About

My mission is to help more people get outdoors safely and confidently. I’m Cris Hazzard (Hiking Guy), an independent hiking guide with 26 years of experience, NOLS Wilderness Medicine training, and a University of Wyoming guide certification. I guided hikes in person for years, but today I focus on creating online guides so the work can reach far more hikers. In addition to my website and YouTube channel, I’ve also shared my expertise with the media and served as a judge on the CNN Underscored Innovation Awards (Outdoors category). My work has been cited by ABC News, The Washington Post, The Guardian, FOX News, and others.

Hiking apps are great, but for some hikes, you need more than a dot on a blue line to hike safely.

I focus on three key areas.

Guides. Instead of trying to cover every trail, I publish a curated list of hikes and backpacking trips that are worth your time. Each guide is based on my own on-trail experience, often from hiking the route multiple times. I don’t outsource writing or accept guest posts because I need to personally verify directions that people may rely on for safety. I give you step-by-step directions and the context you need to use them: how to prepare, what to expect, and what to do when conditions change or something goes wrong.
Skills. I make it simple to learn the hiking skills that actually matter. Most hiking advice online is generic and disconnected from real-world experience. I strip skills down to the points that matter most, and share them in a way that’s easy to understand and apply on trail.
Gear. I only make gear recommendations based on what I personally use and trust. If you see a recommendation on my gear page, it’s because I’ve tested it and I use it, not because I got it for free or was paid to talk about it.

I stay independent because of people like you; HikingGuy is funded by readers and viewers through Patreon, YouTube revenue, and affiliate links you see from Amazon or REI. I work for hikers and outdoor lovers like you, not the brands.

Why HikingGuy?

Cris Hazzard Hiking in Yosemite — I was lucky enough to explore hundreds of trails around the world before starting HikingGuy.

While I grew up active, I didn’t have a family that took trips to National Parks or spent much time recreating outdoors. As I got older I climbed the corporate ladder and eventually became a partner in a digital marketing agency. Over time, the stress and years of screen time started to drain my health and happiness.

I decided to take courses at Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracker School, where I learned traditional outdoor skills like wilderness survival, tracking, and awareness. And I loved it. It reset my brain and made me feel alive. After that I hiked and backpacked every chance I got, hitting the East Coast classics from the White Mountains in New Hampshire down through the southern Appalachians. This was before trail info was only a click away from YouTube, apps, and blogs. So I learned from books, relied on paper maps, and figured a lot of outdoor skills out the hard way.

From there I started encouraging friends to get outside, which led to HikingGuy. They’d ask for directions and planning help, and I started sharing them on my website. Through search, other people found the directions, and the site grew organically. I eventually added video trail directions on YouTube, filming with a GoPro 3. I also led guided hikes in person on California trails for years, and eventually shifted my focus to the online work because it lets me reach more people and share the information I wish I had when I started.