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Essay on Hiking | Hiking Essay for Students and Children in English

February 12, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Hiking – Journey On Foot – Given below is a Long and Short Essay on Hiking of competitive exams, kids and students belonging to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The my first hiking experience essay 100, 150, 200, 250, 500 words in English helps the students with their class assignments, comprehension tasks, and even for competitive examinations.

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Long Essay on Hiking 500 Words for Kids and Students in English

The word ‘hiking’ means a “journey on foot.” So, hiking means to walk or to tramp. And such walkers and trampers are found everywhere in the world. Some men are extraordinarily great hikers. Their main interest is hiking. They climb up the hills and mountains, walk along the banks of a river and tramp through the fields. There are many places for hiking. But the question arises-what are the benefits of hiking? Has hiking got any merit? Is it a good physical exercise?

First of all, hiking is a kind of physical exercise. While walking, the various limbs of our body move. Our legs, arms and other parts of the body are in motion. Therefore, it provides good physical exercise that keeps us physically fit.

Hiking through the countryside gives us a feeling of being independent. There is independence of the mind as well. We are away from the noise and din of the city life. While walking through a countryside, which is very calm and quiet, we feel at peace. We walk as we wish. No discipline and etiquette are required to be observed. We can chat and gossip freely and for a long period of time. Moreover, while hiking, we can give a free vent to our emotions and feelings. Our suppressed thoughts can be expressed during our hiking tours.

The third advantage of hiking is that we take in plenty of fresh air. The pure air of the gardens and hills, the open places and meadows are loaded with the sweet fragrance of the flowers and are without any dirt or dust. The cool and clear breeze revitalises our life and limbs.

Another merit which walking tours provide us, is that we can enjoy the scenes, sights and sounds of nature. We can see nature in various moods and colours. We can hear the gurgling of the brooks, the splash of the waterfalls, see the lush green meadows and pastures and gaze at the bewitching mountains and hilltops, covered with densely grown trees and plants. The lively beauty of nature thrills us. Indeed, fervour and zest are inducted into our life.

Hiking enables us to feel fresh, healthy and sturdy. ! Hiking is a medicine for some patients while it is a good exercise for most of us. After walking through the countryside, one builds up an appetite and thus enjoys a hearty meal. Hiking wards off dullness and boredom from life. It drives away the blues.

While on a hiking trip, one enjoys all the beauties and bounties of nature. The entire nature clothed in green, is enjoyed by us to our heart’s content. Nature ! appears before us as a great teacher, healer and consoler. It gives us a moral lesson , “And this our life, exempt from public haunts, finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks, sermons in stones and good in everything.”

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Essay on Hiking Experience

Students are often asked to write an essay on Hiking Experience in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Hiking Experience

Introduction.

Hiking is a fun outdoor activity. It is walking in nature, usually on trails in the mountains or forest. People hike to enjoy the beauty of nature and to get exercise. It is also a chance to spend time with friends or family.

Preparation

Before you go hiking, you need to prepare. First, choose a trail that is right for your fitness level. Next, pack a bag with water, snacks, a map, and a first aid kit. Don’t forget to wear good shoes and clothing suitable for the weather.

During the hike, you will walk on a path that goes up and down hills. You might see animals, plants, and beautiful views. It can be hard work, but it’s also very rewarding. Remember to take breaks and enjoy the scenery.

Hiking is good for your health. It makes your heart and muscles stronger. It also helps you feel relaxed and happy. Plus, you learn about nature and the world around you.

250 Words Essay on Hiking Experience

Hiking is a fun and healthy outdoor activity. It means walking in nature, often on paths or trails in the countryside. People of all ages can enjoy it. It’s not just good for our bodies, but also for our minds.

The Journey Begins

A hiking trip starts with planning. This includes picking a trail, packing the right gear, and checking the weather. It’s important to wear comfortable shoes and bring enough food and water.

