National Trails Day was June 3 in the United States.
LawnStarter ranked 2023’s Best Hiking Cities in the U.S. by comparing the 200 biggest cities based on five categories. Considered was hiking trail access and quality, climate and safety among 15 key indicators of hiker friendliness.
Portland, Oregon is the best city for hiking, followed by Phoenix, Ariz., Los Angeles, Honolulu and Tucson. This is the second year in a row that Portland was No. 1 in the company’s survey.
The worst cities are Jersey City, New Jersey, Pasadena, Texas, Paterson, New Jersey, Baton Rouge and Mobile, Ala.
Newport News, Virginia made the survey for the No. 3 city with a highest average consumer rating for hiking trails, behind McKinney, Texas and San Francisco.
Alexandria, Va. is No. 4 for lowest natural hazard risk. No. 1 is Macon, Ga., followed by Columbus, Ga. and Des Moines, Iowa.
The most challenging trails are in Greater Los Angeles. The highest environmental death rate is registered in North Las Vegas where hikers must contend with extreme heat, rattlesnakes and slippery rocks.
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Rebecca Barnabi
