Find the best hiking trails

Hiking is an amazing excuse to get outside, get exercise and get recharged. After spending a lot of time during the week indoors and on computers, it’s a great way to take a break and get a breath of fresh air. P.S. This page may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more information.

I definitely have favorites when it comes to hiking, but one thing I love to do is find new hikes – whether I’m on vacation or in my hometown. Here are a few great ways you can find new spots to hike too!

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use apps

Apps like AllTrails help you search for hikes. On AllTrails you can search trails based on your location, and they all have ratings so you can see what people like or dislike about the hikes. Each hike is also labeled by level: hard, moderate, easy. There’s a community section where you can share hikes you’ve been on with friends. And there’s a tab where you can save your favorite hikes.

Check social media

I have stumbled upon a number of great spots just by searching on social media. I subscribe to and follow a lot of outdoor groups and people who like to travel and explore. On Instagram, it’s also easy to come across new spots because people tag locations. If someone tags a location it appears above the photo and below the user’s name. You can also open the app and click the search icon at the bottom of the app. Try searching phrases like ‘hiking Los Angeles.’ Look at hashtags or groups that focus on hiking. Or you can tap ‘Places’ to filter your search to locations in the area that the app recommends.

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Read magazines

I’ve found some of my favorite hiking spots on magazine sites. Los Angeles magazine wrote about the Silver Lake stairs. Check out the video I made about it:

Search for spots

I am on a hike called the Wisdom Tree in the main picture above. It’s an advanced, cool and somewhat hidden hike in Los Angeles. By hidden, I mean you have to know where to go (it’s not so obvious) to find where the trail begins. I found it a few years ago just searching for hikes in L.A. I forget how I found it, but I came across it on Google, Yelp or a blog.

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Ask around

Post on social media asking friends for suggestions – or find blogs like this one and leave a comment if you are in search of recommendations (yes, I am encouraging you to leave a comment below!).