The Hiking Trail

Once on the trail, hikers can see many beautiful things. They might walk through forests, climb hills, or cross streams. They can see wild animals, birds, and all kinds of plants. Hiking is a great way to explore and learn about nature.

The Joy of Hiking

Hiking is not just about reaching the end of the trail. It’s about enjoying the journey. Hikers can stop to rest, eat, or just look around. They can take pictures or draw what they see. They can listen to the sounds of nature or enjoy the quiet.

The Benefits of Hiking

Hiking is good for our health. It helps us stay fit and strong. It also helps us feel happy and relaxed. It can be a fun way to spend time with family or friends. And it can teach us to love and respect nature.

500 Words Essay on Hiking Experience

Introduction to hiking.

Hiking is like a long walk in nature. It can be in forests, mountains, or other wild places. It is a fun activity that many people enjoy. It is good for both the body and the mind. This essay will talk about the experience of hiking.

Preparation for Hiking

Before you go hiking, you need to prepare. You need to have good shoes so your feet don’t hurt. You also need a map so you don’t get lost. It’s also a good idea to bring water and snacks. If you are going for a long time, you might also need a tent and a sleeping bag.

When you start your hike, you might feel excited. The air is fresh and the sun is shining. You can hear the birds singing and the leaves rustling in the wind. As you walk, you might see animals like squirrels or deer. You might also see beautiful flowers and trees.

The Challenges of Hiking

Hiking can be hard. You might have to climb steep hills or walk for many hours. Sometimes, the weather can change and it can start to rain. You might also get tired and feel like you want to stop. But these challenges make the hike more interesting. They make you feel strong when you overcome them.

The Joy of Reaching the Top

The best part of hiking is when you reach the top of a hill or mountain. You feel very happy and proud. You can see the whole world below you. It is a beautiful sight. You can also rest and have a picnic. It is a great time to take pictures and remember the journey.

Returning Home

Hiking is a wonderful experience. It is a chance to enjoy nature and challenge yourself. It is also a chance to make memories and have fun. So, if you have a chance to go hiking, you should take it. It will be an adventure you will never forget.

So, this is the experience of hiking. It might be hard, but it is also rewarding. It is a great way to spend time in nature and get exercise. And the best part is, anyone can do it. You just need to be prepared and have a sense of adventure.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Five Ways Hiking Is Good for You

I’m a hiker—“born to hike,” as my husband likes to joke. It does my heart and soul good to strap on a pack and head out on a trail, especially when I’m alone and can let my mind wander where it will.

The experience of hiking is unique, research suggests, conveying benefits beyond what you receive from typical exercise. Not only does it oxygenate your heart, it helps keep your mind sharper, your body calmer, your creativity more alive, and your relationships happier. And, if you’re like me and happen to live in a place where nearby woods allow for hiking among trees, all the better: Evidence suggests that being around trees may provide extra benefits, perhaps because of certain organic compounds that trees exude that boost our mood and our overall psychological well-being.   Hiking in nature is so powerful for our health and well-being that some doctors have begun prescribing it as an adjunct to other treatments for disease. As one group of researchers puts it, “The synergistic effect of physical activity and time spent in nature make hiking an ideal activity to increase overall health and wellness.”

Here is what science is saying about the benefits of hiking.

1. Hiking keeps your mind sharper than many other forms of exercise

Being a professional writer, I sometimes have trouble justifying taking the time to hike in the middle of my workday. But research suggests that hiking doesn’t just feel good, it might also keep my brain in top shape.

All exercise is good for us. Whether it’s using an elliptical trainer, riding a stationary bike, or walking on a treadmill, getting your heart rate up and working out your lungs keep you feeling younger and stronger. Exercise also helps your brain thanks to the extra oxygenation that comes with it.

But hiking involves something many other forms of exercise don’t: trails. That means it requires navigating in a world that’s not totally predictable. Slippery dirt, overhanging branches and hidden obstacles, trail markers, and wild animals crossing your path—all of the things you might encounter on a trail require micro- and macro-adjustments to your route, which is good for your brain.

