Kelly Bastone and Dave Pidgeon:
We’ve covered 245,591 miles of trails in our 37-year history. Here are our 20 all-time favorite trips …
BEST HIKES EVER COVERED
John Muir Trail, CA | Escalante Route, AZ | Teton Crest Trail, WY | Denali, AK | Presidential Traverse, NH | The Lost Coast Trail, CA | The Needles Traverse, CO | St. Mary to Lake McDonald, MT | Appalachian Trail, GA-ME | Zion Narrows, UT | Wonderland Trail, WA | Southern Traverse, AK | Four-Pass Loop, CO | The Long Trail, VT | Boundary Waters, MN | Wind Traverse, WY | Redwood Creek Trail, CA | Olympic Traverse, WA | Willow Gulch, UT | Northville-Placid Trail, NY |
ORIGINAL ARTICLE with links
I know and like all of those in the west and north. But what about these 3 lesser known eastern trails:
• Northville-Placid Trail, NY
• Boundary Waters, MN
• The Long Trail, VT
As a biased west-is-the-bester, I’d best do some research on those.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota
UPDATE: Tom Wemett tells that Northville-Placid Trail has a new website:
“The trail passes through what many consider the wildest and most remote parts of the Adirondack Park, notably the high plateau that encompasses the Spruce, West Canada, and Cedar lakes area, along with that of the Cold River. The highest point the N-P Trail reaches (3008 ft) is at the crest of the ridge to the E of Blue Mt. and of Tirrell Pond.” …
besthike.com 
I admit to being a total sucker for lists. And also fully admit to being a “west is bester”. So I’ll leave those nice, sunny, scenic trails to stand on their own merits, and comment on the east:
* Northfield – Placid Trail: never heard of it.
* Boundary Waters: Boundary Waters is absolutely iconic … for paddling. Why someone would want to hike it is beyond me (it’s not called “waters” for nothing).
* Long Trail: This is a true classic, one of the “Triple Gems” (JMT, CO Trail, Long Trail). It also is often a mud and bug fest. The difficulty of the track itself will surprise you.
Listed by the authors but not mentioned by Rick:
* Appalachian Trail: the father of the long trails, this is super classic. I’ve never done the whole enchilada and probably never will. “The Long Green Tunnel” is an aptly hilarious name for it.
* Presidential Traverse: definitely do the Presi. It’s all above timberline, so you can actually see something and get a breath of fresh air – westerners will feel at home. The AMC Huts, rather than an intrusion, are a wonderful traditional element in the style of the Alps (except nicer people and worse food).
Bonus routes in the White Mountains: The Pemi Loop (Pemigewasset) is probably my fav; more wilderness, longer, some sections have an even tougher track than the Presi. And lastly, the fabled Hut to Hut goes from one end of the AMC system to the other – always done in one day by aspiring “Croo” hard men and women (Hut staff, who are always eastern liberal arts college students).
There is a new website devoted to the Northville Placid Trail – http://www.nptrail.org. Latest Trail Conditions and Hike Planning information for thru-hiking, section hiking or weekend or day hiking. Also many links to community resources to aid in your trip planning.
Thanks Tom. I’ll check it out.
I updated that post with the link, Tom.
Thanks.
Thanks for the great list – looks like some pretty nice hikes out that way. Our blog has some interesting hikes in Oregon if you’re interested. http://cloud9northwest.com – drop me a line if you plan to be out this way anytime soon 😉