Hiking blogs allow people to share their experiences and inspire others to get closer to nature. Running a blog is not a difficult task, but offering something of value to the readers is the hard part. In order to appreciate the effort and time hiking blog sites put into their content, we have handpicked some of the best hiking and adventure blogs.

The hiking blogs covered below have been selected keeping different factors in mind, including quantifiable variables such as Alexa, Domain Authority and Page Authority as well as associability and engagement level of the content. Some blogs might not be among the most popular hiking blogs, but their unique content and ideas have landed them in this list.

1. SoCal Hiker

Southern California Hiking, plug-ins

Jeff Hester’s blog is a great resource for those looking for easy-to-read, yet comprehensive trail guides for Southern California. What makes these guides so good is the way the authors have put information in a sequence. You get well organized information from start to finish, along with photographs. Plug-ins such as elevation profiles, gps and weather maps make hiking more accessible.

The creator of the blog has a strong social media presence and routinely answers additional questions readers might have. For many hikers, the blog is usually the only resource they need other than physical maps when hiking in Southern California.

2. The Big Outside

Photography, engaging stories

Michael Lanza’s blog focuses on American backpacking, outdoor adventures, gear reviews and trip planning. It offers practical gear reviews and some incredible photographs. Its readers keep coming back for stories and images and skill tips that make hiking safer and more enjoyable. Michael has an experience of over 30 years as a professional adventurer and backpacker, so he knows the ins and outs of the trade.

The stories on the blog are based on his real-world experience and although all gear reviews are free for everyone, a paid subscription is needed to access all stories (some stories are also accessible for free).

3. Modern Hiker

California hiking, comprehensive guides

Modern Hiker is one of the most popular hiking blogs, especially when it’s about California hiking. The blog has been featured in Lonely Planet, Backpacker, La Times and many other places. Headed by Casey Schreiner, the blog is well organized and visitors find it easy to navigate and click through. Plugins for maps, elevation profiles, tables, and gps downloads make the blog one of the best California hiking resources.

The site covers a variety of topics ranging from finding a hike to journals and also features its own mobile app for even better accessibility.

4. Section Hiker

Appalachian Trail, New England Hiking

The name of the blog was derived by Philip Werner from hiking the Appalachian Trail in sections. His initial goal might have been just to document his adventure, but the blog is now a lot more than the breakdown of the Appalachian Trail, section-by-section. The blog is known for its comprehensive and in-depth reviews.

The blog is highly recommended if you are interested in New Hampshire’s 4,000 footers, Vermont and of course the Appalachian Trail.

5. 10 Adventures

Route guides, stories

Initially focused on quality hiking trail descriptions and Canadian Rockies, 10 Adventures was launched in 2016 and has since expanded to other regions including the US, EU and the UK. Many of the regular contributors of the blog are local guides who share their real-world experience for the benefit of others.

The blog aims to make it easier for hikers to find routes and inspire them to explore the outdoors. Instead of traditional guidebooks, the site offers clear and concise route details with difficulty rating, digital maps and other tips.

6. Clever Hiker

Skill tutorials, gear reviews

Dave Collins launched the site back in 2012, aiming to make hiking more accessible and encourage them to experience nature. Its content revolves around Leave No Trace and low-impact traveling and backpacking. The founding members are currently focused on expanding donation efforts and partnerships with environmental conservation organizations.

Clever Hiker has grown into one of the most comprehensive backpacking resources and is known for its comprehensive trip guides, gear reviews and skill-based tutorials.

7. The Trek

Thru-hiking, long-distance backpacking

Formerly AppalachianTrials.com that was launched in 2012, The Trek is mainly focused on long-distance backpacking and thru-hiking. The blog is dedicated to celebrating the long trails in the US and helping future thru-hikers in their adventures. With over 100 thru-hikers sharing their own adventures, the blog is a great place for information, and enables future thru-hikers to share their journeys with the whole world.

Thru-hiking is also a great psychological challenge, rather than just a physical one and that’s the main idea behind most of the founder’s content.

8. Hiking for Her

Women hiking, general tips

As the name suggests, Diane’s blog is dedicated to women hikers and covers stuff from their perspective. Women have to face specific challenges when outdoors, which most men are not so well aware of. The blog provides female-specific hiking advice, especially for beginners who want to learn basic hiking skills, get familiar with hiking gear, clothing and backpacking.