As Daniel Levitin explains in his book, Successful Aging , hiking exercises the part of your brain designed to help you navigate through life—for example, the restrosplenial cortex and the hippocampus, which aids in memory, too—which is why hiking not only helps your heart, but helps your mind stay sharp, as well.

2. Hiking helps to keep you calm and happy

Exercise in general can be a great stress-buster. But what sets hiking apart from other forms of exercise is that it’s done outdoors in a natural setting. While other physical activities also rely on nature—for example, river rafting or backpacking—those often require more time and commitment than a simple hike and are less accessible to many people. Hiking can happen almost anywhere—from a city park or public garden to a mountain trail—and give you that dose of nature you need to stay happy.

Research is quite clear on the benefits of being in nature while exercising. Studies have found that, compared to walking in a cityscape or along a road, walking in green spaces helps us recover from “attention overload”—the mental fatigue that comes from living and working in a world where computers and cell phones are a constant distraction.

Being in nature is calming, too, and studies have found that people who spend time walking in nature are less anxious and suffer less rumination (thinking about the same worries or regrets over and over again), which should help protect against depression.

While it’s not totally clear why nature provides these psychological perks, researcher Craig Anderson and others have found that being in nature encourages feelings of awe—a state of wonder coupled with a sense of being small in the presence of something bigger than yourself. Awe is a powerful emotion that has many benefits , including improving your mood and making you feel more generous.

3. Hiking helps your relationships

It may be obvious that hiking is good for our physical and emotional health. But there is mounting evidence that it helps our relationships, too.

One reason is that many of us hike with other people, and exercising together can produce special feelings of closeness—and a sense of safety. I’m sure when a friend of mine recently fell on a trail and severely fractured her ankle, she was glad to have company to help her hobble down the mountain for help. But, even in less dire circumstances, having a friend along can be a lovely way to connect with another person in a setting free of other distractions.

In one study , mothers and daughters who spent 20 minutes walking in an arboretum (versus a shopping mall) not only showed better attention during a cognitive task, but also had improved interactions with each other, according to independent raters. Specifically, they demonstrated more connection and positive emotions and fewer negative emotions after walking in the natural setting. Other research suggests that exposure to nature can help our relationships by making us more empathic, helpful, and generous.

What about hiking alone? Personally, I’ve often found that hiking alone helps me in my relationships, likely for all of the reasons above—it helps me reduce my stress, refreshes my depleted attention, and produces awe. And, when I’m feeling good, those effects spill over into my interactions with others once I return from the hike.  For anyone who spends a lot of time caregiving for other people, it can be rejuvenating to let go of that responsibility for a bit and take to a trail. After all, it can’t help but refresh you when you give yourself a break, making you more emotionally available to others afterward.

4. Hiking can increase our creativity

I’m sure I’m not alone in finding that walks in nature let my mind wander freely in creative directions. In fact, I’ve written many of my songs while hiking on a trail, lyric ideas bubbling up from some unconscious place when I’m not deliberately thinking.

Though we often read about philosophers or artists who’ve found creative inspiration in natural spaces, science is just beginning to document the connections between being in nature and creativity. David Strayer and his colleagues tested young adults in an Outward Bound program before and after they spent three days hiking in wilderness, and the participants showed increased creative thinking and problem-solving after the experience. Other studies have found connections between creative thinking and nature experiences, too, although they weren’t focused on hiking specifically.

Some scholars believe that these benefits for creativity have to do with how natural settings allow our attention to soften and our minds to wander in ways that can help us connect disparate ideas that are swirling around in our minds. Others suggest that the spaciousness and unpredictability in natural scenery somehow enhance creativity. Whatever the case, if being in nature increases creativity—which is tied to well-being—it might behoove creative types to spend a little more time on a trail.

5. Hiking helps cement a positive relationship with the natural world

Besides being good for us, hiking may also help the world around us. After all, if we have the stamina to walk places and cover longer distances, we could use cars less and reduce our carbon footprint.

