Wilderness Hiking 101: Everything You Need to Know

Quick Key Facts

• There are nearly 60 million hikers in the United States, according to a report by the Outdoor Foundation and the Outdoor Industry Association.
• America’s National Trails System extends more than 88,600 miles.
• It has 1,300 National Recreation Trails, 19 National Historic Trails and 11 National Scenic Trails. National Scenic Trails are considered long-distance footpaths of more than 100 miles.
• The Appalachian Trail (1921) and Pacific Crest Trail (1932) were the first National Scenic Trails in America.
• At approximately 2,190 miles, the Appalachian Trail is the longest hiking-only trail in the world.

What Is ‘Wilderness Hiking’?

Wilderness hiking is an escape from developed areas into the healing vastness of nature. On a trek through the forest you can expect to experience peace, wonder and awe — all of which are great for the body and mind.

Taking a backpack and venturing into the woods can be a long or short journey of varying levels of difficulty, depending on what you’re in the mood for and what your body is capable of. But don’t underestimate yourself. On a recent steep hike through the Oregon wilderness, I was surprised by a level of energy and endurance I didn’t feel when I started out. By the end of three days of hikes, I found myself bounding down the trail, filled with the kind of vivacity only a ramble through the woods can provide.

How to Prepare & Plan a Backpacking Journey

Supplies

While the image of your hike undoubtedly includes clear blue lakes and streams, magisterial trees and abundant wildlife, you’ll need to be prepared for the unforeseen. Any trip to the woods includes its challenges and risks. Packing essentials will give you peace of mind and the necessary supplies for any sticky situation that may arise.

A good way to estimate how long it will take to complete a hike is to use Naismith’s Rule. This convenient calculation advises an hour for every three miles and another hour for every 1,968.5 feet of ascent. Other considerations include the conditions on the day of your hike, the terrain and the endurance levels of all participating.

What to Wear

Choose your trail clothing according to the season. If there’s one word that applies to all hiking adventures it’s layers, layers, layers. This will include a base, midlayer, insulation and shell. Some items to consider adding to your pack — in addition to good hiking boots — include long underwear, a hoodie or fleece, a light jacket, a minimum of one pair of socks per day and lightweight shoes to wear around the campsite.

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You’ll want to adjust for temperature — warm and extra layers for colder hikes and lighter layers in hot weather. Always bring a warm hat and light gloves just in case, and if you’re hiking above the tree line — even in summer — pack or wear an insulated jacket.

Cotton is not recommended for hiking, as it traps moisture and takes a long time to dry when it gets wet, making your skin cold. Wool, silk, nylon, rayon and polyester are all moisture-wicking fabrics that pull sweat and moisture away from the skin to the outer surface so it can evaporate.

To avoid your clothes getting wet, try taking off layers before you get sweaty and slow down to reduce perspiration. Make sure to add shell layers before your clothes get saturated in rain or snow. Store essential layers in a separate waterproof bag in your pack to keep them dry.

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What to Bring

Water

You’ll want to not only bring water in your hard-sided or collapsible bottles, but what you’ll need to make additional safe drinking water if you run out or accidentally spill some. When you’re on a longer hike — especially one that involves multiple days — be sure to bring a filter or iodine tablets.

A good rule of thumb is to drink one liter of water every two hours. However, the amount of water you will need will depend on the outdoor temperature and your level of exertion.

Food

You will need plenty of fuel, so pack enough food for how long you plan to be on the trail, plus an extra full day’s worth that can be consumed without cooking.

The contents of the food in your backpack should include a combination of carbohydrates, proteins and fats that are convenient to eat consistently and easily during your hike. While proteins and fats burn more slowly and give us energy longer, carbohydrates provide quick energy that can be followed by a “crash” and tiredness. Depending on your companions, wanting to take a nap during the hike may or may not be acceptable.

Some good snacks to take on your wilderness hike include nuts, trail mix, protein bars, dehydrated fruits, cheese, crackers and chocolate.

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Cooking in the Woods

While cooking over a fire is a classic camping activity — and understandably tempting if you’re planning an overnight hike — with all the gear you’ll already be carrying, you may want to keep it simple.

Packing foods that are easy to prepare — like veggie hotdogs, pre-cut vegetables to be cooked in tinfoil and the classic campfire dessert: s’mores — are good options, as are sturdy fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots and juice.

If you do decide to cook over a camping stove or campfire, plan all the meals and snacks for your hike ahead of time. Consider opting for no-cook breakfasts and lunches like yogurt, granola and berries and cheese and crackers, and save dinnertime for a cooked meal.

