Motivations and Outcomes on Long-Distance Trails: A Case Study of the Means-End of Recreation Scale and Thru-Hikers

Thru-hiking is seeing an unprecedented surge in popularity in recent years, with the numbers of prospective thru-hikers only expected to continue to increase. Amidst this thru-hiking boom, this study used the Means End of Recreation Scale to determine the values and outcomes that motivate thru-hikers to hike and drive their trail selection. Utilizing responses from 268 thru-hikers in an online survey across the United States’ long-distance National Scenic Trails, the study evaluated how “trail variables,” such as (a) direction traveled, (b) experience with previous thru-hikes, and (c) whether a trail is a “Triple Crown” trail impacted thru-hikers’ outcomes from a thru-hike. Non-Triple Crown trail thru-hikers were found to be largely affected by trail attributes, more so than their Triple Crown counterparts. Results reveal outcomes from a thru-hike remain relatively unaffected by many of the evaluated trail variables, suggesting a certain universality in outcomes from a thru-hike, which can inform land managers and trail organizations to better manage the trails and provide the desired experiences to thru-hikers.