A recent ranking on the best hiking trails in the world has one Canadian destination sitting proudly in the top 10.
Inghams, a vacation provider in the United Kingdom, compiled a list of the top hiking trails across the globe. The holiday planning service analyzed search volume data using Google's Keyword Planner for a total of 122 of the world's most popular hiking trails and walking locations.
After tallying up the total annual searches for each keyword from the last 12 months, they then compared the data to annual searches from July 2019 to June 2020. Inghams was then able to determine which walking routes have seen the biggest increase in search volumes. Walking locations with the highest percentage increase in search volume are ranked as the top trending trails.
So, which walking trails managed to make the cut?
The Cotswolds in the United Kingdom was ranked number one, with a total of 397,000 annual global searches. The Inca Trail in Peru came in second with a total of 325,200 searches, with the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile securing a total of 145,200 global searches.
The Black Forest in Germany and the Great Smoky Mountains in the United States rounded off the top five.
Canada's very own Bruce Trail managed to make the top 10, landing ninth overall with a total of 8,640 global searches. Located in Ontario, the Bruce Trail from from the Niagara River to the very tip of Tobermory (Bruce Peninsula) where crystal clear waters and hidden coves await.
Bruce Trail is known to connect hikers to some of the most beautiful Canadian landscapes from cobble beaches, open meadows, waterfalls , old-growth forests, and spectacular views for days.
The main trail is roughly 900 kilometres long with over 405 kilometres of associated side trails. While an end-to-end hike would take you quite some time, it isn't impossible. According to the Bruce Trail Conservancy , completing the nearly 900 km-long journey can be done "over 30 days or several years," depending on how one approaches the hike.
Wondering which other hiking trails made the cut? Here's the complete top 10 of the most popular walking trails:
- The Cotswolds — United Kingdom
- The Inca Trail — Peru
- The Andes — Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile
- The Black Forest — Germany
- The Great Smoky Mountains — United States
- The Great Dividing Range — Australia
- The Pennine Way — United Kingdom
- The Ural Mountains — Russia and Kazakhstan
- The Bruce Trail — Canada
- The Apennines — Italy
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
