What would make someone leave everything behind and walk hundreds or thousands of miles on rough terrain? Hiking is not just a physical journey but, perhaps more important, an internal one. Millions of travelers each year partake in this outdoor ritual on some level, whether for a day, a weekend, or many months, to immerse themselves in a special culture that has birthed unique traditions such as trail names, trail magic—receiving or giving small acts of kindness—and forging unforgettable bonds with kindred spirits along the way.

Now’s your chance to sample life on six of the most spectacular wilderness trails in North America from the comfort of your own home. Guiding you through the visually arresting course America’s Great Trails is expert Mick Davie—journalist, Emmy® award-winning documentary filmmaker, and avid outdoorsman. Mick will take you on an adventure through the rugged heart of the continent, revealing its most closely held secrets in six stunning episodes.

The Wild West

Mick begins with one of the most iconic, visually diverse trails on the planet: the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Declared a National Scenic Route in 1968, this extraordinary route stretches 2,650 miles from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada. Completing this trail can be a life-changing event. On the PCT, you will brave every extreme of landscape and climate imaginable, from desert to glacier and everything in between. At the heart of this trail is the El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite rock face taller than any human structure ever built.

Called the A-to-Z trail because it starts in Arches and ends in Zion, the remote and challenging route of cliffs and canyons of the Hayduke Trail is the elite hiker’s dream. Its 812-mile route links six National Parks, including the Grand Canyon. Hiking the Hayduke is not as easy as saying your ABCs. Some of the fascinating details that Mick highlights in this course:

• It was founded 25 years ago by two hikers, Mike Cornella and Joe Mitchell, to thread together multiple parks.
• It has been described by National Geographic Adventure magazine as the greatest hike in the United States.
• It begins at Arches, a museum of geological wonders featuring more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, rocks, and strange formations carved naturally over millions of years.
• Several famous movies have been filmed along the trail, such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Thelma and Louise.

If you’re inspired to tackle the Hayduke Trail, you’re in for a great adventure—but be prepared and build up your stamina by completing some of the other trails first.