Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
Take a hike — seriously. Not only is it good to bask in the sun, but hiking will also help you clear your mind and steal some time back from the screens.
But where are the best places to slow down and take the scenic route?
LawnStarter ranked 2022’s Best Cities for Hiking by looking at 13 hiker-friendly factors, ranging from hiking access and quality to trail difficulty to natural hazards. Here are the top cities for hiking.
1. Portland, OR
Overall Score: 68.37
Hiking Access Rank: 5
Hiking Quality Rank: 49
Supplies Access Rank: 1
Climate Rank: 45
Safety Rank: 29
2. Tucson, AZ
Overall Score: 67.6
Hiking Access Rank: 2
Hiking Quality Rank: 30
Supplies Access Rank: 30
Climate Rank: 60
Safety Rank: 97
3. Phoenix, AZ
Overall Score: 67.25
Hiking Access Rank: 1
Hiking Quality Rank: 8
Supplies Access Rank: 18
Climate Rank: 184
Safety Rank: 171
4. Colorado Springs, CO
Overall Score: 67.01
Hiking Access Rank: 3
Hiking Quality Rank: 36
Supplies Access Rank: 9
Climate Rank: 69
Safety Rank: 69
5. Oakland, CA
Overall Score: 66.01
Hiking Access Rank: 7
Hiking Quality Rank: 12
Supplies Access Rank: 115
Climate Rank: 9
Safety Rank: 87
6. Salt Lake City, UT
Overall Score: 64.57
Hiking Access Rank: 4
Hiking Quality Rank: 19
Supplies Access Rank: 11
Climate Rank: 85
Safety Rank: 173
7. Los Angeles, CA
Overall Score: 63.24
Hiking Access Rank: 10
Hiking Quality Rank: 14
Supplies Access Rank: 25
Climate Rank: 30
Safety Rank: 152
8. Boise, ID
Overall Score: 63.05
Hiking Access Rank: 8
Hiking Quality Rank: 17
Supplies Access Rank: 21
Climate Rank: 62
Safety Rank: 43
9. Las Vegas, NV
Overall Score: 62
Hiking Access Rank: 6
Hiking Quality Rank: 20
Supplies Access Rank: 8
Climate Rank: 49
Safety Rank: 166
10. San Diego, CA
Overall Score: 61.46
Hiking Access Rank: 13
Hiking Quality Rank: 43
Supplies Access Rank: 4
Climate Rank: 5
Safety Rank: 81
11. Santa Rosa, CA
Overall Score: 60.3
Hiking Access Rank: 28
Hiking Quality Rank: 6
Supplies Access Rank: 71
Climate Rank: 1
Safety Rank: 184
12. San Francisco, CA
Overall Score: 60.18
Hiking Access Rank: 31
Hiking Quality Rank: 29
Supplies Access Rank: 5
Climate Rank: 9
Safety Rank: 11
13. San Jose, CA
Overall Score: 59.06
Hiking Access Rank: 17
Hiking Quality Rank: 25
Supplies Access Rank: 44
Climate Rank: 9
Safety Rank: 110
14. Honolulu, HI
Overall Score: 58.91
Hiking Access Rank: 25
Hiking Quality Rank: 26
Supplies Access Rank: 13
Climate Rank: 2
Safety Rank: 197
15. Escondido, CA
Overall Score: 57.69
Hiking Access Rank: 18
Hiking Quality Rank: 34
Supplies Access Rank: 136
Climate Rank: 5
Safety Rank: 81
Methodology
We ranked the 200 biggest U.S. cities from best (No. 1) to worst (No. 200) for hiking based on their overall scores (out of 100 possible points), averaged across all of the weighted metrics listed below.
- Number of Hiking Routes
- Number of Camping Sites
- Average Consumer Rating for Hiking Trails
- 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
Sources: AllTrails, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NeighborhoodScout, ReserveAmerica.com, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Yelp
Disclosure: The information you read here is always objective. However, we sometimes receive compensation when you click links within our stories.