Beyond that, hiking benefits our planet indirectly, because it increases our connection to nature. Developing a positive relationship with the natural world can help us to care about its fate, making us more committed to conservation efforts. At least one study has suggested that when we have a personal connection to nature, we are more likely to want to protect it. That means experiences in nature—like hiking—can be mutually beneficial, helping people and the earth.

This all goes to show that hiking may be one of the best ways to move your body, and I, personally, have recommitted to hiking regularly in the new year. Instead of spending all day every day in front of a computer, I’m taking time to walk outside—even if it’s just for 15 minutes. And I’m definitely noticing improvements in my mood, creativity, and relationships, as well as a growing sense of spiritual connection to the natural world.

So, grab a water bottle, a backpack, and, if you want, a friend, and head out on the trail. You won’t be sorry you did.

About the Author

Jill Suttie

Jill Suttie, Psy.D. , is Greater Good ’s former book review editor and now serves as a staff writer and contributing editor for the magazine. She received her doctorate of psychology from the University of San Francisco in 1998 and was a psychologist in private practice before coming to Greater Good .

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Why hiking is uniquely beneficial for your body and your brain

Hiking provides immense cardiovascular and musculoskeletal benefits, but being in nature while participating in the activity might be the greatest advantage of all.

A hiker silhouetted against the orange walls of a slot canyon.

If you're among the nearly 60 million people participating in America's most popular recreational activity this summer, chances are you're getting a lot more out of the experience than quality family time, beautiful vistas, and a breath of fresh air.

Hiking provides a host of mental and physical health advantages including improved cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health, better balance and coordination, and mental health improvements unmatched by other forms of exercise.

"Hiking is an amazing way to get outside and explore, reconnect with feelings of wonder and awe, and reap countless benefits such as decreased anxiety and depression and reduced risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity," says Alyson Chun, assistant director of the Adventure Sports and Recreation Adventure programs at Stanford University.

Such benefits are especially encouraging considering that hiking has been shown to be accessible to all and less dangerous than other popular mountain summer activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, or mountaineering.

"Whether it's a local path or a challenging mountain hike, there's a trail for everyone—each offering a customizable adventure for any fitness level and schedule," says Rami Hashish, a physical therapist and body performance consultant at the National Biomechanics Institute in Los Angeles.

( The hiking gear you shouldn’t leave home without )

Physical upsides worth climbing for

High on the list of physical benefits associated with hiking is better cardiovascular and respiratory health, provided, in part, by strengthened lung tissue and cardiac muscle.

"A stronger heart is able to pump more blood with less effort, which results in less pressure on the arteries and reduced hypertension," says Chun.

( Swimming just might be the best exercise out there. Here’s why .)

The activity also improves cholesterol levels by normalizing blood lipids and lipoproteins, which play crucial roles in removing excess cholesterol from the body and transporting the molecule to and from tissue. Such factors mean hiking can be effective in reducing one's risk of heart disease and cancer development , which improves longevity .

Hiking can also help with healthy weight management, as it has been associated with up to four times greater weight loss than indoor exercises.

"When hiking on challenging terrain, the average person can burn around 400-550 calories per hour," says Chun. In this way, the activity plays a crucial role in avoiding chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

The weight-bearing nature of hiking can also help increase bone density, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis, adds Hashish.

Muscle growth and maintenance occurs as well since hiking targets multiple muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, shins, calves, glutes, and core, says Joel Martin, a kinesiologist and associate professor at George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development. Using trekking poles can similarly engage upper-body muscles like arms and shoulders, "and steeper hikes can intensify the workout for many muscles," says Martin. "Some individuals will also choose to hike with additional loads such as a ruck sack or weight vest for an additional stimulus."

Frequent changes in terrain and navigating around rocks and other obstacles also means one is improving balance, posture and coordination.

