The Internet is full of blogs about hiking: what to wear, which trail to take, how to wrap your blistered foot. There’s no shortage of essential hiking information, and advice on the right outdoor gear to use, but it’s not always easy to find a blog that covers what you’re actually interested in. In particular, many hiking blogs focus on the author’s local area, so if you don’t happen to be in that same area, their trail descriptions won’t be of much help.
This list of the top 30 hiking blogs should add some variety to your blog-reading diet and provide you with the helpful tips and trails notes you need to go out on a great hike.
If you want to check out some other outdoor activities check out our pages on Hunting and Kayaking, and we have lots more info on Hiking
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I have ordered the blogs in order of alexa rank(traffic stats) correct at the time of publishing.
These are all great blogs to be on this list! Enjoy!
Awards for the Top 30 Inspirational Hiking Bloggers
#1 Hike It Baby
Writer: Shanti Hodges and others
Have a family, and want to share your love of hiking with them? Hike It Baby is a community of outdoor enthusiasts who organize group hikes for families with young children. All the hikes are designed to be easy enough for the little ones, and you’ll never feel like you’re slowing anyone down when you need to stop and change a diaper.
Hike It Baby’s Beginner Advice: “Hike it Baby was founded on the idea that it’s more fun to hike with friends and that hiking with children is often done at a different pace. So grab a buddy and head out! It can be less intimidating to try something new this way. We’re a group for families with small children, so by focusing on building a community we end up making life long friendships and help our children establish healthy habits at the same time. If you don’t have outdoorsy friends, your local Hike it Baby chapter might be the perfect place to find one.”
#2 Florida Hikes
Writer: Sandra Friend and John Keatley
The go-to site for Florida hikers provides detailed information on all kinds of trails, organized into helpful categories: day hikes, backpacking hikes, family-friendly hikes, dog-friendly hikes, etc. It’s not limited to just hiking, either; the site is also a fantastic resource for information on kayaking and cycling in the Sunshine State.
#3 The Hiking Life
Writer: Cam Honan
Billed as a guide to “150 of the world’s great hikes,” The Hiking Life is an amazing source for people who need to get inspired for a great trek. In addition to the trail guides, the site also posts general hiking tips that would be useful for any trip.
#4 Hiking for Her
Writer: Diane Spicer
The majority of hiking publications are written by and for men. Few of them present a women’s perspective or recognize the specific challenges women may face in the outdoors. Enter Hiking for Her, which has a wealth of gear reviews and general tips to help ladies get ready for the trail, Diana has also written a book titled: Best Tips For Women Dayhikers: Everything You Need To Know To Hit The Trail – you can pick it up here
Diane’s advice to beginners: “My humble advice to newbies is pretty simple: Put all of your attention on getting your sock + boot combo just right. If your feet aren’t happy, you’re going nowhere. Literally.”
#5 Hike 734
Writer: Jake Bramante
This blog started when Jake Bramante decided to film a documentary about his experience hiking all 734 miles of trail in Glacier National Park in one season. His blog is an incredible resource for national park lovers, with comprehensive guides to over 200 day hikes in Glacier, Yellowstone, Teton, and Zion.
#6 Easy Hiker
Writer: Michael and Marlys Schuermann
Not up for grueling scrambles or day-long slogs through the forest? Easy Hiker is a guide to the pleasant nature walks of the world. Former BBC journalist Michael Schuermann and his wife present easy hikes and urban walks that they have enjoyed themselves.
Michael & Marlys advice: “For a hike, be well prepared – wear the right shoes, have enough water, a map and bus or train schedules so you will find the trail and not be stranded at its end. But don’t over-research. It can as easily spoil your hike as insufficient homework. On most easy trails, you don’t need to know in advance what awaits you behind every twist in the road. Leave room for the unexpected, even at the risk of things going (slightly) awry. A hike should always be a little bit of an adventure.”
#7 Sun Kissed Hiker
Writer: Chelsa Alves
Chelsa Alves mostly tackles the trails of sunny California and other Western states, but some of her adventures take her to America’s forgotten places, including ghost towns, artist communities, and haunted forests. Each of her posts creates a sense of wonder that will make you curious about the cool stuff that might be just outside your community.
Chelsea’s Advice for beginners: “In most aspects of life, it’s good to dream big. Hiking is no different, however for those eager to take their first hike, my advice is to start small and work your way up. You may feel inspired to climb the highest peak, but the reward is getting there safely. Start with short, easy hikes and work towards those higher mountains as time and your endurance grows. Your health and happiness are the utmost importance.”
#8 Girl on a Hike
Writer: Alicia and her dog Charlie
Alicia and her golden retriever, Charlie, explore the slot canyons and high ridges of Utah on this blog. She’s also got some excellent gear reviews for dogs, which is great since most blogs leave out our furry friends out of the picture, even though so many of us bring them along on the trail.
