National Take a Hike Day Nov 17, 2023

National Take a Hike Day

Take a hike, buddy! No, not the "get out of here" version but the "get out there" version. It"s time to lace up those boots and take advantage of our national trails, which span over 91,000 miles. Back in the 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Trails System Act into law, to preserve, promote, and develop scenic and historic trails across the country. Can"t decide where to start? Our homepage image offers up one option which is awash with fall colors—Copper Falls State Park in Wisconsin. With 17 miles of trails along the Bad River, past waterfalls and ancient lava flows, this park has a lot to offer. Whether it"s a rugged mountain path, a serene forest walk, or an oceanside stroll, this country has a trail waiting for you. But remember to respect nature, follow "leave no trace" principles, and take nothing but photographs. Happy hiking!

© Big Joe/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Nov 17, 2018A bird of beauty
Nov 17, 2019Remembering the Velvet Revolution
Nov 17, 2020Take a hike near Lovers Lane
Nov 17, 2021Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Nov 17, 2022National Take a Hike Day
Nov 17, 2024Red deer stag in Glen Affric, Scottish Highlands
Nov 17, 2025National Take a Hike Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 12, 2020Fiesta at Siesta
Feb 18, 2020Too awesome to be a planet
Dec 30, 2019Sky island views
Oct 27, 2025Thick-billed raven, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Sep 28, 2022A. M. Foster Bridge in Cabot, Vermont
Apr 19, 2019Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park shines
Nov 18, 2024Porthcawl Lighthouse, Wales, UK
Feb 9, 2025Alstrom Point, Lake Powell, Utah
Jun 25, 2019Sutherland Falls in Fiordland National Park
Jul 25, 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Mar 31, 2026Paradise Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam
Jun 28, 2025Pride 2025
Aug 3, 2019Cetacean Saturday
Sep 19, 2023Splügen Pass, Switzerland
Mar 12, 2026Juvenile sunbittern displaying at nest, Ecuador
Sep 12, 2022Chestnut-eared aracari in the Pantanal, Brazil
Dec 2, 2024Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska
Apr 26, 2018National Park Week: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Jun 3, 2020For the love of bikes
Mar 25, 2018Jan van Eyckplein in Bruges, Belgium
May 19, 2022Glass footbridge in Zhangjiajie, China
Mar 13, 2023National Napping Day
Jan 29, 2022Brain coral
Jul 30, 2024San Gimignano, Siena Tuscany, Italy
Dec 22, 2021Illuminating Annecy
Apr 14, 2019A view fit for a queen
Jun 4, 2023Waiānapanapa State Park, Maui, Hawaii
Nov 23, 2021Fibonacci Day
Feb 21, 2026Red fox, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Apr 3, 2018The village of Castelluccio above the Piano Grande, Umbria, Italy