of the year. Pretty much anything in Evergreen (Alderfer Three Sisters Trail), Apex Trail near Morrison, Walker Ranch loop by Boulder. Hanging lakes is farther away, but next to Maroon Bells as one of the most famous and highly trafficked hikes.
I've only been here a year and a half and have a lot more to explore.
I've lived in Boulder for six years now, favorite hike is Long's Peak but it's ridiculously long and strenuous. Some good gems that are not as crazy and out of the national park are the Brainard lake area and the Arapahoe glacier trail if you like meadows above treeline.
A lot of states have way too many hikes, and it can take hours (sometimes days) of research to figure out what "best one" to take. This list is for people who aren't from that state and just want to go on one good hike. It won't work for everyone, for example because most people will never go to Kauai.
Of course, some states have more to offer than others, and choices like these are often subjective (also, it looks like they preferred less-known and less-overrun locations), but I think pointing out that there is also some beautiful scenery in the less touristic states also has some merit...
I live in Massachusetts and I had to look it up. I figured it was maybe in the Berskshires somewhere--which I'm also not that familiar with but as it is no wonder I hadn't heard the name before. Any list like this is going to be a bit idiosyncratic but this is more random than most.
Bash Bish is scenic but it is way too crowded in the summer with NY tourists. Id recommend googling for other Western Mass trails a little rather from NY.
I grew up very near Bash Bish and–while always a popular local spot–it has really succumbed to the the instagram must-have-selfie phenomenon in recent years. There are thankfully plenty of other beautiful places nearby!
