Food just seems to taste better accompanied by a big dose of fresh air and beautiful scenery. That certainly holds true with the seven hikes writer and Real Food Traveler Health & Fitness Editor, Carole Jacobs, has identified. And for the inevitable time when all that hiking works up a hunger, Carole has also suggested picnics to pack that tap into the authentic cuisine of each of those regions. Don’t want to rough it quite that much? She also suggests nearby places to get a taste of culinary (hiking) travel. 

Save this list of seven hikes and picnic ideas to Pinterest so you don’t forget them.

7 Beautiful Hikes to take in America and the Picnic Menu Ideas to Go With Them 

After a year of being cooped up indoors, is it any wonder picnics have attained near-cult status? The following seven picnic-perfect hikes will take you to places you thought existed only on calendars, and come complete with (hold the banana bread!) ideas on what to pack based on local fare and recipes in regional cookbooks. No time to pack a picnic? See suggestions on where to buy one at the end of each trail.

Picnic-perfect Hike 1: Cliff Walk Trail, Portland Head Light, Fort Williams Park, Cape Elizabeth, Maine (located 5 miles southeast of Portland)

Close-up: Located on ruggedly beautiful Casco Bay,  Fort Williams Park is home to the Cliff Walk Trail, an easy half-mile path that winds along scenic cliffs and historic remains to Portland Head Light. The historic 1791 lighthouse, built during the Civil War under the direction of George Washington, is the oldest of more than 60 towering lighthouses dotting the Maine coast. In springtime, wild roses bloom along the trail, ending at a small rocky beach where waves crash and thunder ashore. It’s an idyllic spot for a scenic seaside picnic.

Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park, Maine. Photo by Unsplash.

What’s in the picnic basket? Nothing says Maine like lobster rolls. Find a great recipe in Real Maine Food: 100 Plates from Fishermen, Farmers, Pie Champs, and Clam Shacks.

No time to pack a picnic? Buy fresh lobster rolls, deli sandwiches and homemade gelato from food trucks parked near the lighthouse.

A Maine Lobster Roll is a great picnic menu idea. Photo by Pixabay.com.

Picnic-perfect Hikes 2 & 3: Crabtree Falls Trail, Virginia, and Crabtree Falls Trail, North Carolina (both located off the Blue Ridge Parkway)

Close-up: What’s better than one spectacular waterfall named Crabtree Falls? Two of them—both located along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. Virginia’s Crabtree Falls Trail, located off Milepost 27 of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Montebello, is a 2.8-mile trail that heads to one of the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi, featuring five major cascades and several smaller ones falling a total distance of 1,200 feet. The trail continues on to breathtaking overlooks of the falls and the Tye River Valley before heading to Crabtree Meadows, a wildflower paradise. With wooden stairs, gravel paths, railed overlooks, and a spectacular 100-foot bridge over the Tye River, this is one trail you won’t want to miss.

Further along the Parkway at Milepost 339.5 in North Carolina is North Carolina’s Crabtree Falls, located about 45 minutes north of Asheville. The 3-mile loop trail descends beneath rhododendron that’s a tunnel of white blossoms in July, and continues down steep stone steps to the smaller Crabtree Falls, which tumbles 60-plus feet over a towering rock cliff face into a deep pool below. A wooden bridge spans the base – a perfect place to pause for a photo op before climbing sunny switchbacks and rustic stone steps through a forest filled with mountain laurel, a sea of raspberry-pink in spring.

Passing the cascades of another small waterfall, the trail winds through a valley filled with rhododendron, wildflowers and grassy creek banks — bucolic places to break for a picnic (or maybe just take a nap).

What’s in the picnic basket? Wild Blueberry Pie pays tribute to the wild blueberries that thrive on Blue Ridge Mountain “balds.” Hungry hikers can pick a gallon per person per day, according to park regs. For a great recipe, check out The New Blue Ridge Cookbook: Authentic Recipes from Virginia’s Highlands to North Carolina’s Mountains.

