View source for Hiking

{{short description|Walking as a hobby, sport, or leisure activity}}
{{Other uses|Hiking (sailing)|Backpacking (wilderness)}}
[[File:Hiking to the Ice Lakes. San Juan National Forest, Colorado.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright=1.36|Hiking in the [[San Juan Mountains]], Colorado]]
[[File:Escursionismo sulle Alpi.jpg|thumb|upright=1.36|A hiker enjoying the view of the [[Alps]]]]
'''A hike''' is a long, vigorous [[walking|walk]], usually on [[trails]] or [[footpaths]] in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Amato |first=Joseph A. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qg056 |title=On Foot: A History of Walking |date=2004 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=978-0-8147-0502-5 |jstor=j.ctt9qg056 |access-date=2020-11-25 |archive-date=2019-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518232107/https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qg056 |url-status=live |pages=101–24}}</ref> Long hikes as part of a religious [[pilgrimage]] have existed for a much longer time.
"Hiking" is the preferred term in [[Canada]] and the [[United States]]; the term "[[walking]]" is used in these regions for shorter, particularly urban walks. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the word "walking" describes all forms of walking, whether it is a walk in the park or [[backpacking (wilderness)|backpacking]] in the [[Alps]]. The word hiking is also often used in the UK, along with '''rambling''', '''[[hillwalking]]''', and '''fell walking''' (a term mostly used for hillwalking in northern England). The term '''bushwalking''' is endemic to Australia, having been adopted by the [[Sydney Bush Walkers Club]] in 1927.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sydney Bush Walkers Club's history |url=http://www.sbw.org.au/About-Us |access-date=2017-02-21 |archive-date=2017-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222070309/http://www.sbw.org.au/About-Us |url-status=live }}</ref> In New Zealand a long, vigorous walk or hike is called [[Tramping in New Zealand|'''tramping''']].<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |year=1999 |title=The Dictionary of New Zealand English |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Auckland |first1=HW |isbn=0-19-558347-7 |last1=Orsman}}</ref> It is a popular activity with numerous [[:Category:Hiking organizations|hiking organizations]] worldwide, and studies suggest that all forms of walking have health benefits.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McKinney |first=John |date=2009-03-22 |title=For Good Health: Take a Hike! |url=http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/for-good-health-take-a-hike-3862 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429134930/http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/for-good-health-take-a-hike-3862/ |archive-date=2011-04-29 |website=Miller-McCune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A Step in the Right Direction: The health benefits of hiking and trails |url=http://atfiles.org/files/pdf/AHShealthben.pdf |access-date=1 June 2012 |publisher=American Hiking Society |archive-date=11 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911214046/http://atfiles.org/files/pdf/AHShealthben.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Related terms==
[[File:80km Karhunkierros Hiking Trail.jpg|thumb|The [[Karhunkierros]] ("Bear's Round"), an {{convert|80|km|abbr=on}} long hiking trail through the [[Oulanka National Park]] in [[Kuusamo]], Finland]]
In the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom, hiking means walking outdoors on a trail, or off trail, for recreational purposes.<ref name="hikebook">{{Cite book |last=Keller |first=Kristin T. |url=https://archive.org/details/hikingkkell00thoe |title=Hiking |publisher=Capstone Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7368-0916-0 |url-access=registration}}</ref> A day hike refers to a hike that can be completed in a single day. However, in the United Kingdom, the word walking is also used, as well as rambling, while walking in mountainous areas is called [[hillwalking]]. In [[Northern England]], Including the [[Lake District]] and [[Yorkshire Dales]], fell walking describes hill or mountain walks, as [[fell]] is the common word for both features there.
Hiking sometimes involves bushwhacking and is sometimes referred to as such. This specifically refers to difficult walking through dense forest, undergrowth, or bushes where forward progress requires pushing vegetation aside. In extreme cases of bushwhacking, where the vegetation is so dense that human passage is impeded, a [[machete]] is used to clear a pathway. The Australian term bushwalking refers to both on and off-trail hiking.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bushwalking Australia home |url=http://www.bushwalkingaustralia.org/ |access-date=2016-03-18 |publisher=Bushwalking Australia |archive-date=2016-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322213952/http://www.bushwalkingaustralia.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Common terms for hiking used by New Zealanders are [[Tramping in New Zealand|tramping]] (particularly for overnight and longer trips),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Orsman |first=HW |title=The Dictionary of New Zealand English |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1999 |isbn=9780195583472 |location=Auckland}}</ref> walking or bushwalking. '''[[Trekking]]''' is the preferred word used to describe multi-day hiking in the mountainous regions of India, Pakistan, Nepal, North America, South America, Iran, and the highlands of [[East Africa]]. Hiking a [[long-distance trail]] from end-to-end is also referred to as trekking and as [[thru-hiking]] in some places.<ref name="longdist">{{Cite book |last=Mueser |first=Roland |url=https://archive.org/details/longdistancehiki00mues |title=Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail |publisher=McGraw-Hill |year=1997 |isbn=0-07-044458-7 |url-access=registration}}</ref> In North America, multi-day hikes, usually with [[camping]], are referred to as [[backpacking (wilderness)|backpacking]].<ref name=hikebook/>
==History==
[[File:Hiking fashion, 11 July 1932 slnsw.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Hiking fashion, 11 July 1932]]
The poet [[Petrarch]] is frequently mentioned as an early example of someone hiking. Petrarch recounts that on April 26, 1336, with his brother and two servants, he climbed to the top of [[Mont Ventoux]] ({{convert|1912|m|ft|sp=us}}), a feat which he undertook for recreation rather than necessity.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nicolson |first=Marjorie Hope |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1031245016 |title=Mountain Gloom and Mountain Hlory; The Development of the Aesthetics of the Infinite |publisher=W.W. Norton & Co., Inc. [1963, c1959] |page=49 |oclc=1031245016}}</ref> The exploit is described in a celebrated letter addressed to his friend and confessor, the monk [[Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro]], composed some time after the fact. However, some have suggested that Petrarch's climb was fictional.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cassirer |first=Ernst |date=January 1943 |title=Some Remarks on the Question of the Originality of the Renaissance |journal=[[Journal of the History of Ideas]] |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=49–74 |doi=10.2307/2707236 |jstor=2707236}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Halsall |first=Paul |date=August 1998 |title=Petrarch: The Ascent of Mount Ventoux |url=http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/petrarch-ventoux.asp |access-date=5 March 2014 |website=fordham.edu |publisher=Fordham University |archive-date=8 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108135452/http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/petrarch-ventoux.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[Jakob Burckhardt]], in ''[[The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy]]'' (in German in 1860) declared Petrarch "a truly modern man", because of the significance of nature for his "receptive spirit"; even if he did not yet have the skill to describe nature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Civilization'', Part IV §3, beginning |url=http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/4-3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203015126/http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/4-3.html |archive-date=February 3, 2007}}</ref> Petrarch's implication that he was the first to climb mountains for pleasure, and Burckhardt's insistence on Petrarch's sensitivity to nature have been often repeated since. There are also numerous references to Petrarch as an "alpinist",<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Cassirer |first1=Ernst |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226149790.001.0001 |title=The Renaissance Philosophy of Man |last2=Kristeller |first2=Paul Oskar |last3=Randall |first3=John Herman |date=1956 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-09604-9 |page=28|doi=10.7208/chicago/9780226149790.001.0001 }}</ref> although [[Mont Ventoux]] is not a hard climb, and is not usually considered part of the Alps.