Let's go for a walk!

July 8, 2022 10:25 AM

We're about to be traveling and staying in unfamiliar areas in the US, and we would like to spend more time exploring them on foot.

Are there any apps or sites or guides that help you find good - interesting, safe for walking - walks by location? I have AllTrails Pro, but it's very focused on official hiking/biking trails, where I'm looking for more like "here's a nice neighborhood/park stroll nearby" or "here's a great way to experience our charming downtown" without having to just google for newspaper/magazine/blog articles describing these things. I also have prepared an enormous app folder of national park type apps and guides, but my coverage gap seems to be just average town/city walk/run type suggestions. I'd just love to be finishing up lunch somewhere and find a good walk to take afterwards nearby.

I'm okay with user-generated content, especially if the suggestions can be rated by other users.

posted by Lyn Never to Computers & Internet (13 answers total)

I am unaware of a database or website like this, but if your destination city has an REI the staff can probably make some good suggestions.

[Disclosure: I work at an REI and we love these questions.]
posted by workerant at 10:36 AM on July 8, 2022 [2 favorites]

I'd look at actual travel books. My old Fodor's guide had a whole section of explore-by-foot routes.
posted by amtho at 10:43 AM on July 8, 2022 [2 favorites]

Stava's heat map could be a good starting point. If a lot of people like to run someplace, it is likely to be pleasant and safe to walk. However, you'll probably want to cross reference to some extent, since it will include places where runners live, even if they are not particularly interesting for visitors.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 10:57 AM on July 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

I am a huge fan of walking, and I have a few techniques. One, Alltrails is great for walks in parks, along beaches, etc., if you filter for "easy". Sure, there's more grueling all-day hikes through the mountains, but they're also easy to ignore.

Second, I look on Google Maps for yellow commercial districts. Just as an example, when I pull up the map of San Francisco, there are a bunch of places that pop up in yellow. Well-known spots like Chinatown, Valencia Street in the Mission, sure, but also Polk Street in Russian Hill, the Marina, corridors in the inner and outer Richmond, and more. Is the Stonestown mall in yellow? Yes, so it's not foolproof.

Finally, I just wander. I pick a destination, like an ice cream shop, and walk without using official navigation. See a promising looking park tucked into a corner? Make that turn!
posted by wnissen at 11:06 AM on July 8, 2022 [6 favorites]

Atlas Obscura's "near me" search function is invaluable here. I just looked and found a bunch of things not far from my place that I didn't even know about and would make great destinations for a walk.
posted by derrinyet at 11:17 AM on July 8, 2022 [4 favorites]

I haven't used it in a while but I've actually discovered some interesting things and good places to walk via Pokemon Go.
posted by mskyle at 11:22 AM on July 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

Separately from regular travel books, there are also location-specific books that focus on neighborhood walks or tours or rambles so those can be useful search terms too. A favorite book from a city we’ve lived in has a chapter for and routes through each of the city’s neighborhoods. If you didn’t want to carry any book I bet you could just take photos of the pages that have the route and/or map.

On the other hand I am also a fan of the wandering technique. And if they seemed approachable or open, I would also find myself asking the staff at the place I was eating lunch too if there were anything interesting to walk to nearby (or anywhere to avoid or to look out for, like stopping sidewalks!)
posted by subwaytiles at 11:49 AM on July 8, 2022

I've done this extensively through my life and honestly all of my best walks have come from asking the front desk. They can steer me around the bad neighborhoods, know which tourist attractions are worth the trouble, and where the locals go to enjoy a walk.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 1:22 PM on July 8, 2022

Oh, also we planned a trip a few years ago out of Atlas Obscura. We often walked between entries and enjoyed what we found on the way. (although once again check with the hotel about safe spaces to walk through)
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 1:31 PM on July 8, 2022

Depending on where you're going, the "City Walk" deck of cards can be great. The attractions on the cards go out of date pretty quick but the walks remain.
posted by blnkfrnk at 2:05 PM on July 8, 2022

This website All Things Walking has a long list of books and blogs (under Hike Resources) that might cover locations you're visiting.
posted by bread-eater at 4:47 PM on July 8, 2022

Komoot is my go to app for this kind of thing. The discovery bit let's you pick an area and set the strenuousness of the walk/hike you want to do
posted by Faff at 10:25 PM on July 8, 2022

Judgmental Maps is problematic for many reasons, but if you can… overlook that, you can probably infer which neighborhoods would be nice to walk. A quick Street View should validate your hypotheses.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:11 PM on July 9, 2022