Instead of bringing bread, think of carbs that won’t get squished as easily like tortillas or fajitas. If you decide to bring canned foods such as black or baked beans, don’t forget the can opener. And remember, every pan and utensil will need to be washed or rinsed, which is always a much more time-consuming process under a spigot than in your sink at home.

While cooking outdoors can be rewarding, the simpler you keep your meals while wilderness hiking and camping, the more time you will have to enjoy the scenery, friends and the stars.

Light

When you go hiking in the wilderness, even if it’s just a day trip, always come equipped with everything you would need to spend an unplanned night in the woods. If you’ve ever been camping, you know that includes a flashlight, headlamp and plenty of extra batteries stored in a waterproof container.

Test your illumination devices before heading out, and start your trek knowing that — even if the sun starts to go down — you’ll still be able to find your way in the dark.

Heat

Another essential if you find yourself spending a planned or surprise night in the forest is the equipment you’ll need to start a fire. Not only will it provide light and warmth, but also protection from certain wild animals — including squirrels, skunks, rats, coyotes and wolves — and the smoke can help repel some insects, like mosquitoes.

Pack a lighter, waterproof matches and candles, as well as kindling in the form of dry tinder like wood chips soaked in resin, petroleum jelly-soaked cotton balls, paper bags or dryer lint.

If you’re hiking somewhere where no firewood will be available, bringing a stove is a good idea. It will serve as a heat source in an emergency, as well as a source of water in snowy terrain.

Preventing Wildfires

Whenever you build a campfire, it’s imperative to be mindful of your surroundings and the conditions — are there any burn bans, safety warnings or regulations in effect?

There are certain conditions in which it is not advisable to start a fire in the woods, including conditions that are too windy or dry — especially if the area where you’ve chosen to hike or camp is experiencing a drought.

Other precautions to take so that your campfire doesn’t turn into a wildfire include putting fire rings in place; keeping the fire small; and building it on open, flat ground away from brush, leaves or logs. Be careful with any equipment that produces sparks, and keep it at least 10 to 25 feet clear of vegetation.

When you’re packing up to leave, make sure to put out your campfire completely, smothering it with dirt or saturating it with water until it’s no longer emitting any flames, embers or heat.

Navigation

While smartphones and GPS watches can come in handy where there is cellular reception, you definitely can’t count on them when you’re in the wilderness. Make sure to pack the essential navigation tools that helped many travelers before the invention of cell phones: an old-fashioned topographical map and compass. And familiarize yourself with how to use them before you leave the parking lot.

Studying your map before you head off can not only make your hike smoother, it can also make it more enjoyable. You’ll know ahead of time where inclines, potential rough spots, restrictions and water sources are located. You can also mark your map when you choose to go in a particular direction at a junction, along with what time you arrived to get a sense of the duration of specific sections of your hike.

Sunscreen

Protecting your skin from the elements includes wearing broad spectrum sunscreen, not only on your body during the warmer months, but on any exposed skin regardless of the weather.

Elevation gains mean more intense exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, which get stronger the higher you climb. Higher altitudes have thinner air that absorbs less UV radiation, meaning its intensity goes up by roughly 10 to 12 percent each 3,000 feet.

Sunglasses or goggles with polarized lenses and UV protection are useful for hiking, and can be particularly helpful with glare reflecting off snow and water.

First-Aid Kit

Whether it’s a three-hour day hike or a weeklong backcountry expedition, having an adequate first-aid kit is essential for any wilderness hiking adventure.

Being mindful of your surroundings, staying well-hydrated and wearing proper clothing can prevent many of the accidents, illnesses or injuries that can happen while out in the woods. But even with all the preventative measures in the world, accidents and injuries still happen.

Here are some recommendations for supplies to have with you in case you need to care for yourself or a hiking companion while on the trail. A premade first-aid kit is great, but you might want to supplement it with some of these as well:

• Aspirin to help prevent heart attacks and clotting
• Acetaminophen for pain relief
• Ibuprofen to act as an anti-inflammatory and reduce swelling
• Emergency whistle to call for help
• Bear whistle, in case you encounter one
• Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine
• Imodium anti-diarrhea medication
• Electrolyte powder for rehydration
• ACE bandages
• Band-aids
• Rollers of different-sized gauze
• Medical tape
• Alcohol prep pads
• Non-latex nitrile gloves
• Antibiotic ointment
• Feminine pads for absorption with major cuts or contusions
• Burn gel
• Trauma shears
• Tweezers
• Safety pins
• SAM splint
• A lighter and matches
• Compostable plastic bags to dispose of medical waste

Take the time to familiarize yourself with all the contents of your first-aid kit, and inform your hiking companions of the location of the kit and any personal medications you have with you.