Content is divided into different sections including beginner hiker, day hiking, solo hiking, backpacking, healthy hiking and gear reviews.

9. Lady on a Rock

California hiking, trip reports

The blog by Christy, an elementary school teacher and a mother of three adult children, is about California hiking, inspiring videos and trail information. The site is named after a woman she met in 2009 while covering the entire Pacific Crest Trail. She was resting on a rock, so the name Lady on a Rock. The site includes a blog, gear reviews, trip reports and other resources such as discount codes and freebies.

10. Trail Journals

Hikers journals, trip planning

Being an active community and with over 500K journal entries and 1 million images, Trail Journals connects hikers by providing them a platform to share their journals. More than 20 thousand hikers have shared their experiences of long-distance trails, which accumulates into around 6,000,000 miles. The blog has something to offer to everyone whether you want to follow a specific hiker or just want to enjoy reading journals of other hikers.

11. Cali Trails

Dog-friendly California hiking, day hiking

Named after the founder’s dog Callie, the blog is mainly focused on dog-friendly trails in California, which makes it a great resource for hikers planning to hike with their best buddy. Most of the hikes covered in the blog are day hikes and emphasize backcountry hiking. The blog also includes tips for hiking with dogs such as food reviews and most of the blog posts are accompanied by quality photographs.

12. Bike Hike Safari

Hiking journals, cycling

Brad McCartney set up the blog aiming to document his cycling and hiking adventures and recently completed the Te Araroa trail, a 3000 kilometers trail in New Zealand. His expeditions range from cycling Dalton Highway – Alaska to expeditions in Australia and North America. The engaging stories of his personal journeys offer a deep insight into what really goes inside the head of a hiker when traveling through wildernesses.

13. Safariors

Hiking, camping

Derek Franks started the blog with his friends, aiming to inspire people to go outdoors and live their lives to the fullest. The blog covers different topics related to hiking, camping, traveling, fishing and hunting. Each contributor carries and shares different experiences and skill sets, which help people of different backgrounds. The topics range from fishing and hunting item reviews to camping, hiking and traveling.

14. Your Adventure Coach

Backpacking courses, hiking safety

The blog was created for people who are adventurers at heart and want more than just routine life. It aims to inspire them to take their first steps and provide guidance on how to take those steps and the skills they need to hike safely. Comprehensive guides make it easier for new hikers to plan their long-distance hikes. Its founder Mallory Moskowitz loves backpacking and is a Certified Professional Coach. She wants to share her experiences and help new as well as experienced hikers thrive on the trail.

The primary focus of the blog is on long distance hiking, backpacking, hiking safety and backpacking gear. Hikers can also opt for backpacking courses, other resources and shop for books related to hiking and backpacking.

15. Hiker to Hiker

Backpacking, long-distance trails

Danny Bernstein, the founder of the blog, has a long history of hiking and walked a number of long-distance trails including the whole Appalachian Trail, Camino Frances and Camino del Norte. She shares her experiences on her blog when she is not hiking. Being an avid hiker and a life-time member of the AT Conservancy, she has a passion for sharing her experiences with the world and has written a number of books including DuPont Forest: a History, and Hiking the Carolina Mountains.

The blog covers a variety of subjects including her own books, hiking clubs, backpacking gear and other hiking resources.

16. Best Hikes

Index of hiking trails, quick facts

The site is more of an index of some of the best hikes around the world, which have been neatly categorized by region. The blog is a day-to-day update on what’s going on in the hiking world and encourages hikers to share their adventures with the world. Most of the hikes included there are challenging, especially for new hikers. The site is still a work in progress and is updated regularly with new content.

17. Adventures of a Goodman

Stories, photographs

The site is all about photographic storytelling and includes incredible photos of hiking destinations, nature, ancient cities and more. More than ten thousand photos showcase over 14 years of travel. Greg Goodman, a traveler, photographer and a storyteller has dedicated his life to chronicling the beautiful world we live in. His blog covers 44 countries and it’s no surprise that National Geographic filmed a show about his life as a travel blogger and photographer. His photographs were also commissioned by the Sydney Airport for hanging in the international terminal during an exhibition.

