Summary

• August is the best time of year to explore high elevation national parks with fully accessible trails and cooler temperatures for a pleasant hiking experience.
• Parks like Crater Lake, Isle Royale and Kenai Fjords offer challenging hikes with breathtaking views, making the effort worthwhile for the unique experience.
• From the Garfield Peak Trail to the Harding Icefield Trail, August is the ideal month to take advantage of peak hiking season before the trails freeze over again.

Summer vacation may be coming to an end, but there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the best the national park system has to offer. While vacation plans are starting to wind down, some of America’s best national parks are just getting into their stride. High-elevation parks in the more northern parts of the country have only just begun clearing snow from their roads and trails, beginning the very brief season of unrestricted access.

While many of these national parks and their trails are open year-round, in places like Glacier National Park, the roads were only cleared in the last month. As a result, many of the scenic trails are either closed or must be negotiated with snowshoes or spikes. Fortunately, now that August is here, hikers can fully enjoy these highly rated national park hikes without having to pack extra gear.

Even better, these hikes often offer cooler temperatures and more greenery thanks to the slow thaw, a welcome change for those who have been hiking in the extreme heat all summer. Here are some of the best national park hikes to do in August that are open during the summer. You’d better get going soon, because these hikes will soon be hidden again.

7 Garfield Peak Trail

Crater Lake National ParkOregon

Crater Lake National Park is only fully open for a few weeks each year because persistent snowfall lasts until mid-July until the roads are completely gone, so the park’s best trails are only open to hikers for a short time.

August is the best month to enjoy many of these trails, including the Garfield Peak Trail. August is part of a short window of time when this trail can be enjoyed without microspikes or snowshoes, making it a favorite for summer visitors.

The moderately difficult trail climbs over 1,000 feet to the summit and offers some of the best views of Crater Lake. The summer sun makes the trail hot and sometimes dusty, but the reflective shimmer over the crystal clear blue water is one of the most beautiful sights in the park.

6 Greenstone Ridge Hiking Trail

Isle Royale National ParkMichigan

Isle Royale National Park is one of America’s most unique national parks. Isle Royale National Park is made up of islands in the Great Lakes and has a very short hunting season, requiring on-site rangers to live in the rarely visited park.

Located so far north and on nearly freezing Lake Superior, it’s no surprise that many of Isle Royale National Park’s best hiking trails are frozen over for most of the year. In August, when the park thaws and is in peak season, the Greenstone Ridge Trail is a must-do. The entire Greenstone Ridge Trail is a massive 40-mile trek that takes visitors all over the island, but even small sections of this scenic trail are worth exploring in August.

August is ideal for this hike, which takes you nearly 4,000 feet above sea level, as the ice and snow have completely melted from the trail. The Greenstone Ridge Trail is a challenging adventure and offers an idyllic snapshot of this unique national park.

5 Harding Icefield Trail

Kenai Fjords National ParkAlaska

Any visit to Alaska requires careful planning, and Kenai Fjords National Park is no exception. August is generally considered one of the best months to visit the northernmost state in the US, as it is a time when there is plenty of daylight and very few days of greenery.

The Harding Icefield Trail takes travelers across the largest ice field in the United States. Even in summer, the trail can be slippery and patchy with snow, but in August, visitors can forgo the spikes and successfully hike with poles instead. It’s an exceptionally challenging trail, and hikers agree on one thing: the views are absolutely worth the effort.

4 Grinnell Glacier Trail

Glacier National ParkMontana

Glacier National Park is a must-see for many national park enthusiasts. The glaciers, flora and large number of large animals make it a popular destination.

Unfortunately, the park is also snow-covered most of the year, and the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road could not open until late July due to the snow cover. This makes some of Glacier National Park’s best hiking trails inaccessible, including the highly rated Grinnell Glacier Trail.

The Grinnell Glacier Trail is a challenging hike in the Many Glacier area and a great way to not only see the glacial formations that characterize the park, but also see some up close (but not to Nearby views of the local bears, rams and moose. The trail can get hot in August due to the long, highly exposed sections, but since there are steep drops at several points along the trail, the heat is worth it to avoid having to contend with ice.

3 Sahale Arm Trail

North Cascades National ParkWashington

Although the Sahale Arm Trail is technically open most of the year, August is the only time hikers can actually drive up to the trailhead to enjoy this hike. The Sahale Arm Trail to Sahale Mountain is a full-day trip up the mountain, gaining over 5,000 feet of elevation gain. As one of the least visited national parks in the U.S., hikers on the Sahale Arm Trail are more likely to encounter mountain goats than other visitors, adding to its appeal.

Snow still lingers on the higher sections of the trail even in August, but the warm summer sun ensures that even those without additional snow gear can enjoy the exceptional views from the summit. With many national parks receiving thousands of visitors a day in August, the tranquil Sahale Arm Trail in North Cascades National Park is the perfect summer getaway.

The Cascade River Road, which provides access to much of the park as well as the Sahale Arm trails, is currently closed due to the Pincer Two Fire. Outside of the closure, access to all parts of the park is not possible.

2 Glacier Basin Trail

Mount Rainier National ParkWashington

The Glacier Basin Trail in Mount Rainier National Park leads to the largest glacier in the contiguous United States, the Emmons Glacier, and offers a beautiful contrast of rocks and greenery in the warm August months.

Heavy snowfall makes the trail inaccessible to most hikers for much of the year, but when the sun melts the lower snowpack in summer, microspikes and snowshoes can be put away in favor of sturdy hiking boots and sunscreen.

August is particularly scenic on the Glacier Basin Trail as the wildflowers finally begin to bloom. The high altitude and late snowfall mean the blooms are slow to appear. While Death Valley National Park is breaking world heat records and Utah’s red rock formations are reaching surface temperatures of 150°C, the Great Basin Trail in Mount Rainier National Park is relatively cool and colorful.

1 Bonanza Mine Trail

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Conservation AreaAlaska

Another national park that is covered in snow for most of the year is Wrangell St. Elias National Park & ​​Preserve in Alaska, the largest national park in the United States. The relatively pristine landscape offers a variety of beautiful hiking trails, but it takes at least until mid-July for the snow to melt and truly expose them.

The Bonanza Mine Trail is one such hike, with nearly 4,000 feet of elevation gain that requires some serious scrambling toward the end. This is a challenging hike in the best weather and is one of the trails left for the warm summer days of August. Beautiful views and unusual formations make the strenuous hike worthwhile, especially when the snow finally melts and life awakens along the trail.