PLEASE NOTE: If you’re interested in Grand Canyon backpacking trips, and you don’t see them in the calendar, it’s likely because permits aren’t available yet. Permits are issued approximately 4 months prior, and it’s extremely beneficial to register before the permit process begins. Learn more or register on the individual trip pages.
Trip Dates
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HIKING IN August
BENEFITS OF HIKING IN August
August is arguably the top hiking month of the year! In the USA the mountain destinations are in their peak season, with the high country open and abounding trekking opportunities. Yosemite, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, the Eastern Sierras, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Olympic National Park, the North Cascades, Mount Rainier, Yellowstone, the Tetons, Jackson Hole Area, Wind River Range, Absaroka-Beartooths, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Flat Tops, Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, and White Mountains in New Hampshire are all absolutely amazing.
Two more benefits of USA mountain destinations in August are that by mid to late August the crowds are thinning out as schools and colleges reopen, and the bug season is usually well past its peak after the first week of August.
Internationally, the northern hemisphere mountain destinations like the Alps, Norway, Iceland, and Canadian Rockies are also in their prime. Kilimanjaro is going strong in July, as is the Inca Trail and other Peru hikes.
DRAWBACKS OF HIKING IN August
The drawbacks of trekking in August are that many areas can be quite crowded, especially national parks and major tourist destinations in the northern hemisphere.
In the desert and canyon destinations, August is one of the hottest months, but the summer monsoons are usually also hitting their peak in August which helps moderate the heat.
WHERE TO HIKE
There are three main categories of destinations to hike in August:
– USA desert and canyon destinations – these options include Grand Canyon, Sedona’s Red Rock Country, Zion, Bryce and more.
– USA mountain destinations – all mountain destinations in the USA are in their prime: Yosemite, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, the Eastern Sierras, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Olympic National Park, the North Cascades, Mount Rainier, Yellowstone, the Tetons, Jackson Hole Area, Wind River Range, Absaroka-Beartooths, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Flat Tops, Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, and White Mountains in New Hampshire
– Trekking and backpacking internationally – recommended options for August are Peru, Kilimanjaro, the Canadian Rockies, Norway, Iceland, and the Alps.