"Hiking is really a three-in-one exercise that combines components of cardio, balance, and weightlifting—and this increased complexity creates a greater challenge for our bodies," says Joyce Gomes-Osman a physical therapist and neurologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Improved mental acuity

The mental health benefits of hiking are no less compelling. "There is substantial research evidence of the benefits of hiking on mental health outcomes in a range of individuals including the old and young," says Martin.

For one, hiking for only 30 minutes has been shown to reduce stress hormones by as much as 28 percent. Walking for longer bouts of time and more frequently has been further shown to improve physiological stress parameters associated with acute stress, "such as heart rate variability and cortisol levels," says Martin Niedermeier, a sports scientist at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, and the lead author of supportive research .

The activity also can reduce anxiety and depression , plus improve cognition , memory function , and problem-solving skills .

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One of the ways it provides these benefits, explains James Ashton-Miller, mechanical engineer director of the biomechanics research laboratory at the University of Michigan, is that "hiking requires the frontal lobe of the brain to pay constant attention to process the ever-changing visual field to identify sequential trip and slip hazards as they appear on the hiking path."

( What lifting weights does to your body—and your mind )

Another contributing factor, notes Gomes-Osman, is that hiking boosts neuroplasticity in the brain, which is the nervous system's ability to reorganize and establish new functional connections. "Neuroplasticity is vital to us as humans because it enables us to learn and evolve through life and it powers the thinking and memory centers in the brain," she says.

Hiking with others has also been shown to be good for one's social life, which can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Benefits unique to nature

But many of the best mental health benefits associated with hiking stem from the rhythmic cadence of walking combined with the calming effects of the sights, sounds, and smells of nature.

"Simply inhaling an organic compound called phytoncides that trees release has been found to improve immunity," says Suzanne Hackenmiller, an integrative medicine physician based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

She says other related boosts to immune system health are still being fleshed out , but even older research shows that simply being able to view nature can help people recover faster after surgery.

Another benefit of hiking is that the combination of physical activity and exposure to nature can promote endorphin release which, improves mood and reduces stress, says Hashish. He points to research that shows that the natural light of being outdoors can also help regulate circadian rhythms and improve sleep quality, in addition to the vitamin D provided by sunlight being good for bone health and staving off illness and disease.

Studies also show that people walking in nature vs an urban setting experience less rumination, "which is that experience of stressful thoughts getting stuck in an infinite replay loop," says Hackenmiller. In a similar vein, she highlights other supportive research that shows how people hiking in nature also improve their attention spans by as much as 20 percent.

Another compelling perspective builds on research surrounding Blue Zones—regions of the world where people live longer, healthier lives.

"Much of the research associated with these areas is aimed at pinning down the active ingredients," explains Gomes-Osman, "and it turns out living in a mountainous area is one such factor."

Other meta-analysis shows how exercising in nature can lead to greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy, and "decreases in tension, confusion, and anger,” notes Hackenmiller.

Hiking can even improve one's attitude towards exercise generally. "This is likely why hikers expel more energy than runners or walkers as they tend to spend longer periods of activity than if they exercised in a different environment," says Ayelet Dunsky, head of the School of Human Movement and Sport Sciences at the Levinsky-Wingate Academic College in Israel.

Getting started

Another plus is that there are few barriers for entry and beginning the recreational activity isn't hard to do.

"Hiking is an activity that requires little expense in terms of gear, plus no training or certification requirements," says Hackenmiller.

When getting started, she recommends hiking with others—or at least making sure someone knows where you're going and when you expect to return.

"Don't neglect wearing proper hiking shoes with good grip," advises Martin, "and be sure to dress in layers suitable for the weather and to bring plenty of nutritious snacks and water." The American Hiking Society recommends bringing between half a quart and a quart of water per hour of hiking, depending on the intensity of the hike and how hot it is.

( Why the world's oldest sport is still one of the best exercises )

Hackenmiller suggests bringing a small first aid kit and making sure you have a cell phone or other trackable electronic device, "ideally on silent mode, but with you for emergencies."

