3 Expert Hiking Tips for Beginners for an Enjoyable Experience

Hiking trails can feel intimidating for anyone who has never hiked before. But with practice, you can easily make this activity a hobby. However, even though it might seem as though you just need to walk, some tips can help you make the most of your journey.

Top Hiking Tips for Beginners

Before heading out on those trails, prepare yourself using our hiking guide for beginners:

1.      Wear Appropriate Hiking Gear

As a beginner who will tackle easy trails, you don't need special hiking gear to make the experience enjoyable. You can probably use what you already have. Let's start with your clothes. Rather than wearing jeans and regular clothes, which can start to feel heavy and chafe when you sweat, wear long pants or tights and loose shirts.

These won’t impede air circulation and will also protect you from getting scrapes from bushes along the trail. You can also roll up the sleeves of your long sleeve shirt if it gets hot.

Also, invest in a good pair of trail runners or hiking boots if they are well-worn. Before your hike, walk about in a new pair so you can expand it to accommodate your feet. Otherwise, you may get blisters.

2.      Bring Sufficient Water and Food

Most trails don't have stops or small shops where you can get snacks and water, so make sure you take plenty with you. Even experienced hikers turn back if they run out of water – dehydration is no joke! And food will give you the energy to keep going and complete the trail.

Eat and drink a little at a time, even if you feel like chugging and gorging yourself. It will give you just enough drive and energy to keep going without slowing down, and you won't run out.

Keep energizing snacks such as dates, nuts, seeds, bananas, energy bars and other energy-boosting food you can carry and whip out easily while walking or during stops.

3.      Leave No Trace

This is a rule that every hiker, beginner and experienced, is sworn to do. Leave no trace of your hike behind on the trail. We are responsible for preserving the natural spaces we explore, including wildlife. It is also how we pay our respects to fellow hikers.

So familiarize yourself with these rules before you head out:

●        Travel and camp on durable surfaces. Let others who come behind you find it in the same state.

●        Reduce campfire impact. Remove all traces before you continue your hike.

●        Respect all wildlife. Take pictures from a distance, and do not engage!

●        Be considerate of others on the trail. Don’t leave trash behind for them to pick up.

●        Dispose of trash responsibly. Take a trash bag with you and empty it back at your cabin.

●        Leave what you find. Let other visitors have the same experience you do by leaving pit stops and wild areas exactly as you found them.

If you aren’t a camping enthusiast and prefer the luxuries of home in the great outdoors, rent a fully-furnished cabin instead.

Book a Furnished and Comfortable Cabin at Rim Hideaway

Sitgreaves National Forest has hundreds of hiking trails for beginners and experienced hikers. From a smooth path through a lush forest to challenging treks that can take you to awe-inspiring summits, you are sure to enjoy them all. Book one of the comfy, furnished and gorgeous rental cabins at Rustic Rim Hideaway, just 10 minutes away from the forest and its picturesque trails.