General Safety Statistics
For most people embarking on a journey into the outdoors, most safety concerns have to do with weather, terrain, animals, or the sheer remoteness of being off-the-grid.
For women, these are all key safety factors. Yet still, none of these are the primary concern, even when miles from civilization and other human beings. For a large number of women, men are a key safety concern when recreating in the outdoors, a place that should be safe, inclusive, and accessible to all. According to Backpacker Magazine, the risk of being a victim to violent crime is much lower in national parks than in the country as a whole. Public lands are “overwhelmingly safer places than the rest of the country,” according to the magazine’s survey. This does not mean that crime in national parks and other outdoor spaces does not exist, however. Due to the remote nature of some of these locations, many crimes that take place in the outdoors go unreported, skewing these numbers drastically. Due to the fact that, as a society, we don't always know what happens off-the-grid, there is still a rational perception of fear that many women hold, especially when recreating alone in the backcountry. According to RAINN, 9 out of every 10 rape victims in the United States is female. Furthermore, they reported that 1 out of every 6 American women has been a victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. These statistics, though not specific to the outdoor community, provide insight into the cautions that women must take against sexual assault, whether it be in the outdoors or other aspects of life. Check out the infographic to the left for more information, provided by Outside Online's survey that they conducted on female safety in the outdoors. |
Appalachian Trail Statistics
The Appalachian Trail (AT), a 2,190-mile path from Maine to Georgia, is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Only one in four thru-hikers* complete this journey, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
In fact, only 15% of those who completed the Appalachian Trail in its first few decades were women . By 2018, however, women represented a third of the thru-hikers. Check out the graph on the right, with data provided from the ATC, for more information regarding the percentage of female northbound thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. *The term "thru-hiking" refers to a specialized form of backpacking that's focused on long distance trails, such as the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail, and high daily mileage to complete the trail in one push within a set time frame. |
Arizona National Scenic Trail Statistics
The Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT), an 800-mile hiking trail that stretches from the U.S.-Mexico border to the Utah state line, is a must-do. Parts of the trail take hikers through the Grand Canyon and past some of the state's most beautiful landscapes.
In 2016, Heather "Anish" Anderson became the female record-holder for the Arizona Trail, covering all 800 miles in just 19 days, 17 hours, and 9 minutes. However, less than one-third of thru-hikers who completed this trail between 2015-2019 were women, according to data provided by the Arizona Trail Association. Check out the graph to the left for more information regarding finisher statistics by gender on the AZT. |