Hiking & Trail Running
Find your next trail adventure, at your own pace.
OutdoorZ.Life helps adults 50+ explore hiking and trail running through practical tips, personal stories, and ideas for getting outdoors. Whether you’re starting with a short local walk, exploring a new trail, or looking for a running challenge, choose an adventure that fits your interests and experience.
Explore the guides and stories below. Stay curious. Never outgrow adventure.
Explore Trail Running
Curious about taking your running beyond the pavement? Explore our running stories for inspiration and a different perspective on your next outdoor challenge.
Start with our 10K personal-best story below.
Hiking After 50: Find Your Pace
Your next hike could be a quiet park walk, a scenic woodland trail, or a mountain adventure. Start with an experience that matches your comfort, interests, and current ability.
When choosing a trail, look beyond distance. Consider elevation gain, terrain, weather, and places to rest. Give yourself time to enjoy the surroundings and make the journey your own.
Gear for hitting the trail
Want to hit the trail but don’t want to break the bank? Having the right gear is an essential part of outdoors safety and enjoying your time on the trail. While there is no shortage of gear and ways to spend money, we will focus on what is the most important for you to have a safe and happy time trekking.
Beginners can hike!
What if you have no experience but would love to spend time on the trail? Do you ask yourself: How far can I reasonably walk? Should I worry about bear? What should I take on my adventure? Where can I find a trail that’s right for me? Is it safe to go alone or do I need to find a group? Rest assured, hiking can be done by almost anyone. We will provide tips and guides on how to explore as much as you want and to do it safely.
Hike Safely
Preparation helps you enjoy the trail with greater confidence. Check the weather, trail conditions, and official park or land-manager alerts before heading out.
Carry water, food, navigation tools, and clothing suited to the conditions. Share your route and expected return time with someone you trust, and remember that cell service may be unavailable.
Follow local wildlife guidance, give animals plenty of space, and be willing to turn back when conditions change. A rewarding adventure includes getting home safely.
Hike Responsibly
Most people you meet on a trail turn out to be good people who love the outdoors. Hopefully we all want to enjoy our natural resources and to protect them for future generations. Adventuring responsibly leaves no trace, protects the land and wildlife, and ensures that our outdoors adventures can be experienced by others.
Taking your dog along offers many benefits to you and your pup. You have a companion that is almost always ready and available. A dog can increase safety on solo outings. You and your pup get healthy exercise as well as bonding time. Adventures with your dog can be fun if managed correctly. Visit our Hiking with Dogs page for tips, advice and gear to make the experience positive for both dog and owner. Read more..
There was a little snow on the ground, and my weather app reported -10 degrees with wind chill factored in; I decided to go for a hike. It’s a shame to let perfectly good trails get lonely just because colder weather sets in and it’s fun to make the first footprints in the snow. See our tips for venturing out in cold weather. Read more…
We visited the gorge after a heavy rain, so the stream was flowing nicely. Our timing also meant that stream crossings proved more challenging. One of the rocks I chose to step on during a stream crossing happened to have a little ice on it. I stepped…I slipped…and my left foot went under the frigid water. Well, a little water never ruined a good hike. Tips on managing cold weather stream crossings. Read more…
Fun Trail-Related Articles
Sometimes it’s just fun to read about other peoples adventures. We can live vicariously through them or we can learn from their experience to plan our own future adventures. These stories and articles will motivate you to get outdoors and explore for yourself. If you want your adventure (no matter how big or small) published, we would be happy to help. Just click the contact tab and send us a note about your adventure and we can publish it here for many to read.
Backpacking
Backpacking is really just walking with your house, food, and clothing on your back. If you want to extend your hiking trips for multiple days and are ok with sleeping in a tent, then backpacking is for you.
Epic Adventures
Some adventures are just epic. People can accomplish an amazing trail in one day, like the Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire or summit the highest free standing mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Epic adventures can also be short journeys where you discover wildlife or find a secret spot in Yosemite National Park.
For additional hiking tips and information, visit the American Hiking Society.