Repair Kit

Before you set off into the wilds, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with your hiking gear. Evaluate each piece from the vantage point of what you will do if it breaks and whether or not you have the means and knowhow to fix it.

Some things you can bring to make repairs on the fly include: duct tape — the essential multipurpose adhesive — repair tape for patching tents and rain gear; a folding pocket knife with tools such as a screwdriver and pliers; a needle and thread; extra cloth; scissors; twine; extra batteries; safety pins; a paracord; and zip ties.

Emergency Shelter

Hiking in the wilderness can mean being miles from human development, so you need to be prepared to spend the night out in the elements in case you become stranded or injured.

In the unlikely event this happens, you’ll want to have the necessary equipment to stay warm and dry, including: an emergency space blanket, bivy sack, ultralight tarp, lightweight sleeping bag, inflatable or foam pad, three-season tent and a large trash bag.

How to Register

Before you go on your next wilderness hiking adventure, be sure to check what permits are required. 

There are different types of permits depending on which wilderness area you’re planning to visit. Some welcome visitors free of charge, some come with small fees and others require a lottery before you can apply. Areas of some parks operate using a quota system, allowing only a certain number of users or permits to enter at a time.

Most of the sites that the National Park Service manages are free, but some require users to purchase an entrance pass. Others — like Mt. Rainier National Park — ask visitors to obtain a backcountry or wilderness permit. Permits provide a method for regulating foot traffic in environments that are fragile and only able to handle a certain amount of use before they start to erode.

Sites that charge a fee to enter require the purchase of one of the following: a standard pass, an annual pass to a specific park or an America the Beautiful pass. An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance and day-use fees at lands that are managed by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army of Corps of Engineers.

Depending on what type of entrance fee is charged at a site, the pass covers either the fee for one private vehicle or four individual visitors.

For a few high-traffic national park sites, you may need a reservation. Reservations are usually made available here on a rolling basis.

Leave No Trace

Wilderness is for everyone: plants, animals and humans. But while we’re on the trail and before we return to civilization, it’s important to remember to be respectful of the natural world. Its pristine beauty was formed over millennia — before plastics, synthetic chemicals and billions of humans began to tip the balance of trash and toxins polluting the planet to an unsustainable degree.

Following the principles of “Leave No Trace” — a philosophy and set of guidelines to help keep the planet healthy and protect it from being overtrodden, polluted and degraded by humans — is useful when going on a hike into unspoiled wilderness.

There are seven basic principles of Leave No Trace — detailed here — all centered around the basic idea of minimizing your impacts while visiting the outdoors:

• Plan Ahead & Prepare
• Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
• Dispose of Waste Properly
• Leave What You Find
• Minimize Campfire Impacts
• Respect Wildlife
• Be Considerate of Others

These well-established principles are not fixed, but are continually being reevaluated and updated according to research and the most recent insights from land managers, biologists and other experts in outdoor education.

Places to Hike

Day Hikes

Some of the most spectacular hiking spots in the U.S. can be found within the country’s 63 national parks, which includes thousands of miles of trails. Here are three picturesque day hikes within the national park system.

Skyline Trail, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State

Washington State is full of wilderness hikes. It has three national parks — Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades — and more than 120 state parks.

If you want to start off with a strenuous hike with breathtaking views, the 6.2-mile Skyline Trail Loop will take about three to five hours and give you plenty of exercise.

On this stunning hike, which begins in the Paradise area of the park’s south slope, you will walk through evergreen forests, pass Myrtle Falls and climb the slopes of the mountain. Once you reach the aptly named Panorama Point, you will be treated to sweeping views of the park with Oregon’s Mt. Hood in the distance on a clear day.

Grinnell Glacier, Glacier National Park, Montana

Montana is one of the most rugged and unspoiled places in the U.S., and Glacier National Park is a testament to the state’s wild beauty.

The 10.6-mile trail to Grinnell Glacier will take you on an approximately five- to seven-hour trek through alpine wilderness dotted with wildflowers, lakes, waterfalls and the splendid Grinnell Glacier.

On your hike you may encounter a variety of wildlife, including mountain goats, bears and moose.

If this strenuous hike seems a little too long for you, it can be shortened by 3.4 miles by taking a scenic boat ride across Lake Josephine and Swiftcurrent Lake.

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Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

For a shorter, less difficult hike that will give you a taste of epic Bryce Canyon, the combined Queen’s Garden/Navajo Trail is an easy to moderate loop that takes about two to three hours to complete. This 2.75-mile hike will bring you into canyons, beneath arches, close to hoodoos and through ancient pine forests.

