2026 Report: Texas Named #5 Hiking State in U.S. 🌵
Summer is here, and that means it’s HIKING SEASON! Millions of Americans will hit the trails on upcoming weekends and holidays in the coming months.
At KURU Footwear, we crunched the numbers to find which states are the best for hiking in 2026 and Texas ranks #5!
Texas might surprise some people at #5, but the data tells a clear story–with over 3,450 trails, 2 national parks including Big Bend, and 76 state parks, it has the infrastructure to back it up. Its wide-open landscapes and dry climate make it one of the most underrated hiking states in the country.
You can see the full report here: https://www.kurufootwear.com/
Our rankings were based on:
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Average trail ratings based on real-time data from AllTrails
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Number of trails in every state
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Number of National Parks in every state
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Number of State Parks in every state
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Precipitation rates in each state (more precipitation = lower score)
Here’s a look at the complete rankings:
| Rank | State | Avg Trail Rating | # of Trails | # of Nat. Parks | # of State Parks | Precipitation (yearly inches) | Score |
| 1 | California | 4.4 | 16,554 | 9 | 139 | 22.2 | 90.5 |
| 2 | Colorado | 4.4 | 6,077 | 4 | 43 | 15.9 | 83.9 |
| 3 | Arizona | 4.5 | 3,570 | 3 | 29 | 13.6 | 82.8 |
| 4 | Utah | 4.4 | 3,612 | 5 | 42 | 12.2 | 81.7 |
| 5 | Texas | 4.4 | 3,450 | 2 | 76 | 28.9 | 79.4 |
| 6 | Michigan | 4.4 | 2,732 | 1 | 77 | 32.8 | 72.4 |
| 7 | Washington | 4.3 | 5,613 | 3 | 142 | 38.4 | 72.0 |
| 8 | Montana | 4.4 | 1,655 | 2 | 46 | 15.3 | 68.8 |
| 9 | Minnesota | 4.4 | 1,744 | 1 | 65 | 27.3 | 67.3 |
| 10 | New Mexico | 4.4 | 1,726 | 2 | 35 | 14.6 | 67.0 |