The Best States in America for Hiking 

My team and I analyzed five factors that we believe contribute to an optimal hiking experience, and gave each of the 50 US states a score out of 100 in order to create our Hiking Index. 

The factors analyzed within the index included the number of hiking trails and waterfalls relative to state area, the percentage of each state covered by national and state parks, as well as the average yearly temperature and rainfall. 

So, here are the results:

• Connecticut ranks as the best state in America for hiking, scoring highly for its large proportion of hiking trails, waterfalls and state and national park coverage. 
• Massachusetts ranks as the second-best state, offering the highest number of hiking trails relative to state size. 
• Hawaii ranked as the third best state for hiking, and offers the highest average annual temperature. 

What people say on Reddit

It’s really hard to beat NH. Sure you don’t get crazy elevation but there’s so much variety and there’s challenges for every skill level. From short day hikes to, “hey, wanna destroy our legs today bro” hikes like singke day presidential traverse or pemi loop.

Playingwithmyrod

WNC…by far! I lived in Candler, NC for three years and was constantly hiking…new trailhead every time. If you get a heavy snow in the area, they usually shut down the Blue Ridge Parkway which turns into a looong snow shoeing or skiing trail!

IceBridges33

We live in East Tn and there is the GSMNP and a dozen or so national and state parks/forests with some great hiking. We actually don’t hike the Smokies that often because we like taking the dogs. And there are tons of nice trails. The combination of elevation gains in the Appalachian range and foothills and lots of water mean beautiful trails, waterfalls, wildlife, flowers etc.

Jasper2006

New Hampshire hands down, you have easy hills and forests and then sharp exposed ridges, waterfalls, mountain lakes, it’s amazing. Also personally Mt Washington is one of my favorite hikes from Huntington ravine to see a very diverse terrain within a day

IcySelection8364

Map

Useful Video

The 10 best US states for hiking 

Rank	State	Hiking Index Score / 100
1.	Connecticut	73.98
2.	Massachusetts	72.31
3.	Hawaii	72.09
4.	California	70.79
5.	New Jersey	69.49
6.	Arizona	64.25
7.	Washington	62.45
8.	New Hampshire	61.55
9.	Utah	61.22
10.	Rhode Island	60.65

Connecticut ranked as the best state for hiking in the US, with a Hiking Index Score of 73.98 out of 100 across the five examined factors. The Constitution State boasts an impressive number of hiking trails in proportion to its size. In fact, it comes second only to Massachusetts with whopping 1,455 hiking trails per 1,000 square miles. 

The Nutmeg State also has the third-highest state and national park coverage, accounting for 8.49% of its total area, and the fifth-highest number of waterfalls relative to its size, with 30 waterfalls per 1,000 square miles.  

Scoring 72.31 out of 100, Massachusetts ranked as the second-best state for hiking in the US. It was found to offer 2,221 hiking trails per 1,000 square miles which was the highest figure out of any state. The state also features 14 waterfalls per 1,000 square miles and 5.01% of its total area is covered by state and national parks. 

Hawaii was found to be the third-best state for hiking in the US, with a score of 72.09 out of 100. The Aloha State has the warmest average annual temperature at 73.5°F and the highest number of waterfalls relative to its size, with an impressive 85 waterfalls per 1,000 square miles. It also has the second-highest percentage of total area covered by state and national parks, at 9.46%. 

California is fourth on the list, scoring 69.49 out of 100 across the five factors. The Golden state offers 107 hiking trails and seven waterfalls per 1,000 square miles and has one of the lowest yearly average rainfall at 22.3 inches. A respectable 7.63% of California’s total state area is covered by state and national parks, meaning it ranks fifth highest for this factor. 

New Jersey ranked as the fifth best state for hiking in the US, with a Hiking Index Score of 69.49 out of 100. The state has 650 hiking trails per 1,000 square miles, meaning it ranks fourth-highest for this factor. It also has nine waterfalls per 1,000 square miles and 8.14% of its total area is covered by state and national parks. The Garden State also offers a balmy average temperature of 53.6°F year round. 

