It can be difficult to find your next hiking trail. That’s the reason we’ve created this resource, boosting all different kinds of hiking trails around the world. From day hikes to long-distance trails or thru-hikes to hut-to-hut hiking, we’ve got you covered. The trails are described by our incredible hiking community with contributors from all over the world, telling you exactly what you need to hike the trails in their favorite regions. From hidden gems to the most popular trails in the world such as the Tour du Mont Blanc, we hope to help you find your next hiking trail. Happy trails!
Hiking trails come in various types for all kinds of hikers. Here’s a breakdown of the types you can find in our extensive database.
Day-hiking trails: These trails are designed for short hiking breaks that are typically completed within a single day. They vary in difficulty from easy to challenging alpine hikes that may involve steep climbs and rugged terrain. Day-hiking trails are ideal for hikers looking to enjoy the outdoors without the commitment of an overnight stay or when you don’t have the time for a longer trail.
Long-distance trails: Multi-day hikes over long distances that usually traverse multiple areas are called long-distance trails. They vary in distance from around 30 kilometers to thousands of kilometers. Often, these longer long-distance trails can be segmented into sections that can be completed in several days or weeks. These trails are popular for multi-day hiking trips.
Thru-hiking trails: A specific type of long-distance trail, thru-hiking involves completing a long-distance trail from end to end in one or consecutive seasons. This often requires several months of hiking. Famous examples include the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail in the United States, and the Te Araroa in New Zealand. Thru-hikers mostly go with their (ultra)light gear making it easier to cover long distances.
Pilgrimage trails: A long-distance trail with a spiritual and historical touch, also called a pilgrimage. The pilgrimages are often tied to religious or spiritual sites and can vary greatly in length. The most popular pilgrimage in the world is the Camino de Santiago, or in English, the Way of St. James. There are many other routes also leading to Santiago de Compostela. But there are so many more pilgrim trails in the world such as the Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan or the St. Olavsleden in Norway and Sweden.
Hut-to-hut hiking trails: Also a specific type of multi-day hike where you travel from one mountain hut to another mountain hut. The huts provide basic accommodations, usually including beds and a restaurant for basic food. This type of hiking is popular in regions like the Alps in Europe with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. These are some of the top hiking countries where you can find a network of huts that allows hikers to explore remote areas while staying at higher altitudes. Also, Norway boasts a perfect network of mountain huts for hut-to-hut hiking.
To all trails
The best hiking region can vary widely depending on what you’re looking for in a hike. Here are some top regions around the world known for their great hiking trails:
The Alps In Europe span across several countries including Switzerland, France, Italy, and Austria, and have stunning mountain scenery, well-marked trails, and varying levels of difficulty. The Tour du Mont Blanc, Via Alpina, and Alta Via 1 are the most famous trails here.
The Himalayas are great for hikers seeking high-altitude trails and cultural trails. Routes like the Everest Base Camp trek and the Annapurna Circuit are among the most popular trails in the world.
Patagonia, a wide region in Chile and Argentina, is famous for its dramatic landscapes and includes glaciers, lakes, and rugged mountains. Torres del Paine National Park is a popular destination with diverse trails such as the W-Trek and O-Circuit.
The United States has a great variety of trails from thru-hiking the country on the Pacific Crest Trail to day hiking Angels Landing in Zion. There’s a great hiking culture and plenty of opportunities for all different kinds of hiking.
One of the most unique countries can’t be missed here, New Zealand. This country is a great place to discover the trails, especially for multi-day treks such as the Routeburn Track, Milford Track, or even the Te Araroa that crosses both the South and North islands in about 3000 kilometers.
Choose a trail that fits your experiences and preferences. Always keep in mind that the weather and seasons always are magnified on the trails, making it sometimes inaccessible to hike at higher elevations or in other typical areas such as deserts and colder areas. Take always enough food and water with you and different layers for rapidly changing weather to adapt while you’re out for hours.
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