<ref>Bishop, p.102,104</ref> This implicit claim of Petrarch and Burckhardt, that Petrarch was the first to climb a mountain for pleasure since antiquity, was disproven by [[Lynn Thorndike]] in 1943.<ref name=Thorndike/>{{rp|69–74}} Mount Ventoux was climbed by [[Jean Buridan]], on his way to the papal court in [[Avignon]] before the year 1334, "in order to make some meteorological observations".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moody |first=Ernest A. |title=Jean Buridan |url=http://www.u.arizona.edu/~aversa/scholastic/Dictionary%20of%20Scientific%20Biography/08.%20Buridan%20b.%20ca.%201295%20(Moody).pdf |website=Dictionary of Scientific Biography |access-date=2020-11-24 |archive-date=2021-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213173420/http://www.u.arizona.edu/~aversa/scholastic/Dictionary%20of%20Scientific%20Biography/08.%20Buridan%20b.%20ca.%201295%20(Moody).pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kimmelman |first=Michael |date=1999-06-06 |title=NOT Because it's There |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/06/magazine/not-because-it-s-there.html |access-date=2023-01-02 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2023-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102021248/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/06/magazine/not-because-it-s-there.html |url-status=live }}</ref> There were ascents accomplished during the [[Middle Ages]];<ref>{{cite book|last=Burckhardt|first=Jacob|url=https://archive.org/details/civilisationren02middgoog|title=The Civilisation of the Period of the Renaissance in Italy|orig-year=1860|translator-first=SGC|translator-last=Middlemore|publisher=[[Swan Sonnenschein]]|year=1904|pages=301–302}}</ref><ref name=Thorndike>{{cite journal|author-link=Lynn Thorndike|first=Lynn|last=Thorndike|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2707236|title=Renaissance or Prenaissance|journal=Journal of the History of Ideas|volume=4|number=1|date=Jan 1943|jstor=2707236 }} [[JSTOR]] link to a collection of several letters in the same issue.</ref>{{rp|69–74}} Lynn Thorndike mentions that "a book on feeling for nature in Germany in the tenth and eleventh centuries, noted various ascents and descriptions of mountains from that period", and that "in the closing years of his life archbishop [[Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne]] (c. 1010 – 1075) climbed his beloved mountain oftener than usual".<ref name=Thorndike/>{{rp|71–72}}
Other early examples of individuals hiking or climbing mountains for pleasure include the Roman Emperor, Hadrian, who ascended Mount Etna during a return trip from Greece in 125 CE. In 1275, Peter III of Aragon claimed to have reached the summit of Pic du Canigou, a 9134-foot mountain located near the southern tip of France. The first ascent of any technical difficulty to be officially verified took place on June 26, 1492, when Antoine de Ville, a chamberlain and military engineer for Charles VIII, King of France, was ordered to ascend Mont Aiguille. Because ropes, ladders and iron hooks were used during the ascent, this event is widely recognized as being the birth of mountaineering. Conrad Gessner, a 16th Century physician, botanist and naturalist from Switzerland, is widely recognized as being the first person to hike and climb for sheer pleasure.<ref name="Doran 2023">{{Cite book |last=Doran |first=Jeffrey J. |title=Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World |year=2023 |publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC – Kdp |isbn=979-8373963923}}</ref>
However, the idea of taking a walk in the countryside only really developed during the 18th century in Europe, and arose because of changing attitudes to the landscape and nature associated with the [[Romanticism|Romantic movement]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Norton Anthology of English Literature |year=2000 |isbn=9780393963380 |editor-last=Abrams |editor-first=MH |edition=7th |volume=2 |pages=9–10}}</ref> In earlier times walking generally indicated poverty and was also associated with vagrancy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Solnit |first=Rebecca |title=Wanderlust: A History of Walking |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2000 |isbn=0670882097 |location=New York}}</ref>{{rp|pp=83,297}} In previous centuries long walks were undertaken as part of religious pilgrimages and this tradition continues throughout the world.
=== German-speaking world ===
The Swiss scientist and poet [[Albrecht von Haller]]'s poem ''Die Alpen'' (1732) is an historically important early sign of an awakening appreciation of the mountains, though it is chiefly designed to contrast the simple and idyllic life of the inhabitants of the [[Alps]] with the corrupt and decadent existence of the dwellers in the plains.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=855}}
Numerous travellers explored Europe on foot in the last third of the 18th century and recorded their experiences. A significant example is [[Johann Gottfried Seume]], who set out on foot from [[Leipzig]] to Sicily in 1801, and returned to Leipzig via Paris after nine months.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krüger |first=Arnd |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/889248430 |title=Wandertourismus: Kundengruppen, Destinationsmarketing, Gesundheitsaspekte |date=2010 |isbn=978-3-486-70469-3 |editor-last=Menzel |editor-first=Anne |location=München |oclc=889248430 |editor-last2=Endress |editor-first2=Martin |editor-last3=Hedorfer |editor-first3=Petra |editor-last4=Antz |editor-first4=Christian}}</ref>
===United Kingdom===
[[File:Claife Station.jpg|right|thumb|Claife Station, built at one of [[Thomas West (priest)|Thomas West]]'s 'viewing stations', to allow visiting tourists and artists to better appreciate the picturesque [[Lake District]], [[Cumbria]], England.]]
{{main|Walking in the United Kingdom|Walking in London}}
[[Thomas West (priest)|Thomas West]], a Scottish priest, popularized the idea of walking for pleasure in his guide to the Lake District of 1778. In the introduction he wrote that he aimed <blockquote>to encourage the taste of visiting the lakes by furnishing the traveller with a Guide; and for that purpose, the writer has here collected and laid before him, all the select stations and points of view, noticed by those authors who have last made the tour of the lakes, verified by his own repeated observations.<ref name="West2">{{Cite book |last=West |first=Thomas |title=A Guide to the Lakes |year=1780 |isbn=9780371947258 |page=2|publisher=HardPress }}</ref> </blockquote> To this end he included various 'stations' or viewpoints around the lakes, from which tourists would be encouraged to enjoy the views in terms of their aesthetic qualities.<ref name="development">{{Cite web |title=Development of tourism in the Lake District National Park |url=http://www.lakedistrict.uk7.net/tourist_development.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011064752/http://www.lakedistrict.uk7.net/tourist_development.html |archive-date=October 11, 2008 |access-date=2008-11-27 |publisher=Lake District UK}}</ref> Published in 1778 the book was a major success.<ref name="NPA">{{Cite web |title=Understanding the National Park &mdash; Viewing Stations |url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/lakedistrictfacts/archaeologyhistory/archaeologydiscoveryzone/archaeologyindepth/archaeologyviewing-stations-2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104212541/http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/lakedistrictfacts/archaeologyhistory/archaeologydiscoveryzone/archaeologyindepth/archaeologyviewing-stations-2 |archive-date=2014-01-04 |access-date=2008-11-27 |publisher=Lake District National Park Authority}}</ref>
[[File:Travels-map.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Map of [[Robert Louis Stevenson]]'s walking route in the [[Cévennes]], France, taken from ''[[Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes]]'' (1879), a pioneering classic of [[outdoor literature]].]]
