If you turn your nose up at the idea of vacationing in places where you have to hike, I completely understand. I used to be you. When I was 30 years old, my mom forced me to go to Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula where we would be hiking 3-5 miles a day. My first thought was “Ugh! A vacation where I have to exercise!?” Much to my surprise, I fell in love with hiking after that trip. It is my hope after reading this I will have convinced you to go on a hiking vacation, so you can fall in love with hiking too!
Hiking is Just a Scary Word for Walking
When you look up “hiking” in the Webster dictionary, it is literally defined as “a long walk especially for pleasure or exercise.” Therefore, hiking is nothing more than walking in nature. Usually when you see pictures of hikers, you see uber fit people carrying overnight packs. You just know these people have been backpacking and camping for days. That is what I used to think of hiking, but I now I know better. Hikes come in all shapes and sizes. Hiking trails can be easy, moderate, or strenuous difficulty levels and can range from less than a mile to more than 20 miles. Make sure to do a little research before you take off on a hiking trail. Visit AllTrails.com for information on trail length, difficulty level, and elevation change. On this site, people also comment on current trail conditions which is helpful.
You Can Do It!
Now you are thinking, “Ok, I get it, hiking is walking. But I can’t walk that much in a day.” I am here to tell you that is false. Did you know the average person walks 11 miles a day at Disney World? If you can walk 11 miles while dragging kids around and standing on your feet for hours while waiting in line for rides, then you can go on a hiking vacation. When I visited San Francisco, I walked 15 miles per day. And I never tracked it, but I would guess I walked just as much when visiting New York City and Chicago.
Like I mentioned earlier, on my first hiking vacation in Washington, I hiked 3-5 miles per day. Now that I know what to expect (and am in a little better shape than I was when I was 30 years old), I plan on hiking 10-12 miles per day. It is unusual for me to hike 10-12 miles in one big hike. My day is usually broken up into smaller 1-5 mile hikes where I can take breaks in between. Your body is capable of more than you give it credit for.
Eat Whatever You Want on a Hiking Vacation
One of the benefits of hiking vacations is how many calories you burn. The average person burns 450-550 calories per hour of hiking. A normal person might view this as a great opportunity to lose weight and get in shape. But I look at it as an excuse to eat more! By my calculations, if I hike 10 miles at 30 minutes per mile, then that is 5 hours of hiking. This equates to 2,500 extra calories burned per day. Whoa! When I hiked the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, I ate a huge buffet breakfast, sandwich and chips for lunch, a massive hamburger and fries for dinner, and snacks between meals every day, and I still lost a few pounds!
The Best Views are Off the Beaten Path
Mother Nature is amazing and much more impressive than man-built cities in my opinion. Some of the greatest sights nature has to offer cannot be seen from the side of the road or from a parking lot. My favorite waterfalls and scenic views, I had to hike to. Because it takes a little bit of work to get to, these magnificent places are less crowded than roadside attractions like Old Faithful in Yellowstone or Multnomah Falls in Oregon.
A Hiking Vacation is Cheap
Another reason you should go on a hiking vacation is that it is relatively inexpensive. You will still have to pay for transportation, accommodations, and food as you would for any other vacation. However, you can optimize your spending by camping and not eating out. I am not a big fan of camping unless it involves an RV or some sort of glamping situation, so I usually opt for a hotel with a complimentary breakfast. We also stop at a grocery store at the beginning of the trip to buy drinks, snacks, and sandwich stuff. I bring my RTIC Soft Side Cooler when I go on a hiking vacation and keep in the vehicle to keep food and drinks cool. Sandwiches are my go-to lunch because I usually find myself in the middle of nowhere when it is time to eat.
The only other fees you will need to be aware of are entry fees for national or state parks or wherever you will be doing your hiking. These fees are usually minimal. The most expensive entry fee for the U.S. National Parks is $35 per vehicle and lasts up to a week. Depending on how often you plan on visiting U.S. National Parks, you may want to consider purchasing an America the Beautiful park pass, which includes unlimited entry into all U.S. National Parks and is good for a year. Also, if you have a 4th grader in your household, you can get a family pass to the national parks that is good for a year. Find out more about that benefit here.
Hiking Clothes are Super Comfortable
Imagine going on a vacation where you wear nothing but stretchy pants or shorts, loose-fitting tops, and tennis shoes. Uh, yes, please! Unless you plan on adding activities other than hiking on your vacation, there is no reason to pack anything but comfortable workout clothes (whatever that means to you). Most areas that pride themselves on their great outdoors, such as Glacier National Park in Montana, are used to visitors wearing workout gear everywhere they go. If you choose to go to dinner in what you have been hiking in all day, no problem! You want to go souvenir shopping in your spandex? Go for it!
A Hiking Vacation is a Family Affair
This is an activity that is not just for the adults. Go on a hiking vacation with your kids, too! About half the hiking vacations I have been on were with my niece and nephew. At 5 years old, my nephew hiked the Skyline Trail/Panorama Point trail, which is a 5.4-mile loop up Mount Rainier with a 1,700-feet elevation gain. He was a champ! Other than Disney World or beach vacation, these kids mainly go on hiking vacations, and they love it. I did see a recommendation online that said kids can hike 0.5 miles a day per year of age. My niece and nephew are capable of walking 1.0 mile a day per year of age, though. So keep in mind that every child is different and know your child’s capabilities.
Fall in Love with Hiking
So you have faced your fear and planned your first hiking vacation, you will thank me! After you have completed your first hike and seen your first hidden waterfall or secluded beach or secret cave or concealed lake or whatever you decide to hike to, you will have such a feeling of accomplishment. You will become addicted! I can sense you rolling your eyes at me, but I will be telling you ‘I told you so.’
For beginner hikers, I have two itineraries I think are perfect. One is a week in Washington State, and the other is 3 days in Oregon. Both states have relatively cool weather, so you will not get overheated while hiking. Both itineraries have several short hikes with big rewards! Check them out!
