What is Soft Hiking?

A definition of “soft hiking” might sounds something like, “Soft hiking, as you described, is a more mindful and inclusive approach to hiking that emphasizes personal enjoyment and connection with nature over competition, physical challenges, or speed.”

As Lucy and Emily say, “Hiking doesn’t have to be hard.”

This approach can offer several benefits:

1. Accessibility: Soft hiking is suitable for a wide range of people, including those who may be new to hiking, families with children, seniors, or individuals with limited mobility. It allows more people to experience the joys of being outdoors and exploring natural landscapes.
2. Mindfulness and mental health: By slowing down and focusing on the surroundings, hikers can be more present and appreciate the beauty, history, and geology of the area. This can lead to a deeper connection with nature and have positive effects on mental health, including stress reduction and relaxation.
3. Social connections: Soft hiking creates a relaxed atmosphere for people to connect and engage in conversations, fostering a sense of community and friendship among hikers.
4. Personalized experiences: The “hike your own hike” philosophy allows individuals to tailor their hiking experiences to their unique preferences, abilities, and interests, ensuring a more enjoyable and fulfilling outing.
5. Sustainability: With a focus on appreciating nature and the environment, soft hiking may encourage more environmentally conscious practices, such as following Leave No Trace principles, and promote a sense of stewardship for the natural world.

Enjoyment of the outdoors is key. I believe that, ultimately, anything that onboards people into nature is a good thing — in itself, for its own intrinsic rewards, but also because it is such a powerful way to disconnect from the things that make us disconnect from ourselves: the pings and arrows of our outrageous techno-fortune.

Where Can I Soft Hike?

Anywhere you have access to nature and you feel comfortable.

In the Catskills, where I do most of my hiking, there are any number of exceptional Nature Trails, Easy Hikes, and Family-Friendly Hikes.

All of these are great places to start.

Soft Hiking is Not Here to Replace Hard Hiking

Of course, there’s plenty of merit in challenging oneself through hardcore hiking, pursuing hiking lists, and pushing personal limits. But it’s important to recognize that there’s more than one way to enjoy the outdoors. 

The growing trend of “soft hiking” is a response to the bias towards more intense and competitive outdoor activities we see in the media and on popular social accounts.

Ultimately, the soft hiking movement seeks to expand our understanding of what it means to hike and celebrate the diverse ways in which people engage with the outdoors.

For me, one of the big joys of hiking is that it’s non-competitive. When I used to train joylessly for 5K/10K/Half-Marathon type runs, I was always working toward some faster-than-last-time time. Except for sprinting, I never found running intrinsically enjoyable.

When I’m hiking, however, I never think like that. Beating this or that time or effort never crosses my mind. About the only thing I try to do, and only sometimes, is to hike longer so I can hike longer. It’s such a relief to have found such a healthy form of exercise that I find intrinsically enjoyable.

Ultimately, the idea of “soft hiking” serves as a reminder that outdoor activities can be enjoyable and accessible to everyone, regardless of their fitness level or their level of experience. 

Not everyone can hike a mountain. Not everyone wants to hike a mountain. But something all humans need is time in nature — time away from computers and work and homes — a break from our daily lives in spaces that are the original, natural environment in which our DNA is best expressed.