The Lil Hiker’s Dictionary
Here’s some common terms you’ll see and hear at national parks, in hiking groups, or used to describe gear.
Bushwhacking: Traveling off-trail through thick foliage, trees, and typically a poorly maintained area.
Dispersed camping: Camping outside of a designated campground. Requires a permit in certain areas, so double check before you set up somewhere random.
Loop: A path that makes a full circle (aka you won’t see the same thing twice). Think of it like a runner’s track.
Multi-use trail: A shared path that is used for bikers, hikers, and sometimes horseback riders. Stay alert!
Out and back: A trail that uses the same path to the peak as it does returning. You will turn around and come back on the same trail.
Shoulder season: That several week time frame on either end of winter where the weather is unpredictable. It might be freezing cold, randomly sunny, or it could rain. Who knows! Check the weather before you go.
Switchbacks:
A zig-zag incline that gets you up a steep incline in bite-sized slopes. They are designed to help prevent erosion.
Thru-trail: A trail that has a different start and endpoint. Often used to reach a campsite or cross between major landmarks. Keep your final destination top of mind with these!
Trailhead: The starting point for any path.