Start with the group and the conditions
Choose a route that fits the experience, fitness, and needs of everyone going. Distance alone does not describe a hike: elevation change, surface, exposure, weather, and available daylight all affect the day. An easier alternative is a useful part of the plan.
Use the land manager’s current route information and check closures, permits, and conditions before setting out. A social media photograph or an old trip report cannot confirm that a route is open or appropriate now.
Prepare for the whole outing
Make a plan for navigation, suitable clothing, food, water, and the other supplies your route requires. Review the National Park Service’s hiking guidance and Ten Essentials as part of that preparation. Carrying equipment helps only when you know how to use it.
Tell a trusted person where you intend to go and when you expect to return. Download necessary information before entering areas with uncertain phone service. Do not make connectivity the only part of your plan.
Give yourself permission to turn around
Set a realistic turnaround time and allow for the return journey. Check in with the group along the way, and adjust for the actual conditions rather than the original ambition. Reaching an endpoint is optional; making a sensible decision is part of the outing.
Afterward, note what worked and what you would change. A shorter, well-matched hike can be a much better day than a route that asks more than the group has prepared for.
Before you head out
Use current land-manager information for your own route and conditions. This article is a starting point, not a complete safety plan.
Read the official guidance ↗An original Riveam editorial story. Photography is illustrative; see image sources. Photo essays combine separately sourced images and do not document one reported visit.
