Everyone loves hiking, right? We’ll if you went by everyone’s dating profile, you’d probably have to say yes. Oddly, hiking is one of the most listed hobbies on literally everyone’s dating profile (although hobbies is also one of the most lied about things on a dating profile).
All that aside, we know that a lot of people like hiking, so does that make it a great first date? Today, that’s what we’re going to answer, and we’re going to back our answer up with the reason we feel this way.
No, hiking is not a great first date. Period.
Hiking is not only not a great first date, but it’s actually a terrible first date. Yes, we’re coming out hot here, but we’ll explain why.
First, the majority of the time you’re going on a first date, it’s with someone you don’t know at all or don’t know very well. This means that the number one thing that should be at the top of your priority list is staying safe.
We mean this with all the love in the world, but what on earth sounds safe about going out into the middle of nowhere where there aren’t any other people with someone you just met?
Spoiler alert, it’s not safe. We’ll spare you the crime statistics (because we still want the idea of a first date to be fun), but it’s just not a good idea.
Additionally, what happens if the date goes poorly? You don’t have the option to leave early or you’d be abandoning each other out in the wilderness. With other simpler (and in civilization) first dates, you retain that option.
Why Some People Think It’s a Good Idea
The reason a lot of people tend to think hiking is a great first date idea is that it checks a lot of the boxes of what makes a great first date.
- It’s active
- It’s unique
- It’s often a shared hobby
- It gives you space (and quiet) to talk
- It can be as long or short as you want
While these are all great traits, they in no way, shape, or form override the safety implications that come with this.
The One and Only Caveat
There is one single situation where we’d budge and say that hiking is a good first date idea (and it’s the only one). If you know the person very well already (like you’ve known them for years), then it’s something that could be nice for a first date. The reason for this is that the odds of the date being terrible go down, as well as the safety concerns being relaxed.
What’s a Better First Date Idea Then?
If you’re looking for a much better option, we’d encourage you to check out our list of the best first date ideas.