Trails Worth Hiking
by Jeremy Pendrey
On Trails Worth Hiking, we bring you the most interesting backpacking and trekking routes in the world. Every trail has a story. In the first part of each episode, we tell you the stories behind the trail. In the second part, we tell you how to hike the trail. In each episode, guests who have hiked the trail join Jeremy, our host, to talk about the experience of hiking it. Join us on each episode as we hear the story, then hike the trail.
Episodes
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Ep. 79: Update - Hiking the Ocean to Lake Trail
In February 2026, Jeremy joined a group hike on the Ocean to Lake Trail, which we originally covered in Episode 49. The thru hike was sponsored and led by the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association. The OTL takes hikers through diverse ecosystems from Florida's biggest lake, Lake...
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Ep. 78: Dingle Way
Listener Tara Lamberti joins Jeremy to talk about her thru hike of the Dingle Way on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. This inn-to-inn adventure takes hikers on a full circuit of a beautiful peninsula in the southwest of Ireland. Hikers will spend eight to ten days walking over 100...
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Ep. 77: Liechtenstein Trail
Listener Brett Bauch joins Jeremy to discuss this relatively new trail that crosses the entire country of Liechtenstein in less than a week. The trail takes hikers through the Upper Rhine Valley in the heart of the Alps. The trail winds through all 11 municipalities of this European monarchy…
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Ep. 76: Gerard Hiking Trail
Listener Kevin Morgan joins Jeremy to talk about his hike of the Gerard Hiking Trail in Northwestern Pennsylvania's Oil Creek State Park. This loop hike takes backpackers on a 36-mile adventure through not only a beautiful wilderness, but also through the remnants of the world's first oil boom.…
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Ep. 75: South West Coast Path
Emma Fry of Vegan Adventure Holidays joins Jeremy to talk about her solo thru hike of more than 600 miles on England's South West Coast Path. England's longest national trail takes hikers along the bucolic, yet rugged and challenging coastline of the southwest peninsula of Britain. And Jeremy…
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Ep. 74: Finding Wilderness Close to Home
In this episode we hear about two very different ways to design a local wilderness adventure in the same area. Jeremy recounts his local backpacking adventure in Marin County, California, and listeners Janna and Grant Glaze describe their own lodge-to-lodge adventure in the same area, which they...
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Ep. 73: Larapinta Trail
Nutritionist and naturopath, Steph Watts, joins Jeremy to talk about the Larapinta Trail, a long-distance trail of more than 200 kilometers in the remote outback of Australia's Northern Territory. This trail takes hikers through a picturesque desert region of red rock, mountains, and gorges. To...
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Ep. 72: Transcaucasian Trail
Seismologist Harry Kuril joins Jeremy to talk about Harry's thru hike of the Transcaucasian Trail through the countries of Armenia and Georgia in the South Caucasus. On this epic adventure along a newly-developed long-distance trail, hikers cross forest, mountains, canyons, pastoral lands, farms,...
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Ep. 71: Designing an Urban Adventure
Not all the best adventures are deep in the wilderness. Join Jeremy as he hikes on an urban adventure from his home to the house he grew up in. And learn how you too can design a multi-day urban adventure that is personally meaningful and every bit as adventurous as a backcountry trip. 10% off...
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Ep. 70: Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop
Photographer William Armstrong joins Jeremy to discuss the Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop hike in Death Valley National Park. This hike takes backpackers off trail through three desert canyons in the largest national park in the contiguous United States. And Jeremy tells us how Death Valley got…
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Ep. 69: Trans Bhutan Trail
Dorji Dhradhul, former Director General of the Tourism Council of Bhutan, joins Jeremy to talk about the Trans Bhutan Trail, a newly redeveloped historical trail of more than 400 kilometers that crosses the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan from west to east. Dorji also informs Jeremy about Bhutan's…
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Ep. 68: Long Range Traverse
Aaron Reinke and Penney Gilbert join Jeremy to talk about their hike of the Long Range Traverse in Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, Canada. This route takes hikers across a wild and trailless landscape of alpine scenery, forest, gorges, and beautiful fjords. Jeremy tells us how...
