These mountain hikes may not be as difficult as the 46 High Peaks, but they are plenty challenging for many hikers and offer great views. As I’ve said before, the designation of easy, moderate or hard is completely in the eye of the individual hiker. HYOH! Hike your own hike.

Here are three of our favorite hikes with less than 2,000 feet of elevation gain (but more than 1,500 feet of gain). All these trails allow dogs, but keep in mind your dog’s size, fitness and abilities. The same holds true for children and adults. Small kids may struggle with some of these if they aren’t used to big hikes. For less difficult hikes, refer back to my previous post about our list of favorite hikes with less than 1,000 feet of elevation gain. You might also want to check our post about the Lake Placid 9er Challenge.