Another famous early exponent of walking for pleasure was the English poet [[William Wordsworth]]. In 1790 he embarked on an extended tour of France, Switzerland, and Germany, a journey subsequently recorded in his long autobiographical poem ''[[The Prelude]]'' (1850). His famous poem ''[[Tintern Abbey (poem)|Tintern Abbey]]'' was inspired by a visit to the [[Wye Valley]] made during a [[walking tour]] of [[Wales]] in 1798 with his sister [[Dorothy Wordsworth]]. Wordsworth's friend [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge|Coleridge]] was another keen walker and in the autumn of 1799, he and Wordsworth undertook a three-week tour of the Lake District. [[John Keats]], who belonged to the next generation of [[Romantic poets]] began, in June 1818, a walking tour of Scotland, Ireland, and the Lake District with his friend [[Charles Armitage Brown]].
More and more people undertook walking tours through the 19th century, of which the most famous is probably [[Robert Louis Stevenson]]'s journey through the [[Cévennes]] in France with a donkey, recorded in his ''[[Travels with a Donkey]]'' (1879). Stevenson also published in 1876 his famous essay "Walking Tours". The subgenre of [[travel writing]] produced many classics in the subsequent 20th century. An early American example of a book that describes an extended walking tour is naturalist [[John Muir]]'s ''A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf'' (1916), a posthumously published account of a long botanizing walk, undertaken in 1867.
Due to [[Industrial Revolution|industrialisation]] in England, people began to migrate to the cities where living standards were often cramped and unsanitary. They would escape the confines of the city by rambling about in the countryside. However, the land in England, particularly around the urban areas of [[Manchester]] and [[Sheffield]], was privately owned and [[trespass]] was illegal. Rambling clubs soon sprang up in the [[North of England|north]] and began politically campaigning for the legal '[[right to roam]]'. One of the first such clubs was 'Sunday Tramps' founded by Leslie White in 1879. The first national grouping, the Federation of Rambling Clubs, was formed in London in 1905 and was heavily patronized by the [[peerage]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stephenson |first=Tom |url=https://archive.org/details/forbiddenlandstr0000step |title=Forbidden Land: The Struggle for Access to Mountain and Moorland |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=1989 |isbn=9780719028915 |page=[https://archive.org/details/forbiddenlandstr0000step/page/78 78] |access-date=2013-02-07 |url-access=registration}}</ref>
Access to Mountains [[bill (proposed law)|bill]]s, that would have legislated the public's 'right to roam' across some private land, were periodically presented to [[Parliament]] from 1884 to 1932 without success. Finally, in 1932, the Rambler's Right Movement organized a [[Mass trespass of Kinder Scout|mass trespass]] on [[Kinder Scout]] in [[Derbyshire]]. Despite attempts on the part of the police to prevent the trespass from going ahead, it was successfully achieved due to massive publicity. However, the Mountain Access Bill that was passed in 1939 was opposed by many walkers' organizations, including [[The Ramblers]], who felt that it did not sufficiently protect their rights, and it was eventually repealed.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Stephenson |first1=T. |url=https://archive.org/details/forbiddenlandstr0000step |title=Forbidden Land: The Struggle for Access to Mountain and Moorland |last2=Holt |first2=A. |last3=Harding |first3=M. |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=1989 |isbn=978-0-7190-2966-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/forbiddenlandstr0000step/page/165 165] |chapter=The 1939 Access to Mountains Act |url-access=registration}}</ref>
The effort to improve access led after World War II to the [[National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949]], and in 1951 to the creation of the first [[national park]] in the UK, the [[Peak District National Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |year=2011 |title=Quarrying and mineral extraction in the Peak District National Park |url=http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/79227/factsheet4-quarrying.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127055057/http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/79227/factsheet4-quarrying.pdf |archive-date=27 January 2012 |access-date=17 April 2012 |publisher=Peak District National Park Authority}}</ref> The establishment of this and similar national parks helped to improve access for all outdoors enthusiasts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kinder Trespass. A history of rambling |url=http://nowthenmagazine.com/issue-52/kinder-trespass/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708235247/http://nowthenmagazine.com/issue-52/kinder-trespass/ |archive-date=2012-07-08 |access-date=2013-12-17}}</ref> The [[Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000]] considerably extended the [[right to roam]] in England and Wales.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Open access land: management, rights and responsibilities |url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/open-access-land-management-rights-and-responsibilities |access-date=2021-03-09 |website=GOV.UK |language=en |archive-date=2021-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310131952/https://www.gov.uk/guidance/open-access-land-management-rights-and-responsibilities |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/37/contents |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=legislation.gov.uk |archive-date=2023-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424163854/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/37/contents |url-status=live }}</ref>
===United States===
[[File:Abbey and the mountain.JPG|thumb|[[Thoreau]] walked {{convert|34|mi|km}} to [[Mount Wachusett]], shown here.]]