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Ep. 67: Update - Hiking the Pemi Loop
In September 2025, Jeremy hiked the Pemi Loop in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We originally covered this tough multi-day loop in episode 23, but now learn about Jeremy's own experience on the Pemi Loop, including staying in Appalachian Mountain Club huts along the route. Also, Jeremy...
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Ep. 66: Outer Mountain Loop
Listener Bryan Hargrove joins Jeremy to talk about his hike on the Outer Mountain Loop in Big Bend National Park in Texas. This hike takes backpackers through the Chisos Mountains with outstanding views of the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. This remote part of Texas has some of the darkest skies…
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Ep. 65: Update - Hiking Hadrian's Wall Path
In episode 11, back in 2021, we learned about this amazing path across England that parallels the ancient roman wall built along the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. This past summer, in 2025, Jeremy and Andee hiked the Hadrian's Wall Path. In this special update episode, get Jeremy's...
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Ep. 64: Buckskin Gulch
Ultralight backpacking equipment pioneer, Glen Van Peski, joins Jeremy to talk about his many hikes through Buckskin Gulch in southern Utah. Buckskin Gulch is one of the longest slot canyons in the world. Jeremy and Glen also discuss Glen's book, take less. do more., which details Glen's…
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Ep. 63: Teton Crest Trail
Listener, photographer, and Youtuber, Christian Paul, returns to the show to tell us about his solo thru hike of the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming. This trail takes hikers through one of America's most iconic mountain ranges, where hikers might encounter grizzly…
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Ep. 62: Snowman Trek
Listener, blogger, and adventure traveler, Jonty Crane, joins Jeremy to talk about the Snowman Trek in Bhutan. This multi-week epic adventure is considered to be among the most difficult treks in the world. The trek takes hikers through a cultural immersion in this remote and beautiful Himalayan...
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Ep. 61: Havasupai Trail
Listener Eric Spamer joins Jeremy to talk about this beautiful hike in the Grand Canyon in Arizona where hikers have the opportunity to hike to impressive waterfalls on land owned by the Havasupai people. The trail takes us through Supai, possibly the most isolated town in the contiguous United...
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Ep. 60: Mt. Kilimanjaro
Listener Peter Celeste joins Jeremy to discuss his climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Peter recounts his epic adventure to reach the summit of the tallest mountain in Africa. Although it's a challenging climb to the top of this massive volcano, it's one that many of us could do. Jeremy fills…
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Ep. 59: Nepal Border-to-Border Thru Hike
Rajan Simkhada, of Earthbound Expeditions in Nepal, joins Jeremy to talk about this new route from south to north across Nepal, which Rajan pioneered. The route takes trekkers from the Indian border on the plains of Southern Nepal through the foothills of the Himalayas, and finally through the…
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Ep. 58: Kungsleden
Listener and YouTuber, Bob Delaney (aka Jon's Dad Hikes), joins Jeremy to talk about Bob's thru hike of the Kungsleden in the Lapland region of Sweden. Bob tells us about this incredible long-distance hike in one of the last big areas of wilderness of Europe, and about half of the hike is above…
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Ep. 57: Sawback Trail
Listener Gavin Fitch joins Jeremy to talk about the Sawback Trail in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. This fantastic trail gives hikers a chance to experience some of Canada's most amazing backcountry scenery. And Jeremy walks us through the history of the park. Also, hear from Nina...
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Ep. 56: Maah Daah Hey Trail
Listener Lafe Wessel joins Jeremy to talk about this fantastic hike through the Great Plains and Badlands of North Dakota, where hikers can encounter bison and wild horses, among other animals. This trail gives hikers an opportunity to hike in solitude in a unique environment. And Jeremy recounts...
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Ep. 55: Kepler Track
Listener J.D. Yingling joins Jeremy to talk about the Kepler Track on the beautiful South Island of New Zealand. The Kepler Track, located in stunning Fiordland National Park, is one of New Zealand's "Great Walks". Since this is our first time covering a trail in New Zealand, Jeremy gives us some...
