THE famous Pennine Way – a 268-mile route from Edale, coursing through the stunning Yorkshire countryside and up to the Scottish borders – has been placed at the top of a CNN Travel list of the world’s best hiking trails.
The ‘Backbone of England’ featured on the famous travel site, sitting atop an impressive collection of stunning global hikes compiled by travel editor Joe Minihane.
The Pennine Way was England’s first National Trail, opening on April 24 1965 and providing a combined ascent exceeding the height of Mount Everest.

It’s wild landscapes, remoteness and challenging terrain have certainly caught the eye of CNN Travel, placing it at top spot above such world-renowned routes as Spain’s ancient Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, the Appalachian Trail, and even the Great Wall of China.
Minihane’s remarkable collection of epic routes are…
1. Pennine Way, United Kingdom
2. Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
3. Appalachian Trail, United States
4. The Basho Wayfarer, Japan
5. Refugio Frey and Cerro Catedral, Argentina
6. Mount Toubkal, Morocco
7. Great Wall of China, Jinshanling section
8. Dragon’s Back, Hong Kong
9. The Dingle Way, Ireland
10. Tergo La Trek, Bhutan
11. Tahoe Rim Trail, United States
12. Armenia and the Silk Road
13. Lechweg Trail, Austria and Germany
14. Indus Valley, Himalaya, India
15. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
16. West Coast Trail, Vancouver Island
17. Percorsi Occitani, Maira Valley, Italy
18. Lares and Royal Inca Trail, Peru
19. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica
20. The Lycian Way, Turkey
21. The Balkans, Montenegro and Albania
22. Cloud Forest trek, Laos
23. Cape to Cape Track, Western Australia
To view Joe Minihane’s full list, click here – 23 of the world’s best hiking trails | CNN Travel.