Types of Hikers You May Encounter on the Trail

Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or fairly new to traipsing through forests and elevation changes, you’ve likely started to notice the different types of hikers found on the trails.

There are the ones out there doing it for the ‘gram, a change of clothes packed for those fairytale poses at the top of a vista point, all glamorous and filtered.

There are the ones out there in flip-flops, climbing rocky trails with great effort due to the fact that they’re in flip-flops.

Let’s dive into all of it so that you know what to expect when you’re out there having your Wild moment.

The Instagram Hiker

The Instagram hiker is perhaps not as obvious as you’d think. I’ve heard of hikers bringing a change of clothes with them so that they can be fresh and camera-ready at their destination.

Rather than waking up like this, they’d like us to believe they hiked up like this. We know better.

Nichole from Nichole the Nomad, a serious over-packer even on 18-mile trails like the Zealand Bonds Traverse, said she didn’t see one of these in the wild until recently. It was all pretty epic.

“While watching her in her not-so-natural habitat, I witnessed her pull a full picnic scene out of her backpack and place the food perfectly on the charcuterie board,” she said.

From there, a social media boyfriend burst through the trees in response to a simple whistle, camera in hand, to capture her wander-babe shot. It took them about half an hour to nail the angles, after which she complained about the lack of Wi-Fi.

I’d crack up if I saw this happening while I was eating my little hiking sandwich or something, but if I was waiting in line for a photo at a vista, there’d be problems.

READ MORE: Influencers (and bloggers!) can be pretty annoying sometimes. Check out more thoughts on all of that.

The Accident-Prone

I’m a little bit of this, even though I’m pretty risk-averse. These are the hikers who simply must include first aid kits and wound care in their trail essentials because they may bleed out on a hike otherwise.

I’m being a little dramatic here, but these are the types of hikers who often find themselves on the receiving end of a faceplant. This may be due to logs that really shouldn’t be there, slippery surfaces, and their own confidence.

I’m one of the least confident hikers out there and still manage to return with scrapes, bruises, and broken pride more often than I’d like. Be careful out there, friends. Nature wants to kill us.

I’m kidding, mostly.

The Show-Off

This is the hiker typically jogging, even running past you, as you’re huffing and puffing your way to that vista point.

They’re the most polite folks out there, of course. At least they seem to be. They’re always excusing themselves as they zip on ahead like this isn’t the hardest thing you’ve done all year, all while you’re still trying to slap away that mosquito.

Note: Forget about the rest of the outdoor gear if you’re not bug-prepared. As someone who’s seen what Lyme disease does to a person, pack a spray with DEET if you’re in tick country. Those cans are typically labeled as being suitable for the “deep woods.” 

I’m mostly talking from a place of jealousy here, as I’ve never been in good enough shape to go on a trail run for fun.

I yog around my neighborhood like a boss, though.

The Hiker With the Positive Thoughts

You know the one.

“You’re nearly there!”

“You’ve got this!”

This is actually the guy who inspired this post in the first place.

Brian and I were on a challenging hike at Lassen Volcanic National Park. It had been a while since we did a hike like Lassen Peak, at a decent amount of elevation, as we had been trying to merely survive the pandemic in the months prior.

Note: Lassen Peak is no joke, no matter your level of fitness. This one’s exposed to the elements nearly the entire way up, so come with plenty of water, sun protection, and layers if you’re hiking in the off-season. Those safety tips aside, it sure is worth it. 

In brief, I was struggling.

With about a third of the hike left, we ran into a cheerful fellow who was basically skipping on the way back home.

“You can do it!” he exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.

I mean, I’m sure I can do it. It’s why I’m out here. You don’t think I’m monitoring the mileage on this one so I know whether or not to call the medics? This is just how I operate, bro. Slowly.

The Activewear Hiker

There’s a certain level of preparation involved with hitting the trails, including when deciding what to wear hiking.

Just because you’re dressed the part doesn’t mean you’re automatically ready for the trails, no matter how easy they are.

Holly of Globeblogging shared this about the ever-popular activewear hiker:

“You’ll find them dressed in compression lycra, crop tops, and a tennis cap with their ponytail dancing back and forth. It’s like like they just woke up that morning and decided they’d go to the bush for their morning walk.”

These are hikers who can evoke quite a bit of skepticism without the regular hiking community. This is especially true once you notice they’re not carrying enough water or any of the other essentials for heavy-duty hiking.

That means they may look the part of a gadget hiker, sort of, but playing the part may not be enough to get them to the finish line unscathed. We’re all rooting for you to stay off the news.

The Overeager Hiker

There are the hikers out there who hit the trails with real gusto. They’re just that happy to be alive, and especially alive while exploring nature’s splendors.

Pamela of the Directionally Challenged Traveler is a self-described overeager hiker. If you see her on the trails during a weekend getaway, please take pity. She was just too eager to get out there to gather all of the relevant information ahead of her trek.

“The adrenaline pumping through my veins and my dog pacing at my feet is all I really need for any hike, right?” she asks. “Any avid hiker reading this is cringing at the thought and possibly worried about my safety (and sanity)…well, you should be.”