Longer Hikes

Appalachian National Scenic Trail

If you’re looking for an epic wilderness hike that will take you through many different landscapes and multiple states, the Appalachian Trail (AT) is a definite must. At approximately 2,190 miles, the AT is the longest hiking-only trail on Earth.

The AT brings wilderness hikers through 14 states along the valleys and peaks of the Appalachian Mountains — from Springer Mountain, Georgia, at the southern end of the range to the trail’s northernmost point at Katahdin, Maine.

Each year, more than three million visitors from around the world traverse the AT, with 3,000-plus of them attempting a “thru-hike” of the whole path in one year.

Along the footpath you will experience breathtaking summits like North Carolina’s Clingmans Dome — the highest point on the AT at 6,643 feet. You will encounter the lush forests and billowing waterfalls of the Tennessee stretch of the trail; the verdant greenery of Vermont’s share of the AT; and the vast backcountry of Maine with its valleys, lakes and rivers teeming with wildlife.

Inspired by forester and conservationist Benton MacKaye’s article An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning in 1921 and built by private citizens, the AT was completed in 1937. The scenic trail is part of the National Park System, managed through a public-private partnership by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, thousands of volunteers and many state agencies.

Hiking the legendary AT with a friend, partner or family member is an unforgettable experience that can create a unique bond with whomever you choose to share this ultimate wilderness hike.

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail System (PCT) Conference was founded in 1932 by Harvard graduate and Boy Scout Clinton C. Clarke, who was dedicated to preserving part of the Western U.S. for future generations. Clarke envisioned a trail along the mountain ranges of Washington, Oregon and California “traversing the best scenic areas and maintaining an absolute wilderness character.” 

PCT Conference founding members included Ansel Adams, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and the Boy Scouts. Clarke recommended linking existing trails in each state — the Cascade Crest Trail in Washington, Oregon’s Skyline Trail and the Tahoe-Yosemite and John Muir Trails in California — to create the PCT.

In October of 1968, the National Trail Systems Act — naming the AT and the PCT as the country’s first national scenic trails — was signed by President Lyndon Johnson.

Over the next quarter-century, the PCT Association, other trail organizations, land management agencies and countless volunteers constructed almost 1,000 miles of trail to create the PCT. In 1993, it was finished — a continuous path to be traversed on foot or horseback from Mexico to Canada.

There are five PCT regions: Southern, Central and Northern California; Oregon; and Washington. The varied topography of the PCT includes remote and mostly wild desert, forest, volcanic and alpine landscapes. The Oregon region of the PCT goes through Crater Lake National Park, with a spur tail leading to the rim of the ultra-clear, deep blue lake.

Many species of plants and wildlife can be seen along the PCT, including lizards, snakes, cougars, coyotes, deer, marmots, black bears, martens, badgers, mink, foxes, bobcats, red-tailed hawks, mountain chickadees, Steller’s jay, hummingbirds, nutcrackers, grouse, beaver, elk, grizzly bears, mountain goats and Canada lynx.

In the fall, migrating birds can often be seen flying south via the Pacific Coast flyway.

The terrain of the trail is made vibrant and colorful by its diverse array of vegetation, including red, noble, silver and Douglas fir trees; ponderosa and white bark pine; mountain hemlock; oak; chaparral; lupine; larkspur; paintbrush; gooseberry; corn lily; fireweed; Oregon grape; western larch; and a number of plants from Canada and Alaska, including Alaska grand fir and cedar.

Whether tackled alone or shared with friends and family, the rugged and sublime PCT is a magnificent tour of the best the West Coast landscape has to offer.

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Benefits of Wilderness Hiking

Hiking is one of the best and most enjoyable ways to get a great physical workout — it gets your heart rate up, exercises your muscles and joints and improves balance.

Research has shown that spending quality time in nature can reduce stress and improve mental health. Being amongst tall trees and dense, green foliage; feeling the warm sunshine — not to mention getting a healthy dose of vitamin D; hearing the sound of water moving through the woods; and being surrounded by the smell of leaves and soil have proven physical, mental and emotional benefits that can provide a sense of peace and wellbeing and boost your mood. In fact, being surrounded by trees, plants, water and soil is so healing, it can even be prescribed by a doctor.

So grab a human or furry friend, get out on the trail and immerse yourself in the restorative and energizing power of nature!

Takeaway

Whether you go solo or with a group, taking the time to go on a hike through the wilderness has the power to rejuvenate and inspire.

But before you set off on your next wilderness trek, be sure you have everything necessary to be comfortable, protected and well-nourished. And prepare for the unexpected — it can be the difference between an experience akin to Gentle Ben or The Blair Witch Project.