When choosing hikes, Hashish recommends starting with trails that match your fitness level before progressing to more challenging ones. When searching out such trail options, Chun suggests looking at things like accessibility, rated difficulty, nearby sources of drinking water, any expected changes in elevation, and to "always check the weather and trail conditions before you leave."

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Essay Samples on Hiking

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1. Physiological and Psychological Benefits of Hiking

2. Mount Everest: Its Impact on Nepal’s Tourism and the Lives of Nepalese People

3. The Benefits of Hiking Activity and Its Boost to Morale

4. A Personal Narrative of the Trials of Scaling St. Charles Peak

5. How Hiking Can Help Your Anxiety

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Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail Was My Dream. Here’s Why I Gave It Up.

Choosing not to thru-hike was one of the hardest decisions i've ever made..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

When I was a sophomore in college, I wrote down three overarching life goals: I would stick to my Catholic faith, complete my chemistry degree, and hike the Appalachian Trail before I turned 30. These were the biggest promises I’d ever make to myself.

One by one, I broke them all.

The first two goals don’t mean as much to me now. My belief system shifted in college. So did my academic interests. But that third goal—that delicious pipe dream of thru-hiking America’s first and greatest long trail—still hurts to think about.

I grew up playing in the woods of North Georgia. Springer Mountain, the starting line of the Appalachian Trail, was basically in my backyard. My first job was as an editor at Backpacker . At some point, I decided that to be a real hiker, I needed to complete a thru-hike. Or, at the very least, I needed to want to.

In the decade since I made that promise to myself, my life changed in ways I swore it never would. I devoted more time to my career than I ever did to hiking. I bought a home in the suburbs. I have a commute. I have volunteer obligations, hobbies, and standing weekly coffee meetings that eat up most of my time. In the moment, it’s all good; I like my life. But when I step back to take stock of it all, I can’t help but feel disappointed.

Is this it? Is this all? I think, and I wonder who I’ve become.

It’s just like the grown-ups always said: Time flies. Not like a sleek bird you can watch with wistful appreciation, but like a raging, burning comet that’s too bright to look at and too hot to clutch. You wonder: how much of your life has spun right past you, in a blur you can’t remember, in a great colorful flash of memory you must have just missed?

I blinked, and I grew up. I’m 30 now . I haven’t thru-hiked anything. And, if I’m being honest with myself, I probably never will.

I know that I chose other things. I understand, at least intellectually, that there are many valid ways of hiking and being outside, and that being a weekend warrior is a perfectly enjoyable way to exist. But that’s just intellectually. In my heart, I still feel like I’ve let myself down. I feel ashamed.

I know other adults who feel the same way. They wanted to trek across Patagonia or make a pilgrimage across the Camino de Santiago . They wanted to backpack across Europe, ride their bike to Tierra Del Fuego, or maybe buy a little boat and sail around the world. Like me, they never did.

“Why beat yourself up?” a friend asked me recently. “It’s OK to change your mind. It’s OK not to want the things you once wanted.”

“Because I feel like I gave up,” I said. “I quit.”

“But it’s OK to quit ,” she told me.

So when did we learn otherwise? Some of us got the “don’t be a quitter” speech in the back of the classroom, or in the outfield of the tee-ball diamond. I’m pretty sure I got it from books: As a kid, I was a voracious reader. I devoured fantasy and young-adult fiction, and many of these stories taught themes like courage, determination, and stick-to-it-iveness. They counseled the reader to never give up on their dreams.

There was Into the Wild , in which careers were “20th-century inventions” and no modern adult had the courage to live authentically. There was Peter Pan , in which growing up robbed you of your ability to fly. There was Harry Potter, in which those who don’t believe in magic are bitter and awful people. And there were worlds, like A Toy Story, which were populated by all the characters we invented when we used to play pretend—and then left behind when we grew up.

