{{short description|Long-distance hiking trail in the United States}} {{Infobox hiking trail | name = Great Western Trail | photo = | caption = | location = [[California]], [[Oregon]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[Canada]], [[Idaho]], [[Montana]], [[Wyoming]], [[Colorado]], [[New Mexico]], [[Arizona]] | length = {{convert|6,875|miles|km}} | use = [[Hiking]] }} The '''Great Western Loop''' is a hiking route that is {{convert|6,875|mile|km}} long, and passes through several states of the [[Western United States]].
== Route == It links together five long-distance hiking trails: the [[Pacific Crest Trail]], the [[Pacific Northwest Trail]], the [[Continental Divide Trail]], the [[Grand Enchantment Trail]], and the [[Arizona Trail]]. It traverses the [[Mojave Desert]], the [[Sonoran Desert]], 12 [[National Parks]], and 75 wilderness areas.
It passes through nine states: [[Arizona]], [[California]], [[Oregon]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[Idaho]], [[Montana]], [[Wyoming]], [[Colorado]], and [[New Mexico]].
== Successful hikes == The trail is only known to have been completed a few times:
* [[Andrew Skurka]], a professional [[Backpacking (wilderness)|backpacker]], was the first to complete the Great Western Loop. On April 9, 2007, Skurka began the route from the [[Grand Canyon]]. Averaging {{convert|33|miles|km}} per day, Skurka arrived back at the Grand Canyon on November 3, 2007, 208 days after he began.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/best-of-adventure-2008/achievements/andrew-skurka.html |title=2007 Adventurer of the Year: The Walking Man |last=Duane |first=Daniel |work=National Geographic Adventure |accessdate=2012-02-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620182605/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/best-of-adventure-2008/achievements/andrew-skurka.html |archivedate=2009-06-20 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://andrewskurka.com/adventures/great-western-loop/overview/|title=Great Western Loop Overview|last=Skurka|first=Andrew|work=Andrew Skurka Official Website|accessdate=2012-02-10}}</ref> * Jeff Garmire became the second person to complete the route, doing so in 2018. Jeff Garmire started on April 30 and finished on November 24, totaling 208 days on the trail.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Skylis|first=Mary Beth|date=2019-12-06|title=Jeff Garmire Credits His Life to Thru-Hiking|url=https://www.outsideonline.com/2405599/jeff-garmire-thru-hiking-mental-health|access-date=2020-08-01|website=Outside Online|language=en}}</ref> * In 2021, Niels Rabe completed a slightly different version of the Great Western Loop due to extensive wildfires in Washington and California. He became the first person to complete the route counter-clockwise after 222 days on trail.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rabe|first=Niels|date=2021-12-04|title=Niels Rabe Blog|url=https://www.justagermanhiker.com/blog/categories/great-western-loop-2021|access-date=2021-12-03|website=Niels Rabe official blog|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Rabe|first=Niels|date=2022-12-02|title= Elftausend - Zu Fuß durch den Westen der USA|id={{ASIN|3756889440|country=de}} |language=en}}</ref> * Also in 2021, Logan Demas (“Sandman”) completed the ‘Greatest Western Loop’ by hiking the original loop and adding sections to complete both the PCT and CDT. At almost 40 years old, he is also the oldest person to complete the Loop.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} * A third hiker in 2021, Garry ("Phish Out of Water") Teesdale, completed a contiguous clockwise route of ~6200 miles that returned to the Grand Canyon from the CDT via the Hayduke Trail/AZT rather than the GET/AZT route originally followed by Skurka and Garmire.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} * In 2022, Nick ("Chezwick") Gagnon established a new [[fastest known time]] and completed the trail in 197 days and 11 hours, beating Jeff Garmire's 2018 time and Andrew Skurka's 2007 time (both completed the route in 208 days).<ref>{{cite web|last=Dreier|first=Frederick|date=2022-11-15|url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/nick-gagnon-great-western-loop-record/|title=This Hiker Just Completed the 6,800-Mile Great Western Loop in Less than 200 Days|accessdate=2022-11-26|website=Outside Online|language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{California hiking trails}} {{coord |40|24|N|106|37|W|type:landmark_region:US_scale:10000000|display=title}} <!-- near Rabbit Ears Pass, Colorado -->
[[Category:Hiking trails in Canada]] [[Category:Long-distance trails in the United States]] [[Category:Hiking trails in the United States]] [[Category:Hiking trails in Arizona]] [[Category:Hiking trails in California]] [[Category:Hiking trails in Colorado]] [[Category:Hiking trails in Idaho]] [[Category:Hiking trails in Montana]] [[Category:Hiking trails in New Mexico]] [[Category:Hiking trails in Oregon]] [[Category:Hiking trails in Wyoming]] [[Category:Hiking trails in Washington (state)]]