A Collection of the Best Trails Across America
Follow along as we run, photograph, and write about the Fifty Classics
Background
With decades of experience between us, we’ve been fortunate to run thousands of trails across the country, through forests, along coasts, across deserts, and over mountains. While each trail is unique, there is a commonality among all of them.
Trails provide a space for moving meditations, an arena to test ourselves, and a deeper connection with the natural world. They are a place of worship and a playground for childlike bliss. They teach lessons, ask questions, and help guide us through life. Yet, despite being one of the oldest ways to get from a-to-b, trail running feels out of reach for many.
With the Classic Trails project, we hope to inspire more people to run trails, whether it be one on this list or just a trail out the backdoor.
What is a Classic?
Classic rock, classic cars, classic movies, classic climbs, classic cocktails… the enduring quality that makes a classic a Classic is the ability to capture our collective imaginations, year after year.
A Classic trail is timeless, widely recognized, and the perfect scene for epic adventures. It’s the backdrop of remarkable feats and unforgettable bonks – stories that will be shared for years. In turn, these stories allow a trail to transcend from a means of travel to something more.
That “something more” is hard to put into words, but easy to feel. It’s the feeling left after the mud has been scrubbed from our ankles and the soreness in our quads has been massaged away. It’s what makes us part of a larger story, one that paints a broad and beautiful picture of our vast country, and all the natural beauty it has to offer.
Selection Process
We started the process over ten years ago by reaching out to the community and collecting a list of hundreds of trails. We then spent years running all of them, to see which met our criteria:
Can the trail be run in 24 hours or less?
Would we recommend traveling across the country to run the trail?
Is the trail mostly runnable with little off-trail, scree, or scrambling?
Does it have interesting geological, ecological, and cultural history?
Does it have a clear start and end? (No sections of longer trails).
We recognize that a Classic is inherently subjective and widely debatable, and that some feel differently about which trails should (and should not) be on the list. Our intention was to create a conversation around the Classics, not be the final arbiter. We welcome input from everyone!
Map of the Classics
By design, our collection of Classics is spread across the country. We believe geographic diversity is important to highlight as many ecosystems as possible.
However, this goal forced us to search further afield while staying true to our selection criteria – the ultimate balancing act. In the end it led to a list that we believe represents the country even better.
Stay in touch
If you’d like to follow along as we run, write, and photograph each Classic, add your email below. Expect periodic messages about our progress, hurdles, and lessons learned along the way.
About the Authors
Rickey Gates: For the past 30 years, running has been a central part of Rickey’s life. Whether it be in the competitive realm of racing, the creative realm of exploring, or a mindful space of meditation, running has long been the primary medium through which he has interacted with the world around him. Rickey currently lives in Sante Fe, New Mexico, with his wife and two children.
Ian MacLellan: As a kid, Ian’s mom sent him to run laps around the house. As a high schooler, he was named “most likely to climb Mount Everest in Birkenstocks.” As an adult, he’s never stopped running. Today, Ian works as a freelance photographer and filmmaker and lives in Portland, Maine, with his wife and son. He is 11 years into his photo-a-day project.
Andy Cochrane: As the son of park rangers, Andy grew up outside, which led him to where he is today. After earning an MBA and working in Bay Area tech, he spent five years living nomadically out of his Toyota Tacoma. He recently settled down in Bend, Oregon and works as a freelance journalist, focusing on people pushing boundaries in sport, social, and environmental issues.