{{Further|Category:Hiking in the United States}}
An early example of an interest in hiking in the United States is [[Abel Crawford]] and his son Ethan's clearing of a trail to the summit of [[Mount Washington, New Hampshire]] in 1819.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Condensed Facts About Mount Washington |publisher=Atkinson News Co |year=1912}}</ref> This 8.5-mile path is the oldest continually used hiking trail in the United States. The influence of British and European [[Romanticism]] reached North America through the [[transcendentalist movement]], and both [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]] (1803–82) and [[Henry David Thoreau]] (1817–62) were important influences on the outdoors movement in North America. Thoreau's writing on nature and on walking include the posthumously published "Walking" (1862)".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Thoreau |first=Henry David |title=Walking |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1862/06/walking/304674/ |magazine=The Atlantic |issue=June 1862 |access-date=24 July 2017 |archive-date=13 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013223718/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1862/06/walking/304674/ |url-status=live }}</ref> His earlier essay  "[[A Walk to Wachusett]]" (1842) describes a four-day [[walking tour]] Thoreau took with a companion from Concord, Massachusetts to the summit of [[Mount Wachusett]], [[Princeton, Massachusetts]] and back. Established in 1876, the [[Appalachian Mountain Club]] has the distinction of being the oldest hiking club in America. It was founded to protect the trails and mountains in the northeastern United States. Prior to its founding, four other hiking clubs had already been established in America. This included the very short-lived (first) Rocky Mountain Club in 1875, the White Mountain Club of Portland in 1873, the Alpine Club of Williamstown in 1863, and the Exploring Circle, which was established by four men from Lynn, Massachusetts in 1850. Although not a hiking club in the same sense as the clubs that would emerge later, the National Park Service recognizes the Exploring Circle as being "the first hiking club in New England."<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 July 2020 |title=Lynn Woods Historic District |url=https://www.nps.gov/places/lynn-woods-historic-district.htm |website=NPS |access-date=28 May 2023 }}</ref> All four of these clubs would disband within a few years of their founding.<ref name="Doran 2023"/>
Despite clubs such as the Appalachian Mountain Club, hiking during the early twentieth century was still primarily in New England, [[San Francisco]], and the Pacific Northwest. Eventually, there were similar clubs formed in the Midwest and following the Appalachian range. As interest grew hiking culture was spread throughout the nation.<ref name=":0" />
The Scottish-born, American naturalist [[John Muir]] (1838 –1914), was another important early advocate of the preservation of wilderness in the United States. He petitioned the [[U.S. Congress]] for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. The [[Sierra Club]], which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings inspired others, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large areas of undeveloped countryside.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Life and Contributions of John Muir |url=http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/ |access-date=October 23, 2009 |publisher=Sierra Club |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331043927/http://sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Barbara Kiely |title=John Muir |publisher=Gareth Stevens |year=2008 |isbn=978-0836883183 |page=10}}</ref> In 1916, the National Park Service was created to protect national parks and monuments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Quick History of the National Park Service (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/quick-nps-history.htm |access-date=2021-03-09 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2021-03-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309170544/https://www.nps.gov/articles/quick-nps-history.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=National Park Service |url=https://www.history.com/topics/us-government/national-park-service |access-date=2021-03-09 |website=HISTORY |date=21 August 2018 |language=en |archive-date=2021-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305201515/https://www.history.com/topics/us-government/national-park-service |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-08-25 |title=Congress Creates the National Park Service |url=https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/national-park-service |access-date=2021-03-09 |website=National Archives |language=en |archive-date=2021-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326020016/https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/national-park-service |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 1921, [[Benton MacKaye]], a forester, conceived the idea of what would become America's first National Scenic Trail, the [[Appalachian trail]] (AT). The AT was completed in August 1937, running from Maine to Georgia. The [[Pacific Crest Trail]] ("PCT") was first explored in the 1930s by the [[YMCA]] hiking groups and was eventually registered as a complete border to border trail from Mexico to Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Top 10 Hiking Trails in the US |url=http://www.e2e.com/featured/the-top-10-hiking-trails-in-the-us/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223095352/http://www.e2e.com/featured/the-top-10-hiking-trails-in-the-us |archive-date=2014-02-23 |access-date=2014-02-12 |publisher=e2e.com}}</ref>
=== Pilgrimages ===
{{Further|Category:Japanese pilgrimages}}
In earlier times people mainly hiked for practical reasons, or on religious [[pilgrimage]]s. Numerous modern hiking trail follow such ancient routes. The British [[National Trail]] the [[North Downs Way]] closely follows that of the [[Pilgrims' Way]] to [[Canterbury]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-07-28 |title=North Downs Way National Trail &#124; Paths by name &#124; Ramblers, Britain's Walking Charity |url=http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/name/n/northdowns |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728131235/http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/name/n/northdowns |archive-date=2012-07-28 |access-date=2023-01-02}}</ref>
[[File:Spain Santiago de Compostela - Cathedral.jpg|left|thumb| [[Santiago de Compostela Cathedral|The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela]]]]
The ancient pilgrimage, the [[Camino de Santiago]], or Way of St. James, has become more recently the source for a number of long-distance hiking routes. This is a network of [[pilgrims' way]]s leading to the shrine of the [[Twelve Apostles|apostle]] [[James, son of Zebedee|Saint James the Great]] in the [[cathedral of Santiago de Compostela]] in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] in northwestern Spain. Many follow its routes as a form of spiritual path or retreat for their spiritual growth.
The [[French Way]] is the most popular of the routes and runs from [[Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port]] on the French side of the [[Pyrenees]] to [[Roncesvalles]] on the Spanish side and then another {{convert|780|km}} on to Santiago de Compostela through the major cities of [[Pamplona]], [[Logroño]], [[Burgos]] and [[León, Spain|León]]. A typical walk on the ''Camino francés'' takes at least four weeks, allowing for one or two rest days on the way. Some travel the Camino on bicycle or on horseback. Paths from the cities of [[Tours]], [[Vézelay]], and [[Le Puy-en-Velay]] meet at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.<ref name="Starkie">{{Cite book |last=Starkie |first=Walter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xJGrnvuNW4C |title=The Roads to Santiago: Pilgrims of St. James |publisher=University of California Press |year=1965 |author-link=Walter Starkie |orig-year=1957}}</ref> The French long-distance path [[GR 65]] (of the [[GR footpath|Grande Randonnée]] network), is an important variant route of the old [[Christians|Christian]] [[pilgrimage]] way.
The [[Abraham Path]] is a cultural route believed to have been the path of [[Islamic]], [[Christianity|Christian]], and [[Jewish]] patriarch [[Abraham]]'s ancient journey across the [[Ancient Near East]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abraham Path {{!}} a cultural route connecting the storied places associated with Abraham's ancient journey. |url=http://abrahampath.org/ |access-date=2017-05-16 |website=abrahampath.org |language=en-US |archive-date=2017-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517044116/http://abrahampath.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The path was established in 2007 as a pilgrimage route between [[Urfa|Urfa, Turkey]], possibly his birthplace, and his final destination of the desert of [[Negev]].
{{clear left}}
==Destinations==
[[File:Uhuru Peak Mt. Kilimanjaro 1.JPG|thumb|[[Mount Kilimanjaro]], [[Tanzania]]]]
[[File:صورة للسد عند البوابة المائية.jpg|upright|thumb|The [[King Talal Dam]] in [[Jerash]] lies along the Jordan Trail in [[Jordan]]]] [[File:Youth hiking.JPG|upright|thumb|Youth hiking in Israel]]
{{Further|Long distance path|Category:National parks|Category:Hiking trails in Europe}}
[[National park]]s are often important hiking destinations, such as [[National Parks of England and Wales]]; [[National Parks of Canada|of Canada]]; [[National parks of New Zealand|of New Zealand]], [[National Parks of South Africa|of South Africa]], etc.
Frequently, nowadays long-distance hikes (walking tours) are undertaken along long-distance paths, including the [[National Trails]] in England and Wales, the [[Kungsleden]] (Sweden) and the [[National Trail System]] in the United States. The [[Grande Randonnée]] (France), Grote Routepaden, or Lange-afstand-wandelpaden (The Netherlands), Grande Rota (Portugal), Gran Recorrido (Spain) is a network of [[long-distance footpaths]] in Europe, mostly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. There are extensive networks in other European countries of long-distance trails, as well as in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, and to a lesser extent other Asiatic countries, like Turkey, Israel, and Jordan. In the Alps of Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, France, and Italy walking tours can be made from 'hut-to-hut', using an extensive system of [[mountain hut]]s.