Alicia’s Advice to Beginners: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. Invest is a really good rain coat and rain pants and keep them in your pack at all times. Be prepared for any kind of weather so you can keep adventuring.”
#9 I Hike San Diego
Writer: Brad Speiss
San Diego resident Brad Speiss will take you on amazing journey through the mountains of Southern California. His site has descriptions of each trail in the San Diego area including their length, elevation profile, difficulty level, hike time, weather patterns, and a pretty helpful Google Earth map. San Diegans have no excuse for not hitting the trails when they have a resource like this.
Brad’s Advice for Beginners : “Take chances, get out see and do things that are out of your comfort zone. I have never heard anyone say “I wish I had not gone on that hike”, but make sure you are an informed hiker before you head out to that adventure. There is so much information on the internet about hiking, where to go, what to bring, the best time to go, what to be aware of, that there is no excuse for becoming that statistic because you didn’t take the time to do some homework before you decided to go on an adventure.”
#10 The Helpful Hiker
Writer: Lauren & Luke
A blog full of gear reviews and helpful family hiking tips, The Helpful Hiker shows that, even as a new parent, it’s possible to find adventure. She lives by the idea that you don’t need a whole lot of fancy equipment or lots money to travel to far off destinations to have a great time; you just need the people you love by your side.
#11 The Colorado Hiker
Writers: Josh, Jason and Liz
If you live in Colorado or are thinking of taking a trip there, this is going to be your best resource for finding hiking trails. Most of the hikes listed are around Denver, but there are some near Colorado Springs and a few in more outlying areas. Each entry comes with driving directions, route details, and a list of notable sights along the trail.
#12 The Ultralight Hiker
Writer: Steve Jones
So you want to shed some pounds (from your pack)? This is the place to go for reviews of the lightest weight gear and DIY solutions for ultralight backpacking. Most of the trail descriptions are from Australia and New Zealand, but there’s a few European and North American posts.
#13 London Hiker
Writer: Catherine
The sprawling metropolis of London might not inspire an attraction to the wilderness, and that’s exactly what this blog is trying to change. It offers tons of information on trails that can be reached by public transportation, so London residents and visitors have no excuse for not spending more time outside.
#14 Lady on a Rock
Writer: Christy
An elementary school teacher for most of the year and a frequent PCT hiker during the summers, “Rockin” (her trail name) chronicles her hikes throughout California and sometimes beyond with detailed trail information and inspiring videos. Some of her most popular posts cover DIY strategies for the trail, like how to rig an umbrella to your pack.
#15 Appalachian Trail Girl
Writer: Megan Maxwell
What began as a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail has become a global journey to find the best hikes. Megan Maxwell is currently blogging about her trek through the mountains of Nepal and has posts on hiking in the Peruvian Andes and throughout the U.S. Many of her posts discuss the trail life and the challenges it entails.
#16 Bike Hike Safari
Writer: Brad McCartney
Aussie Brad McCartney is no slouch when it comes to adventure, having cycled Alaska’s Dalton Highway and faced off with grizzly bears in the mountains of Montana. His expeditions take him to the wilds of both Australia and North America, and his stories often read like a personal journey, giving deep insight into the mind of the hiker.
#17 Here I Hike
Writer: Alex and Karina
The trail couple of Alex and Karina focus on some mountains that don’t get the attention they deserve: the ones in their homeland of Romania and elsewhere in Eastern Europe. Their stories have enough detail that you can plan your own route from them. You’ll be booking your ticket to Bucharest in no time.
Here I Hike’s top three most important advice for beginners:
- Get a solid and comfortable pair of boots. These might seem expensive at first but they will be worth every buck on the long run. Not only will they accompany you on many hikes on a medium to long period of time but if you pick the right boot for your feet they will become the backbone of your gear. We will not go into the details of picking the “perfect boot” as there are many articles on the web about this but try to keep an eye out for the impermeability / breathability of the membrane and the grip of the sole as these are some of the most important aspects. Also try out many different models until you settle on the “ONE” as each brand will feel slightly different on your feet.
- Before each hike research info about the track, length, vertical ascent, difficulty, water resupply spots, etc. There is no such thing as knowing too much about the surrounding environment as at some point this might even save your life. I don’t use maps and compasses anymore with some many GPS apps so I strongly recommend getting one. You will find many GPS tracks on the web that can navigate you on your way without the fear of getting lost. Just don’t forget about battery life on your phone 🙂
- Check the weather! Check the weather! Check the weather! I can’t stress this enough as it is really important. Try to go on your adventure with the best weather forecast possible as even so weather in the mountain can quickly change. Never adventure in high mountains if bad weather is foretasted, because even expert hikers risk much by doing this.
#18 The Hiking Society
Writer: John Feeney
The technical approach of this blog is refreshing. All the trail descriptions include distance, elevation gain, and average hiking speed, and the gear reviews are to the point with clear pros and cons. While other sites might focus on aspirational hiking stories, The Hiking Society gives the technical information you need to get out on the trail.
