The views from the West Rim are breathtaking, but what makes this route amazing is its diversity: slot canyons with flash flood potential, switchbacks up sheer cliffs, jagged peaks, expansive sandstone slabs, improbable mounds of earth, sandy creek beds, and valley floors. Most choose to run west, getting the big climb out of Zion Canyon over with early in their adventure. Then, two of ultrarunning’s hardmen revived the route and brought it into the sport’s consciousness. Just six years ago, this challenging point-to-point was virtually unknown. This 48-mile route takes you on a tour of massive red cliffs and lush green valley floors as you run across the entire National Park. Zion National Park, Utah (48 miles, 9,000 feet of ascent)

The Fastest Known Time: Kyle Skaggs 20 hours, 53 minutes SeptemZion Traverse | (mikewhitman/ Flickr) Vast and remote in scope, the well-worn trail-often wide enough to run side by side-traverses through peaceful old-growth forests and subalpine meadows of wildflowers. These are also the vehicle accessible locations where you can drop food and water if you’d prefer to break the route up into manageable chunks. The 360-degree view of Mount Rainier starts at Longmire Visitor Center traveling counter-clockwise to Mowich Lake, then White River Campground before arriving back at Longmire. Phase change is visibly and audibly evident as you cross over sculpted valleys and moraines along the 93-mile Wonderland Trail. The active volcano is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous United States. It doesn’t get much better than running around the crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest, 14,410-foot Mount Rainier. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington (93 miles, 24,000 feet of ascent) Here are our picks for the best long-distance adventure trail-running routes in the country.

What’s not to like about a sport that requires virtually no equipment-except (maybe) shorts and trail running shoes-and allows you to explore vast mountain ranges and terrain that most people will never experience? Even better, our country has some of the most beautiful and remote lines in the world. Trail-running is exploding in popularity, and for good reason.

Download ultra distance running