In the late 20th-century, there has been a proliferation of official and unofficial long-distance routes, which mean that hikers now are more likely to refer to using a long-distance way (Britain), trail (US), ''The Grande Randonnée'' (France), etc., than setting out on a walking tour. Early examples of long-distance paths include the [[Appalachian Trail]] in the US and the [[Pennine Way]] in Britain.
Organized hiking clubs emerged in Europe at approximately the same time as official hiking trails. These clubs established and upheld their own paths during the 19th and 20th centuries, prioritizing the development of extended hiking routes. In 1938, the first long-distance hiking trail in Europe, the Hungarian National Blue Trail, was established in the Hungarian wilderness, stretching approximately 62 miles (100&nbsp;km).
=== Asia ===
{{Further|Category:Hiking trails in Asia by country}}
[[File:An Indian hiker at the Goecha La Trek, in West Sikkim district of Sikkim, photographed by Yogabrata Chakraborty, on October 18, 2021.jpg|thumb|left|A hiker at the Goecha La Trek, in [[West Sikkim]] district of Sikkim.]]
In the Middle East, the [[Jordan Trail]] is a 650&nbsp;km (400 miles) long hiking trail in Jordan established in 2015 by the Jordan Trail Association. And [[Hiking in Israel|Israel]] has been described as "a trekker's paradise" with over 9,656&nbsp;km (6,000 miles) of trails.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-08-15 |title=Hiking in Israel – a trekkers paradise |url=http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/Pages/Hiking-in-Israel%E2%80%93a-trekkers-paradise-4-Jul-2011.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525030122/http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/Pages/Hiking-in-Israel%E2%80%93a-trekkers-paradise-4-Jul-2011.aspx |archive-date=2014-05-25}}</ref>
The [[Lycian Way]] is a marked [[long-distance trail]] in southwestern Turkey around part of the coast of ancient [[Lycia]].<ref name="crs"/> It is over {{cvt|500|km}} in length and stretches from [[Hisarönü]] ([[Ovacık, Fethiye|Ovacık]]), near [[Fethiye]], to [[Geyikbayırı, Konyaaltı|Geyikbayırı]] in [[Konyaaltı]] about {{cvt|20|km}} from [[Antalya]].  It was conceived by Briton Kate Clow, who lives in Turkey. It takes its name from the ancient civilization, which once ruled the area.<ref name="crs">{{cite web|url=https://cultureroutesinturkey.com/the-lycian-way/|title=Lycian Way|publisher=Culture Routes Society|access-date=2024-06-16}}</ref>
The [[Great Himalaya Trail]] is a route across the [[Himalayas]]. The original concept of the trail was to establish a single long distance trekking trail from the east end to the west end of [[Nepal]] that includes a total of roughly 1,700 kilometres (1,100&nbsp;mi) of path. The proposed trail will link together a range of the less explored tourism destinations of Nepal's mountain region.<ref name="junu11">{{Cite web |title=Great Himalaya Trails :: Trekking, hiking and walking in Nepal |url=https://www.greathimalayatrails.com/ |website=Great Himalaya Trails |access-date=2020-11-14 |archive-date=2020-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116182132/https://www.greathimalayatrails.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Latin America ===
{{Further|Category:Hiking trails in South America}}
In [[Latin America]], [[Peru]] and [[Hiking in Chile|Chile]] are important hiking destinations. The [[Inca Trail to Machu Picchu]] in Peru is very popular and a [[Inca Trail to Machu Picchu#Inca Trail Permits|permit is required]]. The longest hiking trail in Chile is the informal 3,000&nbsp;km (1,850&nbsp;mi) [[Greater Patagonia Trail]] that was created by a non-governmental initiative.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dudeck |first=Jan |title=Greater Patagonian Trail |url=http://www.wikiexplora.com/index.php/Greater_Patagonian_Trail |access-date=1 September 2014 |website=Wikiexplora |archive-date=28 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828165237/http://www.wikiexplora.com/index.php/Greater_Patagonian_Trail |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Africa ===
{{Further|Category:Hiking trails in Africa}}
In Africa a major [[trekking]] destination<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trimble |first=Morgan |date=2016-11-15 |title=How to climb Kilimanjaro without the crowds |url=http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/nov/15/how-to-climb-kilimanjaro-without-crowds-tanzania |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=The Guardian |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102021245/https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/nov/15/how-to-climb-kilimanjaro-without-crowds-tanzania |url-status=live }}</ref> is [[Mount Kilimanjaro#Trekking|Mount Kilimanjaro]], a [[Volcano#Dormant|dormant]] [[volcano]] in [[Tanzania]], which is the highest [[African mountains|mountain in Africa]] and the highest single free-standing mountain in the world: {{Convert|5895|m|ft}} above sea level and about {{convert|4900|m|ft}} above its plateau base.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharaf |first=Yasir |date=24 March 2016 |title=Mount Kilimanjaro Volcanic Cones: Shira, Kibo And Mawenzi Peaks |url=https://xpatsinternational.com/mount-kilimanjaro-volcanic-cones-shira-kibo-and-mawenzi-peaks/ |access-date=7 December 2021 |website=XPATS International |ref=None |archive-date=5 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105075701/https://xpatsinternational.com/mount-kilimanjaro-volcanic-cones-shira-kibo-and-mawenzi-peaks/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Equipment==
{{main|Hiking equipment}}
[[File:Sacs à dos avant la randonnée.jpg|thumb|right|[[Backpacks]] are commonly used on hikes]]
The equipment required for hiking depends on a variety of factors, including local climate. Day hikers often carry water, food, a map, hat, and rain-proof gear.<ref name=hikebook/> Hikers have traditionally worn sturdy [[hiking boots]]<ref name=hikebook/> for stability over rough terrain. In recent decades this has become less common as some [[long-distance trail|long-distance hikers]] have switched to [[trail running#Equipment|trail running shoes]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Grady |first=Kyle |date=4 December 2015 |title=The Footwear Debate: Are Trail Runners Superior to Boots? |url=https://thetrek.co/trail-runners-or-boots/ |access-date=28 July 2020 |website=The Trek |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728114034/https://thetrek.co/trail-runners-or-boots/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Boots are still commonly used in mountainous terrain. [[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] club recommends a list of "[[Ten Essentials]]" equipment for hiking, including a compass, sunglasses, sunscreen, a [[flashlight]], a first aid kit, a [[Making fire|fire starter]], and a knife.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills |publisher=The Mountaineers |year=1997 |isbn=0-89886-427-5 |edition=6th |pages=35–40}}</ref> Other groups recommend items such as hat, gloves, insect repellent, and an [[space blanket|emergency blanket]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ten Essential Groups Article |url=http://texas.sierraclub.org/dallas/page.asp?10essentialgroups |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602140202/http://texas.sierraclub.org/dallas/page.asp?10essentialgroups |archive-date=2011-06-02 |access-date=2011-01-19 |publisher=Texas Sierra Club}}</ref> A [[GPS navigation device]] can also be helpful and [[route card]]s may be used as a guide. [[Trekking poles]] are also recommended, especially when carrying a heavy backpack.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 April 2013 |title=Trekking Poles |url=https://americanhiking.org/resources/trekking-poles/ |access-date=2020-11-13 |publisher=American Hiking Association |archive-date=2020-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113163127/https://americanhiking.org/resources/trekking-poles/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Winter hiking requires a higher level of skill and generally more specialized gear than in other seasons (see winter hiking below).