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Ep. 54: Northville-Placid Trail
Jonathan Malone of Wilderness Journeys joins Jeremy to talk about the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. This 138-mile trail takes hikers deep into the forested wilderness of New York for a grand adventure that is only a few hours drive away from New York City. Jeremy...
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Ep. 53: Training for Your Dream Adventure
On this special episode, hiking trainer, Marcus Shapiro of Fit for Trips, joins Jeremy to talk about key principles for training for your next adventure, whether it's a high-altitude climb, a long thru hike, or anything in between. Jeremy gives some thoughts on how Marcus' advice applied to…
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Ep. 52: Colorado Trail
Join Jeremy as he recounts his almost 500-mile thru hike of the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango through the Rocky Mountains. The episode features interviews with fellow thru hikers and audio from Jeremy during the hike. If you want to know what it takes to do a significant thru hike, this...
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Ep. 51: Carros de Foc
Author and blogger Nadine Slavinski joins Jeremy to talk about this alpine hut-to-hut hike in the Pyrenees in the Catalonia region of Spain. On this beautiful adventure hikers ascend and descend more than 9,000 meters (30,000 feet) on this 65 kilometer (40 mile) route through Aigüestortes i Sant...
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Ep. 50: Camino de Costa Rica
Emma Fry of Vegan Adventure Holidays joins Jeremy to talk about this relatively new hike from coast to coast across all of Costa Rica. The trail takes trekkers from the Atlantic Coast, through the central highlands and mountains, and finishes in Quepos, on the Pacific Coast. Jeremy recounts the...
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Ep. 49: Ocean to Lake Trail
Listener and experienced Florida hiker Richie Mulligan (aka Pecky Bird) joins Jeremy to talk about his hike with his father on the Ocean to Lake Trail in Southern Florida. This amazing hike from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Okeechobee takes hikers through a wide variety of Southern Florida's…
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Ep. 48: Everest Base Camp
Listener Wade Tonkin and comedian Sean Keane join Jeremy to talk about their treks to Everest Base Camp. This amazing trek in Nepal takes hikers high in the Himalayas to the base camp where climbers get ready to ascend the tallest mountain on earth. Wade tells about his inspiring story of getting...
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Ep. 47: Via Transilvanica
Listener Veronica McGee joins Jeremy to talk about her several adventures on the Via Transilvanica, a new 1,400 kilometer trail that crosses a huge swath of Romania, in Eastern Europe. The trail brings hikers through small mountain villages where they'll stay in local homes and eat home-cooked...
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Ep. 46: Uinta Highline Trail
Listener and photographer Christian Paul joins Jeremy to talk about his epic adventure on the Uinta Highline Trail. This amazing long-distance trail traverses the highest mountain range in Utah. The trail crosses several high mountain passes and gives the hiker views of glaciated landscapes…
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Ep. 45: Art Loeb Trail
Listener Dane Schuckman joins Jeremy to talk about Dane's hike of the Art Loeb trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Dane takes us through this multi-day hike along ridges and over peaks in the wild high country of this part of North Carolina. And Jeremy tells the story of...
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Ep. 44: Camino de Santiago
Author Suzanne Roberts joins Jeremy to talk about her hike in Spain on the Camino de Santiago. In fact, Suzanne hiked more than one of the Caminos to Santiago de Compostela. And Jeremy recounts the interesting history and legend of the Camino de Santiago. Also, Suzanne talks about the new edition...
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Ep. 43: Yorkshire Wolds Way
Listener Mimi Cortes joins Jeremy to talk about her thru hike of the little-known Yorkshire Wolds Way in England. Mimi tells Jeremy about the wonderful medieval towns and beautiful countryside that hikers experience on this week-long adventure. And we learn about one of England's most famous...
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Ep. 42: Trans-Catalina Trail
Listeners Rachel and Beth Irvine join Jeremy to talk about their hike on the Trans-Catalina Trail across the length of Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. And learn about the island's unlikely history, which includes baseball spring training, the first movie theater for...
