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To see other calendars, just select the month you’re interested in. You can always give us a call 7 days a week at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) to learn availability immediately.
2022 May Trip Dates
U.S.A. Destinations
Arizona
Grand Canyon National Park
Backpacking Trips
Grand Canyon National Park has not yet issued backpacking permits for this month. It's extremely beneficial to register before the permit process (85+% of our guests do). You can pick any dates and you'll receive a 5% early registration discount! We have a great success rate and your deposit is fully transferrable or refundable if we're unsuccessful. Click here to read more about Grand Canyon's permit process, or get started by selecting a trip and hitting "Go!" below.
All Other Trip Types
Sedona Red Rock Country
California
Death Valley
Eastern Sierras
Joshua Tree
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Sequoia - Kings Canyon
The Lost Coast
Yosemite National Park
Colorado
Flat Tops Trips
Rocky Mountain National Park
Montana / Wyoming
Absaroka-Beartooths
Jackson Hole Area
The Tetons
Wind River Range
Yellowstone National Park
New Hampshire
White Mountains Hut Treks
North Carolina
Blue Ridge Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Utah
Arches & Canyonlands
Bryce Canyon National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Grand Staircase Escalante
Paria Slot Canyons
Zion National Park
Vermont
Vermont
Washington
Mount Rainier
North Cascades
Olympic Hiking & Backpacking Tours
International Destinations
Alps Guided Treks
Alps Guided Treks
Canadian Rockies Treks
Canadian Rockies Treks
Iceland Hiking Trips
Iceland Hiking Trips
Nepal Treks
Nepal Treks
Norway Hiking Tours
Norway Hiking Tours
Patagonia Trekking (Chile)
Patagonia Trekking (Chile)
Peru Treks
Cordillera Huayhuash Trekking
Guided Hikes to Machu Picchu
Tanzania (Kilimanjaro)
Tanzania (Kilimanjaro)
Vietnam
Vietnam
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HIKING IN MAY
BENEFITS OF HIKING IN May
May is one of the busiest months of the year for us at Wildland Trekking. This is for several important reasons that also provide huge benefits to guests hiking in the month of May. First, a couple massively popular trips open up – these include the Rim to Rim hike in the Grand Canyon and the Half Dome Trek in Yosemite. May is a phenomenal time of year to join any of our hikes in Yosemite because the waterfalls are running at their peak flows, which is spectacular.
Second, in May you can pick from many desert and canyon destinations (like Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Sedona’s Red Rock Country and more) because they are in their prime season. And you can also pick from multiple mountain destinations which are just starting to open up or are very close to their prime (like Yosemite, the Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Yellowstone and more.)
Internationally, May is considered one of the best months of the year to hike the Inca Trail or other Peru treks. And Vietnam is still excellent.
Finally, a huge benefit of May is that schools and colleges are still in session so the summer peak tourist season is not yet underway. This means you can enjoy some amazing destinations with relative solitude.
DRAWBACKS OF HIKING IN May
One of the biggest drawbacks of hiking in May is that there aren’t very many international destinations that are in their prime. Peru and the Inca Trail are the major exceptions to this point.
Another drawback, especially in mid to late May, is that the Grand Canyon is moving closer to its higher summer temperatures, which inside the Canyon can be 105 degrees fahrenheit in the shade.
WHERE TO HIKE
There are three main categories of destinations to hike in May:
– USA desert and canyon destinations – these options include Grand Canyon, Sedona’s Red Rock Country, Zion, Bryce, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Paria Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands and more.
– USA mountain destinations – the major mountain destinations that are open, some in their early seasons, in May are Yosemite, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Mountains and Yellowstone.
– Trekking and backpacking internationally – recommended options for May are Peru and Vietnam.