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City to Wilderness Hiking: Where to Start? Do you feel intimidated when people ask you if you hike on the outskirts of the city or in the mountains? Do you find it challenging to get out hiking in your city? I hear you. Don’t worry! Here are steps to help you feel confident hiking in your city, eventually moving on to hiking in the wilderness. It’s not only the location where you hike that matters, but who you surround yourself with. Think of the people who are in your life. Who likes to hike? Perhaps you have family members or friends who enjoy hiking. Consider your coworkers; you might want to tag along with them. I’ll discuss meetup groups and the opportunities they offer. I’ll help you feel confident hiking in the wilderness!
Table of Contents
Familiar Hikes in the City
The easiest way to start is by doing small hikes in your city. Your city is a familiar place. It’s easy to find hiking trails using Google Maps.
Tip: Typically, hiking paths are indicated with either a green dotted line or a solid line.
Everyone has a cell phone these days, so be sure to carry yours with you wherever you go. I use the Samsung Health App to track how far I’ve walked and where I’m located. It also shows roads and parks around you. It’s easy to zoom in and out, so you always know your exact location and where you parked.
In Edmonton, there are so many hikes in the river valley. Some of my favourite hikes are walking from Fort Edmonton Park, which allows you two options (walk right or left from there). If you hike to the right, you can create a loop by heading toward the Hawrelak Park footbridge and retracing your steps. If you go to the left, you’ll head toward the Fort Edmonton footbridge. After crossing the bridge, you’ll reach a Y-intersection that will bring you toward Terwillegar (left) or Rio Park (right). Whitemud Park is also a nice place to walk.
Hiking with Family or Friends
If you’re not feeling at ease hiking alone, consider asking a friend or family member who enjoys walking to join you. They might be familiar with other places to hike in the city. It could make you less nervous to have someone with you who knows where to go and can help direct you. It can make you feel less lonely, and it’s enjoyable to pass the time and have pleasant conversations with people you know. Having someone by your side can also help boost your confidence to do it alone one day.
Tip: People tend to be friendly. If you’re lost, don’t be afraid to ask where you are and which direction to go. There should be someone available to help you, especially on a weekend when it’s a gorgeous, sunny day. There’s a high probability that many hikers will have the same idea and be out on the trails with you. You don’t have to worry about being by yourself and unable to find your way home.
Hike on the Outskirts
Once you’re comfortable hiking in the city, try wilderness hiking just outside the city. Close to Edmonton, we have Chickakoo (pictured above), St. Albert (to the North), and Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary (to the West).
For more options, check out Easy Hiking Near Me. These locations are typically located half an hour to an hour outside the city. It’s not too far from the city, yet it will make you feel more at one with nature.
It will give you a sense of adventure and should boost your confidence that you’re making progress and trying something that feels more like the wilderness, which was your goal. Maybe you’ll be happy that you got yourself this far, or perhaps you want even more adventures somewhere in the mountains. But, for the time being, be happy you’ve made it this far! Look back at where you started and how far you’ve come! Take pride in yourself for hiking these trails.
E. Lee Nature Sanctuary is a short hike but a cool place to see a variety of different birds while walking on boardwalks.
I love going to St. Albert, even though it’s close to the city of Edmonton. It helps change my thoughts and gives me new scenery to enjoy. Sometimes I have a familiar face when my father-in-law-to-be joins me on hikes here. It gives us a chance to catch up and gets me out of the house, too, to enjoy nature together. I often pick areas where family or friends live to give me a chance to drive to a different location. When my parents are in town, we often head to Cooking Lake-Blackfoot (to the east of the city) for some longer hikes. My parents and I enjoy spending a good portion of the day outside. Keep in mind that your mental health will benefit when getting outside with your mom.
Meetup Groups
Meetup.com groups are great. I’ve joined many groups in the past and even guided my own. The wonderful thing about these groups is that you can find people who share common interests with you. Type hiking, kayaking, climbing, etc., to find people who want to partake in the same activities. You might have family, friends, or co-workers who can join you either on city walks or the outskirts of the city, but they aren’t always available. If you’ve just moved here and don’t know anyone yet, meetup groups are a great way to connect with people who share your interest in similar outdoor activities.