Technology is another example that is rapidly spreading within the outdoor industry, transforming the way hikers experience nature and ensuring greater safety during outdoor activities. Modern devices such as smartphones, cameras, and safety gadgets have become integral tools for outdoor enthusiasts. Many hikers now rely on their phones for fitness tracking, [[Global Positioning System|GPS navigation]], and emergency communication, providing real-time data and navigation assistance while in the wilderness.  Devices like the [[Garmin Forerunner|Garmin]] make all sorts of technology like watches and hand held [[SOS |SOS]] communicators.These devices use the satellite system to communicate with the outside world when hiking in the backcountry.
Proponents of [[ultralight backpacking]] argue that long lists of required items for multi-day hikes increases pack weight, and hence fatigue and the chance of injury.<ref name="Jardine">{{Cite book |last=Jardine |first=Ray |title=Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking |publisher=AdventureLore Press |year=2000 |isbn=0963235931}}</ref> Instead, they recommend reducing pack weight, to make hiking long distances easier. Even the use of hiking boots on long-distances hikes is controversial among ultralight hikers, because of their weight.<ref name=Jardine/>
Hiking times can be estimated by [[Naismith's rule]] or [[Tobler's hiking function]], while distances can be measured on a map with an [[opisometer]]. A [[pedometer]] is a device that records the distance walked.
== Hiking with children ==
[[File:BACKPACKING FAMILY WITH CHILDREN ON THEIR BACKS CROSSES THE BRIDGE AT MARCY DAM, NEW YORK, IN THE ADIRONDACK FOREST... - NARA - 554506.jpg|thumb|upright|The hiking family in 1973]]
The [[American Hiking Society]] advises that parents with young children should encourage them to participate in decision-making about route-finding and pace.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ray |first=Tyler |date=2013-04-10 |title=Hiking with Kids |url=https://americanhiking.org/resources/hiking-with-kids/ |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=American Hiking Society |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203033846/https://americanhiking.org/resources/hiking-with-kids/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Alisha McDarris, writing in ''[[Popular Science]]'', suggests that, whilst hiking with children poses particular challenges, it can be a rewarding experience for them, particularly if a route is chosen with their interests in mind.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McDarris |first=Alisha |date=2020-05-19 |title=What you need to know when hiking with kids |url=https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/hiking-kids-guide/ |access-date=2023-01-02 |magazine=Popular Science |archive-date=2022-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127081048/https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/hiking-kids-guide/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Young children are prone to becoming fatigued more rapidly than adults, requiring fluids and energy-rich foods more frequently, and are also more sensitive to variations in weather and terrain. Hiking routes may be chosen with these factors in mind, and appropriate clothing, equipment and sun-protection need to be available.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wandern mit Kindern |url=https://www.alpenverein.at/portal/bergsport/sicheramberg/bergwandern/wandern-mit-kindern.php |access-date=27 December 2020 |website=www.alpenverein.at |language=de |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127093450/https://www.alpenverein.at/portal/bergsport/sicheramberg/bergwandern/wandern-mit-kindern.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Alpin17">{{Cite magazine |last=Bloch |first=Romana |date=Sep 2017 |title=Bergtouren mit Kindern: Das muss man beachten! |trans-title=Mountain tours with children: You have to pay attention to this! |url=https://www.alpin.de/sicher-am-berg/wandern/22531/artikel_wandern_und_bergsteigen_mit_kindern.html |magazine=Alpin |language=de |access-date=27 December 2020 |archive-date=27 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927203056/https://www.alpin.de/sicher-am-berg/wandern/22531/artikel_wandern_und_bergsteigen_mit_kindern.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Environmental impact ==
[[File:Mohonk Mountain House 2011 Hiking Trail against Guest Rooms 2 FRD 3281.jpg|thumb|Parts of many hiking trails around [[Lake Mohonk]], New York State, US, include stairways which can prevent erosion]]
[[Natural environment]]s are often fragile and may be accidentally damaged, especially when a large number of hikers are involved. For example, years of gathering wood can strip an alpine area of valuable nutrients, and can cause deforestation;<ref name="impact">{{Cite journal |last=Cole |first=David |title=Impacts of Hiking and Camping on Soils and Vegetation: A Review |url=http://leopold.wilderness.net/research/fprojects/docs12/Ecotourism.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706020403/http://leopold.wilderness.net/research/fprojects/docs12/Ecotourism.pdf |archive-date=2010-07-06}}</ref> and some species, such as [[marten]]s or [[Bighorn Sheep]], are very sensitive to the presence of humans, especially around mating season.
To minimize these impacts, protected areas such as [[National park|national parks]] typically implement strict regulations to protect the environment. These regulations often include prohibitions on wood fires, restrictions on [[camping]] to designated sites, and guidelines for properly managing waste, such as packing out [[human feces]] or disposing of it in designated toilets. Many parks also impose a quota on the number of hikers number of hikers allowed in sensitive areas to reduce overall pressure on the ecosystem.<ref name="impact" /> Carpooling to and from trailheads lessens our [[Carbon footprint|carbon footprint.]] Many hikers adopt the philosophy of [[Leave No Trace]], following strict practices on dealing with [[food waste]], food packaging, and other impacts on the environment. Improper disposal of waste, including litter and human waste, can lead to [[pollution]] of natural areas. This not only harms flora and fauna, but can also degrade water quality in nearby streams and lakes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Our Mission |url=https://lnt.org/about/ |publisher=Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics |access-date=2020-09-19 |archive-date=2020-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916232658/https://lnt.org/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Human feces are often a major source of environmental impact from hiking,<ref name=impact/> and can contaminate the watershed and make other hikers ill. '[[Cathole]]s' dug 10 to 25&nbsp;cm (4 to 10&nbsp;inches) deep, depending on local soil composition and covered after use, at least 60 m (200&nbsp;feet) away from water sources and trails, are recommended to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.
