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In our travel column, assistant editor Emma Veidt answers your hiking questions with the help of a rotating cast of experts.
Is it possible to do a thru-hike in the winter? Most of the country is under deep snow or ice, but I want to crank out some miles before spring. Where can I do that?
Winter Wanderer
Dear Wanderer,
At first glance, winter might seem like the off season for long-distance hikers. It’s a good time to reflect on the previous year’s hikes and train for whatever holds come spring. In some parts of the country, that might be true: As of 2022, there had only been eight recorded southbound winter Appalachian Trail thru-hikes, which pales to the 1,000 completed in-season thru-hikes in 2019 alone. But, in some other parts of the country, such as low-elevation trails in the southern part of the country, these are actually the prime months to complete a thru-hike.
In the winter, you’ll have a more intimate experience with the trail without fighting off crowds of in-season hikers. These short winter-proof thru-hikes—between 60 and 150 miles—might not carry the same clout of the 2,000-plus mile trails on the Triple Crown roster, but that doesn’t mean they’re inferior or even easy. Some of these trails require routefinding skills or multiple days between resupplies or reliable water sources.
Don’t wait until spring to knock off a long trail this year. Here are three you can start today.
Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail
Thought we’d recommend the Florida Trail? Sure, it’s great, but this trail 5 miles from the heart of Jupiter, Florida, is a sampler of every ecosystem the state offers—the scenery changes nearly every mile throughout this 61-mile thru-hike. Start at the Atlantic Ocean shoreline at Hobe Sound Beach and hike west to reach Lake Okeechobee. Along the way, you’ll pass ancient sand dunes, cypress swampland, and forests lined with scrub oak, sand pine, palmetto, and plenty of natural features within the North Everglades Natural Area.
There’s a group of long distance runners who attempt to do the whole thing in under 18 hours each year, but what’s the rush? Take your time on this trip. Stop and chat with the Florida Trail Association members who are likely out maintaining the trail. If water levels are high or wild pigs tore up the muddy trail, watch your footing on the tricky terrain. Bonus: OTL hikers can purchase a $5 patch from the FTA to commemorate completing the thru-hike. Have any questions about this trail? Check out the Facebook page here.
Lone Star Hiking Trail
Winter is actually the ideal time to complete this thru-hike in the Lone Star State. Coming in at 96 miles with 32 additional miles of optional add-ons, the LSHT is a popular trail for winter thru-hikers, especially after hunting season ends in January. This is the longest continuous hiking path in Texas, and it’s intentionally kept primitive, with no restroom facilities throughout the entire trail. Starting right outside of Houston in Sam Houston National Forest, the trail takes you through pine and hardwood forests, creeks, and bayous. Even though this is a popular trail in the winter, there are some days where you’ll feel like you have it completely to yourself. Most hikers take about 10 days to complete the LSHT, but with only 3,500 feet of elevation gain total, you could put in some high-mileage days.
According to the U.S. Forest Service’s website, there are a couple of sections of the LSHT that cross private property—“Therefore, visitors should show good trail manners, so private property owners will continue to allow foot passage across their land.” There are also a number of road crossings to connect trails.
Side note: Between September 15 and February 1, camping is only permitted in designated areas. The rest of the year, thru-hikers can pitch tents anywhere along the trail. Have any questions? Reach out to the Lone Star Hiking Trail Club, an affiliate of the American Hiking Society that has been maintaining and hosting organized hikes on the trail since 1995.
San Diego Trans-County Trail
Also called the Sea-to-Sea Trail, this path spanning the 150-mile width of San Diego County between the Salton Sea and the Pacific Ocean at Torrey Pines State Beach is one of the most biodiverse trails in the country. San Diego is the most biologically rich county in the lower 48, so you’ll likely never encounter a trail as lush with plant life as this one. For the first several days, you’ll hike through washes and vast desert spaces, which offer 360-degree views of the cacti-, cholla-, and sagebrush-dotted mountains in the distance. As you move west, you’ll also summit peaks such as El Cajon Mountain, which is a popular dayhike for San Diego locals.
This unfinished trail has some sections that require good routefinding skills to avoid trespassing on private land. About 65 percent of TCT is an official trail, while 20 percent is dirt roads, and the remaining 15 percent is pavement.
The eastern part of the trail is the ancestral home to groups of the Cahuilla people, and the western part is the ancestral home to groups of the Kumeyaay people. The trail also crosses an Inaja and Cosmit reservation, so be respectful while hiking through these areas.
Tips for Winter Thru-Hikes:
- Hydrate and lather up: You might think you can skimp on water and sunscreen when it’s cold out. In the winter, the sun can still peek through clouds and create a sunburn, and elements such as wind are very dehydrating. Put on the SPF even if you think you don’t need to, and replenish your fluids even when you don’t feel thirsty.
- Know your route (or how to find it): That trail you hiked in the summer? It might look completely different in the winter. Sometimes trails aren’t maintained as regularly in the winter, or the flora might change with the seasons. Bare trees might disguise what would be an intuitive hiking path during the summer, so know where you’re going and always carry a paper or digital map.
- Plan for reduced visibility and shorter days: In the summer, you can hike well past 8 p.m. in some areas. This time of year, the sun sinks below the horizon sometimes two or three hours earlier. Keep that in mind when you’re planning your daily mileage and when you’re starting and ending your day. No matter what, always bring a headlamp.