Phoenix, Tucson Among 2022's Top 10 Best Hiking Cities: Rankings

PHOENIX, AZ — National Trails Day on June 4 doesn't come at a great time for hiking in Southern Arizona, but ahead of the occasion, both Phoenix and Tucson were ranked in the top 10 best hiking cities.

Tucson was No. 2 and Phoenix was right behind at No. 3 on a list by LawnStarter that ranked the 200 biggest cities in the U.S. based on their friendliness to local hiking.

Tucson and Phoenix were beat out for the No. 1 spot by Portland, Oregon.

The rankings were based on things like hiking access, hiking quality, access to hiking supplies, climate and safety.

Phoenix and Tucson ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively for hiking access but their low rankings for climate and safety brought them down from the top spot on the list.

"Phoenix, Arizona, Maricopa County specifically, and Arizona in general are blessed with hundreds of miles of accessible public hiking and park-friendly walking trails for outdoor enthusiast," Dale Larsen, a professor with the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University, told LawnStarter. "Phoenix alone has over 40,000 acres of public parks, mountain parks, and trails — most within walking, biking, or a short driving distance of neighborhoods."

If you are planning to head out on the trail this summer, remember to head out early in the morning or at night when temperatures are lower, stay on marked trails, wear sunscreen and a hat, bring more water than you think you'll need and to turn back when your water is half gone.

The Phoenix Fire Department has already performed several rescues from hiking trails this season, and will likely perform many more before the hot season is through.

Here's the complete top 10 list:

1. Portland, Oregon
2. Tucson, Arizona
3. Phoenix, Arizona
4. Colorado Springs, Colorado
5. Oakland, California
6. Salt Lake City, Utah
7. Los Angeles, California
8. Boise, Idaho
9. Las Vegas, Nevada
10. San Diego, California

LawnStarter is a lawn care service that has a habit of ranking cities in the U.S. for all sorts of things like the best biking cities, the best cities for new moms and the best cities for urban gardening.