Fire is a particular source of danger, and an individual hiker can have a large impact on an ecosystem. For example, in 2005, a Czech backpacker accidentally started a fire that burnt 5% of [[Torres del Paine National Park]] in Chile.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-09-30 |title=Chile and Czech Republic work to restore Torres del Paine Park |work=MercoPress |url=https://en.mercopress.com/2009/09/30/chile-and-czech-republic-work-to-restore-torres-del-paine-park |access-date=2020-06-17 |archive-date=2020-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617184329/https://en.mercopress.com/2009/09/30/chile-and-czech-republic-work-to-restore-torres-del-paine-park |url-status=live }}</ref>
Educating hikers about the potential impacts of their presence in the outdoors can promote more responsible behavior. Understanding the importance of staying on designated trails, following leave no trace principles, and respecting wildlife can help mitigate disturbances.
== Etiquette ==
{{main|Trail ethics}}
Because hikers may come into conflict with other users of the land or may harm the natural environment, hiking etiquette has developed.
* When two groups of hikers meet on a steep trail, a custom has developed in some areas whereby the group moving uphill has the [[Priority (right of way)|right-of-way]].<ref name="etiquette">{{Cite web |last=Devaughn |first=Melissa |date=April 1997 |title=Trail Etiquette |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cd4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40 |access-date=22 January 2011 |website=Backpacker Magazine |publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc. |page=40 |issn=0277-867X}}</ref>
* Various organizations recommend that hikers generally avoid making loud sounds, such as shouting or loud conversation, playing music, or the use of mobile phones.<ref name=etiquette/> However, in bear country, hikers use intentional noise-making as a safety precaution to avoid startling bears.
* The [[Leave No Trace]] movement offers a set of guidelines for low-impact hiking: "Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but photos. Kill nothing but time. Keep nothing but memories".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leave No Trace Seven Principles (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/leave-no-trace-seven-principles.htm |access-date=2021-03-18 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2021-03-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318090644/https://www.nps.gov/articles/leave-no-trace-seven-principles.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Hikers are advised not to feed wild animals, because they will become a danger to other hikers if they become habituated to human food, and may have to be killed, or relocated.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Do Not Feed Wildlife |url=https://thamesriver.on.ca/watershed-health/native-species/dont-feed-wildlife/ |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Upper Thames River Conservation Authority |language=en-CA |archive-date=2023-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102021246/https://thamesriver.on.ca/watershed-health/native-species/dont-feed-wildlife/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Hazards==
{{Further|Hazards of outdoor recreation|Survival skills|Sure-footedness}}
[[File:Austria ridge hike.jpg|thumb|right|Hiking on an [[arête]], [[Ötztal Alps]], Austria; an example of a hiking route that involves [[sure-footedness]], and a [[head for heights]]]]
[[Hazards of outdoor recreation|Hiking can be hazardous]] because of terrain, inclement weather, potential to get lost, or pre-existing medical conditions. The dangerous<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 December 2020 |title=Is Hiking Dangerous? |url=https://trekkearth.com/is-hiking-dangerous/ |website=Trekkearth |access-date=18 December 2021 |archive-date=18 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218070220/https://trekkearth.com/is-hiking-dangerous/ |url-status=live }}</ref> circumstances hikers can face include specific accidents or physical ailments. It is especially hazardous in high mountains, crossing rivers and glaciers, and when there is snow and ice. At times hiking may involve [[scrambling]], as well as the use of ropes, ice axes and crampons and the skill to properly use them.
Potential hazards involving physical ailments may include dehydration, frostbite, hypothermia, sunburn, sunstroke, or [[wilderness acquired diarrhea|diarrhea]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Boulware |first=D.R. |display-authors=etal |year=2003 |title=Medical Risks of Wilderness Hiking |journal=American Journal of Medicine |volume=114 |issue=4 |pages=288–93 |doi=10.1016/S0002-9343(02)01494-8 |pmid=12681456}}</ref> and such injuries as ankle sprains, or broken bones.<ref name="Goldenberg">{{Cite book |last1=Goldenberg |first1=Marni |title=Hiking and Backpacking |last2=Martin |first2=Bruce |publisher=Wilderness Education Association |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7360-6801-7 |page=104}}</ref> [[Hypothermia]] is a danger for all hikers and especially inexperienced hikers. Weather does not need to be very cold to be dangerous since ordinary rain or mist has a strong cooling effect. In high mountains a further danger is [[altitude sickness]]. This typically occurs only above {{convert|2500|m|ft|sigfig=1}}, though some are affected at lower altitudes.<ref name="Mer2018Pro">{{Cite web |date=May 2018 |title=Altitude Diseases – Injuries; Poisoning |url=https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/injuries-poisoning/altitude-diseases/altitude-diseases |access-date=3 August 2018 |website=Merck Manuals Professional Edition |archive-date=27 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627041200/https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/injuries-poisoning/altitude-diseases/altitude-diseases |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Sim2018">{{Cite journal |last1=Simancas-Racines |first1=D |last2=Arevalo-Rodriguez |first2=I |last3=Osorio |first3=D |last4=Franco |first4=JV |last5=Xu |first5=Y |last6=Hidalgo |first6=R |date=30 June 2018 |title=Interventions for treating acute high altitude illness. |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=6 |issue=12 |pages=CD009567 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD009567.pub2 |pmc=6513207 |pmid=29959871}}</ref> Risk factors include a prior episode of altitude sickness, a high degree of activity, and a rapid increase in elevation.<ref name=Mer2018Pro/>
Other threats include attacks by animals (e.g., bears, snakes, and [[insects]] or [[ticks]] carrying [[Tick-borne disease|diseases]] such as [[Lyme disease|Lyme]]) or contact with noxious plants that can cause rashes (e.g., [[poison ivy]], [[poison oak]], [[poison sumac]], or [[stinging nettles]]). Lightning is also a threat, especially on high ground.
Walkers in high mountains, and during winter in many countries, can encounter hazardous snow and ice conditions, and the possibility of [[avalanche]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Avalanche danger |url=https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/snow/avalanche/ |access-date=2020-11-13 |publisher=Pacific Crest Trails Association |archive-date=2020-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112004423/https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/snow/avalanche/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Year round [[glacier]]s are potentially hazardous.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to cross a glacier |url=https://www.wta.org/go-outside/trail-smarts/how-to/how-to-cross-a-glacier |access-date=2020-11-13 |publisher=Washington Trails Association |archive-date=2021-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512102839/https://www.wta.org/go-outside/trail-smarts/how-to/how-to-cross-a-glacier |url-status=live }}</ref> Fast flowing water presents another danger and a safe crossing may requires special techniques.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stream crossing safety while hiking and backpacking |url=https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/water/stream-crossing-safety/ |publisher=Pacific Crest Trail Association |access-date=2020-11-12 |archive-date=2020-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108110247/https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/water/stream-crossing-safety/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In various countries, borders may be poorly marked. In 2009, Iran imprisoned three Americans for hiking across the Iran-Iraq border.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Gordon |first1=Michael R. |last2=Lehren |first2=Andrew W. |date=2010-10-23 |title=Iran Seized U.S. Hikers in Iraq, U.S. Report Asserts |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/world/middleeast/23hikers.html?_r=1 |access-date=2017-02-24 |archive-date=2018-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424140831/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/world/middleeast/23hikers.html?_r=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is illegal to cross into the US on the [[Pacific Crest Trail]] from Canada. Going south to north it is more straightforward and a crossing can be made, if advanced arrangements are made with [[Canada Border Services Agency|Canada Border Services]]. Within the [[Schengen Area]], which includes most of the [[E.U.]], and associated nations like Switzerland and Norway, there are no impediments to crossing by path, and borders are not always obvious.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hiking the Via Alpina – Questions / Answers |url=http://www.via-alpina.org/en/page/771/questions-answers#And_what_else_should_I_know_about_walking_in_the_Alps_ |access-date=May 31, 2020 |website=www.via-alpina.org |archive-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805111026/http://via-alpina.org/en/page/771/questions-answers#And_what_else_should_I_know_about_walking_in_the_Alps_ |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Winter hiking===
{{Further|Winter backpacking}}
[[File:Snowshoers in Bryce Canyon.jpg|thumb|Snowshoers in [[Bryce Canyon]], [[Utah]], U.S.]]