The primary focus of his blog remains on sharing engaging stories and photographs. He also has an online shop that sells photographs and books.

18. Hike it Baby

Family hiking, community

Founded by Shanti Hodges in 2013, the site is an excellent resource for those planning for a family hike. Hike it Baby is essentially a community that organizes family group hikes that include children, so naturally you can expect the hikes to be on the easier side. The blog is based on the idea that hiking is more fun with family and friends and things are different when you have to change a diaper during a hike.

From finding trails to finding communities and summit hikes, the blog/organization believes that parenthood is an adventure and should also be brought outside.

19. The Hiking Life

Inspiration, 200+ hikes

The blog is a collection of trip planning advice, lightweight backpacking tips and wilderness skill development techniques. It covers more than 200 hikes around the world. The founder created the site aiming to inspire people to go backpacking and find their perfect treks.

The site covers a variety of topics and guides ranging from books, trail etiquettes, health and safety, survival skills to blister prevention.

20. Easy Hiker

Urban walks, easy hikes

Michael and Marlys Schuermann’s blog is all about easy and pleasant hiking that everyone can enjoy. The blog features a variety of urban walks and easy hikes that the founders have completed themselves. Their main objective is to inspire everyone, especially old people to come out and get closer to nature.

The Schuermanns also welcome readers to ask more questions if they have any and promote their favorite destinations on the blog.

21. The Ultralight Hiker

Ultralight backpacking, DIY guides

The blog by Steve Jones is focused on cutting weight and ultralight backpacking. It includes reviews of ultra-lightweight gear as well as DIY solutions that help backpackers shed some pounds. Although most of the trails covered in the blog are in Australia and New Zealand, the weight-reducing information and DIY guides also apply to almost all other trails. The founder expects visitors not to judge his blog too harshly because he does not have any commercial interests in it.

22. The Broke Backpacker

Budget travel, hiking hacks

Will Hatton’s blog is about hiking on a tight budget and the content revolves around this idea. He aspires to encourage broke backpackers to get outdoors through his engaging stories and how-tos. The blog is a great resource for budget backpacking and defines what it really means to be a broke-backpacker. From travel guiding principles to hiking destinations, hiking gear and travel tips, the blog covers a variety of topics for different types of hikers.

23. PMags

Hiking journals, long-distance backpacking tips

The blog is named after the owner of the blog Paul Magnanti, who is a Rhode Island native and hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. His personal blog shares his personal experience and hiking advice. The blog was initially created to share thru-hike journals, but it has evolved into much more and now includes practical advice, and backpacking trails.

Although some blog posts talk about gear, covering backpacking gear is not among the main purposes of the blog. The founder is not affiliated with any backpacking and camping gear company and his favorite gear is often military surplus items.

24. Beyond the Tent

Family camping, gear reviews

Beyond the Tent started back in 2013 as a family camping blog and turned into a comprehensive camping resource in the following years. Ryan Cunningham, the founder, started the blog aiming to educate people about family camping. He wanted to show that it isn’t complicated and creates life-long memories.

The blog also contains a ton of backpacking guides and gear reviews and guides, but it remains true to its roots and is still mainly focused on camping. Main categories include campgrounds, camping, RV camping, food and gear.

25. Cool of the Wild

Gear reviews, cooking recipes

The blog offers a little something for every traveler, hiker and outdoor enthusiast. The blog is mainly focused on camping and gear, but it also includes a wide range of other topics, including hiking, climbing, cycling, trail running and other ‘cool stuff’. Like Beyond the Tent, the founder of Cool of the World also believes that camping should not be complicated and that everyone should be able to experience the freedom and joy it brings.

Conclusion

Ranging from which trail to walk to what to wear and how to manage blisters, the internet is full of hiking and traveling blogs. It takes some time and effort to find quality blogs that cover what readers are actually interested in. We have tried to cover some of the most popular, authentic and engaging hiking blogs, but the list is still far from being exhaustive. Most of these sites still serve as great pointers to local content, outdoor activities in nearby areas and trail-specific guidelines, and add variety to your reading-diet.