Take a slice of blueberry pie on your picnic in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Photo courtesy Unsplash.

No time to pack a picnic? A short drive from Virginia’s Crabtree Falls trail is the historic Osceola Mill Restaurant, set in an elegantly restored 1800s water-powered mill. Don’t miss the homemade cream of asparagus soup with fresh-from-the-oven cornbread and the poached pear salad with goat cheese. Just nine minutes from North Carolina’s Crabtree Trail is the legendary Switzerland Café and General Store, in biz for 30 years and still dishing up homemade sandwiches, soups, quiches, plus killer BBQ pulled pork made in its wood-fired cookhouse. Save room for the homemade wild blueberry pie!

Hungry for more? Click to read about another trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Picnic-perfect Hike 4: Maroon Bells Scenic Area, Aspen, Colorado (located 10 miles west of downtown Aspen on Highway 82)

Close-up : The easy 3-mile roundtrip Maroon Lake Scenic Trail just outside Aspen passes through airy aspen groves and lush wildflower meadows on the way to Maroon Lake, a looking-glass lake where you can picnic while gazing on the postcard-perfect Maroon Bells. The bell-shaped, wine-colored peaks tower 14,000 feet above the glacially sculpted Maroon Creek Valley.

Note: From June 7-Oct. 17 between 8am and 5pm, Maroon Bells can be accessed only by public bus (reservations required) from the Maroon Bells Basecamp, located at Aspen Highlands. Driving in is permitted before 8 am or after 5pm, but parking reservations are required. For bus and parking reservations, visit Getting There.

Maroon Bells photo by Jeremy Swanson, courtesy Aspen Chamber.

What’s in the picnic basket?  After a ring around the lake, treat your sweet tooth with a slice of chocolate chile cake. For a great recipe, check out Tasting Colorado: Favorite Recipes from the Centennial State.

No time to pack a picnic? Head to the White House Tavern in downtown Aspen, a fetching white clapboard restaurant famous for its French dip, artisanal pizza and “elevated burgers.”

Picnic-perfect Hike 5: Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, Grand Teton National Park

Close-up: This 1.8-mile roundtrip hike begins with a shuttle boat ride across Jenny Lake, an aquamarine jewel backed by sky-piercing pinnacles, with Jenny Lake Boating. (You can also walk around the lake to the trailhead, but it will add four miles to your hike.) From the boat dock, the trail ascends through spruce-fir forests and crosses a wooden bridge before climbing to Hidden Falls, a  thundering cascade that plunges 200 feet down a series of rock ledges. From the Falls, the trial switchbacks to 7,200-foot Inspiration Point, a granite knoll overlooking panoramas of jagged peaks and the massive 1925 Gros Ventre Landslide. Back at the lake, your biggest decision will be where to picnic along the 7.6 miles of breathtaking shoreline.

Jenny Lake in Grant Teton National Park. Photo courtesy Unsplash.

What’s in the picnic basket? Buffalo chicken wraps are easy to pack and evoke a Home-on-the-Range-style cowboy cuisine. For a great recipe, see A Taste of Wyoming: Favorite Recipes from the Cowboy State.

No time to pack a picnic? If only every hike came with a gourmet restaurant like The Dining Room at Jenny Lake Lodge (open to hotel guests only this summer). Windows overlook the mountains, and the gourmet menu revolves around local sustainable ingredients. Even the guests are stellar: The last time I was there, I (literally) bumped into documentary film maker Ken Burns. Not lucky enough to be a guest? Head to Dornan’s Pizza Pasta Company in nearby Moose for a pizza picnic lunch on the outdoor patio overlooking the peaks.

Mushroom Lavender Soup from Jenny Lake Lodge. Photo courtesy Jenny Lake Lodge.

