The first hike I did alone was Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park. My sister and I were visiting Utah together, but had done The Narrows hike on the previous day and, unfortunately, she twisted her ankle. But I was determined to not miss out on the famous Angel’s Landing, so I decided to go alone. 

And honestly, what an incredible first solo hike! Because it’s such a heavily trafficked trail I didn’t have to worry about things like getting lost or being on the lookout for wildlife. I really just had to keep myself motivated and hydrated. The trail itself was definitely difficult, but amazingly I received loads of encouragement from strangers and even made some friends to enjoy the view with at the top.

After that trip, I did a few solo hikes here and there but just recently started hiking alone much more. Since I’m working remotely, at the last minute I have randomly decided to take mini road trips and afternoon hikes during the week. And because of my lack of planning ahead and travel during the weekdays, I’ve gone alone most of the time. 

During these semi-local excursions, I’ve done several solo hikes in Virginia and West Virginia. What I’ve found is tranquility and space for my curiosity to run loose in my home and neighboring state. 

But I’ve also learned a lot that led me to write this post; for example, knowing my limits, what I’m comfortable with, how to be prepared, and mistakes to avoid.

All of this was my motivation for sharing safety tips because while hiking alone can be a beautiful thing, taking these precautions matters. I’ve realized that when I wasn’t prepared I was much more anxious, and made mistakes. Like staying too long for sunset and being scared on the way down, or another instance realizing I didn’t have enough time to complete my hike within daylight and having to turn back not even halfway there.

Additionally, when I was prepared in some cases, it really helped. Like hikes being more difficult than I anticipated but thankfully I had plenty of water and time. Or when a man was giving me the major creep vibes and, although nothing happened, I had pepper spray ready and was on a populated trail so others could help, if god forbid, I needed it.

The point is, being prepared and taking precautions matters so that you’re safe, confident and are able to have nothing more than a beautiful hiking day.  Solo hiking is the opportunity for so much exploration, just be smart when doing it and you’ll have a positive outdoor experience.