Not all mountain summits are above tree line. If your body can’t handle the elevation but you still want to reach a top with great views, here are some of my favorites:

For a nice, short hike in the Land of Enchantment, try the Atalaya Mountain Trail, which starts near St. John’s College in Santa Fe. If you begin at the trailhead north of St. John’s parking lot, you’ll save about 2 miles. The trail up and down is 5 miles total, but you’ll have excellent views of Santa Fe and the Rio Grande Valley from the beginning. Thus, you can turn around when you want and still enjoy a wonderful hike.

For sheer beauty, the Sylvan Lake Trail in the Black Hills is the best abbreviated hike in South Dakota. This 1.1-mile loop around the crystal, clear lake will take you over and through the granite boulders famous in the Mount Rushmore area. If you want more challenge, take the Black Elk Peak Trail from Sylvan Lake on a 6.4-mile, out-and-back route to the highest point east of the Rockies (7244 feet). The summit ends with an abandoned fire lookout where you get a panoramic view of parts of five states (North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Nebraska).

Back in Texas, the Enchanted Rock Summit Trail in the Hill Country is only 1.3 miles out and back, but you’ll gain 423 feet in the process. Expect to be huffing and puffing at the end. At 640 surface acres, the pink granite rock is the largest of its kind in the U.S. Footsteps do not leave impressions on granite so there is no discernible trail. Hikers pick their own way to the top, which makes it that much more fun.  Afterwards, treat yourself to the best German food in Texas in nearby Fredericksburg.