In all these stories, the loss of belief and imagination is a great evil. It’s not a bad message. Thanks to those stories, I grew up with a great respect for my imagination. I became a writer, a somewhat whimsical aspiration that I’m sure my favorite authors would have encouraged. I did some big hikes . I lived in a van for a while.

But that same well-meaning message has a dark side; it also taught me that giving up on a dream—on any dream—was a form of self-abandonment. For me, that included my dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail.

“I know it’s OK to quit,” I told my friend. “But this is different.”

“Why?” she asked.

I thought about it for a long time. And the truth I came up with was that, this time, quitting made me boring.

Sometimes we use our dreams as covers for our insecurities. “I work a nine-to-five—but I’ve always dreamed of traveling,” we might say, either out loud or in our own heads. “I’m a copywriter for a toothpaste company—but I’ve always dreamed of writing a novel.” In my case, it was, “I write gear reviews—but I’m really just saving up for a thru-hike.”

In this way, our dreams become proxies for the things we feel we should be doing but aren’t . They’re a way of pretending that, deep down, we’re someone else. That beneath the surface, we’re actually windswept and interesting, and this life we’re living is just an interlude—our real life is waiting somewhere else.

The trouble is that thinking this way keeps us from living the life we already have. It keeps us from embracing the lovable, wonderful, complex people we really are. You don’t need a long adventure resume to be an awe-inspiring human being. A mileage log is not a substitute for a personality.

Plus, the hard, honest truth is that if I really wanted to thru-hike, I would have done it already. I would have found a way to make it happen. If I’m being honest with myself, that desire faded a long time ago.

And you know what? It’s OK to not want something. It’s also OK to want it a little bit, but not enough to upend your life. For a long time, I was unwilling to admit this: I felt that my plan to thru-hike defined me. If I gave it up, who would be left?

A multi-faceted human being, that’s who. A person who has a rich array of hobbies, of which hiking is only one. A person with a tight-knit community and beloved friends she doesn’t want to be away from for six months at a time. A person who hasn’t given up on a dream, but has grown beyond it.

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The 30-mile thru-hike was the ideal trip for putting our backpacking and hiking candidates through the wringer.

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Essay on Hiking

Hiking is a great source of pleasure for us besides being beneficial for health. Once we leave the crowded streets of a city and go out for a walking tour away from the mad world, we really feel free.

How merrily we travel mile after mile in the company of friends. Hiking takes us near the beauties of nature. The sight of wild flowers , streams, trees and bushes is pleasing. A contact is established between us and nature.

The excitement of climbing up to the top of a hill, the adventure of climbing down a slope, a grandeur of sunset behind a mountain, above us these impart a rare charm and interest to our journey. We walk among a zig-zag motor road or cut across a mountain path in search of adventure.

It ensures complete escape from the urgent and busy activities of life and therefore gives to brain the rest it needs. Because of this rest, the brain regains its lost energy and is enabled to do twice as much work as before. Not only the brain, but the body is also greatly benefited by a long walk.

All our limbs get exercise, as we walk along, our digestion comes to order and our appetite is whetted. By the time we come to the end of our journey, we are as hungry as a hawk and how we relish the meal that we get at a dak bungalow or the food that we have brought with us.

When we are engaged in talk with a stranger, we forget our own identity, we forget ourselves and our professions. We meet a lot of people in the course of a long hike. We feel interested in chatting with them just as they welcome exchanging ideas with us.

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Hiking Essay Examples

The joy of hiking: exploring nature and improving your health.

Those of us lucky enough to have hiked through Alaska’s most pristine places have treasured memories of lovely forests, sunny clearings, bugs and butterflies, mountain ridges, muddy holes, splashing streams, and many other outdoor vistas. There is danger out there, wild animals, accidents, inclement weather,...

Hiking: a Journey Through the Beauty of Mother Nature

Hiking is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the world. It is a perfect way to explore nature's beauty, challenge oneself physically and mentally, and escape from the chaos of daily life. Hiking allows us to slow down, appreciate the world around us,...

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