The 15 Best Hikes for Beginners (2023)

FAQs

Which would be an easier hike for a beginner? ›

As a beginner, I recommend looking for a trail that is under 5 miles with minimal elevation gain. Think about it like you're on a treadmill: a 1-mile hike with 500 ft of elevation gain has an average grade of 10%. Look for beginner hikes with less than 250 feet of elevation gain per mile.

Carrying too Much Weight

The most common mistake thru hikers make is to carry too much weight when they start the trail.

Most reputable outdoor agencies suggest that beginner hikers should plan to hike no more than 8-10 miles per day. Of course, if you're super fit and want to put in some really full days on the trail, there's nothing to say you can't hike further, but these recommendations are designed to maximize safety and enjoyment.

When you are first starting out, we recommend you stick to 2-mile hikes with little elevation gain; no more than 500 feet. You can work your way up as you get more and more comfortable. A few more helpful hike planning tips: We highly recommend you stick to maintained trails.

Somewhere in the 5-Mile Range Is a Good Starting Point

There's no one single rule for beginning hiker distance. Still, it's easier to work your way up progressively if you go in increments of five miles, which means a good rule of thumb is to start with hikes of 5 miles or less.

Pick A Hike for Beginners

If you're just starting out, pick a hike under 5 miles with minimal climbing. If you want to do a longer hike, make a training plan in advance. Do an extra mile or two each week and build up to your target distance. Don't forget to look at the total climbing on your hike.

Hiking is popular amongst all ages and typically hikers range from 13-70 years old.

Some of the impacts include trampling of native vegetation, causing erosion of soils, contaminating water, attracting wildlife with food and displacing wildlife from preferred habitats.

Yes, hiking can help you lose belly fat. While you can't spot-reduce fat, you can engage in physical activity that burns fat all over your body, including your belly. Hiking is a type of exercise that can include aerobic exercise (cardio, to strengthen heart and lungs) and anaerobic (to build muscle mass).

Can a beginner do a 10 mile hike? ›

The answer is a resounding yes; it's definitely possible to hike 10 miles a day, depending on your fitness level, experience level, the terrain you are hiking, and how much of the day you are willing to spend on the trails.

The best thing you can do when hiking is to remember the “golden rule”: treat others the way you would want to be treated. Here are some main points of hiking etiquette. Hikers coming uphill have the right of way. If you're descending the trail, step aside and give space to the people climbing up.

A 5 mile hike is considered moderately strenuous. Depending on location and elevation gain, it may be challenging for a first time hiker. So, a good starting point for the average person might be 2 miles instead of 5. But with a little physical preparation, you can work your way up to 5 miles quickly.

Hikes 3+ miles should be considered moderate, even if they are flat or otherwise easy. Hiking poles might be recommended, depending on footing conditions. Hard hikes are more difficult.

To be optimally efficient, combine rest breaks into any of the mandatory breaks you will already be taking to avoid accidentally taking two breaks in a row. As resting goes, you should generally aim for 5-10 minute breaks with the exception of turning one mandatory break into an extended, midday rest.

Wear light layers against your body (shorts, pants, and a short-sleeve top in the summer, and baselayers in cold conditions). Unless you're hiking somewhere that nighttime temperatures are consistently above 70, always wear or carry a midlayer, such as a fleece or wool hoodie.

Distance. There is no exact cutoff distance to differentiate walking from hiking. However, most outdoor adventurers agree that a trail should be at least two miles long to hike. If it is less than this distance, the activity is only walking.

If you're worried about being “too old” to hike, don't. Many people enjoy hiking well into their 60s, 70s, and even 80s. You don't have to take the steepest, most challenging path. A simple stroll around your neighborhood can be a great way to enjoy a hike.

Are hikers healthier? ›

Building stronger muscles and bones. Improving your sense of balance. Improving your heart health. Decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems.

First, even a moderate one-hour hike is a great way to get a dose of cardio in, all while strengthening your core and lower body. And as the elevation goes up, so do the benefits of hiking. "The more challenging the hike, the more calories — and stress — you'll melt away," notes Chun.

Like brisk walking, hiking is a good way to improve your cardiovascular fitness, particularly if your route includes some hills, which will force your heart to work harder.

Going up and down hills gets the heart pumping, creating a great cardio workout. Like most cardio exercises, hiking helps reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even some cancers. Hiking is a weight-bearing exercise, which builds muscle mass and helps prevent osteoporosis.

In general, hiking burns more calories than walking because it utilizes steeper paths. Yet, per half an hour, hiking burns fewer calories than running. This form of outdoor exercise offers several benefits, including improvements in weight loss, mental health, and lower body strength.

Fatigue, hypothermia, dehydration and heat exhaustion. Injuries from slips and falls on the trail. Injuries caused by animals, snakes and insects on the trail. Hikers getting trapped or injured by forces of nature such as flooding, veld fires and lightning.

According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, most hikers take between five and seven months to complete the AT end to end. According to our data, that translates to an average pace of 14 to 20 miles per day for most hikers.

Two weeks before your trip: Change your cardio days to long day hikes (60+ minutes each) with a pack that weighs about 80% of the weight you'll be carrying on your trip. Also add a fourth day-hike training session to one of your strength-training days. One or two days prior to your trip: Ease up on all training.

To recap, these two studies showed us that hiking activities are associated with an increase in lean muscle, especially abdominal muscle, and a decrease in total body fat.

What is the best time of day to go hiking? ›

The early morning is the best time of the day to hike, particularly if you are planning to hike for more than a couple of hours. The air may be cool but as you exercise in the rising sun, you will warm up. This is also the best time to avoid full parking lots near popular trails.

While shorter hikes don't really require a high level of fitness, for longer and more challenging hikes you'll need to be competent in strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. Efficiently train in these three components and you'll certainly be in prime condition to dominate whatever trails lay ahead!

Cardio is especially important for hikers, and mountain biking fits the bill beautifully. This low-impact escape helps stress the heart and lungs and allows you to incorporate some intervals and speedwork into your training plan.

The Quick Answer:

Adults usually need 2 cups of water per hour of hiking. Children usually need 1-2 cups per hour of hiking. However, you may need more of less than this depending on whether you can filter water along the way, weather conditions, and personal thirstiness.

Cotton: The worst kind of fabric to wear when hiking. It is extremely moisture-absorbing – it can absorb as much as 2700% of its own weight in moisture. For a basic idea of how this compares to other material: polyester absorbs up to 0.4% of its own weight in moisture, silk 30% and Merino wool 33%.

Avoid carrying food such as raw meat, particularly chicken unless you have it adequately cooled which usually means a cooler and lots of ice. Not really an option for most hiking scenarios. As previously mentioned avoid soft food such as peaches and bananas. Even apples tend to get bruised on a trip past the first day.

Expert: This type of hiker has had much experience with day hikes and hiking in different weather conditions. At this point, the hiker is prepared to be out there throughout the night, has the knowledge of when to hike at a fast pace, at a slow pace to conserve energy, and when to rest.

Most critical is the so-called "Colorado Rule", which says that the climber must ascend at least 3,000 vertical feet net elevation on foot from the base of the first peak in a series, and descend at least 3,000 feet at the end of the series.

Can a beginner do a 7 mile hike? ›

Most reputable outdoor agencies suggest that beginner hikers should plan to hike no more than 8-10 miles per day. Of course, if you're super fit and want to put in some really full days on the trail, there's nothing to say you can't hike further, but these recommendations are designed to maximize safety and enjoyment.

Easy - 1-2 miles with easy terrain and little elevation gain. Moderate - 2-4 miles with moderate terrain and some elevation change. Challenging - 4 or more miles OR varying terrain.

Doing your research is the most important step you can take to make sure you pick the right trail for your skill level and expectations. Beginner hikers should start on easy to moderate trails less than 5 miles long. Once you've got the hang of shorter hikes, move up to longer and more strenuous trails.

Uphill may not be as brutal for thru hikers once they get into trail shape, but for section hikers those first few long uphill stretches can be completely humbling. There is a reason that you really do not sweat going downhill – it is easier. Hiking downhill is more difficult … let me count the ways.

A Class 1 hike is a low-risk hike on a well-marked trail. A majority of frequently accessed hiking trails are considered Class 1.

A classic example is the 800-mile-long Arizona Trail. The AZT is frequently chosen and recommended as a first thru-hike because of its length.

Hiking outdoors, surrounded by nature, boosts your outlook, according to studies. While you can burn around 100 calories per mile walking, you can easily double that figure when hiking. And if you strap a heavy pack on your back and tackle steep, arduous terrain, that number can soar to well over 500 calories per hour.

Your core muscles are essential to maintaining stability and balance on rugged terrain, so they're just as important as leg stamina. While you don't need a full six-pack to tackle a multi-day hike, by the end of each day your back and stomach muscles will hurt if they're not conditioned.

Walking lunges, reverse lunges, kettlebell deadlifts, and single leg ¼ squats are excellent exercises if you have difficulty walking downhill. Training for downhill hiking requires that you perform some lower body exercises with a slow descent.

Will your weight change if you climb a mountain? ›

A. You would weigh very slightly more at sea level than at the top of a mountain, not enough for you to notice, but a measurable amount. Weight, which really means gravitational force, is proportional to the product of the masses of two objects acting on each other, in this case the giant earth and the minuscule you.

But as a general rule of thumb, an experienced hiker in good shape can cover 10-12 miles on easy terrain with little to no elevation gain. The most I've ever hiked in a day was roughly 18 miles, but that was on relatively flat terrain, save for a few small hills here and there.

Yes, you can lose weight by hiking once a week. However, it all depends on how your body burns calories and how long or strenuous your hike is. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week to lose weight.