National Hiking Day

Posted on: November 18, 2025

Back in 2022 I set a goal for myself to pick a fun activity once a month so that I had something to look forward to each month. This life we live can be busy, stressful, monotonous, and tedious. We cook, clean, pay bills, care for others, sit in traffic… etc etc. Of course, there is joy laced throughout the responsibilities but raise your hand if you have found that months would go by before you did anything for yourself that challenged you or excited you. I decided that I wanted life to be filled with new experiences, so I had to go out of my way to plan activities, otherwise they wouldn’t happen. My time would easily get filled up with more adulting if I didn’t plan it. I wanted to play more and let’s be real, as an adult, we have to schedule play. 😊

This challenge to myself started with the rule that each month I had to pick something to do that I had either never done before or had not done in a long time. Ideas consisted of line dancing, seeing someone new in concert or a comedy act or a play, or going to a new type of exercise class or doing a hike I hadn’t done. This challenge forced me to plan fun outings with friends, but I started to run out of ideas, and I also didn’t want to overwhelm myself with spending too much money each month. The goal was to just get myself thinking outside the box and living life, not go broke doing it. 😊.

As I started to run out of ideas and couldn’t always find someone to join me, I decided to choose more hikes as my monthly activity because that was FREE and Washington has so many hikes to choose from. Before I knew it, I had done 4 or 5 different hikes, and I became hooked. I have always enjoyed being active, but I had never really dedicated much energy to hiking consistently. I began to schedule a hike each month. I fell in love with the trees. Go ahead and just call me a Tree Hugger 😊.

The limitation of hiking can sometimes be the weather, driving a long distance to the trail, or the challenge of coordinating schedules to get a buddy to join. These specific challenges forced me to grow in different ways. I had to teach myself to get out in the elements, to be brave to do things by myself even if it involved driving a distance from my house starting at 5 am. I was able to encourage my adolescent sons to join me a handful of times, guilting them by saying it wasn’t safe for me to go alone, so one or both would agree to join. My husband even joined me many times and my little hiking goal turned into dates with my spouse. Or we would all go, and it would double as physical activity and family time. I think even they were surprised how much they were enjoying it. Getting caught out in heavy rain a few times taught me how to better prepare and dress. And even when I couldn’t get a friend or family member to join me, I forced myself to go by myself. This was my biggest challenge of all. I had to build confidence in hiking by myself and this is when my greatest self-discoveries happened. The quiet time in the trees allowed me to reflect, consider, pray, and listen.

What started out as a challenge to experience more life, turned into a love of hiking. In 2022, I did 12 hikes. I doubled that in 2023 and 2024. So far in 2025, I am at 31 hikes. I’ve been able to share this activity with my family and instead of meeting a girlfriend for coffee, I just ask them to join me on a hike.

In my quest to see more trails, it has forced me to explore different parts of the state that I would not have otherwise driven to. It has also encouraged me to include hiking in family vacations. If we go to a different state, we look for a trail. Even better if the vacation is to visit a National Park full of beautiful trails.

The whole point of National Hiking Day is to promote outdoor activities and to encourage people to connect with nature. There are published medical studies that showcase the incredible stress reducing benefit of breathing fresh air and being in nature. Not only is hiking a beautiful way to be physically active, but it taps into other elements such as mental health benefits.

I share this story in hopes that it will encourage you to get out on a trail. Don’t let the weather stop you. Get a raincoat and waterproof shoes and you won’t melt. Don’t let being alone stop you. There are plenty of local public trails that are safe. If you are unsure, use resources like the AllTrails app or Washington Trails Association website to read trip reports of the kind of trail you will be doing. Of course, it is always more fun and safer to have a buddy with you, but it is also ok to get out in the trees on well known trails by yourself if you can’t find a partner.

Tips I have learned along the way:

No matter the trail, carry your ten essentials. It is my practice, especially since I often hike alone, to keep my essentials with me, even if it is a short hike. It is no bother to just keep your hiking bag always packed to grab. You can easily google what the 10 essentials are if you are curious what they are, but here are a few that I will highlight.
Navigation – I use the AllTrails app. For me, this is a worth it app to pay for because I get lost easily. The paid version allows you to download trail maps even when service is lost and gives you a step-by-step map to follow. It also gives you driving directions to the trail.

Layers – in Washington, we know it can get wet and cold. Temps tend to drop the higher elevation you climb, but you can also get easily warm while hiking so its best to keep a bag that you can put your layers in. Always be prepared for rain so waterproof layers are a must most months of the year. My hands frequently get cold, so I always keep two pairs of gloves in my pack.

Food. Havn’t you ever heard that a Peanut butter and jelly sandwich always tastes the best after a hike. 😊 I always have food with me on a hike. Feel free to meet with me for further guidance on proper nutrition for endurance activities.

Trail Etiquette – If you pack it in, pack it out!! Do not leave your trash. If you have your dog with you, make sure that you carry out your dog poop. Do not leave it in a bag on the trail. Stay on the trail. If there is a defined trail, stay on it. Deviating from the trail can cause damage to the environment, the ecosystem and even wildlife. This is very important, and I often see hikers not following this guideline so please abide by this. Let’s keep our trails beautiful and safe. Do not play loud music on a speaker that others can hear. Many people get out into nature to hear nature. People do not want to hear your loud music while out hiking.
Gear – Gear is part of the 10 essentials, but not all recommended gear is on the 10 essentials list, so here are a few extra items to consider. I also keep hiking poles in my pack. As someone with tender knees, it is never a bad idea to just have them. Sometimes I need them and sometimes I don’t, but I always have them. I recommend having hiking shoes. I cannot tell you how many times I have walked past people on legit challenging hiking trails who are walking in bougie Nike stylish shoes, crocs, or flats. Even a groomed trail might have tree roots sticking up, rocks, or get muddy from the rain. It is so helpful to just have some hiking boots reserved for this activity. I always bring an extra pair of easy shoes in the car though to drive home so I can get my boots off after the hike.
Safety – keep bear spray, bug spray, and/or mace in your pack. Read trip reports before going. Know the area you are going to. While there are many safe public trails, there are also some that I would not advise going alone on. Don’t keep valuables in your car. Break ins are not uncommon to happen on trail parking lots.
Don’t let your pride get in the way of what a “Hike” is. In my book, a trail in the trees counts as a hike. And if all you got time for is a local 2-mile trail, I give you permission to call it a hike and don’t think it’s not good enough. Sometimes you’ll make it to the big bad trail in the mountains, but other times, you’ll explore the trails in the next town over and that is great too. 😊
Of course, Water!!!