While in some parts of the country winter seems to be reluctant to give up its grip (I note that it’s 27 degrees in Chicago this morning, with a wind chill of 21 — ouch!), elsewhere as the days grow longer and warmer, folks eagerly seek outdoor pursuits. Research firm Nielsen recently released data showing that hiking has grown in popularity across the United States over the past 10 years. It also ranked the 75 largest metro areas in the U.S., indicating the percent of the adult population in each city who say they have hiked in the past year.

The “most hiked” populations, from 1 through 5, are these: Salt Lake City (42.8% of citizens over 18 have hiked in the past 12 months); Portland, Ore. (41%); Seattle (40.7%); Denver (37.4%); and San Francisco (33.6%). Looking at the proximity of these cities to hikable landscapes and trails, those results aren’t too hard to predict. Neither are those on the bottom of the scale. The bottom five cities (lowest percentages of population who hiked in the last year): Miami (3.8%), New Orleans (6.2%), Fort Lauderdale (7.1%), Detroit (7.6%) and West Palm Beach (8.9%). Certainly for four of those five, heat, humidity and bugs might play a role in the low turnout of hikers!

Seattle Times columnist Gene Balk (“the FYI Guy”) took a closer look at the Nielsen figures. In 2008 less than 25 percent of the adult population in Seattle said they’d hiked that year. In 2017 the number of hikers had doubled, with the number of hikers increasing seven times faster than the population overall. Across the country, it would seem that millennials are driving the increase. Nielsen notes the rate of participation in 2008 of adults ages 35–49 notched the highest participation rate. The rate of participation of 18- to 34-year-olds doubled from 15 percent in 2008 to 30 percent in 2017.

While it is true that Seattle has seen an influx in young people over the past decade, Balk speculates that Instagram may be helping to drive the increased popularity of hiking. He notes that Nielsen figures also indicate that people who hike are 43 percent more likely than the average to have used Instagram in the last 30 days. Who doesn’t like to show off those pristine vistas (and their fit bodies and great tans) on their Instagram feeds? I don’t have an Instagram account, but I certainly like to share my adventures on Facebook. (I know, I’m showing my age.) 

Other forces at play: Some point to the popularity of Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 book, Wild, her memoir of her  trek of the Pacific Crest Trail, and the subsequent movie as driving an interest in hiking. Others note that time in the outdoors provides an outlet for de-stressing in our fast-paced and high-pressure world. Whatever the forces driving the trend, it has proved a boon for the outdoor recreation industry and for the rural communities that serve as gateways to popular parks and trails.

Whatever your age and motivation, consider pulling on some sturdy shoes and hitting the trails, wherever you may find yourself in the coming months.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor