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A man who's visited more than 400 national park sites shared the best ones for beginner hikers

A man who's visited more than 400 national park sites shared the best ones for beginner hikers

Melissa Wiley

Mikah Meyer has visited over 400 National Park Service sites.Mikah Meyer

In 2016, Mikah Meyer embarked on a three-year journey to 419 National Park Service sites.
NPS sites have options for all visitors regardless of outdoor experience, he told Insider.
Meyer shared his top picks for parks with scenic and beginner-friendly hiking trails.

In Cumberland Island National Seashore off the coast of Georgia, a flat, easy trail winds past ruins through forests filled with wild horses and armadillos.

A wild horse looks curiously at Meyer through ferns on Cumberland Island National Seashore. Mikah Meyer

Meyer told Insider that Cumberland Island reminds him of a scene from "Jurassic Park."

"The ferns are so huge that you feel like a velociraptor could just jump out at any moment," he said.

For beginner hikers, Meyer recommends Cumberland's South End Loop, a mix of paved roads, trails, and boardwalks. It runs for 4.3 miles from the island's main dock, where visitors arrive by boat, through the central section of the island past forested areas, beaches, and the ruins of a 19th-century mansion, according to the National Park Service (NPS).

"It's everything that the island has to offer all in one trail," Meyer said. He added that the trail is "super flat."

Just two hours from Boston, Cape Cod National Seashore is home to 11 walking trails that snake through dunes and wooded, marshy areas toward the beach.

Meyer admires fall foliage from one of 11 walking trails that lead to the beach in Cape Cod National Seashore. Mikah Meyer

The walking trails in Cape Cod National Seashore range in length from 0.3 to 8.8 miles and include a mix of flat paths, sandy areas, and boardwalks, according to the NPS.

The trails are not only beginner-friendly but also a reminder that there are more places to walk and jog on national seashores that aren't sandy beaches, Meyer said.

In Michigan, hikers can soak up jaw-dropping views of Lake Superior along a short 2-mile path through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

View of Miners Castle, one of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore's famous rock formations. Mikah Meyer

Called the Miners Castle to Miners Beach Trail, the path treats visitors to birds-eye views of multicolored sandstone cliffs known as the Pictured Rocks that rise above the water, Meyer said.

The trail also offers beach access, and if you're brave enough, you can "dip your feet into the very cold Lake Superior," he said.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas offers a flat, mostly paved trail that passes by five sites related to the historic Alamo mission.

A trail runs through San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Mikah Meyer

The Hike and Bike Trail in San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a great way to soak up the history of the Alamo, an 18th-century Spanish mission and fortress, Meyer said.

It's also bike-friendly and located in the city, which Meyer said is a plus.

"If partway through you're tired and you want to go to 7-Eleven for a Slurpee, you can do it," he said.

In Joshua Tree National Park, three hours east of Los Angeles, a low-elevation trail takes hikers past larger-than-life boulders and a rock that resembles a skull.

Left: Meyer gazes out over Joshua Tree National Park. Right: Skull Rock. Mikah Meyer; Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images

Meyer recommends Joshua Tree's 1.7-mile Skull Rock Nature Trail loop because it's an easy hike with an elevation gain of just 160 feet.

It also takes viewers past some of the park's iconic, towering boulders.

Meyer describes Joshua Tree's rocky scenery as a "'Flintstones' movie set come to life."

In Washington's Olympic National Park, two short loop trails lead visitors through a rainforest and past moss-covered trees and a creek.

A tree arches over a path in the Hoh Rainforest. Mikah Meyer

Olympic National Park is unique among NPS sites in that it consists of three distinct sections: a mountainous region, beach region, and rainforest, Meyer said.

For beginner hikers, he recommends two paths located in the Hoh Rainforest near the visitor center: the Hall of Mosses Trail and Spruce Nature Trail.

The Hall of Mosses Trail winds for 0.8 miles past old-growth trees covered in bright-green club moss, and the Spruce Nature Trail winds for 1.2 miles along a river and creek, according to the NPS.

While Wrangell St. Elias National Park in Alaska is the largest of the NPS sites, there are still great options for beginner hikers, like the 4.5-mile Wagon Road Trail that leads to historic mining sites, Meyer said.

The abandoned Kennecott mines. Trina Barnes/Shutterstock

Meyer recommends the Wagon Road Trail in Wrangell St. Elias National Park — the largest site at 13.2 million acres, according to the NPS — for its mix of modern amenities, historic sites, and scenery.

The bike-friendly trail starts in the town of McCarthy and takes visitors past a glacier as well as the abandoned copper mining sites of Kennecott, which closed down in 1938, according to the NPS.

In Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, visitors can walk along Hawaii's volcanic coastline past tide pools and traditional wood carvings of Hawaiian gods.

Meyer stands with traditional wooden carvings near tide pools at the Place of Refuge in Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. Mikah Meyer

Meyer recommends the 1.5-mile, palm-tree-lined Place of Refuge Trail in Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park for its beauty and historical significance.

In ancient Hawaiian culture, if you broke the law or committed a crime, you could not be prosecuted if you made it to and stayed within the boundaries of the Place of Refuge, according to the NPS.

If you can swim, Meyer recommends visiting Buck Island Reef National Monument in St. Croix, home to an underwater trail created by President John F. Kennedy.

Meyer snorkels above coral on Buck Island Reef National Monument's underwater trail. Mikah Meyer

The Buck Island Reef Underwater Trail requires no hiking experience — just a snorkel, fins, and tour guide.

In 1961, President Kennedy declared Buck Island a national monument by presidential proclamation, calling it "one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean."

The trail passes over a coral reef and includes plaques on the ocean floor that call attention to various sights.

Six concessionaires are licensed to take visitors by boat to the trail from the mainland, according to the NPS. Meyer estimates that his tour lasted about an hour.

Anyone who thinks they're not outdoorsy enough to visit NPS sites should know that Meyer is far from an elite hiker, he told Insider.

Mikah jumps mid-air in Crate Lake National Park, Oregon. Mikah Meyer

"I grew up in Nebraska, which is one of the flattest states in our country, and I have two degrees in classical vocal music. By all accounts, I am not the type of person who should be an outdoorsy hiker. And yet I committed three years of my life to doing such a thing," he said.

To help travelers plan their national park trips, Meyer offers customized presentations about all of the NPS sites and posts photos of his national park adventures on Instagram at @mikahmey. He also created an interactive map of the 423 current NPS sites, which he hosts on his website.