[[File:Påske.jpg|thumb|[[Cross-country skiing]] (including [[Ski touring]]) gives access to hiking trails in winter]]
Hiking in winter offers additional opportunities, challenges and hazards. [[Crampons]] may be needed in icy conditions, and an [[ice ax]] is recommended on steep, snow covered paths. [[Snowshoe]]s and [[hiking poles]], or [[cross country skis]] are useful aid for those hiking in deep snow.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-01-21 |title=Winter Hiking: What to Know Before You Go |url=https://appalachiantrail.org/explore/what-to-know-before-you-go/ |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Appalachian Trail Conservancy |archive-date=2023-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131203606/https://appalachiantrail.org/explore/what-to-know-before-you-go/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
An example of a close relationship between skiing and hiking is found in Norway, where The [[Norwegian Trekking Association]] maintains over 400 huts stretching across thousands of kilometres of trails which hikers can use in the summer and skiers in the winter.<ref name="volken">{{Cite book |last1=Volken |first1=Martin |url=https://archive.org/details/backcountryskiin00volk/page/12 |title=Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering |last2=Schnell |first2=Scott |last3=Wheeler |first3=Margaret |date=2007 |publisher=Mountaineers Books |isbn=978-1-59485-038-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/backcountryskiin00volk/page/12 12] |access-date=2014-07-12}}</ref> For longer routes in snowy conditions, hikers may resort to [[ski touring]], using specialised skis and boots for uphill travel.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Transport in, to and out of the backcountry – Snow Safety information |url=http://mountainacademy.salomon.com/en/demo/175/transport-in-to-and-out-of-the-backcountry |access-date=21 November 2020 |website=mountainacademy.salomon.com |language=en |archive-date=29 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129135011/http://mountainacademy.salomon.com/en/demo/175/transport-in-to-and-out-of-the-backcountry |url-status=live }}</ref> In winter, factors such as shortened daylight, changeable weather conditions and avalanche risk can raise the hazard level of hiking.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ten mistakes winter walkers make – and how to avoid them |url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/ten-mistakes-winter-walkers-make-and-how-to-avoid-them |access-date=21 November 2020 |website=www.thebmc.co.uk |publisher=British Mountaineering Council |archive-date=29 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129024909/https://www.thebmc.co.uk/ten-mistakes-winter-walkers-make-and-how-to-avoid-them |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hill skills: avalanche awareness |url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/hill-skills-avalanche-awareness |access-date=21 November 2020 |website=www.thebmc.co.uk |publisher=British Mountaineering Council |archive-date=27 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127013847/https://www.thebmc.co.uk/hill-skills-avalanche-awareness |url-status=live }}</ref>
==See also==
*[[American Hiking Society]]
*[[Historic roads and trails]]
*[[Outdoor literature]]
*[[Trail difficulty rating system]]
===Types===
*[[Backpacking (hiking)]]. And, in winter, [[Ski touring]]
*[[Dog hiking]] – hiking where a dog carries a pack
*[[Fastpacking]] – fast hiking with light gear
*[[Glacier hiking]] – hiking on a glacier that has affinities to [[mountaineering]]
*[[Llama hiking]]  – hiking where llamas accompany people
*[[Nordic Walking]] – fitness walking with [[trekking poles]]
*[[Swimhiking]] –  a sport that combines hiking and swimming
*[[Ultralight backpacking]] – carrying the least amount of gear necessary
*[[Waterfall]]ing – hiking that explores waterfalls
===Related activities===
*[[Cross-country skiing]] – hiking snow with the aid of skis
*[[Fell running]] – the sport of running over rough mountainous ground, often off-trail
*[[Geocaching]] – an outdoor treasure-hunting game
*[[Orienteering]] – a sport that involves navigation with a map and compass
*[[Peak bagging]] – ticking-off a list of mountain peaks climbed
*[[Pilgrimage]] – a journey of moral or spiritual significance
*[[River trekking]] – a combination of trekking and climbing and sometimes swimming along a river
*[[Rogaining]] – a sport of long-distance cross-country navigation
*[[Snow shoes|Snow shoeing]] – walking across deep snow on snow shoes
*[[Thru-hiking]] – hiking an established long-distance hiking trail continuously in one direction
*[[Trail blazing]] – using signages to mark a hiking route (known as way-marking in Europe)
*[[Trail running]] – running on trails
{{clear right}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book |last=Amata |first=Joseph |title=On Foot, A History of Walking |publisher=New York University Press |year=2004 |isbn=9780814705025 |location=New York}}  [https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qg056 See summary of contents]
*{{Cite book |last=Berger |first=Karen |title=Great Hiking Trails of the World |publisher=Rizzoli |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-847-86093-7 |location=New York |author-link=Karen Berger (writer)}}
*{{Cite book |last=Chamberlin |first=Silas |title=On the Trail : A History of American Hiking |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2016}}
*{{Cite book |last=Doran |first=Jeffrey J. |title=Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World |year=2023 |publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC – Kdp |isbn=979-8373963923}}
*{{Cite book |last=Gros |first=Frédéric |title=A Philosophy of Walking |publisher=Verso |year=2014 |isbn=9781781682708 |location=London, New York |translator-last=Howe |translator-first=John}}
*{{Cite book |last=Solnit |first=Rebecca |title=Wanderlust: a history of walking |publisher=Viking |year=2000 |location=New York}}
{{EB1911|wstitle=Haller, Albrecht von}}
==External links==
* [https://hiking-trails.com/blog/how-to-start-hiking/ Explained: how to start with hiking]
{{sister bar|wikt=y|auto=1}}
{{Walking}}
{{Orienteering}}
{{Adventure travel}}
{{Physical exercise}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Hiking| ]]
[[Category:Adventure travel]]
[[Category:Scoutcraft]]
[[Category:Tourist activities]]
[[Category:Walking]]