Joining one of these groups will allow you to locate hiking close to the city and some that are in the wilderness. You will get the opportunity to sign up for hikes that interest you while not being alone. Trip leaders might be more experienced to show you the way or at least provide some company on an adventure together. It will help build your confidence and grow your skills while in different hiking environments. It might also introduce you to new hikes and scenery.
The picture above shows our shared picnic after hiking in Devon together. There are so many ways to connect, so never feel like you’re alone and don’t have anyone to join you. There are always options.
Mountains
I went hiking with my family at Jura Creek in April. Note: A conservation pass is required to park in this parking lot. There was still a lot of snow, being in the mountains, close to Canmore. I came prepared with my Olang Parigi 2.0 Spike Boot. I had never been to that location before, but I gained confidence by leaning on my family, who had hiked it previously. We did seven kilometres there and back. It’s not a super long hike, but gorgeous to hike up the canyon and spend quality time with my family. This is a nice hike to experience in the winter. Presume Outdoor Competence in Kids and take your children with you on your hikes, like we took my nephew with us. If you start them young, they’ll have more chances to love the outdoors as much as you do!
Tip #1: If the water is high in the summer, there’s a high probability of getting wet. You might be required to walk through the water to reach the top.
Tip #2: There are easy trails in the mountains, such as this one along Jura Creek, that aren’t difficult at all. Find people who share your interests and go exploring together. As you gain more experience in the mountains, you can acquire more skills. Before you know it, you’ll likely want to add more hikes and adventures to your list.
Tour Groups
Tour groups are also an option for city or wilderness hiking. You might not feel comfortable going on your own, but when joining a tour group, you have an expert guiding you and leading the way, as we had on our glacier hike.
Athabasca Glacier
Athabasca Glacier Hike: What to Expect provides in-depth details about the hike. Our guide was able to answer our questions and concerns and provide advice as we tackled the day.
The guide directed us up the glacier, warning us of things to keep in mind, such as crevasses, to avoid falling into one. He educated us on the facts, as the glacier is melting at an alarming rate, seeing the large volume of water rushing down as we hiked.
Kris and I learned a great deal when we participated in this group tour.
Mount Batur Sunrise
We’ve hiked before, but never in the dark and up a volcano in a foreign country. Even being adventurous and experienced, I was still a bit nervous, but our guide made us feel comfortable and led us slowly up the trail by telling us what to expect along the way. That was reassuring to have someone to rely on, as I felt a bit out of my comfort zone. Read Mount Batur Sunrise Hiking Guide for more details.
Tip: Regardless of your fitness level and experience with an activity, if a guide makes you feel safe and more at ease, consider going with one. Please note that a cost will be associated with the guided tour.
Motorcycles
On the Mount Batur hike, we had to watch out for motorcyclists driving by as we hiked. Hikers who didn’t feel they could reach the summit before sunrise could opt for this alternative. It’s weird to step to the side of the trail in the dark, hoping not to get run over. Thankfully, there are no motorcycles allowed on our Canadian trails.
Hiking Fast
We had to hike quickly up the volcano in the dark, while tackling the elevation gain. Something I hadn’t considered was the need to walk fast to be able to see it. We didn’t want to miss the sunrise! Thankfully, we were provided with many breaks.
Tip: Our guide was amazingly patient and stopped every time I needed a break. I hiked and felt fit at the time, but I don’t usually hike that fast and up a volcano with a time limit in the dark. With all those constraints in place, it changed how confident I felt.
You never know how self-assured you’ll feel once you’re put into a different situation than you’re used to. When away from the city and engaging in wilderness hiking, a guide can definitely boost your confidence and motivate you to reach your destination. Hiking up Mount Batur was hard work, but completely worth it once we saw the sunrise!
Final Thoughts
Are you feeling more confident to progress from city to wilderness hiking now? If you’ve managed to make it to the wilderness or the mountains by following these steps, congratulations! I’m proud of you! You’ve succeeded in accomplishing your goal. How do you feel? Remember to start small, taking walks inside the city, then venture out to the outskirts and into the wilderness. Maybe you’ll even reach the mountains one day. Go with people in your life who share your love for the outdoors, such as family, friends, or coworkers. If you don’t know anyone who loves hiking, consider joining a meetup group or a tour group to gain experience through a paid guide. Don’t stop your ambitions because you get stuck and can’t find anyone to join you. If you follow these options, you’ll be out in the wilderness in no time! Enjoy and go have fun in the outdoors!
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