Best Solo Hiking Tips
For Female Hikers

By Diane Spicer

These solo hiking tips on safety, essentials and how to get started give you the information you need to achieve the joy of solo hiking and backpacking.

There are good and and less good aspects to solo day hiking and/or backpacking, and this Essential Guide to Solo Hiking covers it all for you.

These solo hiking tips will shorten your learning curve as a confident female solo hiker.

Let's get right to them.

Solo Hiking Tips Guide:
Table of Contents

Why hike solo?

Thinking of yourself hiking alone may conjure up feelings of serenity and confidence in your mind.

But there are many more reasons to hike alone on a trail.

Here's the short list of twelve reasons to hike alone:

1. Solitude

2. Self exploration and discovery

3. Strength & stamina

4. Soul searching

5. Savor the serenity

6. Sweet taste of success

7. Shed unwanted stuff

8. Scrutinize your surroundings

9. Surprises

10. Skill building

11. Spiritual quest

12. Simple satisfaction

And here's the longer version, including why doing a solo hike is a wonderful form of celebrating a milestone event in your life.

Benefits of solo hiking

The benefits of hiking alone (in my humble opinion) include:

• quietness on the trail to maximize wildlife encounters
• control over daily hiking pace and choice of destination
• decompression time to think your own thoughts and dump stress
• opportunity for mental challenges (conquering a fear of the dark, for instance)
• dedicated time to test and build outdoor skills

Plus, you don't have to pay a lot of attention to a hair style and personal hygiene while backpacking - unless you want to!

But please - don't just take my word on the wonders of solo hiking.

Here are words of wisdom from a woman who completed her first solo trip in 2011 - any take-home lessons (especially about feet) for you?

Looks like I'm building my "daydreaming" skills here, but actually I'm staring at Mt. Rainier and thinking of more solo hiking trips!

Why you should hike alone

A solo hike provides an opportunity to befriend yourself.

• Hiking alone is a great opportunity for personal growth and introspection during your alone time on a trail.

Going at your own pace, planning your own schedule, gives you two gifts in short supply these days:

TIME

and

SPACE (both mental and physical)

So if you're craving a chance to hang out with yourself and not feel like a slacker, take a solo hike!

Solo hiking fears

How dangerous is solo hiking really?

That question is impossible to answer.

A better question might be this one:

What can I as a female hiking alone do to manage and use my fears to be a better hiker?

Explore your fears, face them, and utilize their energy as a solo female hiker.

These solo hiking tips for dealing with fear will get you started.

Solo hiking dangers

Let's be realistic.

Hiking is a sport which involves risks. Solo hiking is no different than group hiking, except it requires a higher level of preparation to face your fears and concerns.

You might have the same questions other female solo hikers have asked:

Is it safe to hike by yourself?

Is it smart for a woman to go hiking alone?

Truth be told, there is no way to answer those questions. 

Certain busy trailheads are magnets for car break ins and creepers who make you feel uncomfortable.

Seasonal conditions on trails can lead to unsafe conditions.

Animal encounters can get your heart pounding.

So rather than searching for a yes/no answer to solo hiking safety, why not think about the factors that go into being safe on a hike, and decide whether you need to work on those skills.

Here's a list to chip away at:

• physical strength and endurance
• mental fortitude and resilience when plans go awry
• gaps in outdoor skills (navigation is a good example)
• first aid skills

Here's more truth about solo hiking

• It's normal to have concerns about going solo!

Personally, I wonder about cougar attacks (typically, they target solitary hikers).

I'm not overly fond of being by myself in thunder storms.

And every once in awhile I meet a male hiker who makes me feel uneasy, sometimes for no real reason I can put my finger on.

You probably have your own list of things which bring up the fear factor: solo hiking risks.

Do we agree that going solo goes somewhat against the grain of what females are expected to do?

And that you might encounter some pushback from friends and family when you announce that you're -gasp- hiking alone?

To balance all of this out, you might need some great solo hiking tips like the ones in this Solo Hiking Tips Guide. Good thing you're here!

Why you should not hike alone

If you have read everything you can find about solo hiking, including this entire Solo Hiking Tips Guide, and you still don't think it is smart for a woman to go hiking alone, honor that feeling.

Only you can decide when or if you are ready to go solo on a hike.

Don't let anyone push you into trying it.

Never allow someone to shame you for fears and doubts about solo hiking.

When you're ready to take a solo hike, you will know it.

And as you approach the threshold of being ready for solo hiking, build your confidence in your outdoor skill set to make your first solo hike a small step, rather than a giant leap.

Tip:

To ease yourself into the solo hiking vibe, have a trail buddy with you at the trail head.

• Decide which one will get at least a twenty minute start. 
• You'll be hiking alone, but can plan to meet at a destination to share lunch. 

Solo hiking safety tips

Being a safe hiker remains the same whether or not you are hiking solo.

So be sure to check out these safe hiking tips for a full run down of what to stay on top of on the trail.

But as a solo hiker, you've got to up your game even more.

Remain bear aware when in bear country, knowing how to use bear spray and a bear canister.

For communication and navigation, you can carry a cell phone in the front country on established trails (and hope for the best).

But to be sure you can get a message out if you need help, carry either a personal locator beacon or a satellite messenger.

Bring a reliable stove/fuel combo and water treatment technology even on day hikes to give yourself an extra margin of safety if conditions call for it.

• I carry these things with me but never, never trust them completely.
• Always have a Plan B, that's what I've come to know!

Example: Carry water treatment tablets in case the stove doesn't work.

8 solo hiking tips

If you go solo, be smart about it.

1. Pick a well marked, popular trail for your first few hikes. You want to be alone but not isolated.

2. Leave an itinerary including start and return times with someone you trust.

3. Carry the Ten Essentials every time, no matter how short or easy the hike is labeled.

4. Use a paper or electronic map for navigation, and check your progress at frequent intervals to avoid navigational mistakes.

5. Carry a personal locator beacon or a satellite messenger device.

6. Avoid unnecessary risks like leaping off rocks or using slimy logs for a stream crossing.

7. Be cautious but confident at a trailhead to avoid giving the impression that you are a timid or fearful hiker.

8. Stay focused on the trail: no earbuds, pick the right pace for your route, and stick to a turn around time.

Solo hiking essentials

Here's my approach as a woman solo hiker:

First, I reassure myself that wanting to hike by myself is not weird or anti-social.

Women struggle with this from so many angles! 

This book can help you wrestle with the pull to be alone. The author knows a little something about trying to balance solitude with social demands.

Be responsible for, and to, yourself

Then I remind myself that going solo calls for a strong dose of personal responsibility:

• careful planning 
  
• making myself track-able 
  
• being rock solid on my gear and navigation choices
• honoring my mental and physical limitations
• listening to my intuition all along the trail and especially at trailheads

Make lists - a lot of them

Next, I get out my checklists.

• That's not just a solo hiking tip - it's for any hiking you do, ever.

Checklists are a tried and true way to make your trip worry-free - for you, and for loved ones who may not support the idea of going off on your own into the unknown wilds.

Checklists stack the odds in your favor.

But they require some thought and preparation BEFORE you hit the trail.

If you find yourself reluctant to put in the preparation time and embrace this thoughtful approach, maybe you shouldn't be hiking solo right now.

Hope that doesn't offend, but I've got your well being in mind. 

• A prepared solo hiker has a much better chance of a successful day hike or backpacking trip than a woman who just wings it. That's for amateurs, which you don't want to be!

Examples of checklists

Makin' a list, checkin' it twice, gonna find out who's ... prepared!

Here are the lists that are going to put you firmly into the PREPARED HIKER camp.

• The famous Hiking Ten Essentials

• Pack check lists: your day hike necessities
• Trip planning lists: think things through in the comfort of your own home, so you're not caught off guard on the trail.
• Food checklists are important, too. Need help planning your nutritional requirements for a solo trip? Check out my e-booklets here.

And then there's preparation

Lastly, I've taught myself how to be my own best friend in case of emergencies, thanks not only to what's in my pack but what's in my brain and how I've conditioned my body.

The solo hiking tips, and everything else on this website are designed to get you thinking about what you can do to enhance your own trail confidence and skill sets.

Feel free to contact me if you want to kick around the topic of solo hiking - I am always willing to learn and add to my skill sets by talking things through with another hiker.

I am sincere when I say that I really enjoy sharing what I have learned in my ongoing quest to become a strong, capable female hiker.

Now let's look at the mental side of being a solo hiking woman.

Solo hiking tips
to build trail confidence

If you're craving "me" time and want to silence the judgmental voices from society, hiking by yourself is a good way to give yourself mental and physical space.

But have you had enough practice being confident doing things by yourself?

Do you trust your own judgment?

That's a major problem with the ways girls are raised: we are not given a lot of opportunity to develop confidence in decision making in our younger years.

But there's good news, dear solo hiker!

There are many ways to develop confidence in your solo hiking ability.

• Get started with solo hiking tips here.

Solo hiking quotes from "Tidy Cat"

Now let's hear from a female hiker who challenged herself to do a multiday solo backpacking trip.

Her trail name: Tidy Cat

This Q & A with a first time female solo hiker asks and answers some questions you may have asked yourself if you are nervous about or scared of hiking alone.

Question from Hiking For Her:

“What were your worst fears about going solo, and did any of them materialize?”

Tidy Cat: “Foremost was my fear of getting lost. I have virtually no sense of direction. I need maps and a navigation system to drive places I’ve been a dozen times.

My second fear was of facing a large animal or dangerous human.

Neither of these scenarios came close to materializing.

Before leaving home, I folded my map into daily segments and added lots of notes to each segment regarding landmarks and water sources.

When I picked up my permit, the Ranger added important information about a detour and dried up water sources.

I kept my map in my front pocket and checked it frequently, like every 10 minutes the first day!

As the days and miles went by my confidence grew and I checked the map each morning before starting out, whenever I reached a fork in the trail, and when determining breaks and water filtering.

As far as beastly encounters went, I was thrilled to see elk, mountain goats, marmots and a red fox.

For a couple of miles the trail lead through fruiting berry bushes and was littered with fresh bear scat. I tapped my hiking poles together every few feet.

By the time the hike was over, I was disappointed at not seeing a bear!

I saw other people every couple of hours. Only one person made me a little uncomfortable.

He looked homeless and was playing in the frigid glacier water in a river bed. I made eye contact and greeted him, and looked over my shoulder until I was certain he wasn’t following me.

My husband’s greatest fear was that my modified and very much pared down equipment would leave me wanting or unsafe.

I had tested everything at home and it all worked perfectly on the trail.

The only thing I found myself wanting was more time in the woods!

And perhaps a few more peanut M&Ms…”

Question from Hiking For Her:

“At what point in the trip did you realize that solo hiking rocks? Was it a gradual dawning, or a "click" moment?”

Tidy Cat: “Solo hiking began to rock for me right from the start.

For the first time, I wasn’t looking at someone else’s backside, the view was all mine.

I set my own pace, rested when I was tired, ate when I was hungry and listened to nothing but my own thoughts and the sound of the wilderness around me.

As the days progressed my hike became a spiritual experience.

I had decided that instead of this being one 16-day hike, it would be 16 one-day hikes. Each day was progressively more meditative and I learned what it really means to live in the moment.

For once, my vacation did not fly by at warp speed.

I experienced each and every minute to the fullest.

I have hours of vivid memories to re-experience whenever I want to be calm or happy.”

Thanks, Tidy Cat!

Solo hiking tips:
quizzes just for fun

To get a good grasp on your comfort zone with the topic of solo hiking, try a few quizzes I created, just for you!

Both of them help you sort out how you really feel about going it alone on the trail. That's more important than all of the solo hiking tips in the world!

Hiker, know thyself.

Hiking inspiration for female hikers

Hiking is an amazing sport because it keeps surprising you!

Every hike is brand new.

What you see on the trail is different from what your trail companions see.

And you never hike the same trail in the same way twice.

Stay inspired as a solo hiker with these tips.

Solo Hiking Tips Guide
all wrapped up

Going solo is a commitment, but a huge adventure that will open doors you didn't even know you had within you.

What's holding YOU back?

Dig into those fears and concerns, using all of these solo hiking tips.

And enjoy some hiking self care tips!

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Solo Hiking Tips

Please share your solo hiking tips with us below.

It's easy to do, and creates such a wonderful resource of hiking wisdom for other women hikers.

Solo Hiking - Why Do It?

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What Other Hikers Have Said About Solo Hiking

Click below to see contributions from other solo hikers.

Just me and nature! 
If you plan on hiking solo, first use well-travelled and maintained trails, such as those in state or national parks, etc. You'll find an occasional fellow …

Sixtyteen 
Weather, Maps, SPOT, recon, GPS, Nikon, LCR, Sunbrella, hammock, stick to your plan, Sweetwater, Mtn House, spiritual, unforgettable. Enjoy!

Pumped for First Solo Hike! 
I just planned my first solo overnight hike. I've done a lotta trips with both all-women and mixed-sex hiking, but can't wait to put my (teeny tiny list …

See where your mind and your feet carry you - you'll be surprised! 
I always solo hike! And I love it! Now I've only started doing overnight/multiple day trips, but I'm quickly improving - from the last 4 day hike I upgraded …

Going boldly into the world Not rated yet
The first question I am asked when I admit to hiking solo is "What if you die?" My answer is "Then, I WIN!" Who wants to die in a hospital with a bunch …

SOLITUDE ABUNDANT Not rated yet
Just prepare well. Read multiple descriptions of the trail online or in books. Print out pics of trail junctions where a change in trail path is indicated …

It's Amazing Not rated yet
I'm giving myself advice here... I always forget until I need it... emergency gear! I always forget on "mere dayhikes" then I get lost... and think "wow, …

Solo Hiking Makes Me Feel Like a Superhero! Not rated yet
Doing stuff by myself is really empowering. Even though I'm very extroverted I get a real kick out of solo nature-based activities. I love that I have …

Need for Decompression Not rated yet
Going on my first two night solo hike. Would love to go longer, but I'm in the military and that's all I have off right now. My mom just passed two weeks …

The best way to hike! Not rated yet
For me solo hiking is the most freeing, gratifying experience. You can find peace within yourself by finding peace in nature. It's just you and the trail. …

Solo Hiking in South Korea Not rated yet
I have been living here for the past 9 years. Luckily Korea is over 70% mountains! Your advice has been very helpful but a few more things things that …

Another awesome solo hike! Not rated yet
I just completed a solo turn around the 175 mile Tahoe Rim Trail. Water was an issue as the area enters its 4th drought year. Steep, icy snow drifts …

Love Solo Hiking! Not rated yet
In addition to what everyone else has said, I also list my hike/snowshoe on iNeverSolo. It's like a flight plan. And if I don't return on time then my …

Slow Solo Not rated yet
I need advice- I recently returned to hiking, and I'm loving it- a great area, Saugatuck Dunes State Park. Many very isolated remote areas and trails. …

To reach the height no one else dreams of Not rated yet
My camera is my hiking buddy. It shows what I saw along the trail. Cute chipmunks, snakes crossing my toes, rain and wind blocking my path, fallen tree …

Love solo hiking too!! Not rated yet
In addition to what everyone else has said, I also list my hike/snowshoe on iNeverSolo.com It's like a flight plan. And if I don't return on time then …

Preventing falls when walking alone Not rated yet
I much prefer to walk alone and while I think there will always be risks, there's one guideline can help prevent falls, which is: When you're walking look …

Solo hiking is the only way Not rated yet
My first solo hike I was actually sort of afraid. That was about 17 years ago. Now Its the only way to travel. I stop, sit by streams, eat when I am …

AMAZING DAY SOLO AT HARRIMAN PARK APPALACHIAN TRAIL!! Not rated yet
After reading this site a few times, I finally went out and did it, I went on my first solo hike and it was amazing. I have been obsessed with the Appalachian …

Solo Hiking is awesome, but there will be times.... Not rated yet
I love solo hiking. I get my dog and my pack and it's just us in the world. All of my problems are at home and I can pick the perfect trail for me. …

Hiking with my Best Friend = Me! Not rated yet
For me, the benefits of solo hiking far outweigh any fears or difficulties. I can hike as long and as fast (or slow) as I please, without constantly wondering …

solo anything is the best sometimes Not rated yet
You don't have to wait for 2 hours, just to leave town cause of people who cant make up their mind! or get to the destination and not even go where you …

The Things I Like Best... Not rated yet
I have hiked solo several times. The thing I like best about it is not being pushed physically by others, but pushing myself instead. To explain I am in …

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