How to Start Solo Hiking

Should You Hike by Yourself?

I’ll be honest, there is no definitive answer to this question. Only you can determine whether or not you should hike alone. But, that’s why I wanted to write this, to share my experience, safety tips, and everything else you need to know about solo hiking. THEN you can take what you want from this and decide for yourself.

My Experience – Why I Started Hiking Solo

I used to go hiking almost every weekend with my mom. It was a fun little girl’s day tradition that we did every week together. Well, in April of 2022, we got a puppy. This might not seem like a crucial part of this story, but it’s when everything changes.

Since we now had a puppy, we couldn’t bring him with us to hike, since he was so little and slightly uncoordinated. We also couldn’t leave him in his crate for that long.

And so begins my solo adventures.

Your First Solo Hike – Things to Think About

When you’re thinking about which hike to do for your first solo one, there are a few factors you should consider.

1. People
2. Distance
3. Place

When it comes to #1, people, if you want there to be a lot of people that are also hiking, you should go on a weekend. Weekends are always busier than weekdays. You should also pick a more popular hike. If you’re like me, and you want to escape the world and be completely alone in the woods, you should pick a hike that isn’t as popular, and if you can, you should go on a weekday.

One of the best resources to find hiking trails, is the app, AllTrails.

Next is #2, distance. This is really important when you’re picking which hike to do. Make sure you pick a distance that is reasonable for you. Since this is your first hike by yourself, I recommend choosing a hike that is between 1-2 miles. Generally speaking, the shorter the trail, the more people there will be. BUT, that’s not always the case, which leads me to number three.

Lastly, we have #3, place. When I say place, what I mean is how far is this hike from where you live? For your first hike, I would recommend choosing a trail that is closer to your home. Also, look and see what’s in the surrounding area near the trailhead, are you near a town? Or is it more remote? Pick a hike that will make you feel the most comfortable. So, if it makes you feel better to know that there is a town close by, then choose that hike.

Safety Tips – What You Should Bring

We all know what a crazy world we live in, and I’m sure you’ve heard some horrible stories about people, specifically girls, alone in the woods. The reality is, that you’re safer in the woods than you are in a city. The chances of something bad happening to you on a hike are extremely rare, but it’s important to be prepared.

So, what should you equip yourself with when you go hiking?

• Food & Water

This might seem like a DUH thing to bring on a hike, but you would be surprised how often people are unprepared. Make sure you have lots of water! Food is important, yes, but if you run out of water, you can become dehydrated very quickly. I recommend bringing a large bottle of water, preferably one that is a thermos so it’ll keep your water cold. I always pack extra water in my car as well, so that when I get done hiking if I’m out of water, I have extra.

• Enough Clothing

Especially right now, as we’re in winter, it is SO important to make sure you have enough clothing to keep yourself warm. As you begin walking, your body will warm up, and you might need to shed the layers you had on. My rule of thumb is, I can always take layers off, but if I don’t have enough, I’ll just be cold.

• Protection

As I said, the odds of something bad happening to you while on a hike are extremely slim, BUT it’s important to be prepared for any scenario. Whether you want to bring a knife, tazer, firearm, pepper spray, or any other weapon of defense, that’s up to you to decide which one, or ones, to bring. I would recommend having something that you can use from a distance, like pepper spray, AND also having something you could use close up, like a knife or tazer. Also, make sure you know how to properly use whatever your protection is. The last thing you would want is to be in a situation where you needed it and didn’t know how to use it.

• First Aid/Compass/Map

This is something else that could be easily overlooked but is super important to have with you, just in case. Make sure you have a little First Aid kit, this could just be some Neosporin and a few bandaids in a ziplock bag, or something more extensive, it’s up to you to decide. A compass and map might also come in handy when out hiking. I don’t always have a physical map with me, but I always bring a compass. I typically figure out which direction the trailhead, and my car, is on the compass before I begin my hike, in case I get off trail and need to find my way back.

Safety Tips for the Trail

There are a few things that I always make sure I do when hiking solo, so let’s get into it.

1. Tell someone where you’re going.

This is really important for you to do before you go hiking, and I recommend you let someone know either the day before or the morning of. Don’t wait until you get to the trailhead because you might not have cell service by then. If you’re comfortable, you can also share your location, with Life360 or Find My iPhone, with people so that they can see where you are.

2. Be aware of your surroundings.

Again, this might seem like a given, but it’s very important that you stay aware of everything around you while you’re hiking. This isn’t just to ensure that no one is following you or acting weird, it’s also to make sure you aren’t being followed by an animal.

There are a few things I do when I get to the trailhead to make myself aware of my surroundings. The first thing I do is to observe how many other cars there are. I do this so I can have a rough estimate of how many other people are going to be out on the trail. Most of the hikes I do are more remote, so there are usually only a couple of other cars at the trailhead, if any.

If there is another person who is at the trailhead, perhaps standing around, packing their bag, etc., I wait in my car for them to leave before I get out. The trailhead is where I feel most exposed on a hike when it comes to other people, so it’s usually where I am most alert. Rather safe than sorry!

If you pass someone else while on the trail and they’re going the opposite way as you, check your shoulder! I always do this just to make sure that they have indeed continued walking.

3. Have easy access to your protection.

Whether it’s a knife strapped to your hip, pepper spray on your arm, or whatever other form of protection you have with you, make sure you can access it EASILY.

Protection isn’t just to keep you safe from other people, it also can come in handy if you run into an animal. Whatever it is that you’re carrying with you, it doesn’t need to be inside of your bag! Either have it strapped to the outside of your bag, your leg, hip, arm, or anywhere else that’s within reach.

4. Don’t do anything stupid.

Apologies for the bluntness, but seriously, don’t do anything stupid. This could be something as simple as climbing on some rocks near the edge of a cliff or swimming by yourself in a river that you can’t touch in, you get the idea. Have some common sense, and don’t put yourself in an unnecessary potentially harmful situation.

5. Listen to your gut.

Always trust your instincts! If something feels off to you, trust your gut. I went on a hike once that was supposed to be 8 miles, it turned into 10. I ended up going the 5 miles to the waterfall destination, then hiking back on a different, very short, trail back to the road. From there I walked on the road back to my car just because that hike spooked me a little. Now, was I in danger? Probably not. But the hike into the waterfall was super overgrown and unkempt and it made me uneasy. I trusted my gut. Trust yours too.

Remember to Have Fun!

Chances are, the whole reason why you want to hike by yourself in the first place is because you love nature and hiking, so make sure to enjoy yourself! Yes, safety is important, yes, you need to be aware, but also you need to have fun! Check out those gnarly mushrooms, take pictures of the beautiful scenery, make friends with the woodland creatures, or simply marvel at the beauty of nature! Hiking is such a gift, to be able to experience different landscapes and explore hidden treasures.

Get out there and hike!

Happy Trails 🙂