2025 was a busy and beautiful year! We were lucky enough to log 53.1 miles over the year, all of which are tracked on All Trails if you’re curious to see everything we got up to. As we started dreaming about what 2026 might look like, we found ourselves reminiscing about which hikes really stood out this year (myself, husband, 3.5 year old son, and 13 and 10 year old step-daughters). The rule was that we all had to pick a different favorite hike, no repeats! Here’s what we came up with, and which hikes each of us would definitely suggest you add to your bucket list 🗺️ 🧭
Franconia Notch State Park
The chosen favorite of the 13-year-old, this was also the one that 4 out of 5 of us would have chosen if not for our ‘no repeats’ rule. Alas, our teen chose it first and described it as: “It was so ridiculous. But also very gorgeous. But also so long. None of my friends have done something like this!” My husband added “It’s such a good story,” which is an excellent point.
If you want to read the whole saga you can find it here, but in summary we went 7.6 miles round-trip through the White Mountains to the famous Lonesome Lake. It was wild, but absolutely stunning and has already become a core memory for the kiddos. This hike was a bucket-list item for me personally and while it was challenging, there are no regrets. 10/10, get thyself to New Hampshire.
Watkins Glen State Park
Keeping it closer to home, our 10-year-old chose Watkins Glen near Ithaca, NY as her favorite spot of the year. Her assessment was: “It was just so pretty there. I liked it a lot.” And honestly she’s not wrong–it is absolutely one of the prettiest places in New York, but also one of the busiest.
The Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen winds through some absolutely stunning areas– along the pools, over bridges, and under waterfalls. You can walk from one end to the other then take a shuttle back or walk back. There are a lot of stairs, and some low-hanging rock ledges (vigilance required of tall people or little humans in backpack carriers). That’s all pretty manageable, but the crowds are the most challenging bit here. It’s popular for an excellent reason, but try to go during the week or early in the morning.
Clark Reservation State Park
Another Central New York spot, little guy (3.5 years old) decided this was his favorite because “it is very pretty and cool and they have fossils and I was climbing the rocks.” A very cool spot formed due to glacier activity, there are indeed fossils to find in the rocks and really interesting formations. One of the big draws for kids is there are lots of areas requiring relatively mild rock scrambling that feels like an epic adventure.
I talk more about this area in the favorite CNY hikes post but a couple of quick notes: there is an awesome playground, picnic spots, and a cute nature center. Beware of cliff ledges–this is a hike where we need good listening ears and keep the small people close. Overall a great hike with unique views.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
My husband chose The Ledges Trail from Cuyahoga Valley as his standout–“It’s just a very neat place that wasn’t too demanding. I liked the mystery of all the nooks.” The nooks referring to all of these little alcoves and dead-end paths you can explore along the way, which was very fun.
This park is in Ohio, and you can read more about our full visit here if you’re curious. The Ledges Trail in particular was a standout that we regret having to rush and fully plan to re-visit. Wandering under and through towering rocks was magical, especially in the woods where you don’t necessarily expect to run in to this sort of feature.
Little Rock Pond Trail
Located in the Green Mountains of Vermont, this is my personal choice. The scenery was stunning and the payoff was everything. It’s a pretty steady incline without being overwhelming for about 2.5 miles before you reach a stunning body of water with serious alpine lake vibes (although it’s technically not). I go through the details of which trail to take to get here in this post if you’re hoping to see it yourself.
This is an out and back trail which is historically not my favorite–I love a loop! Little Rock Pond is a notable exception because it was that good. It was pretty quiet, even in summer, so we were able to chill at the water with our lunches without any crowds. Soaking up the scenery, wading in the water, and recalibrating before heading back is one of my favorite memories of 2025.
Honorable Mention: Chimney Bluffs State Park
Although it didn’t make anyone’s number one spot, we all agree Chimney Bluffs deserves a quick nod. Up in Wayne County in New York, situated on Lake Ontario, this was some otherworldly scenery we haven’t found elsewhere in the state. Dog-friendly, not too challenging, and visually delightful, this is another hike totally worthy of your time. There are cliff edges to be mindful of with small kids, but much like Clark Reservation it feels very special to little humans if they’re able to follow directions safely (or can be contained/carried).
With our honorable mention accounted for, that’s a wrap on 2025! Six fabulous hikes across four different states that check all of the boxes. It was fun to sit and think through what we loved most about our hikes this past year while also planning what’s ahead. We even made changes to our plans for this year to prioritize mountain views, fun terrain, and kid-friendly scrambles. Stay tuned for everything coming next–we’re definitely looking forward to it!
Happy trails 🥾💚