#19 Must Hike Must Eat
Writer: Shannon
Anyone involved with the paleo lifestyle will love this blog. “Snuffy” (real name Shannon) gives detailed accounts of her jaunts into the wilderness of the western U.S. while also providing great recipes that are paleo-friendly. Who doesn’t love having an amazing chef at their campsite?
Great Advice from Snuffy: In the hiking community we have a saying: HYOH. Hike Your Own Hike. There is a lot of good advice out there like carry your 10 essentials, tell someone where you are going and check the weather but if there is one thing to I want you to remember is there is no one right way to hike and there are as many different ways to hike as there are people who hike. What works for one person might not work for you and you won’t know until you get out there and try for yourself. Don’t be afraid to do what makes you comfortable and blaze your own trail!
#20 Brown Gal Trekker
Writer: Marinel
This just goes to show that hikers aren’t necessarily born; they’re made. Brown Gal Trekker serves as inspiration to anyone who didn’t grow up on the trail, but has found the mountains calling later in life. That calling has taken Marinel around the world, from the Himalayas to Easter Island. If her stories don’t inspire you to lace up your boots, nothing will.
#21 Long Distance Hiker
Writer: Beardoh and Sweetpea
Ever since the movie Wild came out, more and more people have wanted to become long distance hikers and conquer the AT or the PCT. This blog maintains trail journals for most of America’s famous long trails, giving readers some idea of what it would be like to take them on.
#22 Appalachian Thru Hiker
Writer: Kevin McCourt
Kevin McCourt discusses everything you need to know about hiking the Appalachian Trail. What kind of gear do I need? Where can I get it for cheap? Is this going to be the life-changing experience I want it to be? In addition to the technical details of the trail, he examines why people choose to hike the AT and how, quite often, it has nothing to do with a love for hiking.
#23 Hiker to Hiker
Writer: Danny Bernstein
This blog has a lot to explore if you take the time to click around a little. Its author, Danny Bernstein, has been hiking for a few decades now, and the blog has great information on dozens of national parks in the U.S., a guide to the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and some general hiking tips. Danny has also written a few books, mostly about hiking the mountains of North Carolina.
#24 Trish Alex Sage
Writers: Patricia Ellis Herr, Alexandra Herr, and Sage Herr
A mother (Trish) and her two daughters write this inspiring blog, which tells their stories of being out on the trail in New Hampshire. Trish is also the author of Up, a memoir covering many of the same issues of mother-daughter hiking that are on the blog. If you prefer listening to your hiking stories, Alex and Sage host the Granite Gals podcast, where they interview other women who enjoy the mountains of New England.
#25 Compulsive Hiker
Writer: Michael
People dream about hiking the Sierra Nevada of California or the Colorado Rockies, but what about, say, the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma? There are hikers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri too, and Michael is here to help them find their trail. His descriptions are short and to the point, noting trailhead locations, shuttle services, and resource. This blog is a great resource if you live in the Lower Midwest.
#26 Living on the Dirt
Writer: Shelly Smith
Whether she’s climbing mountains in Glacier National Park or riding a piece of plywood down a volcano in Nicaragua, Shelly Smith is living a life of adventure. Her blog is full of helpful tips, ranging from how to lighten your pack load to how to save money for an international adventure.
#27 Halfway Hike
Writer: Mark
For all the Brits out there, this one’s for you. Mark is from the hills of West Yorkshire and has plenty to say about them, as well as some places a bit further away. His photos of the English countryside are captivating, and his storytelling will make you feel like you’re reading a good book.
Mark’s advice to beginners: “If you are planning to hike a new route or trail, don’t rely on it being well waymarked and signposted, have a look at a map before the day. Then walk through the route in your mind as you read the map. Get a feel for where the ascents and descents will be, where there may be some exposure or a slog through rough terrain. That way there’ll be no ‘uh oh’ moments on the day. Happy hiking!”
#28 That One Cool Hiking Blog
Writer: Mike and Randi
This hiking blog is a family affair by Mike, Randi, their three sons, and of course, their dog, Sweetpea. They recount their journeys into the wilderness, and provide inspirational stories for readers who’d like to spend more time outside with the ones they love.
#29 The Barefoot Hiker
Writer: Heather Newman
As the name suggests, author Heather Newman enjoys conquering trails without the aid of footwear. While her style of hiking might not be for everyone, her stories of wandering through the wilderness are poetic and would inspire anyone who wants to experience the beauty of nature.
#30 Live Free and Hike
Writer: Karl
If you live in New England, you know the White Mountains, with their granite staircases to the sky, are where it’s at. Home to many stunning mountains in a relatively small area, New Hampshire is well suited to day hiking. Live Free and Hike regularly posts descriptions of the state’s trails, even giving details on lesser-known spots frequented only by the locals.
Hopefully these blogs will help keep you in the loop about what’s going on in the world of hiking, but more importantly, they should inspire you to spend more time outside, enjoying the wonders of nature. Happy hiking!
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