There’s something about wandering in the wilderness for hours on end, with no reception, no running water and no shield from creepy critters, that Aussies get such a kick out of. You only have to reach that sweet spot at the end — whether it be a secluded swimming hole, roaring waterfall or jaw-dropping lookout – to understand why. Down Under, we’re not only spoilt for choice with thousands of kilometres of trails, but with some of the absolute best on the entire planet.
A recent report by adventure app and website AllTrails revealed that Australia was in fact home to four of the world’s most popular trails in 2023. Their Year on the Trails report reviewed global hiking data across seven categories, including most outstanding, most athletic, most beautiful, most fun for all, family favourite, the all-nighter and rookie of the year.
Out of more than 250,000 trails reviewed globally, the Northern Territory’s 6km Kings Canyon Rim and Creek Walks via Cotterills Lookout ranked as the fourth overall most outstanding trail in 2023. It was only beaten by the Ice Lakes Trail in Colorado, USA; the Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit in Alberta, Canada; and the Skógafoss – Skálabrekkufoss Waterfalls trail in Skógar, Iceland.
Any sporty spices out there should add the Larapinta Trail in Alice Springs to their bucket list. This dusty 223km track in the Red Centre ranked fourth in the most popular athletic category for trail runners around the world.
The Northern Territory clocked another win in the most fun (and accessible) for all category too, with the 10.6km Uluru Base Walk taking bronze. However, Australia’s best result was in the rookie of the year category (rating trails added in the last year), where Tasmania’s challenging Cradle Mountain Summit walk came in second spot. It trailed just behind the Camp Summerland and Panhandle Gap via Wonderland Trail in Washington, USA.
AllTrails also crunched data to determine the top-rated trails in Australia in 2023. Following the Kings Canyon Walk, was the Bald Head Hike in Albany, WA; the Grand Canyon Track in the Blue Mountains, NSW; the Mount Rosea Track in Halls Gap, VIC; and the Sugarloaf Peak and South Jawbone Peak Loop in Taggerty, VIC.
If you can’t decide where to go for your next scenic hike or epic multi-day odyssey, let these results be your handy guide. And, if you're dreaming up an overseas hiking trip, here are the top four rankings in each category:
Most outstanding trails
- Island Lake and Ice Lake via Ice Lakes Trail, Colorado, USA
- Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit, Alberta, Canada
- Skógafoss – Skálabrekkufoss Waterfalls, Skógar, Iceland
- Kings Canyon Rim and Creek Walks via Cotterills Lookout, Northern Territory, Australia
Most athletic trails
- The Wonderland Trail, Washington, USA
- St Cuthbert’s Way, Scottish Borders, Scotland
- The Dingle Way: Complete, County Kerry, Ireland
- Larapinta Trail, Alice Springs, Australia
Most fun for all
- Burney Falls Loop, California, USA
- San Josef Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Uluru Base Walk, Northern Territory, Australia
- Eibsee Rundweg, Bayern, Germany
Rookie of the year
- Camp Summerland and Panhandle Gap via Wonderland Trail, Washington, USA
- Cradle Mountain, Tasmania: Cradle Summit, Tasmania, Australia
- Grotta Serracozzo, Sicily, Italy
- Three Peaks: Pen-y-ghent, North Yorkshire, England
Highest-rated trails in Australia
- Kings Canyon Rim and Creek Walks via Cotterills Lookout, Kings Canyon, Northern Territory
- Bald Head Hike, Albany, Western Australia
- Grand Canyon Track, Blue Mountains, New South Wales
- Mount Rosea Track, Halls Gap, Victoria
- Sugarloaf Peak and South Jawbone Peak Loop, Taggerty, Victoria
RECOMMENDED: