29 hiking resolution ideas to find joy in 2025!
Although number of hikes, mileage and elevation gain may seem like some of the most obvious hiking goals you can make, there are plenty of other hiking projects you can embark on that are just as fun and get you outside all the same. We've got some ideas for you.
Ah, the last few days of the year… a time to reflect on the last 12 months and wonder about the next 12. For many of us, it's also a time to dream up new goals for the upcoming year!
It's the perfect time to look ahead and dream. Photo by Caleb McBride.
Goal-setting can be overwhelming, especially when it's hard to not compare our resolutions to others'. If someone else is aiming to hike x miles this year, should I do that too? Is my goal too small? For some, seeing others' goals — and making similar ones — adds to the fun. But for others, goals like that can make hiking feel like a chore.
Although tallying up the number of hikes, mileage and elevation gain may seem like some of the most obvious hiking goals you can make, there are plenty of other hiking projects you can embark on that are just as fun and still get you outside.
We’ve got some ideas for other hiking resolutions — many of which are quantifiable (if you’re into that sort of thing), and many of which are not — if you are seeking something beyond mileage and elevation gain as your hiking focus this year.
- Go on a neighborhood walk (however short or long!) after dinner twice a week
- Walk all of the streets in your neighborhood
A walk in the neighborhood is a great way to get outside without needing to drive anywhere. Photo by trip reporter ZhuckYu.
- Take a hike in five new-to-you Washington state parks (First Day Hikes is a fun way to start!)
- Take a hike in all six of Washington’s major national forests (and tack on Idaho's Kanisku National Forest if you make it to all six)
- Take a hike in all three of Washington’s national parks — Olympic, North Cascades and Mount Rainier
- Take public transportation to a trailhead
- Make a list of wildlife you’d like to see over the year and try to find signs of them on your hikes
- Pack a pair of binoculars on any outing (and use them!)
- Take at least one long break on each hike
- Go on hikes in a variety of weather conditions — sunny, rainy, snowy, classic PNW gloomy (always safely, of course, and with the right gear)
- Learn how to dehydrate a favorite meal for a backpacking trip this year
- Sleep outside (in a tent or a vehicle) at least once per season — and make sure to pack warmly
- Write three trip reports each month
- Discover a new trail once a month
- Introduce a friend to a new-to-them trail
- Take more (or fewer, depending on what feels right to you) pictures on trail
- Sign up for a trail work party
Join us for a work party! Photo by Perry Sproed.
- Go on your first solo hike
- Walk to your local store/library/park/etc. instead of driving once per month
- Slow down for 10 minutes during each trail run to take in nature
- Put together a map to mark all your adventures over the year (Tip: Use WTA trip reports to create a custom map of where you've hiked in Washington.)
- Learn a new hiking-related skill (snowshoeing/cross-country skiing, map reading, etc.)
- Learn how to identify one new plant a month
- Go backpacking somewhere that requires you to dig a cathole (and dig one properly)
- Assemble a trail art kit and make art on — or inspired by your time on — trail
Watercolors are a popular choice among trail artists. Photo by Mckenzie Campbell Davies.
- Plan a fancy meal to cook on trail or at camp
- Add a garbage bag to your 10 Essentials list to pack out any litter you find on trail
- Spend a little more time outside
- Strive to be more mindful on trail
For many of us, hiking and getting outside are important parts of our lives, and we at WTA are certainly excited to make it a big part of 2025! And we’d love to hear all about your outdoor goals for 2025 — let us know in a comment below or in a trip report!
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