Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
When someone tells you to take a hike, where are the best places to go?
To mark National Trails Day on June 3, LawnStarter ranked 2023’s Best Hiking Cities in the U.S.
We compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on five categories. We factored in hiking trail access and quality, climate, and safety, among 15 key indicators of hiker-friendliness.
To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology at the end.
1. Portland, OR
- Overall Score: 59.18
- Hiking Access Rank: 4
- Hiking Quality Rank: 11
- Supplies Access Rank: 5
- Climate Rank: 37
- Safety Rank: 119
2. Phoenix, AZ
- Overall Score: 57.93
- Hiking Access Rank: 1
- Hiking Quality Rank: 1
- Supplies Access Rank: 15
- Climate Rank: 117
- Safety Rank: 187
3. Los Angeles, CA
- Overall Score: 57.66
- Hiking Access Rank: 11
- Hiking Quality Rank: 5
- Supplies Access Rank: 4
- Climate Rank: 33
- Safety Rank: 83
4. Honolulu, HI
- Overall Score: 57.03
- Hiking Access Rank: 25
- Hiking Quality Rank: 8
- Supplies Access Rank: 17
- Climate Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 36
5. Tucson, AZ
- Overall Score: 56.94
- Hiking Access Rank: 2
- Hiking Quality Rank: 2
- Supplies Access Rank: 29
- Climate Rank: 40
- Safety Rank: 157
6. San Diego, CA
- Overall Score: 56.55
- Hiking Access Rank: 12
- Hiking Quality Rank: 25
- Supplies Access Rank: 8
- Climate Rank: 3
- Safety Rank: 85
7. Oakland, CA
- Overall Score: 55.64
- Hiking Access Rank: 7
- Hiking Quality Rank: 6
- Supplies Access Rank: 153
- Climate Rank: 9
- Safety Rank: 111
8. Salt Lake City, UT
- Overall Score: 55.54
- Hiking Access Rank: 5
- Hiking Quality Rank: 9
- Supplies Access Rank: 7
- Climate Rank: 71
- Safety Rank: 139
9. Colorado Springs, CO
- Overall Score: 55.47
- Hiking Access Rank: 3
- Hiking Quality Rank: 4
- Supplies Access Rank: 12
- Climate Rank: 63
- Safety Rank: 169
10. Boise, ID
- Overall Score: 54.17
- Hiking Access Rank: 6
- Hiking Quality Rank: 12
- Supplies Access Rank: 35
- Climate Rank: 42
- Safety Rank: 16
11. San Francisco, CA
- Overall Score: 51.84
- Hiking Access Rank: 33
- Hiking Quality Rank: 13
- Supplies Access Rank: 12
- Climate Rank: 9
- Safety Rank: 118
12. San Jose, CA
- Overall Score: 50.88
- Hiking Access Rank: 17
- Hiking Quality Rank: 15
- Supplies Access Rank: 77
- Climate Rank: 9
- Safety Rank: 101
13. Escondido, CA
- Overall Score: 50.56
- Hiking Access Rank: 18
- Hiking Quality Rank: 23
- Supplies Access Rank: 125
- Climate Rank: 3
- Safety Rank: 77
14. Santa Rosa, CA
- Overall Score: 49.53
- Hiking Access Rank: 26
- Hiking Quality Rank: 22
- Supplies Access Rank: 103
- Climate Rank: 1
- Safety Rank: 192
15. Albuquerque, NM
- Overall Score: 48.71
- Hiking Access Rank: 10
- Hiking Quality Rank: 20
- Supplies Access Rank: 26
- Climate Rank: 48
- Safety Rank: 110
Methodology
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best Cities for Hiking. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into five categories: Hiking Access, Hiking Quality, Supplies Access, Climate, and Safety. Here are the categories:
- Number of Hiking Routes
- Number of Camping Sites Within 50 Miles
- Number of Top-Rated Hiking Trails
- Average Consumer Rating for Hiking Trails
- Average Number of Reviews per Hiking Trail
- Share of “Moderately Difficult” and “Hard” Hiking Trails
- Number of Outdoor Gear Stores
- Historical Annual Average Number of Extremely Cold Days
- Historical Annual Average Number of Extremely Hot Days
- Historical Monthly Average Percentage of Sunshine
- Historical Monthly Average Inches of Precipitation
- Median Air Quality Index
- Natural Hazards Index
- Natural/Environmental Death Rate
- Crime Index
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1).