Surprisingly, Arizona is only the sixth-best state for hiking in the US, with a Hiking Index Score of 64.25. It has the second-lowest average rainfall behind Nevada, with 11.6 inches annually and an average temperature of 61.1°F. Home to the Grand Canyon, Arizona offers 52 hiking trails and one waterfall per 1,000 square miles, and 2.17% of its total area is covered by state and national parks. 

Washington ranked seventh with a score of 62.45 out of 100. The Evergreen State has 140 hiking trails and 47 waterfalls per 1,000 square miles, ranking second for the latter factor. It receives an average of 43.2 inches of rainfall annually, and 4.18% of its total area is covered by state and natural parks. 

With a score of 61.55 out of 100, New Hampshire ranks as the eighth-best state for hiking in the US. The Granite State offers 482 hiking trails and the third-highest number of waterfalls relative to its size with 40 per 1,000 square miles. It has an average temperature of 44°F, yearly average rainfall of 48 inches, and 1.40% total national and state park coverage. 

Utah ranked as the ninth-best state overall for hiking, with a score of 61.22 out of 100. The state offers 87 hiking trails per 1,000 square miles and 1.86% state and national park coverage. The landlocked state has one waterfall per 1,000 miles and the third-lowest annual rainfall, at an average of 13.5 inches. 

Rhode Island is the tenth-best US state for hiking, scoring 60.65 out of 100. Despite being the smallest state in the US by area, Rhode Island has the third-highest number of hiking trails relative to its size, with 1,131 hiking trails per 1000 square miles. The Ocean State also has two waterfalls per 1000 square miles and 49 inches of rainfall annually. 

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My considerations

This data offers a fascinating insight into the best destinations in the US for lovers of the great outdoors. Connecticut’s emergence as the best state for hiking may appear rather surprising, however, its large proportion of trails and park coverage means that hikers of all skill levels are likely to find a trail that caters to their preferences across the beautiful New England state. 

When planning a trip, it is important to consider other factors that can greatly impact the quality of your journey. Climate and the presence of natural landmarks are just as vital to a successful hiking trip, so taking these elements into account, ensures visitors are able to enjoy a well-rounded experience.

Methodology 

Data from the US Census Bureau, National Park Service, Trailforks, World Waterfall Database and the National Climatic Data Centre was used to create a Hiking Index Score for all 50 states. The index comprises five factors that may be important for hiking trips. 

These factors were; number of hiking trails per 1,000 square miles, number of waterfalls per 1,000 square miles, average yearly temperature, average yearly rainfall, and the percentage of each state covered by state and national parks.  

Each of these factors was scored with each state being able to score a maximum total of 100. Some indicators were transformed using the log transformation to reduce skew in their distributions, and the figures for hiking trails were weighted at 2x the other factors. Rainfall was scored inversely so that lower levels were given a higher score. 

