Choosing Your Beginner Hiking Trails

So you are ready to get outside and take a hike! Finding the right beginner hiking trails can be a daunting task. I use alltrails, you can sign up for a free account or upgrade to the pro account. You can search using a map or type in your town. It will give you a list of trails with features like difficulty rating, length, elevation, etc. I recommend starting with an easy trail. Once you click on the trail you can make the map of it full screen at which point you can scroll along the elevation gain/loss and the blue dot will move along the map to give you the distance. You can also print out your trail map! You will find trail reviews at the bottom of the page so you can see what other people had to say about it.

Think about joining a local hiking group or outdoor club. Clubs and groups are a wealth of information! The hiking community is very open and loves to help new people like yourself get outdoors! They often host hiking trips where you can get together with other hikers and discover new trails and make new friends. There are people from all different skill levels in these groups. They are also very supportive of new hikers! When you are first starting out it can be easier to be in a group until you get comfortable out on the trail.

Your local land trust is another great option for starting out. They tend to have some easy and shorter trails that are well maintained. I started out on my local land trust trails. I was able to build up stamina and become comfortable being in the woods.

For some of my gear picks click here. So, what are you waiting for? Take a hike!