Picnic-perfect Hike 6: Multnomah Falls Trail, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (located 30 miles east of Portland, off Exit #31 of Interstate 84)

Close-up shot: The vertical basalt walls along the Columbia River Gorge are home to the highest concentration of waterfalls in North America, more than 90 in all. Multnomah Falls, Oregon’s highest, crashes 620 feet from misty evergreen heights, leaving rainbows in its wake. See it from every conceivable angle along the 2.4-mile roundtrip paved Multnomah Falls Trail, which climbs ¼ mile to the iconic postcard-famous 1914 Benson Bridge spanning the lower falls, then continues up 11 switchbacks to the clifftop viewing platform. Back down at the Back down at the base of the falls  is Multnomah Falls Lodge, a 1925 stone-and-timber monument to the mountains. Nab a bench for a picnic with a view of the thundering plunger. Or ask the U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center, located on the first floor of Multnomah Falls Lodge, for good spots to picnic along less-traveled trails that intersect with the Multnomah Falls Trail.

Note:  You can travel by car to Multnomah Falls, but the falls’ parking lot is frequently at capacity during the summer, and closes until 10% of spots are open. Consider taking the ultra-scenic shuttle from Portland’s Gateway Transit Center to Multnomah Falls, Cascade Locks, Hood River and The Dalles. Plan ahead and buy tickets online.

Multnomah Falls. Photo by David Mark, Courtesy Oregon Tourism.

What’s in the picnic basket? The Columbia River is home to Chinook, Coho, sockeye, chum, pink and steelhead while local farms and orchards are bursting with fresh produce. Enjoy a picnic salad around blackened salmon and fresh berries. For a great recipe, check out the Portland Farmers Market Cookbook, a collection of recipes, stories, and photographs from the market’s farmers, chefs, and shoppers.

Forgot to pack a picnic? and home to Multnomah Falls Lodge Restaurant, with an outdoor patio overlooking the falls. Enjoy homemade sandwiches on bread baked at the on-site bakery), bone-warming soups, and (another reason to hike to the top!) sinful desserts like peach tarts, chocolate hazelnut cake and maple bourbon crème brulee.

Hungry for more? Here’s a popular item to take on any hike.

Picnic-perfect Hike 7: Bluff Trail, Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, Cambria, California (located 3 ½ hours north of Los Angeles and 4 hours south of San Francisco on the Central California Coast)

Close up: Located in the beautiful seaside village of Cambria on the Pacific Coast Wine Trail, Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is a 434-acre historic oceanfront sanctuary preserve with more than 150 different native plants, 430 species of birds, some rare, The Monterey Pine forest, one of five remaining native stands in the world, and eight gravel and boardwalk hiking trails. The .86-mile Bluff Trail threads between rolling grasslands and wildflower meadows along a dramatic ocean bluff 200 feet above pounding surf, migrating whales and playful otters. The preserve is graced with 17 handcrafted wood and stone benches, each one a work of art as well as a perfect place to picnic with an OMG view.

The North Bluff at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. Photo by Walt Andrus, courtesy of Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve.

What’s in the picnic basket? The proximity of Cambria’s rolling vineyards to coastal wind and fog results in some of the longest growing seasons on earth, plus a unique microclimate that yields flavors not found elsewhere. All wines grown in this unique microclimate are single vineyard expressions, sustainably farmed, and Estate grown and bottled. Tuck a bottle of  coastal-style Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir or Syrah into your picnic basket from historic Stolo Family Vineyards, set on nine sun-kissed acres less than three miles from the sea, with an 1800s farmhouse and dairy barn. For local recipes galore, check out Men of Cambria Cook, showcasing the culinary skills, favorite recipes, and varied lives of 27 men between the ages of 12 and 86 who call Cambria home. From roasters, bakers and barbeque specialists to exotic drink mixers, these guys leave no stone unturned.

No time to pack a picnic? Cambria is Foodie and Wine-Lovers Central. For a patio lunch delivering the best of both, try the Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill for fresh local seafood, hearty soups and chowders,  scrumptious sandwiches and salads, plus breathtaking views of crashing waves, glistening sands and sea lions basking on the rocks.

The author and her Aussie, Chloe, at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. Photo courtesy Thomas Simon.

Hungry for more? Click to read about more California cliff views.

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