The complete data table

Rank	State	State area (sq miles)	Average yearly rainfall (inches)	Average temperature (°F)	State & National Park coverage (% of state)	Number of hiking trails (per 1,000 sq miles)	Number of waterfalls (per 1,000 sq miles)	Hiking Index Score / 100
1.	Connecticut	4,841.40	49	49.9	8.49%	1,455	30.363	73.98
2.	Massachusetts	7,798.90	49	48.75	5.01%	2,221	13.720	72.31
3.	Hawaii	6,420.70	43	73.5	9.46%	62	84.570	72.09
4.	California	155,812.80	22.3	59	7.63%	107	6.777	70.79
5.	New Jersey	7,352.90	48	53.6	8.14%	650	9.112	69.49
6.	Arizona	113,623.10	11.6	61.05	2.17%	52	1.171	64.25
7.	Washington	66,437.50	43.2	47.3	4.18%	140	47.037	62.45
8.	New Hampshire	8,951.00	48	44	1.40%	482	40.331	61.55
9.	Utah	82,355.10	13.5	49.2	1.86%	87	1.202	61.22
10.	Rhode Island	1,033.60	49	50.65	1.00%	1,131	1.935	60.65
11.	Colorado	103,610.10	18	46.2	1.02%	79	5.434	59.11
12.	Vermont	9,215.40	46	43.05	0.88%	285	39.282	57.82
13.	Maryland	9,708.60	45	55.4	1.63%	174	2.163	56.75
14.	New York	47,111.30	44	46	1.16%	162	20.038	56.72
15.	Wyoming	97,063.00	16	42.25	4.12%	21	5.357	56.68
16.	Delaware	1,948.00	46	56.2	2.09%	207	0.513	55.68
17.	Michigan	56,591.00	33.9	45.15	2.31%	75	4.789	55.54
18.	Maine	30,836.60	46	41.8	3.92%	85	15.728	55.01
19.	North Carolina	48,607.40	51	59.55	1.57%	55	18.125	54.97
20.	Pennsylvania	44,729.90	45	49.45	1.03%	126	7.691	54.07
21.	Virginia	39,471.70	46	56	1.05%	75	4.712	52.91
22.	Montana	145,509.20	18.9	42.55	1.21%	32	3.306	52.87
23.	Tennessee	41,227.10	55	58.45	1.72%	38	16.955	51.62
24.	Illinois	55,499.00	40.7	52.65	1.41%	88	0.775	51.61
25.	Ohio	40,847.90	41.1	51.65	0.77%	56	6.904	51.27
26.	Florida	53,633.70	54	71.4	7.42%	34	0.112	51.13
27.	Oregon	95,962.60	32.1	47.9	0.46%	38	16.840	51.11
28.	Wisconsin	54,153.10	34.1	43.85	2.02%	36	3.527	50.59
29.	Texas	261,193.90	28.6	65.8	0.97%	18	0.360	50.31
30.	West Virginia	24,034.80	47	52.6	0.96%	46	8.862	49.89
31.	Kentucky	39,480.90	50	56.3	1.76%	21	17.046	49.68
32.	South Carolina	30,055.80	48	63.35	0.55%	21	11.978	48.55
33.	New Mexico	121,280.10	13.8	54.45	0.18%	18	1.072	47.85
34.	Minnesota	79,604.80	28.6	41.65	0.95%	29	1.821	46.88
35.	Georgia	57,701.10	50	64.15	0.23%	37	6.291	46.66
36.	Idaho	82,623.30	23.7	43.9	0.16%	42	4.006	46.66
37.	Nevada	109,831.30	10.2	51	0.30%	15	0.219	45.60
38.	Indiana	35,817.00	44	52.35	0.82%	20	3.909	45.07
39.	Arkansas	52,023.80	53	61	0.18%	28	8.746	43.27
40.	South Dakota	75,789.60	21.2	45.65	0.78%	9	0.132	39.63
41.	Alabama	50,633.20	57	63.6	0.15%	24	2.330	38.81
42.	Missouri	68,727.30	44	55.25	0.34%	13	0.233	35.79
43.	Oklahoma	68,577.80	36.4	60.3	0.13%	5	0.525	34.07
44.	Iowa	55,838.90	35.6	48.3	0.21%	12	0.233	33.70
45.	Nebraska	76,796.20	24.2	49.4	0.32%	3	0.143	32.13
46.	North Dakota	68,976.50	18.8	41	0.22%	12	0.014	31.54
47.	Alaska	570,865.80	37.6	27.95	9.81%	2	0.589	31.23
48.	Kansas	81,736.80	29	55.05	0.06%	4	0.379	30.00
49.	Mississippi	46,913.10	59	64.15	0.08%	7	0.362	27.00
50.	Louisiana	43,193.10	60	67.1	0.12%	2	0.116	21.94

My Other Posts About Hiking

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• Scenic Hiking Trails in LA 🏞️
• Must-Do Connecticut Hikes with Waterfalls 🏔️