Here’s How to Find the Off-the-Beaten-Path Hike of Your Dreams
It’s time to dust off your running shoes and actually make good of your resolution to get active this spring. Even though we love hiking in US national parks, it can sometimes be a little too crowded to really enjoy yourself. Case in point: In the past year alone, US national parks welcomed 325 million visitors total. That’s 24 million more people hitting popular trails and parks than the previous season. Whoa. Luckily, fitness wearable company TomTom just released a cool new tool that’ll show you the secret gems of the US national parks, AKA the perfect non-crowded trail to take your next #fitfam Instagram pic.
Whether you’re looking for a quiet running route or a challenging hike to do with friends, TomTom’s new Trails Near Me webpage will help you find the perfect off-the-beaten-path trail to fit all your needs. It features some of the coolest secret trails across less-crowded US national parks — from Deer Valley Loop in Saguaro National Park (AZ) to the North Vista Trail at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (CO). Plus, it includes a few lesser-known trails at super popular parks, so instead of joining thousands of strangers on a hike to Nevada Falls next time you’re at Yosemite, you check out the quieter Elizabeth Lake Trail.
Once you find the trail you want on their website, you’re prompted to download a GPX file (the GPS Exchange Format) to add to any device that accepts GPS trails, including the TomTom Spark 3 ($129) or the free Trails App on your iPhone or Apple Watch.
Right now the site is suggesting 23 lightly traveled trails around the US, but TomTom plans to keep growing the list of suggestions. So next time you’re looking for a fun and free outing to do this summer with your besties, why not grab your hiking shoes and hit the trails? Not only will you get some quality time with your friends and a good workout, but we can almost guarantee you’ll get some stellar #offthebeatenpath pics for Instagram too. Then put that phone away and enjoy the moment. You don’t get the trail all to yourself every day!
Do you have plans to visit a US national park this summer? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.
(Featured photo via Getty)