Fun Freetime: Best Cities for Hiking

 

Take a hike – seriously. Not only is it good to bask in the sun, but hiking will also help you clear your mind and steal some time back from the screen. But where are the best places to slow down and take the scenic route?  LawnStarter ranked 2022’s Best Cities for Hiking to mark National Trails Day, on June 4. They looked at 13 hiker-friendly factors, ranging from hiking access and quality to trail difficulty to natural hazards index. See which cities reached the summit of their list (and those where hikers should stay at base camp) below, followed by some highlights and lowlights.

Take a Hike in These Cities Rank City 1 Portland, OR 2 Tucson, AZ 3 Phoenix, AZ 4 Long Beach, CA 5 Minneapolis, MN Stay Indoors in These Cities Rank City 1 Torrance, CA 2 Boise, ID 3 Hollywood, FL 4 Wichita, KS 5 St. Petersburg, FL

Key Takeaways: Keep Portland Wild: There are many offbeat trails where you can stroll and smell the roses in Portland, our No. 1 hiking destination. Rose City climbed to the top, thanks to abundant hiking supply shops and rugged routes to explore.  Hikers have plenty of terrain to cover in Portland, which is home to the Tualatin Mountains, Boring Lava Field, and Willamette and Columbia rivers. On a clear day, you could even see four neighboring mountains, such as Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens.  Golden Peaks: From the Sierra Nevada to the Sonoran Desert to the Great Basin Ranges, California is one of our most geologically diverse states. It’s no wonder why Cali cities make up nearly half of the top 50 Best Cities for Hiking.  Some Golden State cities even waltzed into the top 10, owing to great access to hiking supplies and quality trails to roam. Torrance, however, tripped to the bottom (No. 200). This LA suburb fared poorly across the board, with fewer hiking spots and colder weather compared with its neighbors.  Climbing Through Southwest Canyons: Brave the heat in Arizona, where Tucson (No. 2) and Phoenix (No. 3) dominate the charts in Hiking Access and also fare well in Hiking Quality and Supplies Access. The Valley of the Sun has a particularly challenging Climate (No. 184), so pack extra water before trekking through.  Go cowboy camping after wandering through the canyons of Las Vegas (No. 9), Albuquerque, New Mexico (No. 17), or El Paso, Texas (No. 18). Sin City and Burque have plenty of highly-rated routes to roam, while El Paso got a boost from Safety (No. 6).  The full ranking and analysis can be found here: https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-for-hiking/   More from LawnStarter:  Best Biking Cities in the U.S. Best States to Live Off the Grid Best Cities to Walk Your Dog Best Cities for Naked Gardening Best Cities for Urban Gardening Best Cities to Get Stoned Best Cities for Brunch Lovers