Unfortunately, Pamela has found herself among the most unprepared out there. On one hike, her excitement turned a three-mile hike into a 12-mile hike, all with just a single bottle of water.

Don’t be a Pamela, or at the very least, bring one of the more prepared types with you.

The Clueless-With-a-Map Hiker

I always admire people that I find on the trails who are consulting their compasses and paper maps with all kinds of earnestness. They’re actually using those tools to plot their next moves.

Meanwhile, I was the one with printed-off MapQuest directions to get myself from Point A to Point B back in the day, no matter how many times I’d already taken that trip.

This was before smartphones came onto the scene to save me the gas station visits when I inevitably got lost anyway, despite all that paper.

Ashley of My Wanderlusty Life is similarly helpless with a map, the epitome of the clueless-with-a-map hiker.

“That is very much my exact hiking style. I’m good in all other areas: fitness, gear, motivation, research. But the second my feet hit the trail, maps are useless, compasses are counterproductive, and anxiety is at an all-time high,” she said.

She still gets out there and explores epic hiking destinations in places like Chamonix, France. Decent signage and helpful strangers help.

The One with a Boombox

I don’t know about you, but I like to go on a long hike to escape from humans.

If I can’t do that, I don’t want to hear about your exploits from the night before because you’re talking loud enough for everyone on the mountain to hear.

I certainly don’t need to hear the latest in c*ck rock.

A couple of times a year, we’ll run into a dude — because it’s always been a dude, in my experience — who just needs to have a boombox going on their hike. They could be alone, or with a group. It doesn’t matter.

This is their trail, and they will listen to Def Leppard if they please because they believe noise pollution is what everyone else on the trail needs.

Fun fact: Def Leppard didn’t mean to write a song for strippers. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” came to be when one of band’s members responded in that matter when asked if he wanted one or two cubes of sugar in his tea.

Hey, bro. Look over here!

Pour some salt on me, because I don’t like Def Leppard.

The Leader of the Pack

This one describes Brian. It’s not because he’s necessarily the most motivational hiker in any group we’re in. It’s because he will accidentally (or maybe on purpose?) leave everyone in his dust as he zooms up that trail. The guy’s intense.

I call him the Energizer Bunny of the hiking trail.

If he looks like he’s getting a little understandably irritated with my slowness, I may tell him to go on up ahead.

I don’t actually mean that. I don’t want to have to fend for myself if I come across a bear or a mountain lion or if I need a Twizzler because he’s typically carrying those.

The Underestimated Hiker

On one trail in recent memory, a pair of older hikers with trekking poles joked that I’d be passing them soon enough when I told them to go ahead of us at the start of the trail.

I knew I wouldn’t be passing anyone on that hike, as I was that out of shape. They definitely made it up to the vista well ahead of my own personal schedule.

Being owned like this is especially devastating when folks you think you should be passing are motoring up ahead as if they’re your youthful counterparts.

To them, I say, “Good for you!” I’ll be back here doing things at my own pace because I am not one to overestimate my skills. I’m not one to underestimate my skills. I know exactly where to estimate them, in fact.

The One Who Does it for the End Goal

I don’t hike because I love the physical act of hiking. I hike because there’s usually some kind of end game involved, like a waterfall, an old bridge, or a glacier.

It could even just be a few moments of intrigue along the way if I’m pretending to be proficient at day hiking.

Sure, it’s cool to pretend like you’re all fit and taking advantage of the outdoors to get your exercise on, but it’s just not what it’s about for me when it comes to hiking trails.

That’s why you’ll likely hear me say “Worth it!” at the top of a mountain, or silence if that’s just not true.

It’s rarely not true because I like to do my research about what I’m getting myself into before any hiking trip.

READ MORE: Glaciers are always worth the trek. Check out how to visit Glacier National Park before they’re gone!

It’s also why I’m not likely to do month-long backpacking trips, even weeks-long hiking treks ala Wild that require camping preparations. I get a similar kind of spiritual experience from eating cheese boards with some wine from the comfort of my couch.

Fun fact: The Appalachian Trail receives about three million recreational visits annually. Those are folks who hike a stretch of the trail, not the whole thing. Since 1936, there are about 20,000 recorded completions of the trail in its entirety.

What type of hiker are you?

This post was definitely all in good fun, but it’s also about having a little self-awareness about your habits out there. If you’re out there hiking even though it’s hard for you, I’m proud of you. If you were pressured out there by your hiking pals, I’m sorry.

If you’re out there being a general bother to other hikers, natures, etc., that’s not cool. Do better. We’ll all have a better time on our adventure hikes!

Looking for more content like this? Check out these posts:

• Autumn Is the Best! Here’s Why
• How to Properly Cure the Travel FOMO
• American Cities We Just Didn’t Love
• Wine Descriptions That Top the Rest!
• One of the Worst Flight Stories You’ll Read

More tips to help you be a better traveler out there:

• Airbnb Tips Before You Book Your Pad
• Top Spots for Underrated U.S. Cities
• All the “Best” Reasons NOT To Go on a Cruise
• Wine Descriptions That Top the Rest!
• Should You Still Call Places Overrated?

Want to see more?