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Ep. 41: Laugavegur Trail
Author Nadine Slavinski joins Jeremy to talk about her hike of the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland. This four-day adventure crosses a wide variety of beautiful terrain, including volcanic landscapes, glaciers, and verdant valleys. And learn about one of Iceland's most interesting sagas, a wild tale…
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Ep. 40: Bruce Trail
Writer Elisha Rubacha of the blog Elisha Hikes joins Jeremy to talk about her thru hike of the Bruce Trail, Canada's oldest and longest marked footpath, which traverses the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario. With the help of some very generous trail angels, Elisha and her mother hiked the entire…
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Ep. 39: Shenandoah on the AT
Listener Steph Lancaster joins Jeremy to talk about her hut-to-hut hike on the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. This unique segment of the AT allows hikers to stay in lodges each night as they hike through a portion of Shenandoah National Park on America's most famous long-distance...
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Ep. 38: Waitukubuli Trail
Listener Angela Kaplar joins Jeremy to talk about her thru hike of the Waitukubuli Trail on the Caribbean island nation of Dominica. This trail of more than 100 miles traverses mountainous, dense, tropical jungle and crosses the entire island. Angela and Jeremy also discuss some of the…
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Ep. 37: Tahoe Rim Trail
Friend of the show Tony Wong joins Jeremy to talk about their hike together on the Tahoe Rim Trail, a 165-mile loop around Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America. This adventure has everything: deep forested wilderness, amazing views of the lake, granite backcountry, and passing...
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Ep. 36: 12 Hikes in 12 Months
In 2022, our host, Jeremy, attempted to do a multi-day hike every month of the year. How did that work out? On this special episode we find out. 10% off on delicious backpacking meals from our sponsor: https://outdoorherbivore.com/ Questions, comments, or suggestions: [email protected]...
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Ep. 35: Kaiserkrone
Listener Alex Schoemann joins Jeremy to talk about the Kaiserkrone trek around the Wilder Kaiser mountains in the Tyrol Alps of Austria. This multi-day hut-to-hut and village-to-village trek allows trekkers to enjoy surprising solitude for a hike in the Alps that is so accessible to international...
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Ep. 34: Condor Trail
Brian Sarvis, author of the Condor Trail Guide, and Aaron Owens Mayhew of Backcountry Foodie, join Jeremy to talk about the Condor Trail, the challenging backcountry route through the Los Padres National Forest in California. The Condor Trail covers over 400 miles of tough hiking, including...
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Ep. 33: Special - Photographing the Blue Ridge Mountains
In this special episode, Asheville, North Carolina-based photographer Mike Poggioli joins Jeremy to talk about his experience photographing the Blue Ridge Mountains from hikes and overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Mike also talks about his new book, Blue Ridge Dreaming, which showcases his...
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Ep. 32: West Highland Way
Neil Lapping, founder and CEO of Macs Adventure, joins Jeremy to talk about the West Highland Way, Scotland's premier long distance trail. Before the interview, Jeremy recounts the stories of some of Scotland's most memorable historical figures. After the interview, Jeremy walks us through his…
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Ep. 31: Ausangate and Rainbow Mountain Trek
Listener Gary Black joins Jeremy to talk about Gary's hike in the Ausangate Nevado high in the Andes of Peru. Gary tells us how he was able to successfully acclimatize to hike this high elevation circuit of one of the most beautiful ranges of the Andes. Gary also gives good advice on how to have...
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Ep. 30: Grand Canyon - South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails
In this episode Jeremy tells us about his and Andee's hike of the classic Grand Canyon backpacking route on the South Kaibab and Bright Angel trails. Jeremy also recounts the amazing geologic history of the Grand Canyon. And don't miss Jeremy's crucial advice about how you too can do this hike...
About this show
On Trails Worth Hiking, we bring you the most interesting backpacking and trekking routes in the world. Every trail has a story. In the first part of each episode, we tell you the stories behind the trail. In the second part, we tell you how to hike the trail. In each episode, guests who have hiked the trail join Jeremy, our host, to talk about the experience of hiking it. Join us on each episode as we hear the story, then hike the trail.
Hosted by
Jeremy Pendrey